Wonhyung Lee

With her background in social work and urban planning, Dr. Lee's research centers on community development and engagement. She is particularly interested in the process of neighborhood revitalization and asset building in disadvantaged communities. Her research interests range from the improvement of physical spaces and economic activities to the promotion of collective actions and access to services. Dr. Lee pursues interdisciplinary and community-engaged research opportunities, which comprises expertise from various disciplines such as arts, business, engineering, public health, and public policy. Some of her recent work reveals the potential for human service and business communities to work together to benefit marginalized populations. Two examples include business improvement districts (BIDs) that serve the needs of homeless populations and microfinance programs that help entrepreneurs with low assets and credit. Dr. Lee is currently co-leading an NSF-funded project on Smart and Connected Communities with a goal of developing a technology that can improve the communication between service-seekers and service-providers. In and outside the classroom, Dr. Lee applies community-engaged and experiential approaches to facilitate hands-on learning for students.