AN ENDURING LEGACY Celebrating the Presidency of Alice P

SPRING 2014 LEHIGH BULLETIN

AN ENDURING LEGACY Celebrating the presidency of Alice P. Gast 2 | LEHIGH BULLETIN INTERNATIONAL BAZAAR CAPTION EARTHAfter a longDAY and RELATED historically CAPTION stormy winter— Afterthe snowiest a long and on recordhistorically in South stormy Bethlehem winter— SPRINGthesince snowiest theARRIVES. 1993-1994 on record FINALLY. academic in South year— Bethlehem AftersinceLehigh’s a long the beautiful 1993-1994and historically campus academic finally stormy year— came winter— the Lehigh’stosnowiest life in latebeautiful on April. record campus Photo in Southby finally Christa Bethlehem came Neu sinceto thelife in1993-1994 late April. Photoacademic by Christa year— Neu Lehigh’s beautiful campus finally came to life in late April. Photo by Christa Neu

SPRING 2014 | 1 UP FRONT

STAFF Volume 100, Number 2, Spring 2014

STAFF

EDITOR Tim Hyland [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kurt Pfitzer, Karl Brisseaux ’11

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mike Unger, Carla Prieto ’14 Brian M. Schleter, Rosa Rojas, Linda Harbrecht, Robert Nichols, Dawn Thren

DESIGN Pentagram

DESIGN DIRECTOR Kurt Hansen

ART DIRECTOR David Pryor

PHOTOGRAPHER Christa Neu

DAWN COOPER BUSINESS SUPPORT Sue Gaugler

CONTACT US Lehigh University Alumni Association 27 Memorial Drive West Bethlehem, PA 18015-3734 (610) 758-3135 Fax: (610) 758-3316 Honoring Alice P. Gast Hotline: (610) 758-alum CLASS NOTES AND REMEMBRANCES Diana Skowronski (610) 758-3675 WHEN WE BEGAN WORK on this issue of the ry is a truly powerful one, and well worth a read. [email protected]  Bulletin, we knew we had a real challenge on Coverage of energy expert and Pulitzer SUBSCRIBERS our hands. After all, Lehigh President Alice P. Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin’s visit to For address changes, send Gast, whose tremendous legacy we examine in Lehigh in April. In a fascinating speech deliv- the mailing label, along with your new address, to: the pages that follow, has been a hugely success- ered in front of hundreds of attendees at Zo- Alumni Records / Lehigh University ful and transformative leader during her time ellner, Yergin explored the fast-changing, ever- 125 Goodman Drive Bethlehem, PA 18015-3055 on South Mountain. It is safe to say, in other dynamic nature of the global energy market. 610-758-3015 words, that has she built quite a legacy here.  An interview with Georgette Chapman [email protected] But now, eight years after she was named our Phillips, the new dean of the College of Business ADVERTISING 13th president, she is leaving Lehigh to take and Economics; updates on the 150th playing of Sue Gaugler over as President of Imperial College London. The Rivalry in New York City; your thoughtful Lehigh University 125 Goodman Drive In the pages that follow, we will take a compre- feedback on our recent redesign, and more. Bethlehem, PA 18015-3754 hensive look back at President Gast’s tenure at As always, I invite you to share your (610) 758-3015 Lehigh—one that began with her issuing a chal- thoughts and comments. You can send your [email protected] lenge to the Lehigh community to set its sights letter to the address at right, or email me at LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN high and pursue a better, stronger Lehigh than [email protected]. Vol. 100, No. 2, Spring 2014 they ever thought possible. Suffice it to say, the Thank you for your continued support. And Published three times a year by the university responded—and is better for it. thank you again for reading the Bulletin. Lehigh University Communications and Public Affairs Office, in coop- Other highlights from this issue include: eration with the Lehigh University  A fascinating interview with Costel Den- Alumni Association, Inc. son ’56, the first African-American ever to enroll at Lehigh. Denson returned to campus for a visit in April, and was gracious enough to sit Gratefully, down for an interview with the Bulletin. His sto- Tim Hyland, Editor

