Hyang-Sook Lee

Lee Hyang-sook (; born 1963) is a professor of mathematics and the 18th president of Ewha Womans University with a planned four years in the position of president. She was also the first female president of the Korean Mathematical Society.

Education Lee majored in mathematics graduating from Ewha Womans University with a B.S. and M.S. and then Northwestern University with a Ph.D.

Career After graduation, Lee returned to Ewha teaching and conducting research and in the Department of Mathematics. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she has held various other positions at Ewha; including president of the Graduate School Alumnae Association, director of both the Institute of Mathematical Science and Center for Entrepreneurship, CEO of Technology Holdings, vice president of research, and the 18th president. Inaugurated on February 1, 2025, Lee is the first president of Ewha Womans University from a science and engineering background. In March 2026, Lee announced that Ewha would be launching 55 new courses in artificial intelligence to support women interested in the field. She is also credited with the foundation of Ewha's Institute of Multiscale Materials and Systems (IMMS), which will invest 10 million won into interdisciplinary research in energy and intelligence over the next 10 years.

Outside of Ewha, she has been a board member of the Basic Science Academic Council , Institute for Basic Science, National Research Foundation of Korea, National Research Council of Science & Technology, Basic Research Advisory Committee of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council, Korea Federation of Women's Science & Technology Association, and the Association of Korean Woman Scientist and Engineers. She was also vice president of both the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology and Volunteers for Educational Services in Asia, along with president of the Korean Mathematical Society and the Korean Association of Mathematical Societies . Lee is the first female president of the Korean Mathematical Society.

Awards and honors

2023: 2023: Distinguished Alumni Award, Mathematics Department, Ewha Womans University 2021: Service Award, Korean Mathematical Society 2020–2023: Research Excellence Award, Ewha Womans University 2016: Woman Scientist/Engineer of the Year Award, Korea Foundation for Women In Science, Engineering and Technology 2013–2016: Research Excellence Award, Ewha Womans University 2015: Special Service Award, Korean Mathematical Society

Selected publications