Welcome John Lee
(September 2009)
John Lee
The Institute for Integrated Catalysis welcomes our newest staff member: Dr. John Lee. We had a chance to talk with him in his lab (1624) in the PSL, as he was getting settled into his new job at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Tell me about your new job: I have done research and development work on engine exhaust emission controls at General Motors during the past 8 years. I plan to work on the catalyst research and modeling for emission control here at the Lab. I am also looking forward to learning about other areas and collaborating in the future.
How long have you been in the Tri-Cities? About one month.
Is this a long way from your hometown? Yes! I was born in Seoul, Korea.
Why did you decide to become a scientist? I like to question why we're here and where we're headed. Back in college, I was inspired by the book Power Shift by Alvin Toffler, who suggested environmentalism will challenge capitalism after the fall of communism. So I decided to help the industry solve the current and future environmental challenges through scientific research. I enjoy solving the current problems and coming up with new information and tools for the future challenges.
Where did you go to become a scientist? I got my bachelor's of science in Chemistry at Iowa State, and my master's and doctorate at Northwestern.
What is a pet peeve of yours? Outside of work, I get bothered when people talk about the importance of knowledge, but then do not value the knowledge!
What is the importance of your research? My research will help reduce the pollution with affordable methods. When my wife was growing up in Los Angeles, she couldn't see the mountains because of the smog. When we visit L.A. nowadays, we can clearly see the mountains north of the city. I hope to help keep the sky as clear as it can be with my research.