Fall 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award

 

Deborah Lee, MSN ’10, PhD ’20, fell in love with nursing, finding it to be the perfect balance between patient connection and her aptitude for science.  Lee spent the first 15 years of her career in the emergency department, starting as a bedside nurse and later as a nurse manager. Ready for a new challenge, Lee enrolled in the family nurse practitioner master’s program at the MSU College of Nursing, becoming a proud Spartan Nurse in the process. Later, she even encouraged her sons to attend MSU.

 

After earning her MSN in 2010, she worked as a nurse practitioner in Kalamazoo, MI for several years before setting out to educate the next generation of nurses. She became faculty at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, where she earned her BSN, and began teaching in the adult gerontology acute care nurse practitioner program in 2013.

 

When the time came for her to pursue her PhD, the decision to return to MSU was an easy one. While in her doctoral program, Lee researched pediatric oncology under Professor Gwen Wyatt. She noted how much she valued the mentorship and advice of Wyatt.

 

Lee continues to teach at the U-M School of Nursing. Since 2018, she has also served as the Director of the Clinical Learning Center (CLC). She implemented a simulation training program at the CLC, which utilizes virtual reality headsets that allow students to practice independently after being pre-trained by faculty. They can perform procedures as many times as necessary to feel confident. The training program has resulted in an increase in students’ precision and competency. It has been adopted by the U-M School of Dentistry and the U-M Medical School.

 

For the past two years, Lee has also traveled with U-M NP students to Bangkok to gain experience working in the emergency department and critical care of Siriraj Hospital.  This study abroad opportunity was launched after Lee visited several MSU PhD alums from her cohort in Thailand.

 

As faculty and the director at the CLC, Lee has made it a priority to create a compassionate learning environment where students feel comfortable seeking guidance and growing their skills. According to Lee, this learning philosophy was modeled after her experiences with MSU Nursing faculty. Time and time again, Lee has demonstrated what it means to be a Spartan Nurse through her innovation, leadership and compassion.