Jay T. Lees

Professor Lees received his B.A. degree in history from Gettysburg College. He did doctoral work at Tulane University and spent two years on a Fulbright Fellowship at the Karl Ruprecht Universität in Heidelberg, Germany. He joined the UNI History Department in 1987. Throughout his career Dr. Lees taught a variety of History and Liberal Arts Core Humanities classes, as well as a capstone study abroad course in Italy entitled Sacred Space and one on the Holocaust in Poland.

Professor Lees’ research focused on the tenth-century canoness, poet, and playwright Hrotsvit of Gandersheim, as well as the twelfth-century Second Crusade. He worked on a documentary about the tornado that destroyed much of Parkersburg and New Hartford, Iowa, in 2008.

Dr. Lees received the University-wide Class of 1943 Award for Outstanding Teaching, two Outstanding Teaching Awards from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the Regent’s Award for Faculty Excellence, and most recently an Above and Beyond Award for teaching from the UNI student body. 

 Dr. Lees retired at the end of Spring 2018 semester, enjoying spending time with his growing family.