Dr. Sung Eun Jung
Dr. Sung Eun Jung is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies.
Dr. Jung’s scholarship explores teaching practices that encourage youth agency and robotics education, especially as it promotes young children learning about materials, technology, and their bodies. Dr. Jung’s work has led to several exciting partnerships with local schools and community centers, one example being the launching a “STEM Studio” with Ochoa Community School for these “Tiny Techies.”
Kindergartener at Ochoa Community School
(photo credit https://ochoaes.tusd1.org/)
Additionally, Dr. Jung has developed annual 10-12 free after-school robotics programs for K-3 children in partnership with the John Valenzuela Youth Center (JVYC), which began in 2021, including “story-based” robotics education. These programs aim to close pedagogical and technological opportunity gaps while meeting the practical needs of children and families. Furthermore, Dr. Jung’s service through the robotics education programs at the JVYC naturally evolved into a broader effort to nurture early childhood teacher candidates as community-engaged educators, deepening their understanding of teaching as a relational, context-sensitive practice rooted in equity and care.
"Robots are fun.”
Who do you draw inspiration from and why?
My doctoral advisor, Dr. Kyunghwa Lee—Omer Clyde and Elizabeth Pharr Aderhold Professor at the University of Georgia—continues to inspire me deeply. Her humble and sincere approach to engaging with young children, early childhood educators, community members, and the literature in our field has profoundly shaped my own path. Through her example, I’ve come to understand that being a scholar and an early childhood teacher educator means continuously becoming with others. Also, I’ve learned that respecting and responding to others—including young children—as a fundamental responsibility and ethical commitment of my scholarly work. One moment that remains especially vivid is something she told me during my doctoral studies: “Sung Eun, if your work or your personal relationships—whatever they may be—make you to question your self-worth or the core of who you are, then they are not truly valuable.” Her words have stayed with me, and I still hear her voice when I conduct research, teach my courses, mentor students, and work with others. Her guidance reminds me to stay grounded in integrity, care, and purpose.
What meaning does your role as a mother have on your work in education?
Although I have long dedicated my teaching and scholarship to advocating for all young children’s capabilities and agency, I find myself continuously humbled and surprised each day by witnessing these very qualities in my five-year-old daughter, Leah (리아). Through her, I am learning what capability and agency truly look like in the everyday context of a young child’s life. Also, becoming Leah’s mother has deepened my understanding of children’s attentiveness to others—both human and non-human—their natural hospitality, and their openness to being fully present with those around them. This personal journey with Leah (리아) has expanded my professional lens, reminding me to move beyond a narrow focus on educational efficiency and to more fully honor the relational, ethical, and deeply human dimensions of early childhood education.
What are one or two accomplishments of which you are most proud?
I’m proud to have received an award from the Spencer Foundation for my practice-oriented and community-centered project, “Kindergarten Children’s Peer Culture and Funds of Knowledge in Their Engagement with Educational Robots.” This recognition has supported my efforts to expand equitable access to high-quality STEM education for young children of color.
I’m also proud of my sustained engagement in community-based scholarly work, particularly in collaboration with a local school and learning center. As an international faculty member and Asian immigrant, I’ve often wrestled with questions of belonging—both within academia and in the broader community. These questions have guided me toward community-based work, not just as part of my research, but as a deeply personal and professional commitment to connection and contribution. Stepping beyond the university walls to offer what I can—such as STEM programs for young children—has been both humbling and rewarding. Through this ongoing work, I’ve come to realize that the work I do is never mine alone. My scholarly work is not solitary endeavors but are collaborative efforts made possible through meaningful partnerships with the communities I serve.
"Stay grounded in integrity, care, and purpose."
Have you ever wondered about the relationship between education, gender, and male-dominated fields like engineering?
Read about Sung Jung’s unique research on GIRLS AND ROBOTS!!
- A Girl’s Gendered Engagement in Designing and Building Robots (co-authored with Dr. Lee)
"Fully honor the relational, ethical, and deeply human dimensions of early childhood education."
