UM College of Education Dean Named School Counseling Advocate of the Year
MISSOULA - Dr. Dan Lee, dean of the Ñý¼§Ö±²¥'s Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, has been named the 2025 Montana School Counseling Association (MSCA) Advocate of the Year.
This prestigious annual award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of school counseling programs, positively impacting counselors and Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ at the local, state, and national levels.
At the MSCA Annual Conference on April 3-4, 2025, Dr. Lee was recognized for his visionary leadership in expanding access to school counseling education. Notably, he led the transition of UM’s school counseling program to an online format, making it more accessible for rural educators and aspiring counselors.
In addition to this, Dr. Lee pioneered a tele-counseling initiative, the Virtually Assisted School Team (VAST), through the Montana Safe Schools Center prior to the COVID-19 pandemic that ensures Montana Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ in remote areas have access to essential mental health support.
Though Dr. Lee was unable to attend the conference to accept the award in person, he shared his appreciation for being chosen as the recipient.
"Being selected as the Montana School Counselors Association's Advocate of the Year is truly an honor, and I accept it with great humility and appreciation. Thank you for recognizing me in this way. It means more than I can say, especially from a group of professionals I hold in such high regard," Dr. Lee wrote in a letter to the MSCA board.
Liz Clark, a member of the MSCA Board of Directors, presented the award and praised Dr. Lee for being a strong advocate for youth mental health. She highlighted his efforts to consistently promote the importance of school counselors in supporting academic, social-emotional, and career success.
Dr. Lee's innovative approach to funding included securing a transformative $9.4 million donation, a portion of which is designated to help reimburse graduate Ñý¼§Ö±²¥' tuition in exchange for their commitment to working in rural Montana schools, addressing critical counselor shortages.
Also in the letter to the MSCA board, Dr. Lee reflected on his 35 years in public education, noting the privilege of working with many dedicated school counselors. He praised their tireless support for Ñý¼§Ö±²¥ and families, highlighting how colleagues often turned to them in times of struggle, offering trust and guidance that helped others emerge stronger. He called this "quiet heroism" transformative.
As a mentor and leader, Dr. Lee has been a guiding force, supporting faculty and professionals in the field, and demonstrating a steadfast commitment to enhancing school counseling programs to ensure the highest quality services for school communities.
Dr. Lee was nominated by Drs. Emily Sallee and Veronica Johnson from the UM Department of Counseling.