Provost Lee: Building Better Futures Through Education

When Provost Ok-Hee Lee first began as an early childhood and elementary education professor at Minnesota State Moorhead 25 years ago, she knew she wanted to change the way students experience learning. This passion ignited long before her time at Moorhead. 

Lee started her career as an elementary school teacher in Seoul, South Korea. As a new teacher, she expected her young students to be curious and excited about learning. Instead, she found many students disengaged from the classroom experience. 

“That’s when I realized early childhood education should look different,” she says. 

Her experience also revealed how structured systems left little room for teachers to adapt and innovate. She felt that educators needed more autonomy and freedom to meet students where they were. That belief led her to pursue graduate studies in school administration, determined to influence education beyond a single classroom. 

Finding a Home at Moorhead 

Lee and her husband moved to the United States to continue their education, planning to return to Korea after acquiring their degrees. She earned a Master’s in School Administration from Indiana State University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Indiana University, Bloomington. During this time, Lee and her husband decided to stay in the United States and search for their future home. 

They found it in Moorhead.

When Lee interviewed at Minnesota State Moorhead, she was surprised by the immediate sense of belonging. 

“I thought I should pick a place where I feel welcomed,” she says. 

The people she met during her visit didn’t just become colleagues, they became lifelong friends and a support system that shaped her career. That sense of community became one of the most important threads in her story as a Dragon. 

Stepping into Leadership 

Lee started at Moorhead as a professor, but colleagues soon encouraged her to take on leadership roles. Over time, those opportunities led her to become dean of the College of Education and Human Services (CEHS), serving in that role for a decade. As dean, she focused on initiatives that expanded educational opportunities both on campus and throughout the region. 

Under her leadership, the Teacher Cadet Program launched in partnership with Moorhead High School, which encouraged high school students to pursue careers in education while addressing regional teacher shortages. 

Lee also championed programs like Become A Teacher Day, which continues to bring high school students to campus each year to learn more about the teaching profession. 

Graduate education programs also flourished. Moorhead launched its first doctoral program with the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, growing from a single cohort of 20 students into a thriving program with two cohorts each year. New graduate programs were also launched, including the Master of Social Work and MA in Criminal Justice. These programs continue to grow today, with the Ed.D. earning nationwide recognition from Forbes Advisor and the MSW program earning gold-star accreditation from the Council of Social Work Education. 

Shaping the Future 

Today, as provost, Lee is focused on preparing the university for what’s ahead. 

“I think that’s the role of the provost,” she says. “Helping people think about what the future will look like and how we should respond.” 

For Lee, that means ensuring academic programs remain relevant for students and aligned with the evolving workforce they will enter. It also means embracing emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence. 

Rather than asking whether AI belongs in higher education, Lee is focused on how it can be integrated thoughtfully into students’ academic experiences. 

“How do we incorporate AI into our curriculum, so all our students feel ready to graduate and go into their fields,” she asks. 

At Moorhead, she’s able to explore this question, thanks to programs like the newly developed Institute of Applied Artificial Intelligence. Through the institute, Moorhead is bringing together higher education, K-12 schools, employers, and industry leaders to build practical AI skills and ensure students are prepared for an AI-enabled future. 

The institute and other AI initiatives at Moorhead align with Lee’s commitment to innovation and the curiosity that continues to shape her career. 

As a young teacher in Seoul, Lee looked at education and imagined ways it could be better. Decades later, she does the same work on a broader scale, helping shape programs and experiences that prepare students for the future. 

After 25 years as a Dragon, Lee’s story is still being written, while the programs she leads leave a lasting mark on the university, its students, and the communities they serve.