Danielle Lee is an assistant professor of biology at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, and a self-described hip-hop maven and outreach scientist who writes about urban ecology and biology. She uses hip-hop to connect the dots between culture and science in order to reach underrepresented communities like inner-city youth and open the doors for them to pursue a career in science. In an interview with KWMU, Lee said, “There aren’t a lot of role models, so that’s why I do my outreach, to let folks see, one, a different face of science, and to see different avenues into science.”

In 2017, Lee traveled to Tanzania to research the behavior and biology of landmine-sniffing African giant pouched rats in her position as the National Geographic Emerging Explorer. Check out her TED talk on the subject.

Expertise: Biology, urban ecology, evolution, animal behavior, STEM, diversity, science outreach, hip-hop

Location: Edwardsville, Ill.

Work: (618) 650-3405

Email: Dnlee5@ymail.com, danilee@siue.edu

Twitter: @DNLee5

Heard on St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis blogger helps inner-city youth find “on ramp” to science