Hyun Woo "Chris" Lee

P.D. Koon Endowed Professor of Construction Management

Hyun Woo “Chris” Lee is the P.D. Koon Endowed Professor in the Department of Construction Management (CM) and leads the Energy and Sustainability in Construction (ESC) Lab. Prior to joining the CM Department in January 2016, he spent 3.5 years as an Assistant Professor at Oregon State University, and 7 years in the U.S. and Korean construction industries as a field engineer, project engineer, and estimator. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2012 and 2004, and B.S. in Architectural Engineering from Seoul National University in 1999.

Prof. Lee’s research advances sustainable built environments, with additional work in construction health and safety and in data-driven innovation for construction excellence. Through the ESC Lab, he develops financial models, risk assessment frameworks, and planning tools that help agencies and owners make investment decisions under uncertainty—spanning EV charging infrastructure, electrified mobility hubs, public-private partnerships for fleet electrification, energy retrofits, community solar, and equitable access to clean energy. This work is conducted in close partnership with public agencies including the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Port of Seattle, King County Metro, Sound Transit, and Seattle City Light, and has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, and industry partners such as Google and Skanska. Across these efforts, Prof. Lee has led or collaborated on over 30 funded research projects and has produced over 100 publications, including more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles in leading journals such as Applied Energy, Automation in Construction, Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, and Journal of Management in Engineering. His work has also been featured in professional outlets including ASCE Civil Engineering, Metropolis, Fast Company, and Safety+Health.

Prof. Lee teaches Construction Estimating I and II (CM 331 & 410), Sustainable Construction (CM 540), Utility Systems Construction (CM 586), and Construction Operations and Productivity (CM 588). As the CM Undergraduate Program Coordinator, he chairs the Undergraduate Committee and leads the program’s curriculum development, admissions, and ACCE accreditation efforts, while supporting affiliate instructors and teaching assistants. He received the Regional Teaching Award (Region 7) from the Associated Schools of Construction in 2018 and the CBE Outstanding Faculty Award in 2025. Beyond the university, Prof. Lee serves as Assistant Specialty Editor for the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management (JCEM) and as an Advisory Board member for the Lean Construction Journal, and was awarded the 2015 Outstanding Reviewer by JCEM.