CHS Welcomes New Faculty: Meet Dr. Shinwoo Choi
Published September 15, 2025
By Darlene Muguiro
UTEP College of Health Sciences
This fall, the College of Health Sciences (CHS) is welcoming several new faculty members. We are pleased to present the second profile, featuring Dr. Shinwoo Choi, associate professor of Social Work.
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Like many of her peers, Dr. Shinwoo Choi was initially drawn to UTEP by its unique blend of access and research excellence. The promise of being able to pursue her research in an R1 institution that also promotes a culture of care intrigued her. But it was the striking beauty of the city’s mountains, similar to her home country of South Korea, that sealed the deal, convincing Choi that she needed to call El Paso home.
“About three years ago, my family took a road trip to the area, and we stayed in El Paso for one night and did some sightseeing. We ate Mexican food and went on Scenic Drive, and I remember telling my family that this place is really beautiful and that I’d like to live here one day, but I had no idea that it would actually come true,” she said.
Upon arriving at UTEP for her interview, Choi was equally struck by the unique Bhutanese architecture, something she was not able to see during her first visit to the city years earlier. While on campus, she had the opportunity to meet not only with faculty and other members of the search committee, but also with students in the Master of Social Work Program, who were curious about her background and interest in coming to work and live in the border region.
“Everyone was so welcoming, and I could totally see myself working here,” she said. “And the students actually read my CV, which surprised me. They knew about all my publications and my research interests, and they asked really good questions.”
Choi was brought into the Department of Social Work to focus on teaching for graduate students. This semester, she is teaching the Social Work Theory and Practice with Groups class. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Choi will continue her research, a rich portfolio that is centered on enhancing wellbeing and quality of life for vulnerable populations.
While still a novice professor at the University of South Florida at Jacksonville, Choi felt the need to branch out as a scholar, having spent her previous years as a doctoral student looking at the issues of racism. She found a new line of research when a personal experience with losing power during a hurricane prompted her to begin wondering how marginalized groups respond to extreme weather events. After transitioning to her next appointment at Texas State University in San Marcos, Choi continued her research in the area, but shifted her focus from hurricanes to winter storms and wildfires. At UTEP, her first priority is to begin developing relationships with community agencies to identify the top challenges.
“This kind of research cannot be done from the top down; there is really no big source of data waiting for me,” she said. “So, I want to build research here from scratch, using my existing skillsets and knowledge but also work with the community to write grants together.”
Choi also wants students to know that she has an open-door policy and looks forward to developing long-term relationships with them.
“I love working with students and doing research with them,” she said. “I’m also looking for some students who are interested in using AI literacy and accessibility to care. For example, using AI technology for disaster preparedness for vulnerable populations.”
For more information about Dr. Choi’s research, please contact her at schoi5@utep.edu.
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