2 | LEHIGH BULLETIN UP FRONT

STAFF Volume 100, Number 2, Spring 2014

DEPARTMENTS

4 FROM THE PRESIDENT

5 FROM THE CHAIRMAN

6 LETTERS

ON CAMPUS

8 David Wu Says Good-Bye

9 FOUR QUESTIONS Michele Norris 26 A Transformative Presidency 10 The Right Leader, at the Right Moment Alice Gast, who was named Lehigh’s 13th president in 2006, challenged Lehigh to aim higher than ever before. The Lehigh community accepted that challenge. By the Bulletin Staff 12 Pushing ire@l Forward 26 A Retrospective 13 The Energy Question

27 Enhancing the Student Experience RESEARCH 30 Lehigh Goes Global 14 Are We Really Alone? 32 Tackling ‘Grand Challenges’ 15 SCHEMATIC On an Owl’s Wing 36 Research and Academics 16 Between Geometry and Probability

17 Visitor General José de Gálvez

CULTURE

18 A Budding Documentarian

19 EXHIBIT Re-examining Mountaintop

20 The Musical 150th

ATHLETICS

22 First at the Academic Finish Line

23 STATS Lehigh’s Assists King

24 A Dynamic Diamond Duo

NOTES

43 FROM THE ALUMNI DIRECTOR

44 LEHIGH DISPATCH

75 IN REMEMBRANCE

80 END PAPER 38 ‘A Minority of One,’ Reprised Why The Goose Matters

His groundbreaking experience at Lehigh was marked by struggle, loneliness and even despair. ON THE COVER: During her But Costel Denson ’56, the first African-American to ever enroll at Lehigh, endured through eight years as university president, it all, earned his degree, and went on to enjoy a remarkably successful career in business and Alice Gast helped Lehigh climb academia. Recently, he returned to campus to share his story with administrators, faculty and to new heights. students. By Tim Hyland Photo by Theo Anderson

SPRING 2014 | 3 UP FRONT

First Impressions and Lasting Traditions Lehigh President Alice P. Gast reflects on her eight years on South Mountain, and how the traditions on which Lehigh was built continue to shape new generations of leaders for an ever-more challenging world.

