Engineering Professor Honored for Informal Education Work

Dr. Gil Sik Lee, an electrical engineering professor in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, was chosen for an IEEE Educational Activities Board (EAB) Meritorious Achievement Award in Informal Education, which he will receive at the IEEE Meeting Series in Phoenix in November.

Lee is the founder and CEO of IntelliChoice, a nonprofit tutoring program working in 13 lower-income neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He received a Community Hero Award from Tech Titans for this work in 2015.

The IEEE EAB recognized Lee for significant contributions to preparing underserved students to succeed in college education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Many of the program’s volunteer tutors are UT Dallas faculty, staff and students.

“I like to say that math equals success squared,” said Lee, whose impoverished childhood in Korea gave him perspective on the path out of poverty. “We strongly believe that a solid foundation in mathematics will lead to successful academic and professional careers for young disadvantaged students.”