Hanna Aggen and Seth Eckert
Dr. Yujin Jung is the new hire for the University’s Political Science program. Jung graduated from her alma mater, University of Missouri, with a doctorate in comparative politics, as well as Asian politics, and political behavior. Here at the Mount, she is currently teaching a class on the “Rise of Populist Politics” which she stated is her favorite class she has taught so far in her career. The beginning of Jung’s career included a lot of testing things out. She claims that your twenties are about “trying things out.”
When she was young, she dreamed of working in broadcast journalism, being inspired by her grandmother’s career. She came to the U.S. through a government program through Voice America, in hopes to learn what a life would be like here. “My motive was to learn from the broadcasts,” she stated when speaking on the subject. She gives advice to college students, “try everything, and learn whether or not you like it.” Jung states, “that is the only way to really figure out what you want to do.” She did not realize that she wanted to be an academic until she was doing her master’s program in Korea.
When Jung was young, she traveled to North Korea and saw the human rights situation there, and that inspired her to write. When pursuing her doctorate in the States, she switched her focus to behavioral politics, that way her view would be more so on what the individual thinks and not so much on the state level. Outside of work, Jung enjoys golf, “I’m open to any suggestions of beautiful golf courses around here.” She also enjoys jazz music and the color pink. Jung stated that her favorite part of teaching is learning from her students. She complemented our student body, faculty and campus when asked what led her to the Mount. Fellow Mount political science professor, Dr. Maureen Oakley, stated that “When she came to campus, she taught a class and did a great job engaging the students with the material.” Oakley also said that as a co-worker Jung is upbeat and positive.
Another Mount political science professor, Dr. William Christiansen, who was a part of Jung’s hiring process, gave more insight into who she is as a colleague and an academic. When asked about his initial thoughts on Jung, he said, “She was really dedicated to getting to know the students. Even though she did not know she was getting the job or anything like that, she was still very personal in her interactions, such as learning names. I think that just kind of reflects how comfortable she is in the classroom.” Christiansen was looking forward to working with Jung; he was especially interested in her background. “Her background is really fascinating… She has worked for the UN before, as a translator. She has worked in a number of professional organizations and research centers outside of academia, focused on democratization, autocracy and more.”
When asked about the students’ thoughts on Jung, Christiansen said that the students really liked her and found her class to be engaging and interesting. Jung was one of over a hundred potential hires for the Mount When asked why he chose Jung, he stated, “We want professors who really love to teach, and I can tell that she does in her teaching demo and in her interview.”
Christiansen lamented the struggles of hiring a new teacher, saying, “I think hiring is hard, especially in academia. She is complimentary with what we need and well versed in many different topics. I think she very well could do it all.”
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