About Dr. Kim
Bio
Dr. Pyeonghwa Kim is an Assistant Professor in the School of Art and Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Kim is a human-computer interaction design researcher and educator. Her work advances critical UX/UI, with the future of work as a core area of empirical inquiry. Her research investigates how aesthetic, technological, and social systems jointly shape workers’ experiences with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and digital platforms. Focusing on the uneven harms and opportunities that emerge through these experiences, her work contributes to our understanding of how UX/UI design can better account for differential experiences and outcomes among workers while supporting broader access to skill development, career opportunities, and long-term socioeconomic mobility.
Education
- Ph.D. Information Science & Technology
- M.S. in Information Studies, Seoul National University
- B.A. with First Class Honors, Media & Communications, Goldsmiths, University of London
Research and publications
Selected publications
Kim, Pyeonghwa. 2025. "The Many Futures of Work and Skill: Gender and Occupational Influences on Online Freelancers' Skilling Experiences in Platform Work." Syracuse University ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 32238309.
Kim, Pyeonghwa, Taylor Lewandowski, Michael Dunn, Steve Sawyer. "Occupational Diversity and Stratification in Platform Work: A Longitudinal Study of Online Freelancers." arXiv.org; Ithaca, Apr 3, 2026.