Jack Jin Gary Lee

Jack Jin Gary Lee is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at The New School for Social Research, part of The New School University. His research focuses on race, law, and governance in modern empires and colonial/postcolonial states. He holds a PhD in Sociology from UC San Diego (2017), an MA (2012), and a BA from the University of Chicago (2007).

Research Interests

Lee's work examines how race and legal frameworks shaped colonial governance, particularly in British Empire contexts like Jamaica and the Straits Settlements. His book project, Inventing Direct Rule, analyzes the legal and racial dimensions of 'direct rule' in 19th-century colonies. Collaborating with Lynette J. Chua, he studies colonial and postcolonial epidemic governance through projects like Governing through Contagion.

Awards

• 2024 ASA Global and Transnational Sociology Section Best Article Award
• 2018 UC San Diego Chancellor’s Dissertation Medal
• Mellon Initiative for Inclusive Faculty Excellence Fellow (2023-24)
• GIDEST Faculty Fellow (2024-25)

Teaching

Recent courses include Law, Race, and Empire (Fall 2025), Historical Sociology (Spring 2026), and Classical Sociological Theory.