Jihye Seong

Jihye Seong received her B.A. in English Language and Literature from Jeonbuk National University in South Korea in 2008. She subsequently earned an M.A. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from the University of Delaware in 2011. At the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, she pursued further studies and was awarded a second M.A. in Linguistics in 2016 and a Ph.D. in 2023. Her doctoral dissertation, Internal Syllabic Constituents in Syllable Process: Cross-linguistic Difference and Input Frequency, investigates how internal syllabic structures develop in second language learners and how input frequency shapes cross-linguistic phonological processing.

Her research interests center on phonological development, cross-linguistic influence in second language acquisition, and innovative approaches to language pedagogy. She has published on topics including phonological variation in English loanwords in Korean, early language experience and phonological development, and syllable processing in second language learners.

Before joining the faculty at Vassar College in 2023 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Korean in the Asian Studies Program, Dr. Seong taught extensively at the University at Buffalo (2016–2023), where she designed and delivered courses across the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels of Korean. She also served as an instructor at Jeonbuk National University in South Korea, where she developed curricula for English language education.

At Vassar, Dr. Seong teaches courses in elementary, intermediate, and advanced Korean and contributes to curricular development, placement and proficiency testing, and the coordination of cultural programming, including Korea Culture Day and Asia Culture Day. Her teaching and research are complemented by her commitment to cultural engagement and language advocacy. She has organized student-centered cultural events that highlight the intersections of language, identity, and heritage, and she continues to foster inclusive learning environments that encourage students to approach Korean language and culture with both intellectual rigor and cultural sensitivity.