Biophysical Society Bulletin | December 2025

Communities

Amy Lee Committee for Inclusion and Diversity (CID)

Amy Lee

Do you have advice for others who might be thinking about volunteering? It’s hard to carve out time to volunteer, so it’s good to choose a cause that is meaningful for you and will help you grow. As a Korean-American woman, I’ve grown up feeling both privileged and racially targeted. Educating myself about what creates division, inequity, and exclusion, and how to overcome these barriers, is important work for me not only as a scientist but also as a human. When not volunteering for BPS, what do you work on? For the last 23 years, I’ve been running a research lab focused on Ca2 + channels in various physiological contexts, most recently the retina. Since moving my lab to The University of Texas at Austin, I’ve also been teaching undergraduates intro ductory neuroscience, which has been unexpectedly ener gizing. I feel so privileged to be able to make a difference not only in terms of my research but also to turn on hundreds of students to the thrill of neuroscience. My side hustle is help ing to run a music program in our department that involves programming of classical music concerts and organizing an orchestra made up of faculty and students in the sciences. I’m an amateur cellist, and my husband and kids are professional musicians, so music is a big part of my life. I strongly believe in the connections between music, creativity, and community, so volunteering in this way is really an extension of my identi ty as a scientist, educator, and faculty member.

Is this your first volunteer position for BPS? If not, what other positions have you held? I’ve been involved in BPS as a Council Member and Subgroup Chair, but my service on the Committee for Inclusion and Di versity (CID) is my first experience in a committee role for BPS. Why do you volunteer? As I’ve become more established in my career as a professor, I feel a responsibility to share my experience and passion for fostering an environment in which anyone can be successful in science. I have seen first-hand how lives can be trans formed by mentoring, and how bringing in people with differ ent lived experiences can ignite new paths of scientific dis covery in the lab. I have chaired committees like CID in various contexts and have learned a lot in terms of the importance of the mission and how to move it forward in challenging times. There is also the sense of community that you get from vol unteering for a cause you believe in. Being around people who share your values is very comforting and empowering. We can all use more of that these days. What has been a highlight from your volunteer experience? I love catching up with my fellow CID committee members at the BPS Annual Meeting. You tend to see the same people volunteering for similar committees elsewhere, so they are like old friends. I also really enjoy meeting trainees in CID- associated events like the JUST-B poster session at the Annu al Meeting. It’s so reaffirming to see young people so excited about science!

Join the BPS PUI Network Are you looking to connect with other Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) faculties or interested in obtaining academic positions at PUIs? Join the BPS PUI Network. The net work creates opportunities for current PUI faculty to network and share experiences with one another. Members of the Network exchange tips and ideas about teaching strategies, latest trends in education technology, online teaching, and more. Graduate students and postdocs interested in obtaining academic positions at PUIs are encouraged to join. Questions can be directed to Ethan Rogers-Yosebashvili at eyosebashvili@biophysics.org. www.biophysics.org/PUI-Network

December 2025

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