Tiger Heritage Spotlight: Naomi Lee, Ph.D., BS ’05
Naomi Lee Ph.D., BS '05 (Seneca Nation of Indians) is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University. Dr. Lee received a B.S. in biochemistry from Rochester Institute of Technology. She also completed an M.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Rochester. Her research focuses on novel peptide and protein-based vaccine development to target various infectious and chronic diseases. Dr. Lee also applies her expertise in biomedical research to improve the health care of Native Americans through health disparities research, STEM education, and mentoring. Due to her interdisciplinary research program, she is an affiliated faculty member to the NIH-funded Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC), the NIH-funded Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP) partnership, and NAU’s the Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications (¡MIRA!). Finally, Dr. Lee continues to serve her country through service in the Army National Guard. She is currently a Captain in the Arizona 850th Military Police Battalion.
What led you to RIT? Or Why RIT?
My mother led me to RIT by handing me an application and telling me to fill it out – this was prior universal online applications. In fact, RIT was the last university I applied to my senior year. I did not know much about RIT until I received the acceptance letter and financial aid offer. As a first generation student, myself and my siblings were reliant on financial aid to support our academic careers. I chose RIT because it provided the most financial support. It also allowed me to utilize the NYS Indian Aid scholarship. More importantly, it was still close to home. At the time, we lived approximately two hours away.
Who influenced you most during your time at RIT?
Drs. Jason Younker and Paul Shipman were the first faculty that took an active interest in my career aspirations. Not only were they the first Native American PhDs that I ever met, they introduced me the other Native American students. At the time, RIT had less than a dozen Native American students. I am so proud to see the progress RIT and the Future Stewards Program made over the years. It is one reason I continue to encourage students to apply to RIT.
Other influential faculty were Drs. Matt Miri and Thomas Smith. I had my first research experiences in their labs and that is when I really became excited about research and wanted to pursue it as a career. Finally, Dr. Christina Goudreau Collison showed me that organic chemistry was fun and encouraged me to apply to her graduate alma mater – the University of Rochester.
What advice do have for current students who want to make the most out or their experience at RIT?
Build relationships with mentors that will guide you down your path. Mentors include peers, faculty, staff, etc. RIT has many great opportunities and mentors will help point you in the right direction.
How did your education at RIT prepare you for what you are doing today?
The research experiences and support from the faculty gave me the confidence to take the next step towards a graduate degree. Without them, I would have never considered a PhD or career in academia.
Describe your career path.
A roller coaster! On paper, the journey from the reservation to NAU can be perceived as mostly linear and unobstructed. However, it was not easy and was filled with many obstacles. In 2009, I lost three of the most significant family members in my life. First, my only surviving grandparent passed away from rapidly progressing Alzheimer’s disease. Shortly afterwards, both my parents passed away within six months of each other. For many years, they battled cancers, diabetes, myasthenia gravis, arthritis, and various other diseases but ultimately both passed away from sepsis due to MRSA infections. Caring for my ill family members over the years was a huge factor in choosing a career in biomedical and health disparities research. Now, I continue to apply my knowledge of vaccines and infectious diseases to help my Native community and honor the lives of my parents.
My career path was augmented by a life of service to my country. The high enlistment rates of Native Americans in the military stem from the ideals that these are our original lands and we have a sense of responsibility for protecting them and the people of the land. These ideals are reflected in Sitting Bull’s definition of a warrior. He stated that a warrior is “… one who sacrifices himself [herself] for the good of others. His [Her] task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who cannot provide for themselves, and above all, the children, the future of humanity.” Therefore, on February 27, 2009, I swore an oath to uphold and defend the constitution by joining the Army National Guard (ARNG).
What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
My most significant contribution is fostering the minds of the younger generations. Over the years, I mentored and trained hundreds of high school students and undergraduates that primarily identity as Native American or Hispanic. I advised various summer research program coordinators to refine the programs to be more culturally tailored for Native American students. At NAU, I found and co-directed the 8-week high school summer program referred to as ACS-CARE or the American Chemical Society-Cultural and Academic Research Experience. The mission of ACS-CARE is to increase the diverse pool of academic and research professionals by engaging underrepresented, specifically Native American, and low income high school students in STEM and medical-related fields through culturally relevant curriculum and summer research training. In fact, one of our first ACS-CARE high school students is now a RIT Tiger. As our ancestors said in the Seventh Generation philosophy, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” Therefore, my decisions and actions today are meant to cause change not just for the current generation but the next seven generations of aspiring Native American researchers and scientists.
Share your favorite RIT Memory.
My favorite memory is how I felt when I arrived to campus on the first day of college with my best friend, Clark Burris. I was scared, lost, insecure, and what felt like a long way from home. When I reflect on the journey to the NAU, I am reminded of the struggles and triumphs I overcame. These triumphs are a direct result from a reliable support system along with upholding the strong ethical values I learned from my parents and military training. While my parents are no longer here, I know that I honored them and the scared Native girl is now a role model, leader, and mentor for aspiring young Native Americans.
Tell us some fun facts about you
I am a diehard Buffalo Bills fan! I love football and joined a professional women’s league for a short period of time after graduating from RIT. I was a linebacker and defensive linewoman.