Postdoctoral Fellow, Social Work
Contact Information
Email: hkang31@gmu.edu
Biography
Dr. Hyun Kang is a postdoctoral research fellow in the gerontology research team at the Department of Social Work. He earned his Ph.D. in social work from the University of Kansas. His doctoral dissertation examined how ageism affects productive engagement in later life and identified potential interventions for lessening the effects of ageism and supporting aging well.
Hyun has a strong background in quantitative research methods and statistics. He worked as the lead data analyst for the Center for Research on Aging and Disability Options (CRADO) at the University of Kansas. Hyun contributed to the completion of the MFEI (Medicaid Functional Eligibility Instrument), which is used as a universal tool in Kansas to determine eligibility and support requirements for Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) for PD, FE, TBI, and IDD populations. Prior to his Ph.D., he worked as a researcher at the Seoul Welfare Foundation in South Korea. His efforts were devoted to developing panel data on vocational rehabilitation agencies in Seoul. In addition, he helped to create a pilot program that provided a system for the efficient delivery of home care in order to promote job stability among caregivers. Previously, he worked as a research assistant for several research projects in South Korea, including the 2010 Korea Population and Housing Census, long-term care insurance for Korean baby boomers, and social entrepreneurship curriculum.
Hyun has consistently focused his academic and professional careers on the field of aging and psychosocial interventions that improve the quality of life for older adults. He has examined a variety of interventions, including productive engagement, social engagement, self-efficacy, social support, and intergenerational contact, to promote the well-being of older adults. Hyun has also explored the mental health disparities experienced by older adults through a range of lenses, including risk factors contributing to these disparities and approaches to addressing these disparities.
Degrees:
- PhD, Social Work, University of Kansas
- MA, Social Work, Korea University
- BA, English Literature, University of Seoul