Sue Jin Kim

Sue Jin Kim is a Senior Lecturer at the USC Rossier School of Education with more than two decades of experience in K–12 education. Her professional background spans classroom teaching, school and district administration, school board service, educational consulting, and curriculum development. Her research interests include critical thinking, teacher education, classroom and school-wide behavior management, and civil discourse.

Kim's recent publication, Bias Bites (2025), is a series of secondary-level mini-lessons grounded in research on heuristics and cognitive biases that foster students’ critical thinking and metacognitive awareness. She is also the author of the children’s book Where Did Appa Go (2022), which aims to help children cope with grief through gratitude and meditation.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master of Arts in Teaching and Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California.

• Sphere Alumni Fellowship 2024, Sphere Education Initiatives, Cato Institute, Washington D.C.
• Faculty of the Year for Master’s in Teaching Program 2023, Rossier Student Organization Council, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
• Faculty of the Year for Master’s in Teaching Program 2022, Rossier Student Organization Council, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
• Congressional Recognition Awarded for Community Leadership 2014, Congress of the United States House of Representatives, Norwalk, CA
• Arturo Sanchez Leadership Award for Leadership in Education 2014, League of Latin American Citizens, Norwalk, CA
• Certificate of Recognition Awarded for Community Leadership  2014, California Legislature Assembly, Norwalk, CA
• Golden Bell Award Awarded for Closing the Achievement Gap in K-12 Education  2012, California School Boards Association, San Francisco, CA