In June, the Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS) honored five individuals at the 2026 Employee Excellence Awards. IMS presents these awards to employees who go above and beyond their job description, and the Institute is proud to spotlight the employees who keep the research running. For this employee spotlight, IMS highlights Sung Hoon "Josh" Lee (M.S. EE 2021, Ph.D. EE 2023), one of this year’s award recipients. 

Despite his career in materials science, Lee’s educational background is in electrical engineering. It wasn’t until his graduate studies at Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering that he gained a newfound passion for materials science. His interest originated through his involvement with the Wearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare (WISH) Center in the final year of his doctorate.

“I saw how IMS brings together experts from different disciplines to tackle healthcare challenges that no single field could solve alone,” Lee said. “I wanted to be part of an organization that not only advances cutting-edge research but also builds the collaborations needed to translate those innovations into real clinical impact.”

After receiving his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech, Lee became a full-time research program manager at IMS. Today, Lee’s research in the cleanroom facilities centers around wearable medical technologies to improve healthcare practices. Bringing together students, clinicians, and industry partners, Lee constantly seeks to identify opportunities for collaboration on the next generation of healthcare innovation.

“Ultimately, I hope the work we do at Georgia Tech leads to wearable and intelligent healthcare systems that improve quality of life for people around the world,” Lee said.

Lee continues to travel the world, experiencing different cultures and learning how innovation is applied in healthcare and technology globally. His dedication to humanity elevates his work to excellence.