Professor Hee Yun Lee, who joined the UGA School of Social Work faculty as the Thomas P. Holland Distinguished Professor and Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations at the UGA School of Social Work on August 1, 2025, has been appointed to serve as its next Associate Dean for Research.
Thomas P. Holland Distinguished Professorship in Nonprofit Management and Leadership is named for Thomas P. Holland, Professor Emeritus, who provided distinguished leadership and service as a member of the University of Georgia faculty for 26 years. His research focused on nonprofit board effectiveness. Holland was instrumental in the development of the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations (INPO) at the School of Social Work and served as Co-Director. The INPO educates leaders who will strengthen the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations throughout Georgia, the Southeast, the U.S., and globally. The Master’s of Nonprofit Management and Leadership program is administered through the INPO.
Lee is an internationally renowned scholar in behavioral health, implementation science, and digital health innovation. In 2026, she will be inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW). The AASWSW Fellows are an honorific society of distinguished scholars and practitioners who are dedicated to achieving excellence in the field of social work and social welfare, while advancing high-impact work that advances social good. Lee’s research centers on reducing health disparities among underserved and marginalized populations—including racial and ethnic minorities, rural residents, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups—by designing, testing, and implementing technology-enhanced interventions for prevention, screening, and care delivery.
With over two decades of experience in clinical and community-based trials, Lee has led groundbreaking work in the development of seven evidence-based digital health applications. These tools incorporate artificial intelligence, wearable technology, and culturally tailored behavioral interventions to promote positive health behaviors and improve access to care. Several of these applications have been adopted by major health insurance providers and disseminated across clinical and hospital systems, exemplifying the real-world translational impact of her work.
Her research portfolio spans critical areas such as cancer prevention and screening, mental health, dementia caregiver support, adolescent substance use, health literacy, and digital therapy for chronically underserved populations—including Asian American, African American, and Native American communities, as well as older adults, children and youth, and individuals living in rural regions.
Lee has published over 185 peer-reviewed journal articles and currently serves as Principal Investigator on seven federally funded research projects through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other leading federal agencies. Her interdisciplinary teams represent a wide range of expertise—from social work, public health, and nursing to computer science, engineering, medicine, and psychology—demonstrating her strong commitment to collaborative, cross-sector approaches to advancing health equity.
Her work has directly informed national health priorities, including her contributions to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030 framework. She is also deeply engaged in international research and academic collaboration, particularly in Korea, and has served on multiple editorial boards and grant review panels. Prior to her appointment at the University of Georgia, Lee held the title of the Distinguished University Research Professor and the Endowed Academic Chair in Social Work and Health at The University of Alabama. She has mentored numerous doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and early-career investigators who have gone on to hold leadership positions in academia and public service.
As a Co-Director of the Alabama Center for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, housed within the College of Engineering at the University of Alabama, another growing area of her research has focused on harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to drive human-centered innovation and societal impact. She has advanced AI science and machine learning methodologies, ensuring their ethical development and application in ways that promote fairness, transparency, and social good. Lee leads lifelong learning initiatives to cultivate an AI-proficient workforce and fosters collaborations between academia and industry to develop AI-driven solutions in health and mental health, nonprofit management, and public service. Through these efforts, she strives to enhance human well-being, organizational effectiveness, and transformative change.
A highly sought-after speaker, Lee is frequently invited to present keynote addresses and lectures at national and international conferences, where she continues to shape policy, research, and practice in the areas of health equity, digital health innovation, and community-engaged intervention science.
