Dr. Byun is an Associate Professor of Education Theory and Policy in the department of Education Policy Studies in PennState College of Education, as well as a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Korean Studies. His scholarly interests include sociology of education, international comparative education, rural education, and educational policy analysis and program evaluation. His articles have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including American Educational Research Journal, Comparative Education Review, and Sociology of Education. He is currently serving as an associate editor for American Educational Research Journal.