Identity with Okhee Lee

Introduction: Today, we're joined by Okhee Lee, a distinguished professor at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. Her expertise lies in STEM education with a focus on equity, justice, and multilingual learners.

Introduction to Okhee Lee/Okhee’s Journey from South Korea to the US

• Okhee shares her childhood experiences growing up in a remote village in South Korea post-Korean War.
• Her determination to pursue higher education in the US despite familial and financial challenges.
• The significance of her success in securing scholarships and how it shaped her academic career.

Academic Career and Contributions

• Okhee discusses her academic path, including her time at Michigan State University and her work in STEM education.
• Insights into her research on integrating multilingual learners into STEM education and her contributions to the field.

Impact and Philosophy

• How Okhee’s work emphasizes recognizing the strengths and assets of multilingual students rather than focusing on deficits.
• The importance of teaching science in ways that embrace diverse forms of communication and understanding.
• The shift in STEM education towards data science and the broader implications of this shift.

Voice Training and Personal Growth

• Okhee reflects on her journey with voice training and the impact it had on her confidence and public speaking abilities.
• Her experiences of overcoming personal and professional challenges related to her identity and voice.

Lessons Learned and Future Goals

• The profound impact of voice training on her personal and professional life, including how it helped her assert herself and gain recognition.
• The realization of her unique position as an Asian American woman in academia and her commitment to using her voice to inspire others.

Final Thoughts and Reflections

• Okhee shares her reflections on the intersection of identity, expertise, and passion.

Guest Bio

Okhee Lee is a professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. She is committed to advancing research, policy, and practice that promote STEM and language learning for all students, particularly multilingual learners 

Lee brings research and policy to practice. Her team developed a yearlong fifth-grade science curriculum called Science And Integrated Language, or SAIL, that translates contemporary science standards into classroom practice with multilingual learners. The curriculum is in a field trial at New York City Public Schools with funding from the National Science Foundation. Using the SAIL curriculum, Lee’s team published teacher resources in collaboration with the New York State Education Department. 

 Lee is the recipient of many honors, awards, and fellowships. For more information, please visit:

https://www.nyusail.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okhee_Lee

https://wikitia.com/wiki/Okhee_Lee

https://www.okheelee.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmptRBGO6G6yl4Ph0n7Pr_w/featured

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