Yoonjeong Ko is a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. She is a recipient of the Graduate School Recruitment Fellowship and the School of Social Work Moritz Family Fellowship. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies, as well as a Master of Social Work with a concentration in Child Welfare, at Yonsei University in South Korea.
Yoonjeong has professional experience as a foster care case manager and independent living program manager. She also worked as a researcher at child welfare research institutions in South Korea, contributing to projects on child welfare and child rights. Her research interests include child welfare policy, foster care, and services that strengthen families and improve systems of care for children.
She is currently pursuing her doctoral studies under the mentorship of Dr. Rebecca Gomez at UT Social Work. She is committed to advancing child welfare policy and research that address systemic inequities and support the well-being of children in vulnerable circumstances, with the ultimate goal of contributing to both the advancement of scholarship and meaningful policy reform in child protection systems.