She was the first woman to become the president of CNU or any of the other Flagship Korean National Universities.
[2] Since then, she has taken various roles in her university such as dean of its Department of Architectural Engineering and College of Engineering and Graduate School of Industry,[3] its Director of Office of International Affairs [1] and the president of council of CNU women professors.
Lee has also taken multiple advisory roles to the government participating in Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology and Presidential Committee on Architecture Policy as well as sub-committees of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, now-Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, now Ministry of Science and ICT and National Agency for Administrative City Construction.
[5] She also took advisory roles to local governments of Daejeon Metropolitan City where CNU resides and nearby South Chungcheong Province.
Her nomination was approved by Ministry of Education and confirmed by President Moon Jae-in.