I assumed my current position as the dean of the School of Human Ecology at UW–Madison in 2012. My ultimate goal as the dean is to transform the school into a hub for interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach at the university, nationally and globally, and working to enhance the quality of life for children and families in the community.
Leadership, building teams, and forging effective partnerships are core components of a strong, high performing organization. In this Leadership Q&A I discuss my approach and lessons learned throughout my career.
As a scholar of consumer and financial behavior, I have authored and co-authored more than 110 scholarly articles. About 12 years ago, I founded the longitudinal study APLUS to study young adults’ financial habits and life outcomes, findings which have informed the U.S. Presidential Council of Financial Capability for financial education and policy. Learn more about APLUS.

Department
- Consumer Science
Education
- PhD, Human Ecology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
- MS, Human Ecology, Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea)
- BS, Human Ecology, Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea)
Contact
Office: 2135 Nancy Nicholas Hall
Phone: 608-262-4847
Email: soyeon.shim@wisc.edu
Websites: