Lisa Yun Lee

Lisa Yun Lee is an Associate Professor of Public Culture and Museum Studies, and Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois Chicago. She is also the Executive Director of the National Public Housing Museum, the nation's first cultural institution committed to preserving and interpreting the history of public housing and propelling housing as a human right. Lee additionally teaches with the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project in Stateville Prison.

Her research focuses on museums and diversity, cultural and environmental sustainability, historic preservation, and spaces for fostering radically democratic practices. Her work bridges art history with social justice, examining how cultural institutions can serve as sites for community engagement and political transformation. Lee's scholarship demonstrates a commitment to making philosophical and theoretical concepts accessible and relevant to contemporary social issues.

Lee's publications reveal a consistent focus on the intersection of public space, memory, and social justice. Her work spans philosophical analysis of critical theory (particularly Theodor Adorno), museum studies, and practical applications in public housing and community engagement. The trajectory shows increasing emphasis on applying theoretical frameworks to real-world social justice issues, particularly around housing rights and urban history.

Lee serves in numerous leadership capacities beyond her academic appointment, including on the Illinois State Museum Board (appointed by Governor JB Pritzker in 2020), as Co-Chair of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's Arts & Culture Transition Committee, and on the Advisory Committee for Chicago's racial healing and historical reckoning project. She also serves on the Ms. Magazine Advisory Board and the boards of 3Arts and the Field Foundation.

• Executive Director, National Public Housing Museum
• Appointed to Illinois State Museum Board by Governor JB Pritzker (2020)
• Co-Chair, Mayor Lori Lightfoot's Arts & Culture Transition Committee
• Advisory Committee, Chicago's racial healing and historical reckoning project
• Ms. Magazine Advisory Board
• Board Member, 3Arts
• Board Member, Field Foundation

Lee teaches with the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project in Stateville Prison, demonstrating her commitment to educational access and community engagement. Her current projects include working on a monograph about teaching Jane Addams for Teachers College Press and leading initiatives at the National Public Housing Museum that position housing as a human right.