South Korean Officer Honored With Top International Student Award
Today@NPS
South Korean Officer Honored With Top International Student Award
South Korean Army Capt. Wooseok Lee is the 2016 Fall Quarter recipient of the university's Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for International Students. Lee, pictured with his wife Minhee and daughter Ahyool, was one of 24 students recognized with academic and service awards during the Fall Quarter Awards Ceremony, Dec. 6.
"It is a great honor to receive the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for International Students. I owe my honor to my wife and daughter, all of my classmates, and the professors who taught me," said Lee. "I especially want to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Hooper. Without their considerate help and support, I would have not been able to complete this course."
Lee's thesis, "The Effect of Annealing on the Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Reactive Materials," examined material characteristics under extreme loads and impact. He conducted dozens of tests, examining numerous properties of aluminum under heat treatment and varying fragmentation stressors.
"Understanding the principles of weapons, and trends of weapon systems development, served as further encouragement to intensify my study in this field," said Lee.
Lee says he not only learned a great deal behind the science of reactive materials, he also learned much about the world as he studied alongside military officers from around the world.
"I have come to understand there is a diverse military culture out there as I studied side by side with fellow international officers. I was able to exchange different ideas about diverse topics, which has inspired me to pursue other fields different from physics as well," he said. "Studying at NPS allows the student not only to develop academically, but also to broaden their perspectives on the world. I strongly recommend to my fellow Korean officers that they also apply to NPS as part of their career plan."
A South Korean Army infantry officer, Lee will celebrate the receipt of his master's degree in Combat Systems Science and Engineering through the NPS Department of Physics, alongside all of his fellow graduates, during the Fall Quarter Graduation Ceremony this Friday, Dec. 16, in King Auditorium. Following graduation, Lee will report to the Korea Combat Training Center as a Training Unit Control Officer.