Doreen Lee is associate professor of anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. Lee writes, researches, and teaches about urban politics, Southeast Asia, and critical theory. She received her undergraduate degree in archaeology from New York University, and her PhD from Cornell University where she specialized in sociocultural anthropology and Southeast Asian studies. Her first book Activist Archives: Youth Culture and the Political Past in Indonesia is published by Duke University Press. It tells the story of how history, nationalism, and authoritarianism shaped radical student resistance in Indonesia. Her current research project focuses on urban housing, infrastructure, and the formation of new publics in Indonesia. Lee’s article from this project, “Absolute Traffic: Infrastructural Aptitude in Urban Indonesia,” can be found as an Editor’s Choice paper in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. In Spring 2017, Lee will serve as interim director of undergraduate studies.
Awards and Honors
- 2016. Tier 1 Internal Grant for Interdisciplinary Research. “Cross Disciplinary Approaches to Analyzing Flood Risk in Jakarta.” With Gavin Shatkin, Auroop Gangly, Alessandra Renzi. Northeastern University
- 2013-2014. IIAS Fellow, International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden University.
- 2012. NSF Advance External Mentorship Grant, Northeastern University.
- 2010. Lauriston Sharp Prize for Outstanding Scholarship and Service, Dissertation Award for 2008, Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University.
- 2009-2010. Karl Loewenstein Fellow in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought (LJST). Amherst College.
Professional Associations
- Society for Cultural Anthropology
- Association for Asian Studies (Indonesia and Timor Leste Studies Committee)
- Association of American Anthropology