ABOUT | LEADERSHIP & STAFF

Nancy Lee

Volunteer Scientist

Nancy learned of YDO when her middle son, Ryan started teaching coding classes the summer of 2017. Ryan did his Eagle project at YDO in 2018, building two sturdy tables and creating two classrooms. During this time, she was impressed with the mission of YDO and the passionate staff and wanted to give her time in the future. She was instrumental in setting up the science lab at YDO by coordinating lab supplies, furniture, small instruments and glassware donations from Simmons. She has been volunteering at YDO since 2022 teaching science to elementary school students and mentoring high school students interested in science. Her active involvement at YDO garnered her, the “Parent Volunteer of the Year” award in 2022.

Nancy Lee received her BS in Chemistry from University of Pennsylvania and worked in the pharmaceutical industry (Merck and Wyeth-Ayerst) for four years. While working in the research laboratory synthesizing potential medicines, she discovered the joys of organic synthesis and decided to pursue a Ph.D. in this field. She received a PhD at Brown University on the synthesis and study of vitamin D metabolites and analogs. She went on to MIT as a NIH postdoctoral fellow. In 1994, she joined the chemistry department at Simmons College and taught organic chemistry for 28 years to over 2600 students.