Associate Professor, CRC, LPC

Dr. Lee Za Ong Since obtaining my Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2005, I have had privileges in teaching in universities in urban-settings, including minority-serving institutions. With the ability to speak six different languages, I have committed to diversity and social justice issues in all aspects of my professional endeavors. Besides teaching and practicing as a licensed professional counselor, I hold two board positions in non-profit organizations and advocate for individuals with disabilities and promote accessibility in mental health and tele-mental health services. My current research agenda is interdisciplinary and focuses on promoting social and health equity for invisible people by conducting intervention research. I am particularly interested in addressing the unique challenges faced by BIPOC, people with disabilities, refugees, and immigrants. Funding sources for my research have included U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Administration Services (RSA), Health Resources and Services Administration - Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (HRSA - BHWET), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Wisconsin Department of Workforce, Wisconsin Humanities Council, Medical College of Wisconsin - Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment, Marquette University President's and UWM Chancellor's Challenge, Marquette University Institute Women Leadership, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Research and Innovation, Athletic and Human Performance Research Center, and Center for Peacemaking. I also served as external evaluator for NSF funded projects in training programs in cybersecurity, data science analytic, and using Chinese language learning and AI.

Dr. Ong will take on a new counseling psychology doctoral student for Fall 2025. 

Recent Publications and/or Presentations

  • Clayton-Jones, D., Ong, L. Z., Bekhet, A. K., Jones, W., Ontala, E., Pena, S., Griffin, K., Griffin, J., Peacock, E., & Haglund, K. (2024). Sickle cell virtual support group program for adults: An implementation evaluation. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 1-9. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/01612840.2023.2227266
  • Deroche, M. D., Ong, L., Cook, J. M. (2024). Ableist microaggressions, disability characteristics, and nondominant identities. The Professional Counselor, 13(4), 404-417. https://doi.org/10.15241/mdd.13.4.404
  • Othman, H.E., & Ong, L. Z. (2023). Muslim Americans' experience of the pandemic at the intersection of history, culture, and gender. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 10(3), 35-54. https://dx.doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/1565
  • Ong, L. Z., Chiu, C., & Mpofu, N. (2022). Promoting employees' mental health in the post- covid new normal: Using a peer support model. In I. L. Potgieter & N. Ferreira (Eds). Managing human resources: The new normal. (pp. 211-228). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09803-1