Meet My Mentor, Dr. Tali Lee, Ph.D.
How I met my mentor:
Throughout the past year, I have had the pleasure to work with Dr. Tali Lee. I first met Dr. Lee in the classroom in fall of 2020 as she was my instructor for Biological Inquiry (BIOL 223). BIOL 223 is a “core” biology class, meaning that all biology majors must take the class before advancing to upper biology classes. Personally, BIOL 223 is my favorite class I have taken thus far at UWEC. The combination of the research focused aspect of BIOL 223 along with having Dr. Lee as my instructor really motivated me to pursue research as an undergraduate and pushed me to develop crucial scientific inquiry skills.
As the semester in BIOL 223 progressed, I felt myself developing more as a student and a scientist more than I did in any other semester in undergrad thus far. I believe this was because of the way Dr. Lee conveyed information and inspired us as students to get hands on with science and learn by conducting research. I was so intrigued to watch science happen before my eyes and was able to learn so much from the feedback Dr. Lee provided me with. I respected and admired how she was always available to help and she had such a way of giving constructive criticism that helped me develop and execute thoughts and ideas more scientifically and concisely.
When I first joined the McNair program in the fall of 2020, I thought of conducting research in the field of kinesiology. At the time, I just switched my major to biology and was hesitant of reaching out to professors in the biology department to ask about research because I was new and did not have a clear idea of my research interests. It was after working with Dr. Lee that I realized she would not only be the perfect mentor for me, but also would help me design and execute an experiment using Daphnia magna as a testing organism, which is an organism we worked with in BIOL 223.
Since January, I have been working one on one with Dr. Lee with my McNair research project. Through it all, Dr. Lee has been an absolute joy to work with. I would describe her mentoring style as warm, reflective, open to new ideas, and encouraging. Although Dr. Lee is a plant biologist, and my research is not necessarily in her field of expertise, she was still willing to mentor me, which I am so grateful for, because I truly could not imagine working with anyone else! What inspires me the most about Dr. Lee is her passion for learning, education, and her students/colleagues. She is a leader with a positive attitude about everything, even beyond science.
Meet Dr. Lee!
Dr. Tali Lee received her bachelor’s degree from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona before earning her Ph.D. in Plant Biological Sciences from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Lee decided to pursue a Ph.D. because she wanted to combine her passions for teaching and research. Additionally, obtaining a Ph.D. would allow her to work in a college academia setting, which she desired. From early on, Dr. Lee was drawn to the field of education. “I have always loved school and learning, so I chose to become an educator because I wanted to work with students and colleagues to create positive learning experiences”, says Dr. Lee. For Dr. Lee, teaching biology never gets old because of the complex, mysterious subject it is. “Biology is life. It is challenging to find the answers to what makes life, and I love how there’s so much that is unknown”, Lee says. In the classroom, Dr. Lee’s teaching style focuses primarily on facilitating experiences where students can do science and become engaged.
Outside of the classroom, Dr. Lee conducts research where she is interested in investigating how plants respond physiologically to environmental changes. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, playing tennis, and spending time with family, friends, and her animals!
Photo 1 courtesy of uwec.edu