Cross-Cultural Psych

Joel Jin, PhD, MATM, is an affiliate faculty at Sentio University's Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate Program and an upcoming Acting Assistant Professor at University of Washington's Department of Family Medicine. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fuller Graduate School of Psychology and a M.A in theology and ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. He was an Assistant Professor at Seattle Pacific University's Department of Clinical Psychology for the past 4 years. Joel is a co-author of Deliberate Practice in Multicultural Therapy, recently published by the American Psychological Association's Essentials in Deliberate Practice book series.

Sara Shaban is a critical/cultural scholar focused on the intersections between media, women’s social movements, and geopolitics in the Middle East. Shaban’s academic work is rooted within the theoretical frameworks of transnationalism and femonationalism. Her award-winning research is published in the International Journal of Communication and Communication and Critical Cultural Studies. She recently published her first book, Iranian Feminism and Transnational Ethics in Media Discourse. Prior to life in academia, Shaban worked in U.S. local news as a producer before pursuing freelance journalism in Israel, the West Bank, and Sierra Leone. Shaban is fueled by her passion for social justice, specifically for immigrants and refugees. She was involved in initiatives to improve conditions for incoming refugees during the 2015 crisis and served as a volunteer and board member for the Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Program in St. Louis. Additionally, she served as the communications director for the St. Louis based NGO Project Peanut Butter — an organization committed to the eradication of child malnutrition throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Preciado joined the School of Education (SOE) faculty in 2010. Dr. Preciado teaches courses in Special Education and Teacher Education at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Dr. Preciado’s research specializes in literacy development, with a focus on Latino English learners and struggling readers among elementary school age students. Moreover, Dr. Preciado’s research includes decreasing problem behaviors and increasing academic engagement and social skills competence among Latino English learners. Dr. Preciado received his Ph.D. in Special Education with an emphasis in positive behavioral intervention supports (PBIS) and literacy from the University of Oregon.

Dr Loli Kim is a cross-cultural multimodalist-semanticist-pragmatist specialising in Korea. She received her Doctorate in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, specialising in Korean studies, at the University of Oxford, where she is now Postdoctoral Researcher on the Leverhulme Grant, researching the communication and folklore of Korea’s Haenyeo. She publishes widely on Asian communication and cross-cultural analytic frameworks, and was the winner of the Hendrick Hamel Prize in 2023 for her innovative contribution to Korean studies in her book Understanding Korean Film: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Loli is also the Editor and co-visionary behind Bloomsbury’s Foodscaping Asia series, and Assistant Editor of the European Journal of Korean Studies.

Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Ph.D., is Commonwealth Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University. He holds a Faculty Affiliate appointment at the Institute for Quantitative Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University (Human Flourishing Program), and he is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Virginia. He has published widely on the science of self- and other-forgiveness among other topics, and he has developed the REACH Forgiveness model (see www.EvWorthington-forgiveness.com for free resources), supported in over 30 published randomized controlled trials, and other practical interventions to help people reach their potential.

Jennifer McKinney (PhD, Purdue University) is Professor of Sociology and Director of Women’s Studies at Seattle Pacific University. Jennifer is the author of Making Christianity Manly Again: Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, and American Evangelism and co-author (with Martin Lee Abbott) of Understanding and Applying Research Design (Wiley 2013). Jennifer’s research has published in The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, The Sociological Quarterly, The Journal of Youth Ministry, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and Christianity Today.

Alexander Jun, Ph.D. conducts research on equity and justice in higher education around the world. He is author of numerous books including White Jesus: The Architecture of Racism in Religion and Education. Alex is an ordained Ruling Elder and was the former moderator of the 45th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his family lived and worked in Cambodia 2010-2013. His latest book, Global White Supremacy: Anti-Blackness, and University as Colonizer, was released in May, 2023. Alex holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He is currently a Professor of Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University. Alex and his wife Jeany have three young adult children. They all currently attend Citizens Church in Los Angeles, CA.

Kenneth T. Wang, PhD is a Professor in Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, a licensed psychologist in California & Illinois, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association. He received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Penn State University. Prior to Fuller, Kenneth taught at University of Missouri and worked as a staff psychologist at the University of Illinois and a counselor at National Dong-Hwa University in Taiwan. Kenneth’s research focuses on perfectionism, psychological measurement, and cross-cultural psychological adjustment.

