Meet Dr. Donguk Lee, Assistant Professor, Department of Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology 

First, tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Donguk Lee. I have recently started working in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology as an assistant professor.

Why did you choose to study audiology?

I have seen many people with noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) from a young age. They may eventually use hearing aids later in life if they continue to be exposed to high levels of noise. I believe that NIHL is preventable. Through research and promotion of these disciplines, I hope to help prevent further hearing loss in people with potential NIHL.

What are your main areas of research, and why did you choose those specific areas?

My research goals are to advance the understanding of the efferent system and how it may protect the auditory system from acoustic trauma. My research relies on measurements of speech perception and auditory evoked responses, including evoked potentials and otoacoustic emissions. Currently, I measure the level of noise to which individuals are exposed and assess their noise tolerance levels to inform people about the risk of potential NIHL.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I am currently teaching an advanced hearing aid class to Au.D. students. I enjoy engaging in discussions with students, as I find that I also learn a lot through these activities.

What do you hope your students gain from your courses?

I hope that students not only gain a lot of knowledge through class but also gain confidence as professionals.

What did you do before pursuing a career in academia, and why did you decide to pursue teaching instead?

I worked in a hospital as an audiologist and fitted hearing aids to patients in a hearing aid center. I wanted to do some more research and share these results with my students. My current position requires teaching and researching, and through these activities, I would like to expand my professional knowledge and share these results with my students to help them grow together.

When you’re not teaching, what do you enjoy doing?

When I have time, I usually exercise or edit videos. I take photos and videos while traveling. This brings back memories for me. I'm really looking forward to it because I heard there are a lot of great places to travel to in Texas.

Do you have any fun facts that others may not know about you?

I hate being hot. I didn't know about Texas summers before coming here. When I first came here, it was really, really hot. However, now I have adapted a lot and am really enjoying life in Texas.