KangJae "Jerry" Lee

Dr. KangJae "Jerry" Lee (이강재: 李康在) is a social and environmental justice researcher who uses his research and teaching activities to promote positive social changes. His research has focused on (1) social and environmental justice issues in parks, outdoor recreation, tourism, & sport and (2) the relationship between leisure participation and subjective well-being.

Lee's research and teaching have been recognized by several awards, including the Outstanding Book Prize from the Leisure Studies Association, the Opal Mann Green Engagement and Scholarship Award from North Carolina State University, the Best Research Paper Award from the Academy of Leisure Sciences, the Golden Apple Award in Excellent Teaching and Mentorship at the University of Missouri, and the U.S. Senator Phil Gramm Doctoral Fellowship at Texas A&M University. 

His book, Violent and Verdant: Systemic Injustice in Public Parks in the U.S. (Routledge, 2025), reveals how public parks - often seen as symbols of democracy and egalitarianism - have historically been sites of violence and oppression against vulnerable groups.