Crystal Chen Lee

About Crystal
Crystal Chen Lee, Ed.D., is an assistant professor of English language arts and literacy in the College of Education at North Carolina State University. Her research lies at the nexus of literacy, teacher education, community engagement and marginalized youth. She is the founding director and PI of the Literacy and Community Initiative (LCI), a collaboration among the College of Education, the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and youth-serving community organizations (Juntos NC, Triangle Literacy Council—Bull City YouthBuild, CORRAL Riding Academy,and Refugee Hope Partners). Dr. Lee also has two appointments as a faculty fellow of the Friday Institute of Educational Innovation and an NCSU Community Engaged Fellow. Her work has been featured nationally and internationally, and she has published in books and journal articles such as Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Literacy Research, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, English Journal, English Teaching: Practice and Critique, Teaching and Teacher Education, and the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. Dr. Lee began her teaching experience as a high school English teacher in New Jersey and a literacy instructor at Teachers College, Columbia University and Montclair State University. In addition to her teaching, she has also served as an International Leadership Civic Fellow in the United States Congress and an education intern at International Justice Mission, a global non-profit organization partnering with local justice systems to end violence against people living in poverty. She received her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from Columbia University. Her dissertation, “Critical Literacy as Common Ground: The Possibilities of African Immigrant Girls in New York City Schools and Community-Based Organizations,” received the AERA Research in Women and Education SIG Outstanding Dissertation Award (Selma Greenberg Award), the American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Dissertation Fellowship, Teachers College’s Provost Dissertation Award and Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship.
Updates
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Literacy and Community Initiative’s Fourth Annual Reading Celebration Highlights Artwork and Writing for the First Time
Youth from CORRAL Riding Academy, Refugee Hope Partners and Juntos will read their written narratives from two newly released books, showcase their artwork and answer questions on their personal journeys during LCI’s Fourth Annual Reading Celebration May 2.
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Symposium Organized by Assistant Professor Crystal Chen Lee Encourages ‘Teaching and Telling Asian American Stories’ in the Classroom
Assistant Professor and Friday Institute Senior Faculty Fellow Crystal Chen Lee decided to organize the “Teaching and Telling Asian American Stories Virtual Symposium” to share often invisible stories of Asian Americans.
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Literacy and Community Initiative’s 2022 Reading Celebration Will Highlight Excerpts From Three New Publications
Youth from Refugee Hope Partners, Bull City YouthBuild and CORRAL Riding Academy will read their written narratives from three newly released books and answer questions on their personal journeys during the Literacy and Community Initiative’s 2022 Reading Celebration May 3.