A Penn State journey dedicated to opening doors for others

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — On Roderick Lee’s path to earning five degrees from Penn State, there were people who recognized his potential and encouraged him to pursue opportunities that shaped his career. Now, as a faculty member, he works to open doors for others, as he supports and mentors the next generation of Nittany Lions.

Lee is an associate professor of information systems in the School of Business Administration at Penn State Harrisburg and an associate professor of human-centered computing and social informatics in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at University Park. He is also an affiliate associate professor of higher education in the College of Education at Penn State.

Lee earned two bachelor of science degrees in information systems and marketing in 2000, an MBA in 2001 and master of science in information systems in 2002, all at Penn State Harrisburg. In 2008, he earned a doctorate in information sciences and technology at Penn State University Park.

Looking back, Lee traces his journey to a series of people who, he said, saw what he could become before he fully saw it himself. Their encouragement helped launch a career of learning, mentoring and expanding fair access and opportunity at Penn State and beyond.

“What I value most about my Penn State journey is that it connected learning with scholarship, leadership, purpose and service,” Lee said. “Each degree gave me more than a credential. It gave me a platform to pursue meaningful research, open doors for students, build pathways and help others see possibilities they may not have imagined for themselves.”

After serving in the U.S. Army, Lee decided to pursue higher education. His K-12 schooling in the rural South hadn’t provided him with the college preparation that others enjoyed, he said, and he began building his academic pathway at Harrisburg Area Community College.

While earning his associate degree, he said, he discovered a seamless transfer and dual enrollment route to Penn State Harrisburg.

Recognizing the clear path forward, Lee enrolled and double-majored in marketing and information systems, gaining the practical skills he believed would make him more employable.

During Lee's second semester on campus, he said, he recalls Karl Martz, then director of Career Services, encouraged him to run for student government president. Lee won the election, giving him a powerful opportunity to represent his peers and contribute to the campus community. Later, Lee said, John Leathers, then interim provost at Penn State Harrisburg, identified Lee as an excellent candidate for graduate studies and urged him to apply for a graduate fellowship, which he received.

Mukund Kulkarni, then director of the School of Business Administration and later chancellor at Penn State Harrisburg, encouraged Lee to make the most of his fellowship and pursue two degrees — an MBA and a master of science in information systems. Along the way, Lee relaunched and led the Graduate Student Association (GSA), forming connections with the GSA at University Park.

As Lee entered the second year of his master’s programs, Lee recalled that Kulkarni suggested he attend a conference hosted by the PhD Project, a nonprofit working to enlarge the talent pool of business school faculty by encouraging professionals to pursue doctorates.

Although Lee initially resisted — stating he was ready to enter the workforce rather than earn another degree — Kulkarni told Lee he possessed the natural ability to inspire, motivate and lead students, qualities that cannot be taught in a doctoral program. Persuaded by the advice, Lee said, he attended the event, where he gained a clearer understanding of the process of earning a doctorate.

“As a first-generation college student, adult learner and military veteran, the experience was both eye-opening and empowering,” Lee said. He applied to several programs and ultimately selected Penn State University Park, where he earned his doctoral degree in information sciences and technology.

As Lee advanced through his doctoral program, he said, Kulkarni and other University leaders urged him to consider Penn State Harrisburg as his future academic home, assuring him that he could make meaningful contributions and help shape the future of the campus.

“They planted a seed that led me to where I am today,” Lee said. “They were showing what it means to invest in people and grow your own faculty.”

He began lecturing at Penn State Harrisburg while finishing his dissertation and has been part of the faculty since. Today, Lee supports students throughout the University in roles both formal and informal.

For more than a decade, he has served as a faculty mentor to the men’s basketball program. Students throughout Penn State Harrisburg often find their way to him through word of mouth, seeking advice, support, and encouragement. His reputation for being approachable and genuinely invested in student success extends beyond campus, as he notes that parents frequently encourage their students to seek him out for guidance and mentorship.

"I take a great deal of pride in that,” Lee said. “There’s a sense of accomplishment, but also a responsibility to instill the expectation that you give back and make a difference in the lives of others. When people look at me, I hope they see someone who can help students build their self-confidence and self-efficacy.”

Lee has worked to broaden participation in STEM, artificial intelligence (AI) and computing education, earning recognition and leadership roles at Penn State and beyond.

He is guiding AI integration efforts at Penn State Harrisburg as the AI Curriculum Integration Lead and was selected to the 2026-27 inaugural cohort of National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) AI Education Fellows, an initiative funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to expand access to AI education.

Through his work on Penn State’s Student Success and Equity Steering Committee, Lee was named a member of the American Talent Initiative Summer Institute Leadership Advisory Board. His efforts to build pathways for students and scholars have extended internationally, too, as he worked with colleagues around the globe through the Association of Information Systems Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging standing committee.

“My Penn State education opened the door to new opportunities,” he said. “It gave me the foundation, experiences and networks I needed to lead, serve and make a difference in the lives of others through my teaching, scholarship, mentorship and service.”

For Lee, his Penn State education is a source of pride, he said, because it has carried him farther than he once imagined.

“I look forward to continuing this work, opening doors for others and helping shape the next generation of innovators, scholars and changemakers," he said.

Editor's note: One million Penn State degrees means there are one million unique Penn State stories. This is a sample of one of the many ways Penn Staters are using their degrees to change lives, elevate impact and make a difference.