Assistant Professor, Social Work and Social Ecology
Contact Information
Email kbaek@llu.edu
Phone 909-379-7583
Fax 909-379-7594
Department of Social Work and Social Ecology, Office 201E
Loma Linda University
1898 Business Center Dr., San Bernardino, CA 92408
Degrees and Certifications
- PhD, Social Policy and Social Research - Loma Linda University, 2018
- MSW, Social Work - Wayne State University, 2009
Areas of Specialization
- Mental health
- Culturally-sensitive interventions
- Program development and evaluation
- Community-based research
- Social work curriculum development
Professional Memberships and Licenses
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor for adults
Recent Publications
- Baek, K., Mann, S. K., Alemi, Q., Kumar, A., Newman, P.,..., Montgomery, S. (2018). Impact of heart disease risk factors, respiratory illness, mastery, and quality of life on the health status of individuals living near a major rail yard in southern California. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15, 2765. doi. 10.3390/ijerph15122765.
- Alemi, Q., Siddiq, H., Baek, K., Sana, H., Stempel, C., Aziz, N., & Montgomery, S. (2017). Effect of perceived discrimination on depressive symptoms in 1st- and 2nd-generation Afghan-Americans. Journal of Primary Prevention, 1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10935-017-0492-5.
- Alemi, Q., Stempel, C., Koga, P. M., Smith, V., Danis, D., Baek, K., & Montgomery, S. (2017). Determinants of health care service utilization among first generation Afghan migrants in Istanbul. International Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 14, 201. doi. 10.3390/ijerph402020201.
- Alemi, Q., Stempel, C., Baek, K., Lares, L., Villa, P., Danis, D., & Montgomery, S. (2016). Impact of post migration living difficulties on the mental health of Afghan migrants residing in Istanbul. International Journal of Population Research, vol. 2016, Article ID 7690697, 8 pages. doi:10.1155/2016/7690697.
- Calvo, R., Ortiz, L., Villa, P. & Baek, K. (2018). Latinxs in social work education: A call for action. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 38(3), 264-276.
Recent Presentations
- Alemi, Q., Baek, K., Siddiq, H., & Montgomery, S. (2016, March). Effect of perceived discrimination on depressive symptoms in 1st- and 2nd-generation Afghan-Americans. Paper presented at the meeting of the 76th Society for Applied Anthropology, Session on Dietary and Health Issues among Refugees, Vancouver, BC.
- Baek, K., Ortiz, L., & Alemi, Q. (2016, November). Korean mental health perspectives and experiences in the United States. Paper presented at the meeting of the 62nd Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
- Baek, K., Mann, S. K., Alemi, Q., Ibrahim, D., Soret, S., Spencer-Hwang, R., & Montgomery, S. (2016, November). Exploring the impact of quality of life, heart disease, and respiratory illness on health status in a low-income community in southern California. Paper presented at the meeting of the 144th Annual American Public Health Association Conference, Denver, CO.
- Baek, K., Siddiq, H., & Alemi, Q., Montgomery, S. (2016, February). Afghan-American perceptions of diaspora community problems, underlying causes, and solutions: A qualitative study. Paper presented at the meeting of the 19th Annual American Association of Behavioral and Social Sciences Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
- Calvo, R., Ortiz, L., Godenzi, A., & Baek, K. (2015, October). Latinos in social work education: A call for action. Paper presented at the meeting of the 61st Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Session on Latina/Latino Issues, Denver, CO.
- Kaur, H. P., Mann, S. K., Baek, K., & Montgomery, S. (2017, August). Aging & mild cognitive impairment exploring cognitive health awareness and needs among diverse older adults. Poster presented at the meeting of the 17th Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine Research Symposium, Loma Linda, CA.
- Mann, S., Baek, K., Mann, R., Montgomery S., & Montgomery, S. (2017, August). Cross-cultural aging experiences, sleep quality, and depression. Poster presented at the meeting of the 17th Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine Research Symposium, Loma Linda, CA.
- Villa, P., Baek, K., Lares, L., & Ortiz, L. (2016, November). Autoethnography in social work education: Process and method. Paper presented at the meeting of the 62nd Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Community Engagement
- Mental health consultant for Korean Seventh-day Adventist churches (2018-present)
- Research mentor for Center for Health Disparities & Molecular Medicine (CHDMM) students (2017-present)