Peter Lee

Peter Lee, Ph.D. is an Institute Engineer and the Chief Tribologist at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), an Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M, and summer lecturer at the University of California Merced. Peter Lee received a B.Eng in Automotive Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engine Tribology from the University of Leeds, UK. Prior to attending University, Peter worked as a qualified motor vehicle technician repairing both light and heavy-duty vehicles as well as various motorsport activities on the side.

Before accepting the invited position to establish the world leading tribology labs at SwRI in 2011, he completed a 5-year Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship at the University of Leeds where he continued his engine tribology studies, and both lectured in Tribology and supervised Undergraduate and Graduate students. He successfully helped graduate numerous Masters students and four Ph.D students and since working at SwRI has graduated one industrial Ph.D student, who was awarded the Tribology Silver Medal. As an Institute Engineer Peter serves on the Patent Committee and the Advisory Committee for Research for SwRI as well as mentoring research staff. As Chief Tribologist he manages the Tribology Research and Evaluations labs that provide consulting and testing services to both Government and Industrial clients. Through his work at SwRI Peter holds 11 US Patents with four pending.

Peter is an Associate Editor of Tribology Transactions, an Editorial Board Member for Industrial Lubrication and Tribology and reviews for many journals in the field of Tribology and helps organize various conference including Wear of Materials and the Annual STLE conference. He was instrumental in establishing the STLE E-Mobility conference and training course, has been the conference chair and remains on the organizing committee. He has given over 130 presentations, including 14 Nationally and Internationally invited talks and keynotes, as well as co-written over 35 per reviewed papers. His opinions and comments are often sought for articles in Tribology and Lubrication Technology (TLT) magazine and Lubes n’ Greases and he edited and co-authored the 2017 report ‘Tribology Opportunities for Energy’ for the U.S. Department of Energy ARPAe. He has co-edited special issues in Frontiers for ‘Fluids and greases for Electric Vehicles’ and ‘Tribology of Electric Vehicles’. Peter has co-edited 1st Ed. of ‘Electric Vehicle Fluid Testing’ book including co-writing several chapters, co-wrote the ‘Electric Vehicle Fluid Testing’ chapter for ‘Electric Vehicle Tribology’ book and the ‘Vehicle Fluid Testing’ chapter for ‘Chemistry and Technology of Lubricants’ 4th Ed. He is currently writing two chapters for the upcoming ‘Encyclopedia of Tribology’.

Dr. Lee is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Life member of the Tribology Society of India (TSI), Fellow and Executive Committee member of the Society of Tribology and Lubrication Engineers (STLE), a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and previous Trustee and current Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).