Lee's "extensive familiarity with national and international technology issues and of the global environment for technological innovation has been-and continues to be-an exceptional resource for UB," said Greiner. He added that Lee's leadership in establishing NCEER and formulating the university's current infrastructure initiative has led to enormous advances for the university, as have his international initiatives and his commitment to community partnerships in research and service.

Lee retired July 1 as dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where he had served since 1977. He has been a UB faculty member since 1961.

His research has covered a wide spectrum ranging from earthquake engineering to modeling of the mechanics behavior of biological systems.

"Professor Lee's extensive familiarity with national and international technology issues and of the global environment for technological innovation has been-and continues to be-an exceptional resource for UB," said Greiner. "His leadership in establishing NCEER and formulating our current infrastructure initiative has led to enormous advances for the university, as have his international initiatives and his commitment to community partnerships in research and service. By building on this base, as Senior University Advisor for Technology, he will provide UB with key support as we continue to develop new partnerships here in the Niagara Region and around the world."

Presently, Lee is developing a software/hardware system based on principles governing human body motions and control, which would allow structures to self adjust to withstand vibrations caused by earthquakes and other dynamic forces.

Lee was instrumental in bringing NCEER to UB in 1986, and from April 1989 to September 1990 served as the center's acting director; he was named director in 1992. In 1994 he was named director of the UB Greater Regional Industrial Technology Program, which helps area businesses develop new products in cooperation with regional research universities. Also in 1994, he founded the Engineering Career Institute (ECI), a summer program designed to provide UB engineering students with skills not covered in a typical academic program.

In 1980, he launched a major effort to encourage minority students to pursue engineering careers. Since then, Buffalo Engineering Awareness for Minorities (BEAM) has reached more than 1,000 middle and high school students and today involves several dozen Western New York industries and schools. Lee played a central role in the formation of the Calspan-University at Buffalo Research Center (CUBRC), a partnership that today conducts $7 million of research annually.

A native of China, Lee received a bachelor's degree from National Taiwan University. He holds a master's degree and a doctorate in civil engineering from Lehigh University.