Chung Lee

Dr. Chung-Myun Lee, Professor Emeritus of Geography passed away on November 8, 2021 at the age of 96.

Professor Lee received his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Michigan in 1961 after completion of degrees at Seoul National University. He specialized in land use analysis and planning, economic geography and the geography of Asia with technical expertise in photogrammetry and aerial photo interpretation. In his long career he received academic appointments at several universities in the U.S., Malaysia, Japan and Korea.

Professor Lee epitomized the traditional geographic scholar.  His research and teaching merged theoretical and conceptual geography with technical analysis.  He read and wrote in five languages with speaking competency in four, publishing dozens of papers and books. The final phases of his research focused on the geographic diffusion of Korean culture to all parts of the world.   Professor Lee was performing field research in Siberia into his late 80s. 

In Professor Lee’s later years he researched and published books about ARIRANG, a Korean folk song, and the culture of Korea as well as a book about foreign migration in Korea.

He was a rigorous teacher, but students appreciated his preparedness, discipline and sense of humor.  Professor Lee has a legacy of better educated students over much of the world.  He will be missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and the many students he taught.