In This Section

Degree Major Emphasis Institution Year
Ph.D. Social Welfare University of California, Los Angeles March 25, 2009

Advanced Independent Study (Ph.D.)
Doctoral Seminar (Ph.D.)
Dissertation Seminar (Ph.D.)
Research Methods in Social Work (MSW)
Clinical Research Seminar (MSW)
Multicultural Issues (BSW)
Human Behavior in the Social Environment (BSW)
Field Experience (BSW)
American Social Welfare Policy (BSW)
Social Work Research (BSW)
Social Welfare Policy Analysis (BSW)
Practicum (BSW)


Children and youth from socioeconomically disadvantaged families; social emotional development and health outcomes; neighborhood deprivation; health disparities among underserved populations

University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Winona State University

Selected Funded Research
2019 – 2024 Choi, J.K. (PI), de Guzman, M. (Co-PI), Kim, S. (Co-PI), Parra, G. (Evaluator), Jennings, E. (Collaborator), Sierra, L. (Collaborator). Nebraska Sustainable Community Project–Youth Civic Engagement, The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Children, Youth, and Families at Risk Grant. $647,000.
2020 – 2021 Lodl, K. (PI), de Guzman, M. (Co-PI), Choi, J.K. (Co-PI), Walker, M. (Co-PI), Xia, Y. (Co-PI). Expansion of the Reach and Impact of Health Rocks! and Program Evaluation. National 4-H Council. $680,953.

Selected Publications
Choi, J.K., Kelley, M., Wang, D.* & Kerby, H.* (2021). Risk and protective factors to de-termine health status of children from immigrant families: Focused on neighborhood socio-economic disadvantages. American Journal of Health Promotion.
Choi, J.K., Ryu, J.H.* & Yang, Z.* (2021). Validation of the EPOCH measure in adoles-cents from multi-stressed families: Using first- and second-order confirmatory factor anal-ysis (CFA) models. Journal of Psychoeducation Assessment.
Wang, D.*, Choi, J.K., Shin, J.W.*, & Reddish, L. (2021) Longitudinal effects of co-parenting for successful kids: Using mixed-effects models. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 30, 220-229.
Choi, J.K., Teshome, T.*, & Smith, J.* (2021). Neighborhood disadvantage, childhood ad-versity, bullying victimization, and teen depression: A multiple mediational analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 279: 554-562.
Choi, J.K., Wang, D.*, & Jackson, A.P. (2019). Adverse experiences in early childhood and their longitudinal impact on later behavior problems of poor black children from fragile families. Child Abuse & Neglect. 98, 104-181.
Choi, J.K., Parra, G.R., & Jiang, Q.* (2018). The longitudinal and bidirectional relationships between cooperative coparenting and child behavioral problems in low-income, unmarried families. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(2), 203-214.
Choi, J.K., Becher, E.H. (2018). Supportive coparenting, parenting stress, harsh parenting, and child behavior problems in single-mother families. Family Process, 58(2), 404-417.

Grace Ministries International, Fullerton CA
University Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles CA (Alumnus)

Social entrepreneurship; Business Is Mission (BIM)
Coffee & bagel; Boba; crab legs; hiking; Newport beach
Two daughters (10 & 5) and a beautiful wife

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8