Ka Yee C. Lee is Interim Dean of the Division of the Physical Sciences, Senior Advisor to the Provost for Global Initiatives, and the David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, the James Franck Institute, the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and the College. She is also the inaugural chair of the Faculty Advisory Board for the University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong.
As senior advisor to the provost, Ka Yee leads UChicago Global, advancing the University’s strategic priorities abroad and creating opportunities for impactful global partnerships. In this role, she addresses the growing research support needs of faculty and students, while engaging alumni across various regions, including the centers in Beijing, Delhi, Paris, and Hong Kong.
Ka Yee’s research focuses on membrane biophysics. She holds an ScB degree in Electrical Engineering from Brown University, and MS and PhD degrees in Applied Physics from Harvard University. Ka Yee completed her postdoctoral training at Stanford University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. She joined UChicago in 1998 as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and was appointed full professor in 2008. Ka Yee is the author or co-author of more than 125 scholarly publications.
Her honors include recognition as a Searle Scholar, a David and Lucile Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering, and a Sloan Research Fellow. She is also an elected member of the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, a fellow of the Biophysical Society, and a fellow of the American Physical Society.
Additionally, Ka Yee has received the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and holds the distinction of being the inaugural recipient of the Arthur L. Kelly Prize for Exceptional Faculty Service in the Physical Sciences Division. Previously, she served as provost of the University, vice provost for research, the director of the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, and associate director of the James Franck Institute.
