Youngmi Kim
Email: ykim@vcu.edu
Phone: (804) 828-3613
Pronouns: She/her
Youngmi Kim, Ph.D., is a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University whose research focuses on economic deprivation – including poverty, food insecurity and financial assets – and its impacts on child and adolescent development, as well as physical and mental health across the life course. Her recent work also examines the intersection of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and financial hardship. Dr. Kim’s scholarship aims to inform innovative social policies and practices that reduce social and economic inequality. She is passionate about teaching and mentoring students with similar interests. She joined VCU in 2011 after completing her doctoral and postdoctoral training at Washington University in St. Louis and is currently a faculty associate with the Center for Social Development.
Areas of expertise
- Food Insecurity, Poverty and Inequality
- Financial Capability Program and Policy
- Adolescent and Youth Development
- Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Quantitative Research
Education and credentials
Postdoctoral fellow, Washington University, St. Louis
Ph.D., Washington University, St. Louis
M.S.W., Washington University, St. Louis
M.A., Yonsei University, Korea
B.A., Yonsei University, Korea
Work
Selected publications
Full publication list available in CV.
Kim, Y., Murphy, J., Hoy, J, & Johns, J. Exploring college student experiences with little pantries: A qualitative study addressing campus food insecurity. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 14(4), 309–321.
Kim, Y., Kim, K., Murphy, J., & Park, A. (2025). Validation of the De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale for Young Adults in Korea. Current Psychology, 44, 15862–15870.
Kim, Y., Murphy, J. (2024). Food Insecurity and Economic Hardship of College Students: Before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Poverty, 28(2).
Kim, Y., Murphy, J., Craft, K., Waters, L., & Gooden, B. (2024). “It's just a constant concern in the back of my mind”: Lived experiences of college food insecurity. Journal of American College Health, 72(3).
Kim, Y. & Murphy, J. (2023). Mental Health, Food Insecurity, and Economic Hardship among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Health and Social Work, 48(2), 124-132.
Kim, Y., Park, A., & Murphy, J. (2023). Patterns of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health: Evidence from Young Adults in Korea. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 38(3-4).
Kim, Y., Lee, H, & Park, A. (2022). Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms: Self-esteem as a mediating mechanism. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57(2).
Kim, Y., Kim, K, Chartier, K., Wike, T., & McDonald, S. (2021). Adverse Childhood Experience Patterns, Major Depressive Disorder, and Substance Use Disorder in Older Adults. Aging and Mental Health, 25(3).
Professional highlights
Selected research projects
- PI, “Promoting Ram Pantry Utilization with Peer Support”
- Co-PI, “A Programmatic Evaluation of Use and Efficacy of Little Food Pantries to Mitigate College Student Food Insecurity at an Urban Public University”
- Co-PI, “Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), Counter-ACEs, and Health outcomes in Korean college students”
Selected accomplishments and features
- Fellow, the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR)
- 2023: Social Justice Award, VCU
- 2021: Social Justice Award (Team RAACE), VCU
- 2013: Faculty Social Justice Award, VCU
- “Ram Fridges are giving new life to leftovers,” VCU News, 2/27/2025
- “Ram Fridges will provide fresh produce and other perishable foods to VCU students,” VCU News, 11/6/2024
- “Combatting Student Food Insecurity This Holiday Season,” Vocal Media's education vertical, 1/9/2023
- “Biden to Eliminate Food Insecurity by 2030—Could It Also Improve Mental Health?”, Verywellmind, 10/14/2022.
- “Community members, legislators, academics work to eliminate food insecurity,” NBC12 News, 4/29/2022.
- “Little Ram Pantries project expands, including to the MCV Campus,” VCU News, 3/21/2022.
- “Little Ram Pantries continues to support students two months after launch,” The Commonwealth Times, 12/1/2021.
- “Little Ram Pantries will provide emergency food assistance to VCU students,” VCU News, 10/11/2021
- “iCubed Sustainable Food Access core member evaluates VCU student food insecurity,” VCU Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness and Success, 7/15/2021
- “Hunger grows in Henrico as pandemic wears on,” Henrico Citizen, 3/4/2021
Selected affiliations and service
- 2011-present: Faculty associate, Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis
- 2019-2025: Core faculty member, Sustainable Food Access, the Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry and Innovation (iCubed), VCU
- Consulting editor, Social Work Research
Teaching and interest areas
Current Courses
- Foundations of Social Work Research (SLWK609, M.S.W.)
- Specialization Research for Understanding Social Work Interventions and Services (SLWK709, M.S.W.)
- Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis (SWKD 702, Ph.D.)
- Applied Quantitative Research Seminar (SWKD730, Ph.D.)