Almost eight years ago, when I wrote my first “From the Presi- I believe that Mountaintop will transcend existing models in dent’s Desk” letter, I talked about Lehigh’s tradition of connecting higher education by returning higher education to its roots—by across generations, its ability to foster mentoring relationships focusing not only on the questions, and not only on the answers, between faculty and students, and its success in bridging “theory but also on the processes that come before and after each: in- to practice.” These were among my first impressions of Lehigh. quiry, exploration, discovery and insight. Mountaintop has the Over the years, these first impressions have become lasting im- potential to establish Lehigh as the leader in what residential pressions of what makes Lehigh special and why great things are higher education can and should be in this era of ubiquitous in- possible here. formation. This summer there will be more than 100 students There is a continuity of life experiences and excellence at Le- at Mountaintop participating in the second pilot program. The high that is unrivaled in higher education. Perhaps the strongest range of projects demonstrates the diversity of thinking and in- tradition at Lehigh is the way we cause students to learn to think terests among our students and faculty. critically, to bring their knowledge to bear on • “If Walls Could Talk” is a “smart spac- open-ended questions, and to work together es” project that will record the ambient in diverse teams. Lehigh is known for provid- information we give off through our non- ing the kind of education that produces lead- verbal behaviors—and then see how an in- ers who do not shy away from hard problems telligent space might impact individual and and thinkers who find change exciting and collective moods and behaviors. challenges an adventure. Lehigh graduates • The Shapeshifter is a transportable are creative and entrepreneurial because of structure whose physical form shifts with our interdisciplinary programs, our inter- human presence and invites play. national experiences and the opportunities • A documentary will focus on pulling we provide students to use what they have the past and future together in the story learned in the classroom as a starting point of Wisława Szymborska, the Polish Nobel for further discovery. Prize-winning poet whose life and work was The stories alumni have shared with me shaped by World War II, the Cold War and are perhaps the best measure of the impact THEO ANDERSON the breakup of the Soviet Union. of a Lehigh education. I remember an alum- • Students will propose and develop new nus working in the finance industry telling ventilation strategies for the air that people me that during the hardest parts of the fi- breathe when they must cook indoors over nancial crisis, he knew deep in his heart that wood or coal fires. he could dig down and get the work done. • Others will find ways to use affordable He said that the hard work and rigor of Lehigh left him with an nanotechnology to remove pathogens from water. inner confidence that he could work through even the hardest of I will visit Mountaintop many times before I leave and will challenges. follow its progress over the coming years. I encourage you to do Another alum marveled at the leadership opportunities he the same and to share your good ideas for inquiry, discovery, cre- was given. Leading University Productions allowed him to learn ativity and exploration. about choosing, recruiting and booking talented acts that would It has been my privilege to serve Lehigh and to work with you to entertain classmates. The freedom to do that on his own, living further its excellence. Your support of this great university is evi- with mistakes and celebrating successes, gave him the confident in Lehigh’s leadership in student experience, academic excel- dence to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. lence and global impact. Lehigh has a bright and exciting future. An alumna attributes her success to the many opportunities Thank you for your love of this great university and for your she was offered to push herself, in academics, sports and inter- kindness to me during my years of leadership. national experiences. Her service work in the South Bethlehem community was as important in shaping her as were the rigors of being a Martindale Scholar, and gave her the confidence to excel in challenging positions in far reaches of the world. The Mountaintop program is Lehigh’s most recent and most Gratefully, exciting step in pushing students to take on leadership roles. Alice P. Gast, President

4 | LEHIGH BULLETIN UP FRONT

