Yeon-Joo is a doctoral student in Public and Urban Policy at The New School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and Engineering and Global Business/Culture from Hanyang University in Seoul and a Master’s degree in Regional Planning from Cornell University.

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Before beginning her doctoral studies, Yeon-Joo worked as a Commercial Corridor Revitalization Program Manager and Capacity Builder at a nonprofit organization in New York City. In this role, she supported immigrant-owned small businesses and ethnic commercial districts, which deepened her understanding of structural inequities and shaped her research interests at the intersection of urban planning, public policy, and community empowerment.

 

Her academic focus includes urban mobility, social equity, and public policy with a particular interest in paratransit services for people with disabilities. She examines how policy reforms can address systemic transportation barriers and explores the role of nonprofit-government partnerships in advancing mobility justice. Her approach integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods—including GIS and interviews—with an emphasis on translating findings into accessible visuals and stories. She is particularly interested in how collaborative, community-driven efforts can influence public policy and address gaps in transportation-related welfare services for underserved populations.