Professor Dr. David W. Lee, a pioneer in the study plants of extreme shade and discoverer of structural coloration in plants, was renowned for his passion for all things plants. When hired in 1980, Dr. Lee was the only botanist out of 11 faculty in the Biology Department. Recognizing FIU’s location in the subtropics, the presence of three celebrated tropical botanical gardens and USDA and UF-IFAS research stations, he was determined to expand botany at FIU. Ultimately, he was successful, with the hiring of three more botanists and a plant biochemist in the next 10 years and establishing formal relationships with Fairchild Tropical Garden and the Organization for Tropical Studies. Professor Lee’s passion for plants and the function of color in plants inspired him to author seven books on plant and nature related topics, including the award-winning Nature’s Palette: The Science of Plant Color and later Nature’s Fabric on plant leaves. Professor Lee served as Chair of two Departments at FIU, the Department of Earth & Environment and the Department of Biological Sciences, as well as Director of the National Tropical Garden at the Kampong. His teaching included Tropical Botany, Introductory Botany, General Botany, Plant Physiology, Photobiology and courses for other programs, The Meaning of the Garden (for Liberal Studies), and Functional Ecology of Tropical Plants (for Architecture). He retired after 30 years at FIU in 2009. In 2019, the Botanical Society of America recognized Dr. Lee’s contributions to the plant sciences by awarding him the Distinguished Fellow Award, which is the highest honor that BSA can bestow.
Celebrating Dr. Lee
Biological Sciences former Chair Steve Oberbauer: Dr. Lee was a visionary and driving force in the Department of Biological Sciences for three decades. He was a mentor and role model to an entire generation of botanists in the Department. He changed lives; he once took three undergraduates for a month of research on the rain forests of Malaysia. It was an experience of a lifetime. He was a prodigious writer, always with a book project in the works. When all departments were told they needed bylaws, he singularly wrote the initial version of the Biology Department bylaws while serving as chair. He regularly led efforts to beautify the landscape on MMC. As a person, Dr. Lee was extremely generous and caring, always seeing the good in people. He was quick to laugh and would purposely make goofy jokes. He made all of our lives better.
Distinguished University Professor Krishnaswamy Jayachandran: Since the moment I met Dr. Lee when I arrived at FIU in 1996, he became for me a mentor model as a new faculty member. My memories are fresh as they were in 1996: Dr. Lee received me at the MIA airport during my campus interview in early December 1995. He was the Chair of the Environmental Studies Department. His simplistic approach and the hospitality attracted me to join FIU family. Since joining as a new faculty member, there was no faculty mentor program in practice, I was lost for nearly two years for many reasons, including no research lab. Dr. Lee recognized my academic struggle and was there for me as a mentor. I want to celebrate and express my deepest gratitude for the incredible mentorship Dr. Lee has provided. His guidance, wisdom, and unwavering support have been instrumental in shaping my career and have inspired me to grow in so many ways that I am today. My appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Lee for believing in me, providing me with guidance, and always being there to share his invaluable insights. Dr. Lee’s generosity and dedication have made a profound impact on both my professional and personal life, and I am so grateful to Dr. Lee as my mentor. Dr. Lee also mentored more than 100 students with a belief in "today’s students are tomorrow’s decision-makers and natural stewards". He engaged students through formal classroom teachings, workshops, field visits, campus greening, internships, and externships. Dr. Lee was not only a world-renowned botanist, teacher, mentor, and leader, he was a wonderful humanitarian.
Contribute to the Dr. David Lee Botany Scholarship Fund
A scholarship fund has been established at FIU in honor of Dr. David Lee, known as the Dr. David Lee Botany Scholarship Fund. Contributions to this fund may be used to endow the scholarship, creating a lasting legacy that preserves his memory for generations to come.
You may contribute a gift using the form below. Faculty and staff may give through payroll deductions via Ignite. Checks payable to FIU Foundation with “David Lee Botany Scholarship Fund” in the memo may be mailed to Florida International University, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Attn, 11200 SW 8th Street, CASE 450, Miami, FL 33199.