Ina Kim joins the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts as an assistant professor of Asian and Asian American studies. Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Professor Ina Kim earned her B.A. and M.A. in Anthropology from Seoul National University, and moved to California to pursue a PhD in Anthropology, with an emphasis in Medicine, Science, and Technology Studies, from the University of California Irvine.
Kim’s research largely examines the relationship between toxins and the body as political-economic and cultural products, particularly in the context of disasters across the Transpacific, including the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Through ethnographic research, Kim explores how culture and politics shape understandings and experiences of the “natural” body in environments saturated with toxins.
Professor Kim was drawn to Loyola Marymount University by its commitment to the education of the whole person, social justice, as well as the interdisciplinary and interregional approach to Transpacific Asian Studies in the Department of Asian American Studies. “Another appealing aspect of joining the LMU community is the opportunity for meaningful student engagement and participation,” Kim says.
As a teacher, Kim’s philosophy emphasizes active engagement with knowledge, encouraging students to question, expand, and rethink their assumptions and prior experiences. Her goal is for students to reflexively connect their own experiences and perspectives to the broader world, including society, history, and culture.
Currently, Professor Kim is teaching AAAS 3200, “Economic and Political Issues in Contemporary Asia,” and AAAS 3860, “Transpacific Korea.” In Spring 2027, she will teach “Food in Asia and Asian America” and AAAS 3200. Through these courses, Professor Kim hopes students develop a critical understanding of the complexity and diversity of Asian societies and cultures, perspectives that cannot be easily generalized under a broad label. Kim encourages students to consider how these perspectives shape and challenge their own experiences and ways of engaging with the world.
When she is not teaching, Professor Kim enjoys yoga, pilates, hiking, swimming, dancing, karaoke (noraebang), and board games. Now back in Southern California, Kim especially enjoys exploring the California coastline and spending as much time as she can in the Pacific Ocean.