Catherine Lee

Professor Catherine Lee MBE is a leading academic and administrator at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), serving as Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences and a Visiting Professor at Bishop Grosseteste University. With a career spanning over two decades, she has transformed educational practices through her work on LGBTQ+ inclusion, teacher well-being, and leadership development.

• PhD in Education (UCL Institute of Education, 2013)
• National Teaching Fellow (2021)
• MBE recipient (2023) for services to equality in education

Her research focuses on equity in educational institutions, particularly examining how heteronormativity, homophobic policies, and Section 28 have shaped teacher identity and student experiences. Through autoethnographic methods and narrative inquiry, she has produced groundbreaking work on LGBTQ+ teacher visibility and leadership challenges.

Her publications and media presence (including a 2023 BAFTA-nominated film based on her memoir Pretended: Schools and Section 28) demonstrate a consistent pattern of policy-influencing scholarship across teacher training, gender identity, and institutional change. Recent articles analyze trans inclusion in schools, LGBTQ+ leadership, and social work interventions for queer youth.

Scientific Recognition

• Named in Independent Newspaper’s Pride Power List (2019)
• Finalist for British Diversity Award (2020)
• Recipient of Emerald Global Real Impact Awards (2020)

As an adviser to the UK Department for Education and founder of the UK's first LGBTQ+ leadership development program, Lee has significantly influenced national educational strategies. Her 15 most recent publications (2023-2017) cover critical areas including teacher identity, LGBTQ+ leadership, and policy reform in both school and university settings.