Jin Wook Kim earned his Master of Professional Studies in Applied Statistics from Cornell University in 2008. Today, he’s an associate professor of accounting and chair of the department of business at Konkuk University in Korea.
Where did you complete your PhD?
I received my PhD in accounting from University of Oregon, and my advisor was David Guenther, a leading scholar in the field of taxation. My dissertation examined the managerial reputation effect on corporate tax avoidance.
What do you remember most about your time as a student in Ithaca?
I still cannot forget the warm atmosphere I felt when I first stepped onto Cornell’s campus. Staying up all night with friends studying for the exam in Malott Hall is also an unforgettable moment.
Where do you work now, and what do you do?
Now I am an associate professor of accounting and chair of the Department of Business at Konkuk University in Korea. I teach financial accounting and my research interests lie in capital market, auditing, and corporate tax avoidance.
How did your Cornell education prepare you in your current role?
Statistics play a vital role in research. Statistical knowledge I learned at Cornell made me a competitive empirical researcher in my field.
What advice would you give to current statistics students about working in the industry or academia?
Statistics are needed in almost all fields, such as financial institutions, government agencies, and research institutes. What you just need to do is to link your own interests to statistics.
Anything else you’d like to add about your education and/or your Cornell experience?
Cornell connected me with awesome professors, classmates from all around the word, and even my wife. While I am in Korea now, getting to know more Cornellians is still ongoing through the Cornell Club of Korea.