Assistant Professor
Biography
Kai-Sean Lee is an assistant professor who previously pursued a career in pastry, culinary, and specialty coffee. His research interests lie in the intersection among aesthetics, gastronomy, and culinary narratives. Known primarily as a qualitative methodologist, Kai-Sean specializes in interpretivist and impressionist qualitative methodologies including autoethnography, narrative inquiries, conceptual inquiry, and non-positivist research designs. He is also an adamant advocate for "slow scholarship" which stresses for a more deliberate and immersive orientation to research, thinking, and learning.
As a teacher, Kai-Sean enjoys teaching culinary fundamentals, principles of baking and pastry, gastronomy, and beverage studies. His teaching philosophy draws heavily on a pedagogy of care, which prioritizes human empathy and a safe learning environment. Students in Kai-Sean's classroom can expect to learn a lot about themselves, their classmates, and the many nuances that sustain them. Most importantly, Kai-Sean is profoundly known as someone who knows a lot about nothing, and nothing about a lot of things. He too, looks forward to growing with you amid this journey.
On a fun note, Kai-Sean identifies as a (wh)ine enthusiast, meaning he loves to drink wine and whine about life.
Education
Classes offered
HTM 225 – Principles and Science of Foodservice Baking