Faculty and Staff

Soonhyung Kwon, PhD, MSW, MA Assistant Professor Phone: 813-396-0702 Office: MHC1423 Send email Curriculum Vitae

Soonhyung Kwon, PhD, MSW, MA is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida School of Social Work. Dr. Kwon completed MSW at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work, and postdoctoral training at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research.

Dr. Kwon’s research portfolio focuses on exploring the intersection of anti-oppression and health disparities, along with delivery of technology-based interventions (e.g., wearable devices, mobile applications, and virtual reality) intended to boost the positive psychological well-being of marginalized and/or minoritized older adults. Currently, his research projects explore 1) the effects of a virtual reality-based and culturally tailored positive psychological intervention on mental health in older Korean immigrants with discrimination-related experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) the effects of positive psychological well-being on health behaviors (e.g., vaccine uptake) in ethnic minority groups with low-income living in the New Jersey and Chicago areas, and 3) social determinants of health in older Asian immigrants in the United States. Dr. Kwon’s work has been recognized with numerous awards and fellowships granted from the prestigious academic organizations, including the Gerontological Society of America, Korean American Social Work Educators Association, and Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work.