Ever wondered how professors have time for research, teaching classes, and taking care of themselves? Well look no further, I was able to interview Professor Karna Wong despite her active schedule and get insight into her career as both an Urban Planning and Public Policy (UPPP) researcher and a professor at UCI.
Haven’t had the fortune of meeting Karna Wong? Don’t worry, I can tell you a little bit about her:
Karna Wong has been an Assistant Professor of Teaching in the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy for about six years now. But before UCI, Professor Wong taught at Sonoma State University for a year. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies from San Francisco State, later going for a master’s degree in Urban Planning at New York University. (Degrees from the west coast to the east coast!) After her master’s degree, Professor Wong worked at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD for short), which is a federal government agency that provides housing and funds for community development programs for areas of poverty throughout the U.S. She then went on to do her PhD at UCLA for Urban planning.
Now that you know about her, let's dive into the intriguing aspects of this interview!
I assumed that people in the midst of their career always knew in the beginning what they wanted to major in. But apparently Urban Studies was not Professor Wong’s first choice of major. “I wanted to be in Journalism,” she says. “I wanted to be a news anchor.” She took classes in journalism until she saw the morbid job outlook for news anchor women after the age of 30. Goodbye journalism! Her next choice was to become a business major, but after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake she realized wanted a career that involves helping people, and lo and behold, Urban Planning was set in her path.
“I actually really liked Urban Planning because I love cities and diverse people and travel and architecture. So, it actually really suits me.”
As an UPPP researcher, her main area of focus is on affordable housing, mainly for people with low income or even homeless. I was definitely fascinated to hear from her explain the various factors that impact affordable housing, such as environment, education, and economy.
“It's connected to the environment; you want housing that is in places where there's clean air and clean water and parks and green spaces. It's connected to education, you want houses where there's access to schools, and access to opportunities and jobs. So, it's connected to the labor market and the economy. It's also connected to transportation patterns. So, you want to be able to get from one from your home to other places. So, I feel that even though I focus on housing, it's really interconnected with many other things too.”
Professor Wong feels most accomplished when she’s helping out her community. She is especially proud of her former foster youth project. Once foster youth turn 18, there is a lack of government assistance, leading most youth to live in poverty without any financial support or assistance. This project allowed her to focus on researching ways to find housing and social assistance for them. She also stresses the importance of taking action Her current research with a PhD student tackles the issue of food insecurity within students using food pantries, such as the fresh basic needs hub. With this research Professor Wong believes that you can “really help a community or certain populations”, contrasting with research that only states the issue rather than come up with solutions.
“I just feel like why we should keep it to ourselves these great secrets, they should be out there. And that way that people can replicate it and other communities…You know, I felt like good ideas should be shared.”
Switching to her current role as a UCI professor, Professor Wong teaches a variety of undergraduate and masters courses within the School of Social Ecology. While her courses have around 100 students enrolled, she emphasizes the importance of creating a 1 on 1 connection. She also serves as a faculty advisor to PhD students, master students, and undergraduate students guiding them through their career path.
Of course, working on research and teaching hundreds of students can impact a person's mental health. Professor Wong as well admits there is an overwhelming pressure that exists in her everyday life. Nonetheless, she has methods in coping with these moments of burnout
“I just, I believe that. It's good to compartmentalize. Take one thing at a time, I find, you know, getting to do lists and just working on things, you know, one thing at a time is really helpful. Having, sharing with people, how you feel is important”
When she focuses on her research, she implements wellness methods such as collaborating with others and understanding how she works. For example, she has learned that she’s more productive at night or day. Outside of research and teaching, Professor Wong incorporates yoga into her self-care activities to heal the mind and the soul after a difficult day at work.
Overall, Professor Wong prioritizes working for disadvantaged communities and discovering new ways to uplift them throughout her inspirational career. I can tell how deeply she cares about her work and her UCI students. She aims for accommodating her students as well and takes the time before class to show resources and opportunities that are offered here on campus. I actually joined WISE PAC from Professor Wong’s announcements, so it is admirable how she takes the time out of class to highlight things at UCI that people probably never knew about before.
Wrapping this interview, I asked Professor Wong what advice she can give to UCI students. She emphasized the importance of talking to your professors and finding mentors, whether formal or informal. She also encourages students to find jobs and interviews that are based on their career paths, in order to gain experience and see if they enjoy doing it. It was truly delightful to hear how passionate Professor Wong is about her research and how much she cares about her students when teaching. I know I will take heed of her advice not only during my time at UCI, but as well throughout my career.
