Jae Paik, Ph.D.

Jae Paik, Ph.D., psychology professor at San Francisco State University, is recognized for her remarkable efforts to connect students to local and global communities.

Paik empowers students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide educational and psychological field services to local communities in China. The international service learning program weaves several high-impact practices, including global learning, community-based learning, and collaborative projects—immersing students in social and cultural exchange and provides them with new perspectives and valuable intercultural skills not typical in a traditional classroom. To ensure every student has the opportunity to participate in study abroad regardless of socioeconomic background, Paik makes every effort to close the equity gap and keep students' expenses to a minimum by working with and maintaining close relationships with institutions and communities to secure funding and resources.

With the cancellation of all study abroad and international programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paik continues to inspire her students to serve communities through online videos. During the stay-at-home orders, her students exercised their knowledge and experiences to launch a YouTube channel with videos full of hope and inspiration. The videos are intended to provide health practices found to boost wellbeing during stressful events, and decrease depression and anxiety by fostering social connectedness and a sense of belonging during quarantine.

“Through [students'] experiences and their voices, you will immediately witness the impact of Dr. Paik's mentorship and innovative teaching practices on the undergraduates," says Benjamin Safer, graduate student at SFSU.