Esther Yoon-Ji Kang is a reporter on the Race, Class and Communities desk. Previously, she was the communications manager for the University of Chicago Institute of Politics (IOP). Before her work with the IOP, Esther was an editor at Chicago magazine, where she reported, wrote, edited, photographed, designed and produced award-winning stories for the website and print magazine. Prior to Chicago magazine, she worked as a breaking news producer for chicagotribune.com, latimes.com and other Tribune Company news sites. Aside from her work on the Web, Esther has covered the Chicago Public Schools and juvenile court beats and has written for various publications. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University and has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the journalism school.

Originally from South Korea (by way of Paraguay and the D.C. area), she lives on the South Side with her husband and daughter.