Soo-Young Hong has been named the acting chair of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies in the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, effective Aug. 17.
The announcement follows the appointment of Michael Merten as interim dean of CEHS.
“I am grateful that Soo-Young has agreed to serve in this leadership role,” Merten said. “Over the years, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to CYAF and has earned the respect of colleagues and students. I am confident that Soo-Young will provide outstanding leadership for the department.”
Hong, who was promoted to full professor in the spring of 2026, joined the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies in 2009. She previously served as associate dean for academic programs in the College of Education and Human Sciences for three years and one year as the CEHS faculty lead for program assessment.
Her research focuses on empowering early childhood educators to positively impact the development and learning of young children for whom they provide care and education. Hong teaches courses related to human development and family relations, as well as policies, practices and issues framing the design and delivery of early childhood education and care.
Hong was a member of the Big Ten Early Learning Alliance from 2024-26 and is a faculty affiliate of the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools. She has received several awards, including the Faculty-Student Mentoring Award, the Donald R. and Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence and Distinguished Teaching Award from CEHS. She also received the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance Faculty Excellence Award in 2020.
Hong earned her Ph.D. and master's degrees in child development and family studies from Purdue University. She also earned two bachelor’s degrees from universities in South Korea.
College of Education and Human Sciences
Child, Youth and Family Studies
