Hyun Sunwoo

Hyun Sunwoo specializes in interpersonal and health communication. Her research focuses on how young adults construct identity and negotiate peer influence in the context of alcohol consumption. Drawing on conversation analysis, her work respecifies psychological constructs such as peer pressure by examining how they are produced and made relevant in everyday talk. She also studies help-seeking behaviors among Korean Americans, with attention to cultural and linguistic dimensions of mental health communication. In her teaching, she is committed to making theoretical concepts accessible and applicable to students’ real-life experiences, particularly in courses on communication theory and public speaking.

She has presented her research at national and international conferences, including work on identity, peer influence, and conversation analysis of Korean interaction. She received departmental recognition for excellence in teaching in 2024 and has taken on leadership roles in organizing wellness and cultural events for graduate students.

Sunwoo is currently completing her dissertation, which explores young adults’ alcohol-related interactions through conversation analysis to respecify psychological concepts like peer pressure. She is also teaching an online undergraduate course on communication theory, aiming to make foundational theories accessible and engaging for students. Her future goals include publishing her dissertation research and expanding her work on culturally grounded approaches to health communication.

M.A., English Linguistics, Sogang University
B.A., British & American Literature, Sogang University