Hwiyoung P. Lee, MA

Hwiyoung P. Lee is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice. Drawing on quasi-experimental designs and machine learning methods, his research examines the factors that shape how people engage socially and form and sustain connections with others. His work investigates how individual circumstances, public policies, and broader social and environmental conditions influence social networks, personal ties, and prosocial behavior. His recent research focuses particularly on how climate change reshapes people’s social lives and behaviors.

Hwiyoung has held fellowships at the James Joo-Jin Kim Center for Korean Studies, the Institute of Education Sciences, and the Center for Climate Resilience at the University of Pennsylvania. He received the 2025 Best Paper Award from the journal Voluntas for his study, “Is Mandatory Community Service a Catalyst for Civic Growth or Fruitless Servitude? Evidence from a Natural Experiment in South Korea.”

Hwiyoung earned dual bachelor’s degrees with honors in Social Welfare and Economics, as well as a master’s degree in Social Welfare, from Seoul National University.