Narae Lee , Ph.D.

Narae Lee is a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Population Research Institute of The Pennsylvania State University. She earned a Ph.D. in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy from the University of California, Irvine. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between the built environment and human well-being based on people’s interactions with surrounding environments. As an urban planner, Lee applies theoretical insights from environmental criminology and environmental psychology to urban planning research in order to provide design, planning, and policy suggestions that can maximize the overall well-being of urban populations. In her prior research, she has studied the impact of walkable design on criminal activities and psychological well-being. She won the 2020 Gene Carte Student Paper Competition of the American Society of Criminology for her lead-authored paper, “Neighborhood Walkability and Crime: Does the Relationship Vary by Crime Type?”.