MINNEAPOLIS (March 22, 2016) — The Association for Asian American Studies has named Dr. Josephine Lee a recipient of the 2016 AAAS Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lee will be recognized for her contributions to theater and the academic field of Asian American studies at this year’s AAAS conference held April 27-30 in Miami. Lee founded Asian American Studies program at the University of Minnesota and served as the program’s inaugural director. She has also served as president of the Association for Asian American Studies.
Lee is a professor of English and Asian American Studies at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She specialized in dramatic literature, theater history, performance studies and Asian American studies.
Lee earned her undergraduate degree in the humanities and physics from MIT. She earned her doctorate in English Language and Literature from Princeton University. She has written several books on theater, race, cultural theory and Asian American studies.
The Association for Asian American Studies was founded in 1979 for the purpose of advancing the highest professional standard of excellence in teaching and research in the field of Asian American Studies; promoting better understanding and closer ties between and among various sub-components within Asian American Studies. AAAS sponsors professional activities to facilitate increased communication and scholarly exchange among teachers, researchers, and students in the field of Asian American Studies.
The organization advocates and represents the interests and welfare of Asian American Studies and Asian Americans. AAAS is also founded for the purpose of educating American society about the history and aspirations of Asian American ethnic minorities.
