S. Y. Lee
Encyclopedia
S. Y. Lee is an American
inventor, engineer
, physicist
notable for his research and innovation in hydrodynamics-related technologies. Lee is also an entrepreneur
, and Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.
), China
. Lee attended Tsinghua University
in 1936, obtained his bachelor's degree
in civil engineering
in 1940. Lee worked as a teaching assistant
at Tsinghua for nearly two years and went to study in the United States
in 1942. Lee obtained his PhD
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1945.
After graduation, Lee soon taught engineering
at MIT; and was promoted from teaching assistant to full professor
and finally Professor Emeritus after his retirement.
In 1985, Lee was elected Member of the United States National Academy of Engineering for his original research on control valve
stability, for innovative dynamic measurement instrumentation, and for successful entrepreneurial commercialization of his inventions. Lee has been granted many US patent
s.
Lee is a notable businessman and founded or co-founded several companies specialized in process control
and hydrodynamic instruments. Lee co-founded the Setra Systems Inc. with his brother Y. T. Li
and is the Chairman of the company. A scholarship
fund
at Tsinghua is based on Lee's generous donation
and named after him ("清華校友李詩穎勵學基金").
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor, engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
, physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
notable for his research and innovation in hydrodynamics-related technologies. Lee is also an entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, and Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
Biography
Lee was born in 1922 and grew up in Beiping (current BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
), China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Lee attended Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
in 1936, obtained his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
in 1940. Lee worked as a teaching assistant
Teaching assistant
A teaching assistant is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include graduate teaching assistants , who are graduate students; undergraduate teaching assistants , who are undergraduate students; secondary school TAs, who are either high school...
at Tsinghua for nearly two years and went to study in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1942. Lee obtained his PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1945.
After graduation, Lee soon taught engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
at MIT; and was promoted from teaching assistant to full professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
and finally Professor Emeritus after his retirement.
In 1985, Lee was elected Member of the United States National Academy of Engineering for his original research on control valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...
stability, for innovative dynamic measurement instrumentation, and for successful entrepreneurial commercialization of his inventions. Lee has been granted many US patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s.
Lee is a notable businessman and founded or co-founded several companies specialized in process control
Process control
Process control is a statistics and engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms and algorithms for maintaining the output of a specific process within a desired range...
and hydrodynamic instruments. Lee co-founded the Setra Systems Inc. with his brother Y. T. Li
Y. T. Li
Y. T. Li was an American engineer, physicist , inventor, educator, entrepreneur, and the Professor Emeritus in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.-Biography:In 1934 Li graduated from the School of Engineering at Beiping...
and is the Chairman of the company. A scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
fund
Funding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
at Tsinghua is based on Lee's generous donation
Donation
A donation is a gift given by physical or legal persons, typically for charitable purposes and/or to benefit a cause. A donation may take various forms, including cash, services, new or used goods including clothing, toys, food, and vehicles...
and named after him ("清華校友李詩穎勵學基金").