Duane Lee, Ph.D.

I’m Dr. Duane M. Lee, and I’m the second Black American to receive a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Columbia University (behind Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson) and the first admitted directly to the program. My research focused on studying the formation and evolution of (dwarf) galaxies by modeling the chemical composition of stars and gas in those galaxies over time—a field I first referred to as Galactic Genealogy (back in 2008). My studies have taken me to 3 post-doc positions: (1) Shanghai Astronomical Observatory in Shanghai, China, (2) Fisk and Vanderbilt Universities in Nashville, Tennessee, and (3) M.I.T. in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During my time as an academic researcher, I’ve published two first-authored papers out of seven research papers in astrophysics. Currently, I'm at Labviva, where I work on improving our lab procurement SaaS platform for lab managers, suppliers, manufacturers, etc. More broadly, I continue to seek knowledge in the areas of Data Science and Engineering, and I entertain the possibility of broadening my communication of Astronomy beyond the reach of just my friends and family in my post-academic career. At my core, I believe in the power of science and the possible opportunities created by good governance. My passions are the joy and camaraderie of singing/karaoke, empathy, dancing, science and tech, and hanging out with good friends, new and old alike! I live in the West End area of Boston, MA, and I’m originally from Pittsfield, MA, in the Berkshires.