Grace Inae Blum is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction-ELL/Bilingual Education at Seattle Pacific University. Her experiences as a daughter of first-generation Korean immigrants, mother to two school-aged, biracial children, and former P-12/ Adult Literacy educator greatly inform her commitments toward culturally sustaining teaching, scholarship, and service. Dr. Blum has worked in a variety of educational settings. Prior to her work as a teacher educator, she was an elementary school teacher having worked in both bilingual and mainstream classrooms in public schools in the greater Chicagoland and Los Angeles areas. She has also worked as an adult literacy/ESL educator both in immigrant communities in the US and in northern Iraq. Most recently, Dr. Blum was an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood/ Elementary/ TESL-Bilingual Education at Central Washington University. Her current research interests include humanizing teacher education, teacher preparation for culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms and the recruitment/retention of BIPOC educators.

Robert Chao Romero is an associate professor in the UCLA departments of Chicana/o Studies and Central America Studies, and Asian American Studies. He received his Ph.D. from UCLA in Latin American History and his Juris Doctor from U.C. Berkeley, and is also an attorney. Romero is the author of several books, including, “The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940” and “Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity.” “The Chinese in Mexico” received the Latina/o Studies book award from the Latin American Studies Association and “Brown Church” received the InterVarsity Press Readers’ Choice Award for best academic title. Romero is also an ordained minister and faith rooted community organizer. Robert Chao Romero es profesor asociado en los departamentos de UCLA de Estudios Chicanos y Estudios Centroamericanos, y de Estudios Asiáticos Americanos. Recibió su Ph.D. de UCLA en Historia Latinoamericana y su Juris Doctor de la U.C. Berkeley, y también es abogado. Romero es autor de varios libros, entre ellos, "The Chinese in Mexico, 1882-1940” y "Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina / o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity.” “The Chinese in Mexico” recibió el premio al mejor libro de Estudios Latinos de la Asociación de Estudios Latinoamericanos y “Brown Church” recibió el premio InterVarsity Press Readers' Choice Award al mejor título académico. Romero también es un ministro ordenado y un organizador comunitario arraigado en la fe.

Becky White has been a radio DJ, EDM singer, translator, magazine editor and fashion model - all experiences that she draws upon in the many facets of her work. A biracial Korean-American, she grew up as a military kid and has split her life between the United States and South Korea. Her experiences as a mixed Korean in Korea led her to create the Halfie Project 혼혈이야기, through which she explores mixed Korean identity, both culturally and ethnically, around the world, through multiple mediums including photography, writing, film and interviews. After meeting her partner, Cedric, in Seoul, they decided to relocate to NYC where currently Becky works as an actress and voice talent, while continuing The Halfie Project. Cedric Stout is a filmmaker, video producer and editor, born in North Carolina, moved to Seoul, South Korea, and now in New York area. The son of a Korean mother and an African-American father, Cedric grew up in an interracial, intercultural home, which has influenced much of his life. His passion for sharing stories through film grew his first YouTube channel in Korea to over 6 million views in a short time, and now he is the co-director and lead cameraman for The Halfie Project 혼혈이야기 with his partner, Becky.

Helen H. Chung, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, WA. She researches inclusive leadership, workplace diversity, storytelling in organizations, and subjective time. Helen is also Founder and Principle of Pathways Coaching and Consulting. In her non-working hours, Helen enjoys hiking PNW trails with her doodle and traveling with her family.

Dr. David I. Smith is Professor of Education, Calvin University; Director of the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning, Calvin University; Coordinator of the de Vries Institute for Global Faculty Development, Calvin University; and Senior Editor of the International Journal of Christianity and Education. David earned his B.A. in Modern Languages (German and Russian) at Oxford University; a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Nottingham; an M.Phil. in Philosophy of Education/Philosophical Theology from the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto; and a Ph.D. in Education with a specialism in Curriculum Studies from the University of London. David has written widely and worked extensively with educators at all levels of education on questions of how faith relates to the practice of teaching. His book On Christian Teaching was awarded the 2021 Lilly Fellows Program Book Award, a biennial award for work focused on teaching and scholarship in the Christian intellectual tradition. David is a passionate listener to a wide variety of musical genres and enjoys gardening, woodworking, and reading outside of his work-related fields

Jeanie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She is an accomplished international speaker, providing keynotes and workshops for corporations, community organizations, and colleges. Jeanie is the Founder and CEO of Noona's Noonchi, which provides mental health education and resources for organizations around the world. It is also a global tour operator, offering K-Culture tours including K-Drama and K-Pop sites, cultural activities, and wellness experiences.   Jeanie is also the Founder and CEO of Your Change Provider, a clinical practice based in the USA founded on solutions and her unique, trademarked framework Cultural Confidence. Her Cultural Confidence program provides psychoeducation in all sectors from corporate to schools. She has presented her trademarked curriculum for many corporations such as Eventbrite, J. Crew, Microsoft, and the NFL. Her memoir, A is for Authentic: Not for Anxieties or for Straight A's, hit #1 international bestseller on Amazon in 2021.

