Roderick Lee, Ph.D.

Dr. Roderick Lee is an Associate Professor of Information Systems in the School of Business Administration at Penn State Harrisburg. He also holds courtesy appointments in Higher Education within the College of Education and in Information Sciences and Technology (IST) within the College of IST at Penn State University Park. Beyond his academic roles, Roderick serves as an Administrative Fellow to the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses and Executive Chancellor at Penn State, as well as a Research Associate for the Center for the Study of Higher Education at Penn State.

His interdisciplinary work, supported by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, focuses on three key areas: (1) improving the experiences and educational outcomes for structurally underserved groups in computing education; (2) promoting the adoption of evidence-based, inclusive teaching practices; and (3) fostering academic optimization and career resilience through high-impact practices (HIPs; i.e., internships, study abroad, and undergraduate research).

Roderick is dedicated to translating his research into systemic changes that strengthen inclusive excellence in STEM higher education and the workforce. He has served on several influential advisory bodies at Penn State, including the Select Penn State Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety, the special project for the Office of the President on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, and the American Talent Initiative/Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Powered by Publics Steering Committee.

In addition, Roderick holds leadership positions as the inaugural Chair of The PhD Project Advisory Council, a board member of The PhD Project Association, a member of the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania (TCCP) Board of Directors, and a member of the Association of Information Systems Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Standing Committee.

In recognition of his commitment to inclusive excellence, Roderick has received numerous honors, including the TCCP Women in Technology Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2020, the Greater Harrisburg Area NAACP President’s Award in 2021, The Conference for Women Agate Award in 2023, and the Circle of Compadres distinction from The PhD Project Information Systems and Sciences Member Association in 2024.