Jennifer Lee

The Founding Director of the Initiative is Jennifer Lee, the Julian Clarence Levi Professor of Social Sciences and author of four-award winning books, including The Asian American Achievement Paradox. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Lee is also the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Russell Sage Foundation—the first Asian American to hold this position—and Chair of The Asian American Foundation’s STAATUS Index (The Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S.). Her essays and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and CNN among other venues. A proud alumna, she received her B.A. (’90), M.A. (’95), and Ph.D. (’98) from Columbia University.

Read More