People with Purpose: Jin Lee

When people think about workplace safety, they often picture hard hats and checklists. For Jin Lee, associate professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences and University Outstanding Scholar, the real story lies in how people, data and environments shape both risk and resilience.

Lee's work connects quantitative methods to real-world challenges, shaping the culture of high-risk industries while guiding graduate students to grow as researchers and collaborators. Through work that strengthens workplace safety and culture, and a lab that values mentorship as much as methodology, Lee finds his purpose in elevating how organizations protect and empower their people.

Q: What has been your most impactful day at K-State?

Lee: It would be the day I started working at K-State. Coming from South Korea, I never imagined Manhattan as my second home, or the place where I would live the longest consecutively in my life. I've come to deeply appreciate the welcoming community, the supportive atmosphere within my department and the countless opportunities K-State has provided for both my personal and professional growth. That day may have marked a turning point in my life, but now, every day at K-State feels truly precious.

Q: How did you decide to go into higher education?

Lee: I've been passionate about psychology since my freshman year of college. I initially had an interest in clinical psychology, but gradually became fascinated by applied psychology more broadly, which eventually led me to pursue the industrial-organizational psychology program. Approaching real-world problems through the lens of psychological science has been genuinely intriguing for me, and I feel there's still so much more to learn and explore.

Q: What is your teaching style, and what's at the heart of it?

Lee: I often emphasize to my students that science is not just about acquiring knowledge, but about acquiring and developing the perspectives needed to better understand the realities around us. I believe teaching is not just about delivering knowledge, but about creating an environment where students feel empowered to explore, question and grow. At the heart of my teaching style is the idea of learning together.

Q: What is your most significant contribution to K-State's research enterprise, and what interests you in this topic?

Lee: I work at the intersection of psychology, public health, human factors and ergonomics, and psychometrics, which allows me to approach complex workplace and health-related issues from multiple perspectives. As an occupational health psychologist, my research has contributed to the design of workplaces as a springboard for promoting workers' safety, health and overall well-being. My interest in this area grew from a desire to apply psychological science to real-world problems.

Q: What is a current engagement activity you're involved in?

Lee: I am currently involved in a project at the National Bio-Agro Defense Facility, titled "Strategic Safety Climate Management Initiatives for High Reliability Organizations." In Step 1, I focus on developing psychological safety and organizational readiness to establish a strong safety culture. Step 2 applies an after-action review approach to balance psychological safety and safety climate, using structured reflections to continuously improve individual and organizational performance. This project bridges organizational science with practical, high-stakes safety management.

Q: What do you hope your K-State legacy will be?

Lee: I hope my K-State legacy will reflect interdisciplinary flexibility and a commitment to supporting data-driven, evidence-based problem-solving. I aim to demonstrate how insights from psychological science and related disciplines can be applied synergistically to address challenges across workplace and public health systems, helping organizations and communities thrive while promoting rigorous, science-informed decision-making.