From SDSU Classrooms to Global Research Impact: Dr. Kerk Kee Honored as Outstanding Alum

Dr. Kerk Kee has been named Outstanding Alum of the Year—an honor he describes as “both humbling and honestly unexpected.” Rather than viewing it as an individual achievement, he sees it as “a reflection of the people and experiences at SDSU that shaped me early on.”

Dr. Kee graduated from our M.A. program in 2003 and currently serves as Virginia & Choc Hutcheson Professor in Mass Communication in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University. His research investigates the development, adoption, implementation, and the ultimate diffusion of big data technologies and collaborative cyberinfrastructure in scientific organizations. He also studies the dissemination of health information in cultural communities and the spread of pro-environmental attitudes in modern societies. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Academy of Sciences, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in multiple solo and collaborative grants, totaling over $13M to date. He received a prestigious 5-year NSF CAREER grant in 2015, awarded by the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure under NSF's Computer & Information Science & Engineering Directorate.

Kee credits the program for influencing how he approaches his work, especially its emphasis on “asking meaningful questions and being open to where those questions might lead.” He remains especially grateful for “the opportunity to work with students and collaborators over time,” noting that many of his most meaningful accomplishments come from shared work rather than individual milestones.

For current students, his advice is to “stay curious” and remain open to unexpected paths. As he notes, “there is no single path to follow,” and growth often unfolds through relationships, collaboration, and sustained effort.