Dr. Lee Bae receives prestigious Snow Award from APA Div. 15

SOE associate professor recognized by Division 15 of the American Psychological Association for early career contributions to the field of educational psychology.

Headshot of Christine Lee Bae, Ph.D., taken in 2022.
Christine Lee Bae, Ph.D. (Courtesy Photo)

Christine Lee Bae, Ph.D., associate professor in the VCU School of Education’s Department of Foundations of Education and affiliate faculty in the Department of Psychology, is the recipient of the prestigious 2022 Richard E. Snow Award from Division 15 of the American Psychological Association (APA).

“Partnering with science educators over the past 10 years has been and continues to be powerful for my teams to deeply understand and find solutions that address complex challenges in public schools,” said Lee Bae. “My commitment to education for all students is rooted in my grandmother’s belief that school can be a place to unlock new possibilities. It is an honor to receive this award.”

In her scholarship, Lee Bae and her team of postdocs and graduate students in the School of Education Discourse and Learning Lab partner with Richmond Public Schools and Chesterfield County Public Schools classroom teachers to expand opportunities for science learning in urban classrooms. Her research draws on sociocultural frameworks, engagement and motivation theories, and research-partnership models to better understand how to make science engaging and relevant to students. In her NSF CAREER project (2019-24), she is working with science teachers to develop and implement science talk activities related to critical topics like the global pandemic and climate change. She is also working on projects funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Lee Bae received VCU's Outstanding Early Faculty Award in 2019, as well as the School of Education's Distinguished Junior Faculty Award in 2018 and School of Education’s Outstanding Scholarship Award in 2022.

The Richard E. Snow Award is given each year to a scholar who has completed their doctoral work within the past ten years, has made significant research contributions to the field of educational psychology, and is a member of APA Division 15.

Dr. Christine Lee Bae (seated, lower right) and her team of postdocs and graduate students in the Discourse and Learning Lab.
Science Discourse team members include Christine Lee Bae, Ph.D. (seated, lower right), principal investigator, Jessica Gladstone, Ph.D., postdoctoral researcher, and doctoral students Martinique Sealy, Lauren Cabrera, Kamil Hankour and Javonti Braxton. They are joined by middle school science teachers from Richmond Public Schools and Chesterfield County Public Schools. (Courtesy Photo)