After being a part of the Oakland University community for 30 years and working every day toward the advancement of womanhood, Stephanie J. Lee, administrative assistant to the provost, was presented with the 2019 Phyllis Law Googasian Award.

The award is presented to a member of the OU community that has contributed to the advancement of womanhood through development in leadership and scholarship. Lee aims to hold up these values in her work every day.

“The advancement of women means a great deal to me,” Lee said. “I invest my effort and time into working with women by challenging them to do what may normally not come easily for them. I challenge them to always be confident in all they do.”

The award was established in 1993 in honor of Trustee Emerita Phyllis Law Googasian and is presented each year in collaboration with OU and the American Council on Education Network for Women Leaders.

“Leadership is not always being in front of the group; many good leaders lead from behind,” Lee said. “Being a servant leader helps with the advancement of women as well. Women need to support other women, not compete against them, and celebrate all progress we make.”

Lee received her Bachelor of Arts in communication from OU in 1993. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in organizational leadership and says she is excited to have only three courses left until she is completed.

“As an undergraduate here at Oakland 30 years ago, working on campus helped shape me and developed my work ethic,” Lee said. “Learning and evolving professionally has provided me with the characteristics to build confidence in areas I was lacking.”

In 2002, she began working in the Academic Affairs Office at OU assisting the provost. She organizes and plans various academic events and conferences at the university and assists in communication among the hierarchy of offices on campus.

Lee’s goal for the future is to one day use her doctorate degree to become a university executive at an institution of higher education.

“I love higher education,” Lee said. “I recognized that looking into how higher education functions and making strives on improving it fascinated me.”

She says her dedication, organizational skills and planning abilities allow her to achieve success for herself and to spread her life knowledge to others.

She gives credit to her nearly 28-year involvement in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated for making her into the woman she is today. The sorority’s purpose is promoting unity and friendship among women and striving to be a service to mankind.

Lee said she would tell her younger self to “learn from failures and listen because you don’t learn with your mouth open.”

After everything Lee has achieved throughout her life, she has learned that “all the stars may not align at the same time. It is okay. Just keep moving toward your goal.”