Lee earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and previously held positions at the University of Maryland and Long Island University. He was founder and director of an urban teacher program at the University of Maryland and worked as Associate Dean for the School of Education at Long Island University before becoming Dean of the School of Education and Movement Studies at Pacific Lutheran in 2007.
Across a decade of academic administrative experience, Lee developed statewide online instructional resources, clinical internships, evidence-based graduate studies to reduce achievement gaps and content modules for use in on-site, blended and online courses. He also has extensive experience in fiscal and budget management that spans state and private institutions of higher education. At Pacific Lutheran, he developed and put into operation a financial system to forecast and track revenues and expenditures by integrating multiple data systems. He increased enrollment by 10% per year and boosted financial aid and scholarship funds to recruit under-represented students.
Lee has received multiple awards for contributions to K-12, teacher education and post-secondary education programs, including recognition by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the National Alliance of Black School Educators.