Jooyoung Kong, PhD’16. Courtesy photo.
Jooyoung Kong, a researcher who studies the effects that adverse childhood experiences have on health and well-being, uses interviews as a way to let people tell their stories in a safe place where their voices really matter.
“I approach interviews not just as data collection, but as spaces where participants can share their stories safely and feel truly heard,” said Kong, who graduated from the doctoral program at the Boston College School of Social Work in 2016 and now serves as an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work. “I am committed to listening to these individuals, supporting them as they accept themselves.”
Her dedication to centering the voices of the individuals she works with without imposing her own agenda aligns with BCSSW’s new theme for the academic year, “Accompaniment in Action”—walking alongside others, sharing their burdens and hopes, and staying present as long as needed.
And it’s one of the reasons that she will receive BCSSW’s Distinguished Recent Alumni Award on November 10 at the School’s annual Equity, Justice, and Inclusion Lecture and Distinguished Alumni Award Celebration.
Kong credited her experience at BCSSW with helping her launch a fulfilling career built on listening, kinship, and mutual transformation—three hallmarks of accompaniment. In particular, she pointed to “highly talented and dedicated faculty members” who gave her a platform to delve into diverse research and training opportunities.
“BCSSW allowed me to build a solid foundation in research while providing a highly supportive environment where I could focus entirely on my training,” she said.
We caught up with Kong to learn more about her ongoing commitment to accompaniment, its impact on her work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and why it’s so essential to her success as a social worker.
First of all, congratulations on being selected to receive the 2025 Distinguished Recent Alumni Award. What does this award mean to you?
This award holds great significance for me in many ways. What makes it particularly meaningful is that it derives from a time when I had been in the United States for only about two years and was just beginning my PhD—a period when the future felt uncertain, and thus I was deeply committed, wanting to devote nearly all of my energy to my work. This award serves as a reminder of that initial drive—the dedication and determination to study social work, develop my research focus and capacity, and make a meaningful contribution to the field.
Scott Easton, associate professor at BCSSW, nominated you for this award. How would you describe the impact he’s had on your career?
Dr. Scott Easton has played a pivotal role in shaping the foundation of my doctoral research, as well as my research to date. Through my involvement in his research projects, I became acquainted with the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a national dataset that I have used for my dissertation and beyond. Under his supervision, I gained practical experience in conducting research and, most importantly, developed advanced statistical skills necessary for analyzing longitudinal data. His thoughtful guidance enabled me to publish several papers as both first author and co-author during my doctoral studies. Even after completing the program, our ongoing collaboration—rooted in shared research interests in adverse childhood experiences—has continued to support my scholarly development and was instrumental during my tenure review.
Dr. Easton’s mentorship and leadership are always gentle and considerate, providing consistent encouragement and support throughout our collaboration. He has been, and continues to be, an invaluable mentor to me.
How did your experiences at BCSSW prepare you for a career as a scholar focused on the long-term effects of early life trauma and caregiving for older adults?
During my time at BCSSW, I was fortunate to work with highly talented and dedicated faculty members. The doctoral curriculum was rigorous and well-structured, gradually preparing me to work on my dissertation, and the learning environment was highly supportive and efficient, allowing me to focus solely on training to become an independent researcher. There was both support and an expectation for rigor and growth, which provided valuable stimulation to challenge myself.
Specifically, Dr. Jim Lubben established the program’s infrastructure, ensuring that doctoral students could delve into diverse research and training opportunities. Dr. Easton provided me with opportunities to engage in actual research projects, giving me hands-on experience to develop the skills and knowledge needed as an independent researcher. Dr. Sara Moorman from the sociology department helped me frame my research questions within a broader scholarly context, which contributed to the publication of my work in highly impactful journals. Their dedication and support allowed me to identify my research topic—how childhood trauma affects later life, specifically in terms of family relationships, intergenerational caregiving, and further victimization experiences—and build it into a coherent research program.
