# Yuan T. Lee

_Taiwanese chemist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/yuan-t-lee
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Yuan Tseh Lee (Chinese: 李遠哲; pinyin: Lǐ Yuǎnzhé; Wade–Giles: Li³ Yüan³-che²; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lí Oán-tiat; born 19 November 1936) is a Taiwanese physical chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986 for his contributions to the development of reaction dynamics.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 19 November 1936 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Shinchiku City ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Taiwan; United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190#P27))
- **Occupation:** chemist; university teacher; Nobel Prize winner ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190#P106))
- **Education:** National Taiwan University; University of California, Berkeley; National Hsinchu Senior High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190#P69))
- **Positions held:** senior advisor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190#P39))
- **Awards:** Guggenheim Fellowship; Faraday Lectureship Prize; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; National Medal of Science; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Honorary doctor of the University of Ottawa; honorary doctor of the University of Hong Kong; honorary doctor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; honorary doctor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong; honorary doctorate from the University of Waterloo; honorary doctor of Waseda University; Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award; Clark Kerr Medal; Grand Officer of the National Order of Merit; Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190#P166))

## About

Lee is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and honorary director of the Nagoya University Institute for Advanced Study along with Ryoji Noyori. He was awarded the Nobel with John C. Polanyi and Dudley R. Herschbach for "contributions to the dynamics of chemical elementary processes". He was the first Taiwanese person be awarded the Nobel Prize. His research in physical chemistry concerned the use of advanced chemical kinetics techniques to investigate and manipulate the behavior of chemical reactions using crossed molecular beams. From 1994 to 2006, Lee served as the President of the Academia Sinica. In 2011, he was elected head of the International Council for Science.

## Questions

**When was Yuan T. Lee born?**  
Yuan T. Lee was born on 19 November 1936 in Shinchiku City.

**What positions has Yuan T. Lee held?**  
Positions held by Yuan T. Lee include: senior advisor.

**Where did Yuan T. Lee study?**  
Yuan T. Lee was educated at National Taiwan University, University of California, Berkeley, National Hsinchu Senior High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Yuan T. Lee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuan_T._Lee) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q243190](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q243190) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Yuan Tseh Lee HD2008 Othmer Gold Medal portrait.JPG by Douglas A. Lockard (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yuan_Tseh_Lee_HD2008_Othmer_Gold_Medal_portrait.JPG)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Yuan T. Lee, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Yuan Tseh Lee HD2008 Othmer Gold Medal portrait.JPG — Douglas A. Lockard, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Yuan T. Lee". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/yuan-t-lee. Retrieved 6 November 2026.