CAHNRS > People Directory > Soo-Yeun Lee

Soo-Yeun Lee

  1. Professor & Director
  2. Director, School of Food Science
Email Addresssy.lee@wsu.edu
LocationFood Science and Human Nutrition Building 106H
Phone503-335-9447

Biography

Education

B.S. in Food Engineering at the Yonsei University in Seoul Korea
Ph.D. in Food Science at University of California Davis.

Academic Positions

2023 – Present: Professor, School of Food Science (SFS), Washington State University (WSU)

2015 – 2022: Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition (FSHN), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)

2008 – 2015: Associate Professor, FSHN, UIUC

2001 – 2008: Assistant Professor, FSHN, UIUC

Administrative Positions

2023 – Present: Director, School of Food Science, Washington State University,

2014 – 2017: Assistant Dean, Curriculum and Honors Programs, Office of Academic Programs, College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), UIUC

2011 – 2014: Associate Head, FSHN, UIUC

Research Interests

As a Sensory Scientist, Dr. Soo-Yeun Lee’s research program has aimed to encourage lifelong healthful eating habits by developing health-targeted food products and understanding consumer behavior. Dr. Lee has investigated food systems intended for enhancing consumer health such as low sodium and low sugar foods without compromising taste. While her main mantra is ‘Taste is King,’ the core of her sensory research has been built around health. As a researcher and educator, she has published more than 100 papers. Her previous research projects have included: 1) developing novel functional food products with bioactives, 2) characterizing innate and process-derived off-flavors in functional foods and developing methods to reduce these off-flavors, 3) identifying successful sodium reduction strategies in various food matrices, 4) determining the effect of sugar reduction in food systems, 5) defining the elements of picky eating in children, and 6) elucidating the contextual effects on sensory test results.

Selected Publications

  • Boquin M, Smith-Simpson S, Donovan SM, Lee S-Y. (2014) Mealtime Behaviors and Food Consumption of Perceived Picky and Non-Picky Eaters through Home Use Test. Journal of Food Science, 79(12):S2523-S2532.
  • Christina J, Palma-Salgado S, Clark D, Kahraman O, Lee S-Y. (2016) Impact of Prior Consumption on Sour, Sweet, Salty, and Bitter Tastes. Journal of Food Science, 81(2):S477-S482.
  • Kwak HS, Lee S-Y. (2016) Presentation methods for unidirectional scales to measure consumers’ liking and disliking percepts Food Quality and Preference. Food Quality and Preference, 51(2016):20-26.
  • Koga CC, Lee S-Y, Lee Y. (2016) Consumer Acceptance of Bars and Gummies with Unencapsulated and Encapsulated Resveratrol. Journal of Food Science, 81(5):S1222-S1229.
  • Mayhew E, Schmidt SJ, Lee S-Y. (2016) Napping-Ultra Flash Profile as a Tool for Category Identification and Subsequent Model System Formulation of Caramel Corn Products. Journal of Food Science, 81(7):S1782-S1790.
  • Donovan JD, Lee S-Y, Lee Y (2016) R-Index Measure of Microencapsulated Tributyrin in Gamma-Cyclodextrin Influenced by Drying Method. Journal of Food Science, 81(9):S2251-S2257.
  • Mayhew E, Neal CH, Lee S-Y, Schmidt SJ. (2017) Glass transition prediction strategies based on the Couchman-Karasz equation in model confectionary systems. Journal of Food Engineering, 214(2017): 287-302.
  • Feng Y, Albiol-Tapia M, Okada K, Castaneda-Lazo N, Chapman-Novakofski K, Phillips C, Lee S-Y. (2018) Consumer Acceptance Comparison between Seasoned and Unseasoned Vegetables, Journal of Food Science, 83(2):446-453.
  • Buechler AE, Lee S-Y. (2019) Consumer Acceptance of Reduced Sodium Potato Chips and Puffed Rice: How Does Ingredient Information and Education Influence Liking? Journal of Food Science. 84(12):3763-3773.
  • Albiol Tapia M, Baik H-Y, Lee S-Y. (2021) Sample context effect in acceptability rating of beverages: Are hedonic ratings absolute in evaluative sets with outlier samples? Journal of Sensory Studies.
  • Dunteman A., McKenzie E., Yang Y., Lee Y. Lee S-Y. (2022) Compendium of Sodium Reduction Strategies in Foods: A Scoping Review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 21(2):1300-1335. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12915
  • Albiol Tapia M, Lee S-Y (2022) Variations in consumer acceptance, sensory engagement and method practicality across three remote consumer-testing modalities. Food Quality and Preference. 100:104616.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104616
  • Dunteman A., Lee Y. Lee S-Y. (2023) A qualitative look at perception and experience of sodium reduction strategies in the food industry through focus groups and individual interviews. Journal of Food Science. 88(5):2203-2216. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.16564
  • Dunteman A, Lee S-Y. (2024) Umami and Salty: A Cooperative Pair. In, Umami: Taste for Health. Ed: San Gabriel A, Rains TM, Beauchamp G. pp 93-100
  • Trumbo PR, Glass KA, Lee S-Y, Moshfegh A, Welling PA. (2024) North American Considerations, Strategies, and Practices in Reducing the Sodium Content in Processed Foods. Journal of Food Science, 89(10):6086-6097. DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.17361

Awards and Recognitions

  • Fred W. Tanner Lectureship Award, Chicago Section IFT (2021)
  • Future Leader Award, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2019)
  • Paul A. Funk Award, College of Agricultural Consumer Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois (2018)
  • William V. Cruess Award, Institute of Food Technologists (2017)
  • North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, Teaching Scholar Award (2015)
  • Funk award for Excellence in Teaching-Senior, College of Agricultural Consumer Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois (2015)
  • Regional award in Excellence in Teaching, USDA (2013)
  • Campus award in excellence in undergraduate teaching, University of Illinois (2012)
  • Samuel Cate Prescott Award, Institute of Food Technologists (2011)
  • North America College Teachers Association, Teacher Fellow Award (2010)
  • Funk award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Agricultural Consumer Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois (2009)
  • Outstanding Advisor/Mentor Award, Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois (2007)

Selected Professional Service

  • USDA Review Panels, FY 2024, 2023
  • Chair (2024-2025), Chair-Elect (2023-2024), Annual Meeting Scientific Program Advisory Panel (AMSPAP), IFT
  • Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS), Sodium Committee, 2023-Present
  • IFT Board of Directors (2017-2020)
  • Journal of Food Science, Associate Editor (2013-2023)
  • Journal of Sensory Studies Editorial Board (2007-2010)
  • IFT Sensory Consumer Sciences Division (SCSD) Chair (2012-2013)
  • IFT SCSD Treasurer (2008-2011)
  • IFT Food Chemistry Division (FCD) member-at-large (2010-2011)