Dr. So Young Park received her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and her Juris Doctor (JD) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her program of research examines the impact of family law and policy on diverse families particularly during critical transitions (e.g., divorce, childbirth, economic recession) from intersectional and ecological systems perspectives. Her research has centered on families in the justice system who have experienced domestic violence and how race and gender influence judicial decisions. So Young conducts her work from a multidisciplinary, multi-method approach, and she gained strong methodological tools to conduct both quantitative and qualitative analyses utilizing large longitudinal datasets, including projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Justice during her doctoral studies. So Young’s interdisciplinary research bridges family science and law to explore how the two disciplines, together, can increase access to justice and equality for vulnerable populations, such as survivors of domestic violence and justice-involved youth and families. She collaborates with the Center for Family Policy and Research (CFPR), the University of Missouri Extension, and the Collaborative for Interpersonal Violence Interventions in Contexts (CIVIC).

Affiliations

• National Council on Family Relations
• American Bar Association

Areas of Expertise

• Family law and policy
• Intimate partner violence and domestic violence
• Families’ experiences with the court system
• Justice involved youth, couples, and families
• Work and family