Michelle Ami Reyes, PhD, is a certified cultural intelligence (CQ) coach who has trained 500+ leaders over 10+ years in cultivating inclusive, thriving workplaces with proven strategies and systems. She is the founder of Success Culture Coaching and is passionate about helping leaders navigate cross-cultural dynamics and thrive in diverse work contexts. She is also the award-winning author of the book, Becoming All Things, a seasoned expert with a PhD in cross-cultural work and the co-founder of two multicultural non-profits. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, NBC News.com, and Good Morning America.

Dr. Simon Howard is the Director of the Psychology of Racism, Identity, Diversity, and Equity (PRIDE) lab and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Miami. He is a first-generation college graduate who completed his undergraduate degree at San Jose State University. Dr. Howard went on to earn his Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Tufts University. Using experimental methods drawn from cognitive, perceptual, and social investigations his research aims to understand and address contemporary racism. To this end he has conducted research on the interpersonal and contextual influences on racially biased perception, judgment, behavior, and mental health of both historically advantaged (e.g., White people) and disadvantaged group members (e.g., Black people). His recent work can be organized in three broad themes: 1) The role of religion in maintaining racial hierarchy; 2) the influence of race on perception, judgment, and behavior, and 3) The consequences of exposure to vicarious racism for racially stigmatized groups.

Dr. Michelle R. Loyd-Paige is a woman who loves God, loves family, loves life, and enjoys good food. The first-born child of two African Americans, Michelle identifies as an African-American woman and has spent much of her adult life teaching about the beauty and challenges of diversity, fighting for justice, and preaching the love of God. Michelle began traveling the world at a young age as her father's military duty stations changed every three or so years. It was this constant movement to lands near and far that guided her to become a bridge-builder. Michelle earned her PhD in Sociology from Purdue University. She and her husband Darrell have been married for over thirty-nine years and have three adult children. She is the founder of PreachSista! -- a ministry that creates space for people to deepen their faith and care for their souls. She is a co-host of the Antioch Podcast -- a podcast hosting and modeling conversations on biblical anti-racism. In 2023, Michelle entered a new stage of life -- retirement -- after working in a private Midwest Christian liberal arts university for thirty-eight years. Post-retirement, Michelle spends her time enjoying more of the things she loves -- God, family, life, and food.

Dr. Raedene Copeland is the founder of Achieve Brand Consulting, a global leadership brand development consultancy. She delivers captivating keynotes and transformative trainings on leadership as a global language to support organizations’ missional goals and develop leaders of distinction. For over the past decade she has served both as a tenured professor of apparel merchandising and design and most recently an assistant provost for the faculty research and development office. Despite living in the United States for the past 25 years, she remains grounded in her Trinbagonian culture and committed to spotlighting the diaspora’s holistic brilliance. She currently serves as the Board Chair for His Excellency Ambassador Anthony Phillip-Spencer’s Women’s Roundtable Action Platform of Trinidad and Tobago (WRAPTT) initiative. A holder of a Ph.D. in Consumer, Apparel and Retail Studies from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Dr. Copeland’s primary published area of research is on the younger generation’s impact on the evolution of dress at Trinidad Carnival. She has also published on active learning spaces. Throughout her educational and professional pursuits, Dr. Copeland has won many leadership and service awards. Of special note is an inaugural 40 under 40 award from her alma mater North Carolina Central University where she completed her bachelors in Business Management and Masters of Business Administration. A genuinely happy person, Dr. Copeland infuses joy into her leadership practice with the hope of inspiring greatness in those she serves. Take a peek into Dr. Copeland’s strategic insights on leadership by reading her weekly posts on LinkedIn.

Liz Lin is a psychologist, a writer, and the co-founder of Progressive Asian American Christians. She has a PhD in clinical psychology, as well as master's degrees in psychology and theology, from Fuller Theological Seminary. Previously, she taught in Fuller's Graduate School of Psychology, Newbigin House of Studies, and the Faith and Justice Network. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Dr. Veola Vazquez is a Professor of Psychology at Cal Baptist University. She serves as the Diversity Coordinator for CBU’s PsyD program, and she also teaches the Cultural Diversity class within the program. Her most recent book is Healing Conversations on Race: Four Key Practices from Scripture and Psychology. P.S.: We apologize for the audio issues in this episode. After consulting with Dr. Vazquez, we agreed to release the episode despite the audio problems. Thanks for your patience as we, in the Kim Lab, are still learning the ways!