Seungjae Lee joins the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering as an assistant professor of civil engineering (Building Science) beginning July 1, 2021.
We asked Prof. Lee to answer a few questions as an introduction to our CivMin community.
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself as an introduction.
I hold a B.S. and M.S. in Architectural Engineering from Yonsei University and PhD in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. Before joining U of T, I was a postdoctoral research associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tennessee). My research and teaching interests include building energy performance, indoor environmental quality, optimal design and operation of building energy systems, and human-building interaction.
Q: Could you explain the focus of your research?
My research focuses on developing scalable Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions for building energy systems to improve building energy performance, occupant satisfaction, and grid reliability and resilience. More specifically, I am interested in (i) applying modern probabilistic machine learning and optimal control techniques to building design and control problems and (ii) developing effective user interfaces and eco-feedback programs based on a holistic understanding of human-building interactions.
Q: Why did you choose U of T?
I have desired to contribute to the progress of the world by conducting transformative research. I anticipate there will be plenty of opportunities and resources at U of T. In addition, I think the collaborative culture at U of T will be of great help to me in conducting innovative research.
Q: What are you most looking forward to in your new position?
I look forward to collaborating with great colleagues and students at U of T. Within the Department of Civil and Mineral Engineering, I hope to develop advanced solutions towards smart and sustainable buildings and cities with other researchers. More broadly, within U of T, I believe there will be interdisciplinary research opportunities related to AI techniques and human factors.
Q: As a new professor, what one piece of advice would you give to new students?
Overcome your fear of not knowing, and do not limit yourself. In this rapidly changing world, you will need to constantly learn new knowledge and techniques to resolve various problems you haven’t seen before. You can always find great resources and mentors online and offline these days.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in your new position/during your time at U of T Engineering?
First, I hope to build a research group conducting interdisciplinary research towards realizing occupant-centric and grid-interactive smart buildings. With the group members, I would like to propose a new paradigm for the design and operation of buildings based on the seamless integration of building domain knowledge and big data. Secondly, I hope to contribute to growing the Building Science group into a world-renowned centre for building science research. Lastly, I would like to develop new courses in which students can learn how to apply modern probabilistic machine learning and optimal control approaches to improve building energy performance and indoor environmental quality.
Q: What is the most memorable experience in your career so far?
Before I started my PhD, I worked at a building HVAC commissioning and energy audit company for three and a half years. I observed various problems in different buildings and realized that optimizing each individual building is challenging for human engineers because of the heterogeneity between different buildings and various uncertainties. Based on the experience, I decided to develop intelligent systems that can optimize individual buildings autonomously and started my Ph.D.
Q: Finally, is there anything fun/unusual/unexpected about yourself you’d like to share with our CivMin audience?
I used to play the electric guitar.