SangHyun Lee Awarded Robert B. Harris Collegiate Professorship

The U-M CEE is delighted to announce that Professor SangHyun Lee has been approved as the Robert B. Harris Collegiate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, effective March 1st, 2025. Collegiate professorships, reserved for scholars of national and international distinction, are one of the highest accolades that the College of Engineering can confer upon its faculty. Such professorships signify that a professor is regarded as a leader in their field.

This newly minted title celebrates Dr. Lee’s outstanding contributions to the field, particularly in improving the performance of people through technologies like robotics, automation, AI, and wearables, drawing on multiple disciplines, such as physiology, biomechanics, psychology, and behavioral science, to promote safe and inclusive construction and built environments. His research pioneered an in-depth understanding of humans with an interdisciplinary perspective in construction.

SangHyun Lee completed his Bachelor of Engineering at Dong-A University in Korea in 2000. He then earned a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2003, followed by a PhD in Civil Engineering from MIT in 2006.

Since joining the department in 2010, Lee has earned significant recognition for his contributions to civil engineering. Among his honors are the Henry Russel Award from the University of Michigan and the ASCE Daniel W. Halpin Award for Scholarship in Construction. His excellence in research has been further acknowledged with 10 best paper awards including twice receiving the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering Best Paper Award in 2014 and 2018. In 2024, he was inducted into the National Academy of Construction and named an ASCE Fellow in 2025.

This professorship honors the late Professor Robert B. Harris, a foundational figure in Construction Engineering and Management. Professor Lee chose Professor Harris for his inspiring legacy, noting Harris’s instrumental role in establishing the department’s graduate construction engineering & management program—the first of its kind worldwide. Although Lee never met Harris, he was deeply moved by stories of Harris’s unwavering dedication to the department and commitment to mentoring students, professionals, and faculty even after retirement.

“I hope to embody the dedication Professor Harris demonstrated throughout his career,” Professor Lee said. “His commitment to advancing the field, fostering the next generation, and caring about the department is a legacy I am honored and humbled to carry forward.”

While Harris focused on advanced construction scheduling and management, Lee emphasizes human-centered safety and productivity, balancing theories and practices. Both share a passion for blending theoretical advances with practical applications, although their approaches reflect differing aspects of construction management.

The formal celebration of Lee’s professorship will be held in Fall 2025. The event will commemorate the legacy of Professor Harris and celebrate Professor Lee’s ongoing contributions. Congratulations to Professor SangHyun Lee on this achievement.