She Delivered the Extraordinary Alice P. Gast excelled as Lehigh’s President because of her brilliance, her enthusiasm and, perhaps most importantly, her great and enduring love for this University.

As fellow alumni of Lehigh University, we share a common and powerful heritage—the experience of spending four years of our lives at this wonderful and vibrant University. Rightfully, we mark and count our time on campus as among the most compelling and transformative years of our lives. That is why we have so much affection for and attachment to all that is Lehigh. Our love for and loyalty to our alma mater is true and enduring, and we know that for those who did not have the great fortune to attend Lehigh, this love and dedication may be difficult to understand and an elusive experience. In reflecting on the remarkable tenure and myriad accom- DOUGLAS BENEDICT plishments of Alice Gast as our 13th President, what resonates most is Alice’s love and affection for all that is Lehigh. Love, affection and dedication equal to that of our most passionate alum. After all, Alice spent her eight years with us doing nothing less than pouring her very heart and soul into our University. As a result of her unyielding efforts, Lehigh has never been better positioned and is poised for unlimited achievement and excellence in With uncommon enthusiasm, Alice embraced COLLEAGUES the years and decades to come. the biggest challenges of the day and pushed all AND FRIENDS: When the University had the great fortune to recruit Alice back of us to think about how we could collectively Brad Eric in 2006, all at Lehigh knew, in a sense, exactly what we were get- work to make better both Lehigh and the world Scheler and ting: a brilliant academic, an extraordinary scientist, and a proven we live in. She had from the very start a clear vi- Alice P. Gast at the innovator in higher education. But in the course of her time with sion of what Lehigh could be, and what Lehigh donor plaque us, we learned that while Alice was certainly all of those things, she should be, and for eight years Alice worked day unveiling for was also so much more. We came to know Alice as a compelling and night to make that vision a reality. She did all the refurbished and tireless global ambassador for the University, as a visionary of this while respecting, embracing and champi- Linderman and inspirational leader, as a citizen-diplomat, as a caring men- oning the character and culture that is Lehigh’s Library in 2010. tor to students, and as a loyal supporter of and cheerleader for all alone. In all, Alice has worked tirelessly to ensure experiential learning participants at Lehigh, most especially our that the goals, objectives, mandate and vision of student athletes and performing and creative artists. We also came Asa Packer are and will remain vital, vibrant to know Alice as a dedicated athlete (running barefoot up and and secure in the 21st century. Simply put, as we down South Mountain or in Saucon Valley), as a denizen of South stand at the threshold of our next 150 years, with Bethlehem (foodie, shopper and great neighbor) and as a wife and thanks to and by reason of Alice, we can be cer- mom. Multidimensional and extraordinary at multitasking, Alice tain that Lehigh’s future will be glorious and that has been for all of us a best role model and constant source of in- dreams will continue to be realized and come to spiration. And for me (as she is for so many others), Alice has been life on and at the top of South Mountain. and will always be a treasured friend. Alice will miss Lehigh, and we will miss her, Now, of course, Alice is on the cusp of a new and exciting op- but the fruits of her extraordinary labor and the portunity, and it is one that she richly deserves. I know she is so warmth of her spirit will be with us and will be very excited about her future. But I also know—and I have seen a part of us always—as a member of the Lehigh firsthand—that her commitment to Lehigh has not wavered, not family and as a President that we will always be even for a moment, since we first learned of her decision to join proud to have called one of our own. Imperial College London. In fact, with each passing day as her departure has loomed closer, owing to her love for all that is Le- high, Alice has redoubled her efforts on behalf of the University. During her tenure with us, we asked Alice to do the extraordinary, and she gave us precisely that. She bolstered our reputation Gratefully, both nationally and internationally, she attracted brilliant faculty Brad Eric Scheler ’74, P’05, P’08, PG’09 and ambitious students and she reshaped the physical campus. Chair, Board of Trustees

