UC Professor Earns NSF CAREER Award

The University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science would like to congratulate Joo-Youp Lee on his recognition through the National Science Foundation’s CAREER Award. NSF’s CAREER Award is presented to junior faculty who “exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.”

Joo-Youp Lee, from the

School of Energy, Environmental, Biological, and Medical Engineering

, has received the CAREER Award based on his work to build a firm foundation of leadership and integrating education and research. The award provides a five-year, $400,000 grant to further his research. 

“This award will allow me to continue to support my current mercury research activity for the next five years and will help establish me as a leading academic researcher. Research is always challenging and at the same time exciting - particularly when something new and feasible is discovered,” explains Lee.

Lee began his career at UC while earning his doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering. He began his assistant professor position in 2008 and as a junior faculty member, currently has a primary role in teaching undergraduates and mentoring graduate students through their further education  and research. 

“My current research areas include CO2 separation, control of mercury emissions, biofuels and targeted drug delivery. There is no doubt that my professional development and experiences at UC enabled me to receive this award," he adds.

“I plan to continue to delve into scientific discoveries by asking myself ‘how and why’ questions and integrating research outcomes and wisdom into my classroom teaching. Hopefully, I will also be able to make contributions to our society through developing commercially viable solutions," states Lee.

NSF was founded by Congress in 1950 to promote the progress of science while advancing the national health, prosperity, and welfare. NSF is the source of funding for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of financial backing.