PCC Geography: Mr. Lee

Advancement to Professor Emeritus

May 24, 2007

In Spring 2007, Mr. Lee was granted an advancement in academic rank from full Professor to Professor Emeritus. This is the highest academic rank possible at Pasadena City College and is awarded in recognition of meritorious service to the college.

Mr. Lee's career at PCC is marked by 17 years of service. During this time, he has served on the Academic Senate's Faculty Technology committee, been the faculty adviser to the Geography Club and Circle K International, facilitated contact between several educational delegations from P.R. China with the college, presented seminars on various topics to several P.R. China delegations, served as President of the LA Geographical Society (and was one of the 4 people to hold the office for 3 years in the 54 years history of the organization). His numerous community service option activities involved local area groups (e.g. NATHA, LA Community Partners, Esperanza CHC, Expo Neighbors, LA Conservation Corps, American Meteorological Society-Los Angeles Chapter, LA Geographical Society), CA state organizations (e.g. Baldwin Hills Conservancy and California State Parks, California Geographical Society), and national organizations (e.g. US National Forest Service, US National Park Service, National Parks Conservation Association, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Wildlife Federation, American Research Center-Egypt, National Council for Geographic Education). He co-founded Earth Systems Science, Inc. (a California educational non-profit---how led by Erika Rodriguez and Alejandro Arboleda, both are his former students) and the Rural Training Center-Thailand (a community-based environmental education organization).

Through the LA Geographical Society, he helped to organize and lead international trips to Indonesia, Egypt, Philippines, PR China, and Thailand. He also conducted teacher training workshops in weather science, and organized / conducted several volunteer projects in community-based environmental education in northern Thailand. These activities provided unique travel, study, and cross-cultural opportunities for PCC faculty, staff, and students. During his presidency, membership increased from about 125 to 400, and numerous new activities were implemented (e.g. monthly dinner meetings, 2 field trips each month, newsletter publication increased from 2-3 issues a year to 5, teacher training workshops, and international travel program was resurrected).

Mr. Lee?’s academic preparation consisted of 9 years of academic study at 4 different US universities. Prior to his career at PCC, Mr. Lee had 12 years of private sector experience in the area of geo-technical consulting in the US and overseas. These projects ranged from commercial industrial facilities site evaluations to military facilities and feasibility studies to environmental impact studies. Working in the private sector gave him the opportunity to apply his college major in geography as well as his minors in anthropology and geology to real-world problems.

Prior to his career at PCC, Mr. Lee had 12 years of teaching experience. He taught at University of North Dakota, in New Jersey (at Montclair State College and Rutgers University), in the LA area (LA Valley College, LA Pierce College, LA Harbor College, LA Trade Tech, LA Mission College, Glendale Community College), and in the City Colleges of Chicago Military Programs in the Pacific aboard US Navy ships deployed overseas (in Philippines, Japan, So. Korea, Okinawa, Australia, British Indian Ocean Territories, and Oman). His international experience also included teaching in PR China at Shandong Medical University, Qufu Normal University-Rizhao campus, Yantai University, Yanzhou Coal Mining Bureau, and Zhejiang Spare-time University. He was made an honorary professor of Qufu Normal University, and honorary Board Member and Visiting Professor of Aurora College (Shanghai).

Advancement in academic rank to Professor Emeritus is a fitting conclusion to his career at PCC. Mr. Lee plans to continue his involvement in community service activities in an advisory role with the Glendora Emergency Response Communications group (GERC), Earth Systems Science, Inc. (ESSI), and the Rural Training Center-Thailand (RTC-TH).