SNU College of Engineering Presents “Distinguished Alumni Award”
- Recipients include Director Cho Zang-Hee from Neuroscience Research Institute of University of Suwon, Representative Patent Attorney Lee YoungPil of the Y. P. Lee, Mock & Partners, and President Lee Byung Gwon of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)


▲ (From Left to Right) Director Cho Zang-Hee from Neuroscience Research Institute of University of Suwon, Representative Patent Attorney Lee YoungPil of the Y. P. Lee, Mock & Partners, President Lee Byung Gwon of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology
 

SNU College of Engineering (Dean Cha Kook-Heon) announces on 25^th that this year’s “Distinguished Alumni Award” recipients are Director Cho Zang-Hee from Neuroscience Research Institute of University of Suwon, Representative Patent Attorney Lee YoungPil of the Y. P. Lee, Mock & Partners, and President Lee Byung Gwon of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). The award ceremony is to be held at noon on 25^th at SNU Engineering House.
 
The “Distinguished Alumni Award” goes to honorable SNU College of Engineering alumni with great contributiona to the development of industrial technology, great research achievements, or great contributions to the society. During the 25 years since 1993, there have been 28 recipients for activities abroad and 61 recipients for their work in Korea. The personnel committee of the College of Engineering has gone through a strict judging procedure to nominate Cho Zang-Hee, Lee Young-Pil, and Lee Byung Gwon as this year’s winners.
 
Director Cho from the Neuroscience Research Institute of University of Suwon has graduated from SNU Department of Electrical Engineering in 1960 and has received his doctor’s degree in Applied Physics at Uppsala University of Sweden in 1966. Cho has served as a professor at the Stockholm University starting from 1971. Since then for forty years, he has dedicated to researching radiation physics and neuroscience to become a top researcher in that field.
 
In 1972, as a pioneer in the field of CT scan, Cho has developed world’s first positron emission tomography (PET) and has conducted intensive research on nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR). He has joined the Neuroscience Research Institute of University of Suwon as a director in 2017 and has recently amazed the world for his research and development of world’s first HRRT-PET and 7.0T MRI hybrid system.
 
Lee YoungPil who is the representative patent attorney of the Y. P. Lee, Mock & Partners has completed his undergraduate degree at SNU Department of Aerospace Engineering in 1971 to pass the 19^th patent attorney exam in 1982. Lee has devoted to the creation, protection, and use of intellectual property rights and has greatly contributed to the development of patent system and patent legal service in Korea.
 
He has served as the representative patent attorney of Y. P. Lee, Mock & Partners since 2003. Lee has helped the commercialization of world’s first high performance soundless computer technology and 3D monitors developed by venture businesses, which altogether have contributed to Korea becoming a leading nation with great intellectual property.
 
President Lee Byung Gwon of KIST has graduated from SNU Department of Chemical Engineering in 1980 and has received his doctor’s degree at University of Akron in Ohio. He has joined KIST in 1982 to focus on the research and development of eco-friendly substitutes and renewable energy. Furthermore, Lee has registered 97 patents and published 94 research papers to greatly contribute to the enhancement of the respective field.
 
Lee has become the 23^rd president of KIST where he demonstrated excellency in institute management. As a result, KIST has ranked 6^th place on Thomson Reuters’ “World’s Most Innovative Research Institutions for two consecutive years. Thus, Lee is praised for boosting the prestige of Korea’s science and technology.