Hosin “David” Lee, a University of Iowa professor of civil and environmental engineering, received the outstanding overseas alumnus award from the Seoul National University, a national public research university based in Seoul, South Korea.

The award was given in recognition of Lee's "contributions to enhancing the reputation and honor of Seoul National University through his outstanding lifetime achievements in the civil engineering profession."

It is the highest honor given to overseas alumnus of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Seoul National University. Lee earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Seoul National University in 1980.

Lee, who specializes in innovating construction technology with a sustainability focus, received the award this month. Lee is a faculty affiliate of the Iowa Technology Institute and directs the Laboratory for Advanced Construction Technology (LACT) where he helps member institutes and companies develop and implement their innovative new construction technologies in practice by performing objective laboratory testing and field evaluation. He joined the faculty at the University of Iowa College of Engineering in 1999. 

In recent years, Lee has received multiple awards. In 2020, Lee received the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) Outstanding Contribution Award, a lifetime achievement award that is considered the organization’s highest honor. In 2021, Lee received the lifetime Achievement Award from iSMARTi (International Society for Maintenance And Rehabilitation of Transport Infrastructures).