Sejin Um

Welcome!

I am a Moon Family Postdoctoral Fellow at the James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

I am a sociologist of work and organizations, gender, culture, and family primarily using qualitative methods. My dissertation and book project uses over 120 in-depth interviews to examine how young, white-collar office workers in large conglomerate firms in Korea experience and evaluate their jobs and craft divergent career trajectories. I also work on topics of work and family in the U.S. context.

My research has appeared in Gender, Work & Organization and Social Sciences. I received my PhD in Sociology from New York University in August 2025. Prior to NYU, I received my MA from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and BA from Korea University, Seoul.

I have taught courses on Research Methods, Capstone/Senior Thesis, as well as substantive courses such as Intro to Sociology, The Family, Sex and Love in Modern Society, and Korean history and culture.

Email is the best way to reach me: sejinum@sas.upenn.edu

Google Scholar, ORCiD