Wooksoo Kim

Professor Wooksoo Kim is a full-time faculty member at the School of Social Work, University at Buffalo. As co-founder and director of the Immigrant and Refugee Research Institute (IRRI), her work focuses on improving the lives of immigrant and refugee populations through culturally responsive interventions. Her research integrates mobile technology to enhance health literacy and addresses systemic barriers in healthcare and welfare access. She holds a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Washington (2002) and has extensive experience in community-based research.

Her research interests include immigrant/refugee adjustment, mental health service accessibility, and culturally competent social work practices. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams in medicine, pharmacy, and engineering to design evidence-based solutions. Recent work emphasizes trauma-informed education and mobile apps for refugee health literacy.

Teaching commitments include a year-long research class combining methodology with community service learning. Earlier studies explored gambling behaviors among Asian immigrant subgroups, challenging 'model minority' stereotypes. Awards and grants are not explicitly listed, but her work has policy and practice impacts nationally.

Key collaborations include IRRI’s interdisciplinary projects and mentorship programs. Future efforts aim to expand interventions for refugee mental health and dismantle systemic inequities through research-practice partnerships.