Yung Chun, PhD (he/him/his), is Director of Data Insight at the Center for Social Development and Research Assistant Professor in the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. As a policy scholar, Chun conducts research on a variety of societal issues that affect the formulation and implementation of social policy. His projects have included investigating ways in which social issues – such as housing, education, food insecurity, race, and public policy – affect and undermine the social mobility of socioeconomically marginalized populations. To explore social issues and policy, he employs various quantitative data-analysis tools, including advanced econometrics, machine learning, structural equation modeling, and spatial statistics. Chun’s current primary research focuses on the housing market and its policy in the United States.
Chun earned his PhD in public policy and management at The Ohio State University, with a concentration in housing policy. Prior to starting his doctoral program, he studied architecture design (BArch from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea) and urban planning (MSUP from Columbia University in New York City).
CSD Projects
Employee Financial Wellness Programs
Financial Behaviors
Through research, we assess whether such programs offer a promising strategy for building financial security among workers.
Child Tax Credit Expansion
Income support
Washington University researchers conducted several research studies to understand the effect that the Child Tax Credit expansion had on American families.
Closing the School Breakfast Gap
Food security
The School Breakfast Program helps children, regardless of household income, can start their school day with a meal. However, many eligible students are unable to take advantage of this program due to transportation barriers, limited time, or not being eligible for a free or reduced-price meal. This project explores these barriers and how to overcome them.
Refund to Savings (R2S)
Financial Behaviors
The Refund to Savings experiment measures the effect of interventions informed by behavioral economics that seek to increase saving at tax time.
Inclusive Housing
Inclusive Housing
How can policies be overhauled to build a more equitable and inclusive society? How can communities engage to implement an anti-segregation agenda? Our work in inclusive housing is tackling these challenges.
Response to COVID-19
Health
These studies explore the socioeconomic impacts and unmet needs on families and communities from the COVID-19 pandemic.