Chemical and biomolecular engineering graduate student Jiye Lee has been elected to the Society of Rheology as the Student Representative, effective January 2026, for a two-year term. The Society of Rheology is an international community dedicated to advancing, promoting and expanding the knowledge and practice of rheology across disciplines, industries and diverse audiences. The goal of the Executive Committee is to advance the mission of the Society and the needs of its members. In her role, Lee will represent the interests of the Society's student members.
Lee is a third year PhD student working alongside Professor Simon A. Rogers to understand brittle and ductile yielding in yield stress fluids. She studies the rheological properties of soft matter, such as Carbopol, hydrogels and biofilms, while also investigating the fundamental physics governing their behavior, which is not yet fully understood. Lee presented her research findings at the 96th Annual Meeting of the Society of Rheology.
Through her role as a Student Representative, Lee represents the Society of Rheology student interests and attends the Executive Committee meetings, where she observes how the Society operates and how decisions are being made. Lee is confident that this experience will help her to better understand professional service and develop as both a researcher and future academic leader.
“I was very surprised to hear this news at the beginning of this year,” Lee said about her election to the society. “Since the Executive Committee elects only one student representative, I was not expecting to be selected. I am very excited to interact with professors outside of our institution and to learn more about SOR. I especially appreciate Professor Rogers’ support and guidance.”
Lee received her B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Florida (2020) and later earned her M.S. in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2025).