Business and Industry | Lion VoicesFebruary 23, 2026

From Seoul to Fort Smith: Research and Teaching Remain Constant

Written By: Ian Silvester

When Dr. Bun Song Lee arrived at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith in 2011, he was already renowned for his research and teaching acumen spanning nearly four decades.

Fifteen years later, Lee continues to publish research and teach economics. Over 47 years as an educator, he has worked in the field through decades of change and development that have shaped his career.

In 2025, Lee was honored as the recipient of the Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award for UAFS faculty. His research—often conducted with students—has international and local impact, resulting in more than 60 published papers and over 1,000 citations.

“I was very happy to be recognized,” he said humbly.

Surprisingly, the recognition came four decades after Lee won a similar award from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he had previously taught.

“I was a distinguished professor there,” Lee recalled. “I got the first faculty research award from there in 1985, so I feel very good about last year’s because it was almost 40 years later.”

As an associate professor of economics at UAFS, Lee draws on his teaching experience from the North Carolina Research Triangle Institute, Louisiana State University, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of Seoul in South Korea, and Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Lee admits that, though he has spent a career teaching economics and conducting research at multiple universities, the discipline is not what he first thought it was.

“Korea was very poor, and I was in international exporting business, like exporting sweaters and socks,” Lee said. “I thought the exporting and importing business was economics.”

Lee came to the United States from South Korea in 1968 and began pursuing an additional bachelor’s degree at UCLA.

“I was not sure if I would study or continue my business, but when I took calculus, and the first exam came back, the professor said I got the highest grade in the class. It was my first class, and I was shocked. At that moment, I decided to become a professor,” Lee said.

Lee then went to Southern Methodist University, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1973. In the six years that followed, he worked as a research economist, fueling his desire to teach and conduct research with students.

Today, Lee focuses his research on fertility rates in South Korea and on improving the health and mobility of the elderly and disabled in small- and mid-sized U.S. cities through transportation habits.

From early on, Lee has offered students in every class he teaches the opportunity to work on research projects with him. While not every project is funded by a grant, Lee said he can offer students, especially those interested in graduate school, advice on how to do research.

“Student research is pretty important, and some students are very excited,” he said.

Lee said his passion for teaching and conducting research is as strong as ever. Even as an octogenarian, he has no plan to slow down and help make an impact.

• Tags:
• Lion Voices
• Economics
• Excellence in Research Scholarship and Creative Activities Award
• College of Business and Industry