Overall, BCSSW allowed me to build a solid foundation in research while providing a highly supportive environment where I could focus entirely on my training. I am deeply grateful for having been nurtured in such an environment, which allowed me to gain theoretical grounding, methodological skills, and mentorship to launch my research on the long-term effects of early life trauma on older adults.
Your research has explored how adverse childhood experiences can increase the risk of revictimization across the lifespan and how caregiving is complicated when caregivers have histories of abuse, including from parents they now support. Your work spans the U.S. and international contexts, and you’ve received several major grants, including a multi-year K-Award from the National Institutes of Health. What would you say is your biggest accomplishment to date, and what is your ultimate research goal?
Until now, my work has been primarily grounded in quantitative research using large-scale national data sets, but my first doctoral student, Dr. Jaime Goldberg, took a palliative care focus and, for the first time, conducted qualitative research exploring how childhood trauma may affect caregiving for aging parents. She interviewed 22 caregivers who, despite experiences of abuse or neglect, were providing care for parents at the end of life, and she produced an outstanding dissertation. Witnessing how my own research topic expanded through her work and seeing it contribute in new ways gave me a deep sense of fulfillment. When she was later appointed as a clinical faculty member at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work, I was very grateful, seeing how the guidance and support I had given her had helped advance her career. Of course, it was entirely her own excellence and readiness that made it possible, but I was glad to have been able to support her journey in some small way.
Dr. Moorman once told me that, although I might feel grateful to her as a mentor, rather than trying to give back to her, I should pass on what I’ve learned to the next generation of students. Seeing even a small part of that realized through my first doctoral student fills me with appreciation. Building on the foundation I received at BCSSW, I want to dedicate my career to giving back—to creating opportunities for social work students who, like I once was, start with very little but are able to find their place.
Also, through Dr. Goldberg’s work and my ongoing qualitative research, I have been hearing stories from individuals about how, despite experiences of abuse, parent–child relationships can persist across the lifespan, and how childhood experiences may be reenacted or reexperienced through caregiving or in other relationships later in life. My ultimate research goal is to generate research findings and develop intervention programs that can provide meaningful support to these individuals.
BCSSW has named Accompaniment in Action as its theme for the new academic year, emphasizing listening, kinship, and walking alongside others. How do you practice accompaniment in your work as a researcher?
I practice accompaniment in my work as a researcher by fully immersing myself in the experiences of the individuals I study and centering their voices throughout the research process. For example, in my current qualitative studies with adults providing care despite experiences of abuse or neglect, I approach interviews not just as data collection, but as spaces where participants can share their stories safely and feel truly heard.
I am committed to listening to these individuals, supporting them as they accept themselves, exercise agency to minimize the impact of the past, and continue to fulfill (or decide not to fulfill) their family responsibilities more easily. Even if my research topic is not trendy or guaranteed to secure large grants, I am committed to pursuing my research program and solidifying my identity as a social work researcher. I believe this is one meaningful way for me to practice Accompaniment in Action.
You have shared your research at more than 50 conferences, hold leadership roles in professional organizations, serve on editorial boards, review grants and manuscripts, and mentor at-risk or underrepresented students through the Nellie McKay Fellowship. Aside from conducting studies, what do you find most rewarding about your work, and how do these non-research activities connect to the idea of accompaniment?
Aside from conducting research, I find mentoring students and peer faculty members deeply rewarding. Helping them recognize their potential, identify areas for growth, and supporting them with the skills and knowledge I have allows us to grow together, which I find very fulfilling.
Although I cannot form deep relationships with every student I meet in the classroom, I strive to be mindful of their time, provide essential training that helps them grow into capable social workers, and serve as a role model and insightful leader who can shape perspectives. Through these actions, I see a clear connection to the idea of accompaniment: walking alongside others, nurturing their development, and supporting them as they navigate their professional and personal growth.