Alumna receives prestigious international scholarship while earning her doctorate

By Margaret Schell

N ayoung Seo Bishoff ('23) was recently awarded the Korean Honor Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement and leadership development qualities by South Korean Ambassador Dr. Kang Kyung-wha of the Republic of Korea in the United States.

Bishoff is a doctoral student at George Washington University; she expects to complete her Ph.D. in 2028.

Bishoff first came to Georgia College & State University as an undergraduate exchange student from Pukyong National University in Busan, South Korea. She fell in love with GCSU and stayed to earn a 4.0 in her Master of Arts in English.

"The professors appreciated my comparative lens in this field," Bishoff said. "It was a great privilege to keep studying with them as a grad student."

In class, she suggested including more Korean perspectives in reading English literature.

Dr. Julian Knox, associate professor of English, was supportive and encouraging, particularly with how she analyzed English Literature from a global perspective. This inspired her to continue researching her passion.

"Part of my thesis was about how the K-pop group BTS' album 'Wings' can be applied to Oscar Wilde's novel 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' because English literature is well known in Korea," Bishoff said. "Many popular Korean song artists use storytelling concepts from English literature in their work."

Dr. Flaherty, professor and literature coordinator, encouraged her as well. Flaherty was supportive of Bishoff's writing style and analysis of Korean adaptations of Shakespeare.

Bishoff served as president of the Shakespeare Circle and was involved in the International Club at Georgia College. These learned leadership skills help her today, as she is president of the English Graduate Student Association at George Washington University.

Bishoff's husband, Colin Bishoff ('23) is pursuing his Ph.D. in creative writing and is a first-year writing instructor at the University of Georgia. Nayoung and Colin met at Georgia College during an ice cream social held by the English Department.

"We played trivia games," Nayoung said. "Colin taught four years in South Korea, so we quickly connected with each other."

To be considered for the scholarship from the South Korean Embassy, Bishoff submitted her 4.0-GPA transcript, CV and letter of recommendation, her published articles, information about conferences she attended and chaired and award-winning story about a North Korean refugee.

"I appreciate that my research is recognized by the Korean Government and the Embassy in the United States," Bishoff said. "This amplifies the points I want to bring about in the United States as a Korean scholar."

Bishoff's research intersects Korean studies with English literature, specifically East Asian adaptations of Shakespeare and how it's retold across cultures.

"I enjoy teaching, researching, writing and interacting with other scholars, so I can be a good professor like those I met throughout my M.A. and Ph.D. academic journey," she said.

Header Image: Nayoung Bishoff receives the Korean Honor Scholarship by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United States from Korean Ambassador Dr. Kang Kyung-wha. (Photo: Nayoung Bishoff)