Joseph Lee

Joseph S. Lee is a PhD student in CMDI's communication department studying organizational communication. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Joseph received bachelor's and master's degrees in communication studies from California State University Los Angeles. Prior to Cal State LA, he studied computer science at University of California Riverside.
Joseph's blindness, software development experience, and public speaking expertise guides his research and teaching. He is a volunteer code contributor and community advisor for NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA), an award-winning open-source screen reader project for Microsoft Windows operating system. His software development experience and passion for digital accessibility helps him navigate the intersection of organizing, technology, and disability, specifically the communicative dimensions of software source code and its development as well as individual and organizational discussions of accessibility. He is also an accomplished forensics (speech and debate) competitor and coach, winning local and national awards for competitive success, academics, and community service while competing for Cal State LA. Outside of scholarly adventures, Joseph enjoys playing piano, reading books, and learning about latest K-Pop trends.