The Department of Ethnic Studies UC Berkeley

Bio & Research Interests

Joe Lee is a lecturer and field study coordinator in the Asian American & Asian Diaspora Studies Program of the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Joe teaches a seminar on “Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Community Health: Foundational Theories & Contemporary Issues”. This course was developed in collaboration with the Asian American & Pacific Islander Health Research Group and local community health center partners such as Asian Health Services and North East Medical Services.

Outside of his academic commitments, Joe works as the Training and Technical Assistance Director of the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO). At AAPCHO, Joe oversees national training, technical assistance, and consulting activities with health centers and partner organizations. Joe is principally responsible for program development, planning, monitoring, operations, and evaluation work related to AAPCHO’s grants and contracts with the Bureau of Primary Health Care, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other healthcare agencies.

Prior to AAPCHO, Joe worked for the Alameda Health Consortium (AHC) and Community Health Center Network (CHCN), a regional Primary Care Association and Managed Services Organization based in the East Bay Area of California. As AHC & CHCN Workforce Development Strategist, Joe consulted eight Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) organizations on clinician retention and recruitment strategies, enabling services and allied health workforce pipeline programs, and partnership development.

Joe’s passion for community health started in 2010 as the Program Manager of AmeriCorps at LifeLong Medical Care, an FQHC based in Berkeley, California, where he coached over 80 AmeriCorps Members serving in primary care, behavioral health, school­ based, and supportive housing programs. Outside of his professional work, Joe serves as an undergraduate student advisor for the Asian American & Pacific Islander Health Research Group and policy advocate on issues focused on access to care.

Joe holds a Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration and Interprofessional Leadership from the University of California, San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.