OISE Professor Kang Lee elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Professor Kang Lee, a Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Neuroscience and Moral Development, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Royal Society Fellows are distinguished Canadians from all branches of learning who have made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life. There are currently over 2,500 active Fellow members.
Professor Lee, a recipient of the SSHRC Impact Award in 2023 and one of the winners of the U of T President’s Impact Award in 2022, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority on childhood dishonesty. His trailblazing, three-decade-long research focus on child moral development – specifically, how children learn to tell lies – has transformed our understanding of the development of lying.
His findings have had far-reaching applied implications and enduring impacts on real-world practices. For example, his research contributed to Canadian law reforms in 2005 regarding the collection of evidence from children. Since 2006, Canadian criminal courts have been required to use a legal procedure based on his findings when admitting children as witnesses.
“I’m truly honored to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada,” said Professor Lee. “This recognition serves as a reminder of the responsibility I have to continue advancing social science research in Canada and to contribute to the field in meaningful ways.”
Professor Lee joins a number of OISE faculty who have been admitted as Fellows. Professors Marlene Scardamalia and Diane Gérin-Lajoie were named Fellows in 2020. Dr. Jeffrey Ansloos, Associate Professor in Indigenous Health and Social Policy, was elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in 2022.
“Professor Kang Lee’s work has had and continues to have a profound impact in classrooms, in court, and in clinical settings, contributing insights, technologies and leadership to the field of developmental neuroscience,” said Professor Erica N. Walker, Dean of OISE. “These significant contributions will have lasting influences on our society for generations to come.
“On behalf of all in the OISE community, I congratulate Professor Lee on his prestigious appointment as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. We are deeply proud.”
On Nov. 8, the Royal Society will induct the 2024 Fellows and Members of their College at a ceremony as part of the Celebration of Excellence and Engagement in Vancouver, British Columbia.