Dongju Lee

DJ (left) and Chris Burke preparing a specimen for the plane strain compression test
[this was one of the last pictures of DJ, taken on 2/21/2003]
more pictures of DJ with his friends
memory book on DJ (by DJ's father)

The Dongju Lee Memorial Award and Memorial Lecture were established with a generous contribution from the Lee Family. We would like to express our gratitude to DJ's father, Prof. Yong-won Lee (who is currently the President of Chinju National University of Education, Korea), for his support in establishing the Award and Lecture. DJ, as Dongju preferred to be called, was a student at the Department of Civil Engineering where he obtained a master's degree in February 2002 and the Professional Degree in February, 2003 (he completed all course requirements for a PhD). He worked with me in the field of Geotechnical Engineering.

DJ complained about a stomach pain but was not properly diagnosed in the hospital, which sadly led to his departure a few days later on February 26, 2003. It was such a great loss to his family, and to all of us, as his teachers and friends. Here is my memory about this saddest event:

I was told by the students on Monday (2/24/2003) that DJ complained about a stomach pain on Saturday, and he has visited a doctor at the midtown. After seeing him not coming to the office on Monday and Tuesday (2/24 and 25, 2003), I became worried and instructed Songtao Yang and Huabei Liu, his two closest labmates, to visit his apartment. They had to take him to the emergency room around midnight of February 25. When I got the news from Huabei's e-mail early the following morning, I rushed to the Hospital but was informed that he just left for home. We were all so happy that they saved DJ. I also wrote and called to let DJ's family know about his health. Monty Du was able to talked to DJ over the phone that afternoon and DJ mentioned that he was fine. Since then, we all lost contact with him. In the evening of February 27, Chris Burke and Huabei Liu found DJ passing away in his apartment. I was shaken by the news and Prof. Betti stopped his Elasticity class....A lot of questions puzzled us til today, and perhaps can never be answered, on why we could not save him twice.

DJ took great care of the triaxial and plane strain equipments in the Soils Laboratory. In the Soil Mechanics and Advanced Soil Mechanics classes, he was one of the most reliable persons in helping me with the tests. Akira Tsukamoto, our real dentist, passed along many electronic skills to DJ. In fact, we were taking videos for plane strain compression tests a few days before his passing away (see picture above and date).

DJ took great care of friends, such as visiting students from Japan, as well as our geotechnical graduate students. I remembered how he let the newcomers stay in his room and helped them find an apartment. Our new graduate students learned how to do the triaxial tests from DJ. I could not imagine the great friendship DJ had with his friends, especially Huabei Liu, Chris Burke and Akira Tsukamoto. They studied and have had parties/fun together. Huabei and DJ had great memories in Japan while conducting a full-scale shake table test in Tsukuba. DJ made many friends during his one-month stay in Tsukuba. During his first trip to Tsukuba, DJ and I waited under the hot sun at the Tokyo Station bus terminal because the bus from Tsukuba was delayed for over an hour due to the traffic jam along Jyoban Expressway. I was proud to be a one-day Tokyo tourist guide for my students. The passing away of DJ was indeed a great loss to me since I had him prepared for working on several research projects. I am very proud to say that as the advisor, I have been respected so much by DJ and his father who made me realized the greatness of Korean culture and tradition (the respect toward teachers).

Right after his marriage, DJ happily sent me a picture from Korea. His wife, Hyejin, came to the laboratory very often when she spent a year here after marriage before she went back to Korea to complete her degree. I remembered the very nice coffee she prepared and her sweet smile. I was very much disturbed as how to pass the sad news to her on Feb 27, 2003 because we have been communicating with each other since the night before and she wanted to come to look after DJ. With the saddest news at the moment of her departure, I decided that I could not answer her phone call from the airport in Seoul, and let her be informed only after her arrival here at JFK. I could not imagine how I would meet her when she came after this saddest event, as we all have only her smile in mind. She was stronger than expected and I really saluted her for all she has done after the event. Of course, to this date, all of us still care about DJ’s family, especially Hyejin, and we wish all of them well.

DJ is the only son of his parents. I understand the eastern culture and tradition and what DJ would mean to his parents. I really respect the parents for all the hardship they have gone through. But as I mentioned to the father on what I believe, we tried every possible means to help DJ, but it was as if the evil was able to bypass all the loopholes. God assigned a mission to DJ, but he also wanted DJ back at the age of 30 for a happier life. Recalling the event, I found DJ's e-mail of Dec 23, 2002, that was sent from Korea very strange, as if he could predict his life. He wrote in the start of e-mail: This will be my last chance to visit my country before I am getting Ph.D.

DJ's family, especially his father, remains a reliable source of our connection to DJ. DJ, you remain in our heart forever!