Dr. So Young Park earned her Ph.D. in 2022 in Human Development and Family Studies along with a Juris Doctorate (JD) in 2021 from 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. Dr. Park conducts research from a multidisciplinary, multi-method approach. Her interdisciplinary work 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
• Law and Society Association
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Areas of Expertise

• Family law and policy
• Intimate partner violence and domestic violence
• Divorce and child custody
• Research at HDFS