Hosin "David" Lee recognized for “exemplary leadership, visionary service, and profound impact”
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Lee poses with his award with a man on each side
Kyeong Ho Yang, chairman of the honors and awards committee, Hosin "David" Lee, and Jae Hyeon Ryu, president of KSEA, left to right, pose for a picture after Lee receives the distinguished service medal.

The Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association (KSEA) has awarded Hosin “David” Lee, a University of Iowa professor of civil and environmental engineering, with its 2025 Distinguished Service Membership Award, citing his “exemplary leadership, visionary service, and profound impact.”

Lee was honored at the 38th U.S.-Korea Conference (UKC), which occurred August 5 to 9 in Atlanta and was attended by over 1,000 people.

The association credited Lee, KSEA’s 40th president, for elevating the organization to “unprecedented heights" by expanding its reach and visibility and achieving its highest-ever budget of $2.7 million, expanding membership by 31%, and contributing over $600,000 to the reserve fund.

The award citation reads, in part, “A globally respected scholar in civil and environmental engineering, Dr. Lee has advanced sustainable construction technologies and infrastructure systems through pioneering research, editorial leadership, and keynote lectures on five continents."

Lee, who joined the College of Engineering in 1999, is a faculty affiliate of the Iowa Technology Institute and directs the Laboratory for Advanced Construction Technology (LACT).