Lee Receives the Marvin A. Pomerantz Award

AMES, Iowa – Jeong Eun (Jel) Lee has been named a recipient of Iowa State University’s prestigious Marvin A. Pomerantz Award, which honors faculty for exceptional teaching, research, and outreach. Lee serves as Associate Professor and State Specialist in Aging in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies and is widely recognized for work that improves the lives of older adults, caregivers, and families across Iowa and the nation. As Director of the Powerful Tools for Caregivers national program, she has trained more than 2,000 trainers and 250 master trainers across the United States and authored the program’s newly revised caregiver workbook.

Her impact in the classroom is just as remarkable. Through HDFS 3730: Death as a Part of Living, Lee has engaged nearly 1,200 students in thoughtful conversations about aging, resilience, and life course well-being. She is also a mentor to both graduate and undergraduate students, helping prepare the next generation of professionals in aging and family services.

Lee has developed over ten Iowa State University Extension and Outreach programs focused on dementia, aging in place, farm families, and custodial grandparents, and has secured over $1 million in grant funding to support this work. Her leadership and service extend across the department, college, university, and national organizations.