Lee received his Ph.D. in Archeology from the University of California at Berkeley. He is an archaeologist with a research focus on California and neighboring areas. His current research centers on the site of Mission Santa Clara de Asís, on the Santa Clara University campus, where he is an Assistant Professor working with undergraduate students to explore the lives of the Native Americans who lived and worked at the mission. In particular, this research addresses dynamic colonial identities and the role of the mission within broader indigenous landscapes. Dr. Panich is also the co-director of a binational research project in Baja California, Mexico, that uses the geochemical analysis of obsidian artifacts to study native trade networks and settlement.