Hyunjin Seo (pronounced: hen-jin suh) is a University Distinguished Professor and Oscar Stauffer Chair in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas where she served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development. She is also the founding director of the KU Center for Digital Inclusion, which has facilitated citizens’ participation in social, economic, cultural, and civic activities by supporting their digital information competence.

 

Seo’s research focuses on identifying emerging properties of networked communication and understanding their implications for social change, collective action, and civic engagement. Her research has been published extensively in top-tier journals and has received more than a dozen best paper awards from prominent international academic associations. Seo is also the author of a peer-reviewed book, Networked Collective Actions: The Making of an Impeachment, published by Oxford University Press. She has obtained prestigious faculty fellowships including appointments at Harvard University and Yale University. She has been invited to present her research at academic institutions and community events around the world, and her research has been widely featured in national and international media outlets.

 

Seo has served as Principal Investigator on interdisciplinary projects that have been funded by various federal and state agencies and private foundations including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the Kansas Health Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation. Her community-engaged scholarship on digital and emerging media has contributed to fostering digital skills, expanding employment opportunities, and strengthening civic engagement among low-income older adults and women transitioning from incarceration in the U.S. Midwest. For this project, her team received an Award of Excellence from the University Economic Development Association.

 

Her excellence in teaching and mentoring has been recognized through awards from KU and leading academic associations in her field. For example, Seo received a Louise Byrd Graduate Educator Award which honors the dedicated work of “most outstanding graduate faculty mentors” at KU. In recognition of experiential learning opportunities provided in her undergraduate classes, she was honored with a Faculty Excellence in Service Learning Award. She also received a national teaching award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for her teaching excellence and innovation. In addition, she earned curriculum innovation awards and teaching grants that advanced KU’s curriculum on social media and emerging technologies.

 

Seo has an outstanding record of service at both the university and professional levels and has been recognized with a service award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Within KU, Seo has made significant contributions through leadership on key committees, mentorship of early-career faculty, and development of programs that foster academic excellence. At the professional level, she has actively engaged in scholarly organizations, serving on editorial boards, leading research divisions within academic associations, and contributing to the advancement of the field. Beyond academia, Seo has demonstrated a strong commitment to community engagement, collaborating with local organizations, providing expert guidance on public initiatives, and fostering partnerships that bridge gaps between scholarship and societal needs.

 

Seo’s research and teaching are influenced by her professional experience in journalism and strategic communication in South Korea and the United States. Prior to her graduate studies in the United States, Seo worked as a foreign affairs and presidential office correspondent for South Korean and international media outlets. During that time, she traveled extensively to cover major international events including six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear issues, global summits of world leaders, and U.S.-Korea presidential meetings. She has also consulted to U.S. and Korea-based nongovernmental organizations regarding their social media strategies and relations with international press.