Dean’s Seminar Series Presents Sang Yup Lee
Lee to speak on collaborative research at 4 p.m. Wednesday, January 21
From climate change to infectious disease, the biggest issues facing society today are so complex that no one research group alone will be able to solve them. Instead, interdisciplinary collaborations are needed to explore and combat the problem from many angles.
As a part of the McCormick School of Engineering Dean’s Seminar Series, chemical engineer Sang Yup Lee (PhD ’91) will discuss the importance of interdisciplinary, integrated, and collaborative research.
“Bio, Nano, and Beyond: Unlocking New Ideas through Collaborative Research” will take place at 4 p.m., Wednesday, January 21, in the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center’s ITW classroom.
A distinguished professor and dean at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea, Lee serves as the director of three interdisciplinary research institutes: the Center for Systems and Synthetic Biotechnology, BioProcess Engineering Research Center, and Bioinformatics Research Center. During his talk, he will share personal examples—ranging from bio-based chemicals to nano-based diagnostics to materials design—of how these centers leverage collaborative research to address major societal issues. He will also discuss strategies for fostering creative and collaborative research environments.
Lee received his master’s and PhD in chemical engineering from Northwestern in 1991. He has received many awards, including the National Order of Merit, Citation Classic Award, Elmer Gaden Award, Merck Metabolic Engineering Award, ACS Marvin Johnson Award, and Ho Am Prize in Engineering. He is also a fellow of several professional societies, was elected as a foreign member of the National Academy of Engineering in the United States, and currently serves as a member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Science and Technology in Korea.