Dr. Robert Lee

Robert Lee is the Dean of the Sanford College of Education and Regional Vice President for Greater Los Angeles at National University. A nationally recognized expert in community‑situated teaching and learning, he has advanced innovative, equity‑driven models that improve school progress and expand degree pathways for adult learners. Earlier in his career, he founded the National Center for Urban Education and led the Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline, pioneering immersive, community‑based approaches to teacher recruitment and preparation. Over his career, Dr. Lee has secured over $50 million in federal, state, and foundation funding, including two major U.S. Department of Education grants to develop a community‑based teacher residency and launch full‑service community schools. At National University, he established a stackable certificate‑to‑BA pathway for early childhood educators and developed an alternative route to licensure for teachers in Texas. His scholarship appears in leading journals, and he has been invited to speak by AERA, NSF, AACTE, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His work has been featured on PBS NewsHour®, CSPAN, Ed Week, Hechinger Report, and recognized with major awards, including AACTE’s Best Practice Award in Support of Global Diversity & Inclusion, and the Critics’ Choice Award for Outstanding Scholarship by the American Educational Studies Association.