Ah-Ram Lee

Strategic Communications

Ph.D., University of Florida

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,  Cyberpsychology, International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, Environmental 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. & Chun, J. (2023). Can the “Future Self” Promote Healthy Eating Behaviors?: The Effects of Age-Morphed Images, Future Projections, and Self-Control on Healthy Eating Decisions. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.

Lee, A. R. & Hon, L. (2022). The Effects of Technology-Mediated Communications on Elderly-Related Campaigns: The Interplay of Perceived Probability, Construal Level, and Message Appeals. Cyberpsychology-Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, 16(2), Article 7.

Lee, A. R., Kim, E., Hon, L., & Chung, Y. (2020). How age-morphed images make Me feel The role of emotional responses in building support for seniors. Computers in Human Behavior, 107, 106263.

Lee, A. R., Hon, L., Won, J., Leping, Y., Oloke, T., & Kong, S. (2019). The Role of Psychological Proximity and Social Ties Influence in Promoting a Social Media Recycling Campaign. Environmental Communication, 14(4), 1-19.

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, 85, 245-254.

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.