R. May Lee

R. May Lee was named the third President of the Olin College of Engineering by the Olin Board of Trustees. Her tenure will begin on August 18, 2025.

Lee is a visionary leader whose career spans global higher education, corporate leadership and entrepreneurship. With experience ranging from Wall Street to the nonprofit sector, and deep expertise in strategy, innovation and education, Lee brings a unique breadth of experience and insight to Olin.

Lee comes to Olin from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the first technological research university in the United States, where she was the Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Institutional Impact. There, she played a pivotal role in defining and shaping RPI’s priorities through the development and implementation of its long-term strategic plan, RPI Forward. Her work was pervasive within the university, and her leadership encompassed overseeing change management initiatives and stakeholder engagement at all levels. She was also a professor of entrepreneurship at RPI’s School of Architecture.

Prior to RPI, Lee was a partner at The Seelig Group, an investment firm focused on media and technology. She was the founding Dean of the School of Entrepreneurship and Management at Shanghai Tech University, where she established the first interdisciplinary curriculum for science and engineering students, integrating social sciences, entrepreneurship and critical thinking. As Vice Chancellor at New York University, she spearheaded development of NYU Shanghai, NYU’s degree-granting campus in China.

Lee’s career includes senior executive positions on Wall Street at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs; experience as an entrepreneur in the technology and digital marketing sectors; and leadership positions in nonprofit organizations. May has served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and on the Boards of National Partnership for Women and Families, and Wellington College China. She is currently an executive board member of the New York Academy of Sciences, Chair of the Board at the Van Alen Institute, a member of Volkswagen’s Global Sustainability Council and a Life Trustee with NYU School of Law.

Lee earned a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. She is married with one daughter and a 10-year-old soft coated wheaten terrier named Momilani. Lee enjoys puzzles, popcorn, hiking and cultural events.