Khoo, Kim Choo

Dr. Kim Choo Khoo was born on the island of Penang, off the northern coast of Malaysia, where she completed 12 years of education. Born and raised in a large, extended family, she grew up with dozens of relatives as playmates, including two sisters and a brother. A family gathering celebrating the 90th birthday of her grandmother had more than 100 relatives present, spanning four generations.

Despite the large number of relatives, only two of the boys went to the university. It was rare for girls then to pursue a university education, and there were few role models. Most girls went into teaching, nursing, or secretarial work. Khoo went to a teacher-training college, but left after 3 months when she “discovered” a social work course being offered at (then) Singapore University. The description of the course fit exactly what she would like to be doing: helping others in a professional way.

Khoo went on to earn a PhD in social welfare from the University of Washington, Seattle, specializing in children and families. She is currently an adjunct associate professor with the Social Work and Psychology Department at the National University of Singapore. Her areas of interest are early childhood care, development, and education; parent education and involvement; and resilience, creativity, and multiple intelligences in both adults and children.

Khoo is married to Dr. Ho Hua Chew, formerly a philosophy lecturer at the National University of Singapore turned full-time nature conservationist. They have a son, Hee Juan, who is a computer engineer. She enjoys gardening, reading, and drawing.