Meet Dr. Sarah Cho, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at UTPB and the 2022 recipient of the Golden Windmill Award by La Mancha Society. The award was accompanied with a generous research grant which will aid Dr. Cho in her research project: “On the border between foreign and domestic brides: North Korean refugee women and intersectionality.” Cho plans to visit South Korea this summer to complete interviews and explore the intersectionality of North Korean women and South Korea as refugees.
“This was such an honorable and meaningful moment for me, especially because this award encourages junior faculties’ research. UTPB created this possibility to encourage scholarly and creative pursuits. I am very honored to be part of this legacy and have the support to continue my efforts in producing and promoting research.”
Cho arrived at UTPB three years ago after completing her Ph.D. in Social Interaction & Culture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. When she earned her Ph.D., she was looking for a place where she could continue her research and teach students. At UTPB Cho teaches general courses in human communication including Public Speaking, and Intercultural, Interpersonal, and Small Group Communication.
“I respect the outcomes of self-learning; therefore, class discussion is at the core of my teaching. I trust my student’s capabilities and value their diverse perspectives. My job in class is to invite them to challenge and doubt the ideas they have taken for granted.”
Dr. Cho was born and raised in South Korea and worked for publishing companies for most of her 20s. Since childhood she has enjoyed reading, writing, and editing texts. After attending a professional school to learn more about e-books she became interested in communication studies in general. She then moved to the United States and continued her education in communication studies.
Dr. Cho loves teaching at UTPB primarily because her students, department, and colleagues all value her work and support her research goals. She believes through research-related activities professors are exposed to new and updated knowledge which enables them to share with students in class and help them do their own research.
“I have encouraged and mentored my students to share their learning outcomes at the UTPB Undergraduate Research Day, and they have proved me right. I believe that researching and teaching cannot be separated, and I find this dynamic is valued and encouraged in the Department of Communication at UTPB.”
