PhD Student Spotlights: Q&A with Rick Malek and Hwijin Joo
As part of our ongoing series highlighting doctoral scholars, we’re sharing PhD students’ perspectives alongside a snapshot of their research and the ideas driving their work forward. In this installment, Rick Malek and Hwijin Joo reflect on what brought them to the School of Social Work, the experiences that have shaped their academic journeys, and the questions guiding their inquiry. Together, their stories illustrate the depth, rigor, and sense of purpose that define the doctoral experience.
Rick Malek
Where are you from, and what is your academic or professional background?
I am from the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, and my academic and professional career has largely been situated in the legal justice field. I graduated with a Master of Social Work in December of ’25 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and was employed as a probation officer for 8 years before joining the PhD program. Prior to work as a probation officer, I worked in a juvenile detention center in Cook County as a youth development specialist.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD in Social Work?
My work in the legal justice field in both juvenile detention and community supervision were key influences in my decision to pursue a career in social work. In these positions, I witnessed first-hand the devastating results of our unjust and biased justice system and was drawn to the field of social work as a result.
What drew you to the University of Illinois School of Social Work?
I first chose the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign when I was exploring MSW programs. Though I did not think itnecessarily a legitimate possibility at the time, my desire to later pursue a PhD in Social Work heavily influenced my decision to choose the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, at top tier research institution. I believed my best chance of gaining experience in research and scientific inquiry would be to attend a school with ample opportunity to match with a social science lab that shared my interests.
What are your research interests, and what inspired you to pursue them?
My research interests are aimed at exploring and improving health outcomes for sexually and gender minoritized communities. This is guided by personal experience and my journey over the past decade or so really questioning and challenging socially constructed norms regarding sexual orientation and gender identity.
What are you most excited about as you begin your PhD journey at Illinois?
I am most excited about my opportunity to join this wonderful community on campus. The online MSW program was fantastic, and I can’t speak any higher of my experience, but I did miss the connection that comes with attending in-person.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
My wife and I are absolutely obsessed with our three rescue pups, Oliver (Pitbull-Labrador mix), Lenore (Kelpie mix), and Carmine(Pomeranian). A room in our home is entirely dedicated to them with their framed portraits, doggie-themed wallpaper, and a collage of their pictures growing up, and of course, doggie beds and a variety of toys!
Hwijin Joo
Where are you from, and what is your academic or professional background?
I’m from Busan, a coastal city in South Korea. My undergraduate training was in mathematics and financial engineering, and I later earned an M.A. in Social Welfare. I have since worked as a licensed social worker and researcher, primarily in child welfare and social policy.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD in Social Work?
Working directly with children and families showed me both the power of individual practice and the importance of strong systems that support it. I decided to pursue a PhD because I want to produce rigorous evidence that can improve the systems and policies shaping children’s safety, stability, and well-being.
What drew you to the University of Illinois School of Social Work?
I was drawn to Illinois by the School’s strengths in child welfare research, its long-standing partnerships with public child welfare systems, and opportunities to work with rich administrative data. I was especially excited by the close fit between my research interests and faculty research on child maltreatment, economic supports, and child welfare policy.
What are your research interests, and what inspired you to pursue them?
My research focuses on the design and reform of child protection systems, particularly the transition away from large residential institutions and toward family-based care and smaller, home-like settings. My interest grew from research on adoption and out-of-home care and from frontline social work practice, where I saw that children’s safety, stability, and well-being depend not only on the people who care for them, but also on the systems that support those relationships.
What are you most excited about as you begin your PhD journey at Illinois?
I’m especially excited to be involved in child welfare research at Illinois, including a project examining the intersection of domestic violence and child welfare involvement. I look forward to collaborating with faculty and colleagues and contributing research that can inform child protection policy and practice in Illinois.
What’s something people might be surprised to learn about you?
As an undergraduate, I designed, produced, and delivered online lessons in mathematics and Korean through a student-led social venture focused on expanding educational access for underserved children and adolescents.