Vippy Yee

Vippy Yee received her B.A. in Political Science and East Asian Studies from Dickinson College and her M.S. in Sociology from The London School of Economics and Political Science at The University of London. Her Master’s Thesis explored the mechanisms and impact of social capital within faith-based immigrant community centers. Vippy’s scholarly interests include racial and social inequality, social mobility and social movements, and she has prioritized these issues in courses including Social Problems, Urban Sociology, Sociology of Gender, and the Foundations of Civic and Community Engagement.

As the Assistant Dean of Community Based Programs at the Priscilla King Gray Public Service Center, Vippy draws upon over two decades of civic leadership and service. Prior to her current role at MIT, Vippy was the founding Director of the Center for Social Impact at Penn State Brandywine and served as the Assistant Director of Volunteer Programs at Bryn Mawr College. She has held elected positions in local government on the Rose Valley Borough Council and Wallingford-Swarthmore School District Board, and she has served on the Board of Directors of various non-profit and community agencies including the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation, Chester Children’s Chorus, and the Helen Kate Furness Library.

The child of first-generation immigrants who grew up under a dictatorship, Vippy is passionate about civic and democratic engagement. Through the PKG Center, she strives to help prepare students to become engaged leaders in their communities by providing the context, training and opportunities to develop meaningful connections based on mutual respect and dignity.