Joon Lew, Ph.D. ’55

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Joon Lew is president of Yeungnam University, the largest private institution of higher learning in Korea. He is professor emeritus at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, where in thirty years of service he held positions as dean of academic affairs and dean of the college of medicine.

Lew is best known for his lifetime dedication to the treatment and eradication of leprosy, a destructive and infectious disease endemic in Asia, Africa and South America. He developed innovative methods to facilitate early diagnosis of leprosy, and he synthesized an original chemotherapeutic drug, known as L4, to aid in treatment of the disease. Lew’s concern for the afflicted led to his creation of the Korean “resettlement village,” project, where more than 15,000 rehabilitated and cured patients have received counseling and training to facilitate their productive and confident return to society.

Lew received his medical degree from Seoul Medical College in Korea; in addition to his UCLA Ph.D. in infectious diseases, he holds a D.M.Sc. from the Medical College of Kyu-Shu University in Japan. He is the author of 135 articles on the study of microbiology and its application in the field of medicine. Most proud of his affiliation with UCLA, Lew is active in sharing his University interests with fellow Korean alumni.