Am-Ram Lee

Ah-Ram Lee is a communication scholar who conducts research in strategic communications. Her specialty is examining the positive social impact, the effects and role of digital media and technology in promoting public engagement in social issue campaigns, and public relations practices of nonprofit organizations/public interest communication. She is particularly interested in learning about the underlying mechanisms and factors of the effects of new media and technology in reducing individual’s psychological distance from social issues such as poverty, climate change, and ageism. She is also interested in research on effective communication to reduce public fear and enhance understandings about new technology, such as artificial intelligence.

Lee’s research interests were developed from and fueled with her volunteering and working experiences with various local communities and nonprofit organizations, such as: Community Foundation of Sarasota, Dil Se Campaign in New Delhi, India, and Save the Children Korea.

As a researcher, Lee’s goal is to conduct and provide multidisciplinary research that can contribute to solving societal and global issues by working with scholars and professionals from diverse fields. Lee’s works were recognized as the most promising research and funded by PR Advisory Council of UF and Arthur W. Page Center 2017. Her work has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, like Computers in Human Behaviors, Journal of Public Interest Communication, Children and Youth Services Review, and so on.

Prior to joining UMass as an assistant professor, Lee received a Ph.D. in the College of Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida and a M.A. in the Advertising and Public Relations Department from the University of Alabama. She received a B.A. with honors in Advertising and Public Relations from the Sookmyung Women’s University, South Korea.

New & Selected Publications

• Lee, A. R., Hon, L., & Won, J. (2018). Psychological Proximity as a Predictor of Participation in a Social Media Issue Campaign. Computers in Human Behavior
• Won, J., Hon, L., & Lee, A. R. (2018). The Role of Situational Awareness and Participation Benefits on Motivating Publics' Online Social Campaign Participation Behavior Intentions. Journal of Public Interest Communication, 2(1), 129-155.
• Lee, A. R. (2017). Psychological Proximity to Issues of the Elderly: The role of age-morphing technology in campaigns for the elderly. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 311-323.
• Lee, A. R., & Horsley, S. J. (2017). The Role of Social Media on Positive Youth Development: An Analysis of 4-H Facebook Page and 4-Her’s Positive Development. Children and Youth Services Review, 77, 127-138.