Born on October 10th, 1934 in Balmain, Trinidad, Selwyn Lee Young was the son of James Lee Young of China and Alma Martin of San Fernando. He was schooled at Balmain Canadian Mission School and Presentation College, San Fernando. After teaching physics for five years, he left for England to pursue his Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Civil Engineering at the University of Liverpool. After graduating in 1960, he went on to pursue his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Coastal Engineering at the same university, conducting research in tidal hydraulics. He received his doctorate in 1962.

In 1963, Dr Lee Young returned to Trinidad, taking up the post of Port Engineer with the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago. Over a six-year period, he was responsible for upgrading port operations, phasing out palletisation in favour of containerisation. In 1969, he established the consultancy practice of Lee Young and Partners.

Dr Lee Young was the consulting engineer on major infrastructural projects such the Port-of-Spain Container Terminal in 1975, the Point Lisas Industrial Estate in the 1970s, the Finance Building in 1980, the Mount Hope Medical Complex between 1980 and 1985, as well as the development of the Sea Lots Port, the Mucurapo Foreshore Freeway, and the Crown Point International Airport. He has also directed major civil works in other Caribbean countries such as the St. Kitts’ Deep Water Port in 1980, and the Vieux Fort Container Terminal in St. Lucia in 1984. He was the President of the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (APETT) from 1979 to 1980, and is a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers in the United Kingdom.

Dr Lee Young has endeavoured to create structured employment for indigenous young engineers, emphasising the need for professional development to strengthen local engineering capacity and reduce the outflow of skilled engineers to other countries. Lee Young and Partners is the largest indigenous engineering consultancy firm in the Caribbean, providing full-time employment for 100 engineers, technicians and members of support staff at the end of 2008.

Dr Selwyn Lee Young is Professor and Honorary Fellow of The University of the West Indies (UWI). He is also the owner and executive director of the Coblentz Inn in Cascade, Trinidad.