Walter Lee

Walter Lee is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, serving as Interim Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence and Director of the Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity (CEED). He earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University (2010), M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering (2013), and Ph.D. in Engineering Education (2015) from Virginia Tech.

His research focuses on equity and inclusion in engineering education, particularly supporting marginalized students through systems-level interventions. Key areas include student navigation challenges, transfer student experiences, and organizational change strategies for equity. Notable awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2020) and recognition as one of PRISM Magazine’s Top 20 Researchers under 40 (2018).

Lee’s work emphasizes transforming educational ecosystems to address systemic inequities. His recent projects include developing collective impact frameworks for graduate education equity and exploring emotionally responsive student support systems. He leads the GUIDE Research Group and collaborates with CEED to advance diversity initiatives across Virginia Tech.