Yulan Kim, Ph.D.
Policy Research Fellow
Contact
About
Hello! I am a public management scholar researching cross-sector public service delivery arrangements. This interest is motivated by my professional experience at the Korea Development Institute (KDI) where I managed the contracting, implementation, and evaluation of international policy consulting projects in collaboration with nonprofit and for-profit entities. I am devoted to promoting effective, efficient, and equitable management of public service delivery through my research and teaching. My most recent CV is available here.
I completed my Ph.D. at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington. My dissertation focuses on collaborative governance as a mode of service delivery. I study governments that lead collaborative governance to co-produce regional social security services. I analyze how this mode of service delivery impacts citizen trust and participation by applying multilevel modeling and pattern-matching methods on original panel data and interview data. I received the Public Management Research Conference 2022 Outstanding Poster Award and the American Society for Public Administration Section on Korean Public Administration 2022 Student Paper Award (2nd place) for my dissertation. An interview about this work is available here.
In January 2024, I joined Ocean Nexus as a research fellow. In this position, I lead mixed-methods research on collaborative governance in the U.S. National Estuary Program and community engagement in state-level environmental initiatives, including Washington State’s HEAL Act, examining how institutional design and participation support resilient and equitable climate governance. In parallel, I conduct applied policy analyses with government and community partners. My recent publications in Marine Policy and Frontiers in Marine Science show that inclusive governance is critical to aligning ecological sustainability with social justice and human well-being.
Building on these foundations, I am developing a comparative research program on climate adaptation, environmental justice, and the social contract, which has been nominated as the University of Washington’s candidate for the 2025 AXA Research Fellowship. The project, “Pathways to Rewriting the Social Contract for Climate Justice: A Comparison of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches in the U.S. and South Korea,” examines how governments and non-state actors renegotiate sectoral responsibilities for climate adaptation through institutional reforms and civic mobilization.
In January 2024, I joined Ocean Nexus as a research fellow. In this position, I lead mixed-methods research on collaborative governance in the U.S. National Estuary Program and community engagement in state-level environmental initiatives, including Washington State’s HEAL Act, examining how institutional design and participation support resilient and equitable climate governance. In parallel, I conduct applied policy analyses with government and community partners. My recent publications in Marine Policy and Frontiers in Marine Science show that inclusive governance is critical to aligning ecological sustainability with social justice and human well-being.
Building on these foundations, I am developing a comparative research program on climate adaptation, environmental justice, and the social contract, which has been nominated as the University of Washington’s candidate for the 2025 AXA Research Fellowship. The project, “Pathways to Rewriting the Social Contract for Climate Justice: A Comparison of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches in the U.S. and South Korea,” examines how governments and non-state actors renegotiate sectoral responsibilities for climate adaptation through institutional reforms and civic mobilization.
Research Areas
- Collaborative governance
- Public service delivery
- Citizen participation and trust
- Policy processes
- Institutional theory
- Survey methods
- Qualitative methods
Teaching
- Managing Organizational Performance (Instructor & TA)
- Managing Politics and the Policy Process (TA)
- Policy Analysis (TA)
- Program Evaluation (TA)
- Financial Management & Budgeting (TA)
Education
- Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management, University of Washington, 2023
- M.S. in Public Policy and Management, University of Washington, 2020
- M.Sc. in Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2011
- B.A. in International Studies, Ewha Womans University, 2010
In my free time, I enjoy hiking and camping in the Pacific Northwest with my family. I also like to experiment with digital and film photography to capture moments with the people I love.