Gyudae "GD" Kim is a Ph.D. student in Geography and Geographic Information Science. He has a BS in Environmental Economics and an MS in Geographic Information Science from UIUC. He was granted the Neilsen Foundation Scholarship for four years, which supports academic success for students with spinal cord injuries. He has a keen interest in political geography, contemporary cultural conflicts, and territorial disputes, and he approaches these topics from a cultural and geographic perspective. He conducts empirical research and uses criticism and interpretive theory to understand better how narratives, discourses, and interpretations affect transnational migration, refugees, and related issues.