S03E01.Carol D. Lee, Ph.D.

In this episode, Dr. Carol D. Lee shares her journey from a young child with a passion for teaching to becoming a leading figure in education. She discusses the influences of her family, the challenges and support she encountered throughout her education, and her shift from a private school teacher to an advocate for culturally relevant pedagogy. Dr. Lee highlights pivotal moments, including her involvement in the Black Arts Movement and the establishment of African-centered schools. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexities of human learning, the role of relationships, and the need for educational systems that support both cognitive and emotional development.

Carol D. Lee is the Tarry Professor Emerita in the School of Education and Social Policy and African-American Studies at Northwestern University. She is President of the National Academy of Education, a past president of the American Educational Research Association, AERA’s past representative to the World Educational Research Association, past vice-president of Division G of AERA, past president of the National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy, and past co-chair of the Research Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English. She is a member of the National Academy of Education, a fellow of AERA, the National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy, the International Society of the Learning Sciences, a former fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Reading Hall of Fame. She has received numerous awards including Distinguished Contributions to Education from AERA, the McGraw Prize in Education, the Squire Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, Scholars of Color Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Educational Research Association, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Illinois-Urbana, The President’s Pacesetters Award from the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education and an honorary doctorate from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. In 2023, she was selected by President Biden to serve on the National Board for Education Sciences. She is a founder of 3 African centered schools in Chicago spanning a 50 year history. Her research addresses cultural supports for learning that include a broad ecological focus, with attention to language and literacy and African-American youth. Her career spans 58 years, having taught high school, primary school and at community college before entering Northwestern University.