As a faculty member at a Predominantly Undergraduate Institution (PUI), Sunghee Lee, Ph.D., integrates teaching, research, and mentoring to create a cohesive learning experience for students. Her courses emphasize conceptual understanding, problem solving, and the ability to connect molecular-level thinking to real chemical and biological systems. Undergraduate research is treated as an extension of the classroom, giving students authentic opportunities to apply what they learn in lecture and lab to open-ended scientific questions.

Courses

Examples of courses taught include:

• General Chemistry (lecture and laboratory)
  
• Analytical Chemistry and related upper‑level courses
  
• Special topics in membrane biophysical chemistry and interfaces
  

In each course, students engage with primary literature, data analysis, and visualization of chemical phenomena, building skills that prepare them for research, graduate study, professional programs, and diverse careers in science.

Undergraduate research and mentoring

Through Project Symphony, Prof. Lee mentors undergraduate students in research projects focused on membrane biophysical chemistry, droplet interface bilayers, and interfacial phenomena. Students participate in all aspects of the scientific process, including experimental design, data collection and analysis, scientific writing, and presentation of results at conferences. These experiences help students develop technical expertise, independence, scientific communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively in interdisciplinary teams.