New sociology professor arrives on Hawk Hill

Chunrye Kim, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminology recently joined the sociology department at Saint Joseph’s University after receiving her doctorate degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice this past June.

Kim is teaching Theory and Social Deviance for the fall 2017 semester. So far, she is enjoying getting to know students and faculty.

“Everything is wonderful,” Kim said. “The students and my colleagues are really nice.”

Previously, Kim completed her undergraduate degree in South Korea. She then came to the United States to complete her Masters followed by a Ph.D. in New York City.
Kim described how she came to find her calling and passion for the criminal justice system through sociology.

“I was always interested in the relationship between crime and personality,” Kim said. “That is why I wanted to understand the criminal justice system and the society in general relationship.”

Kim currently resides in West Philadelphia and enjoys all that the city has to offer after being in New York City for many years.

“It [Philadelphia] is a wonderful place to live in.” Kim said. “In terms of criminal justice, it is important to talk about diversity.”

Kim’s current research focus is on sex trafficking.

“I am focusing on crime against vulnerable populations,” Kim said. “ The purpose of [my research] is to find a better way to deal with sex trafficking victims when police officer interacts with them.”

Katie Ryan ’19, a student of Kim’s, reflected on how this class has already impacted her.

“I find it very interesting to look at [crime] from the sociological aspect since I am a psychology major and tend to look more at the psychological aspects of crime,” Ryan said.

Leah Stocks ’20, is also student in Kim’s class. She agrees that taking Kim’s class is an extremely positive experience.

“Dr. Kim is very caring about her students,” Stocks said. “She is always open to having different perspectives in the classroom and she likes having the different perspectives in the classroom environment.”