SPRING 2014 | 5 UP FRONT

Correspondence You offfered your thoughts on our recent redesign. And yes, we listened.

ABOUT THAT REDESIGN … You describe the goals for the new look of the Lehigh Bulletin as We were gratified to receive numerous letters in response to our a “magazine that would look and feel classic yet contemporary, last issue—both about our new look, and about the stories and con- historic yet modern, literary yet cutting-edge.” It may be content that filled our pages. Readers responded to stories both serious temporary, modern and cutting-edge, but in my opinion it is not and fun, commented on our redesign (including the font size) and classic and the magazine has lost the elegance that made it so shared wonderful memories from their time on South Mountain. easy and pleasurable to read. We welcome your feedback and do read (and try to respond to) I am not a typographer, but over the past few years I have every letter we receive. We also take your comments into consider- spent quite a bit of time studying the elements that enhance ation as we continue our efforts to make this a magazine of which the printed page, that entice people to read it. As you well know, the entire Lehigh community can be proud. Toward that end, and a lot of typography has to do with the use of space. The titles of based on your feedback on the last issue, we have adjusted our font the articles in the Bulletin are set in an attractive font and are size and spacing in order to make sure that our readers can contin- generously spaced. But the initial effect from reading the titles ue to enjoy the Bulletin as they always have. is greatly diminished by the layout of the text of the articles, So keep those letters coming. They do make a difference.—T.H. which is produced in a very small font size and crammed together. I’m responding to your invitation for comments concerning the I appreciate all of the work that must have gone into restyling Winter 2014 issue of the Bulletin—something I do rarely. the Bulletin, but for me, this is just not appealing. Before you read on, you should know two important facts Jim Young ’68 about me to put my comments in perspective: I am a senior- senior citizen (Class of ’49) and have worked in I congratulate you on the new design of the Lehigh phases of typesetting and publication printing. Bulletin. Visually, it is beautiful, much better than First impression (no pun intended): you have cer- its predecessors. I have always enjoyed reading tainly managed to produce a fresh, new look, and a the Bulletin from cover to cover. The Winter 2014 welcomed change from the same old/same old. There Bulletin seems to have many more interesting aris a lot to like: content, innovative layout and the lib- ticles and on a wider range of topics than normal. eral use of color. For me, however, the small point size Thank you for these improvements. body type, wide columns and massive type area cover- I must point out that I am still on my way to- age presented a legibility problem and discouraged me ward the back cover. The Bulletin used to be a from even trying to read many of the articles. leisurely read of 1-plus hours. I found myself As the old saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye …,” and so reading this issue in 15-minute time periods. I expect you’ll get many kudos, as well you should. I just I think there is a tradeoff between the amount hope my few comments prove helpful and are taken with of articles you now have and the reduced font size. the constructive intent I wanted to convey. Even with my “best” glasses, I have to stop reading after a short Maybe I’ll see you later this year at Yankee Stadium. Look for while. And almost everything is printed in the same size font, so an old guy who is critiquing the printed program. I can’t go elsewhere to take a break. Bill Milanese Jr. ’49 Although there are many more readers of the Bulletin young- er than I, and maybe not that many readers older, I still think Just received my Winter 2014 Lehigh Bulletin and I absolutely many must share the same concern, and I wanted to pass this on love it. Great features, color, design, everything. A beautiful job. to you. One small issue with this redesign is the typeface you have Thank you for the “new” Bulletin and I wish you success in chosen. For some elderly alumni (like me), the type is pretty your new endeavors. small for 60-plus-year-old eyes. Consider a slightly larger font T. Allen Schneider ’64 for us “old timers.” Thanks. You have done a wonderful job with the redesign of the Bulletin. Robert Meeker ’77 Sad that it had the notice of Alice Gast’s leaving. She has done such a great job with Lehigh and is a lovely gal as well. She and I’ll keep this short, and hopefully sweet. I love the redesign of the Brad spent some time with my wife and I at our house in Mar- magazine. Great work. Please express my appreciation to every- tha’s Vineyard one summer not long ago. one involved—down to the last nutty campus squirrel. Keep up the good work. Jacob Campbell ’08G Tom Rivers ’49

6 | LEHIGH BULLETIN UP FRONT

FAMILY AND FOOTBALL This is the great Muslim philosopher whose numerous commen- I really enjoyed the Winter 2014 Bulletin, in particular the last taries on Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were burned in the Mus- page—pictures of the footballs that document Lehigh wins. As a lim world, but spread in Europe to inspire Aquinas and fuel the student, several times I went to Grace Hall to view the 1929 foot- technological and cultural dominance of the West today. Grant- ball of the Lehigh win over Lafayette. ed, recently the West has almost forgotten Aristotle, as we have That football, and that particular almost forgotten God. game, was a lasting memory for my fa- So Dr. Yaqub, please give Ibn Rushd a chance to save us again. ther, Alan Cook. He attended Lafayette, Tihamer Toth-Fejel ’76 graduating in 1932, and was one of La- fayette’s great college athletes. He was BEFORE ‘THE FLOP’ captain of the football, basketball, base- I enjoyed the article on high jumper Adeolu “Lou” Adesida in the ball and tennis teams, and was a stand- Athletics section of the Winter 2014 Lehigh Bulletin. out player in those sports. In football, he played tackle, offense I confess, however, that as a Lehigh high jumper during the mid- and defense, for the entire game, and also kicked the point after 1960s, I related more to the archive photo in the Class Notes sec- touchdowns, field goals and kickoffs. In the 1929 game, he missed tion (pg. 54) of the same issue of the high jumper from the (very) both points after touchdown attempts, and missed a field goal at- early days of Track and Field (circa 1890). tempt. Since he was such a great player, Lafayette alumni and fans Unbeknownst to me, my picture high jumping for the Fresh- were shocked that he missed all three kick attempts, and for years man Track & Field Team (below) was taken sometime during after that game he received hate mail and comments that to miss the Spring of 1964. I only found out about the picture when all three he must have fixed the game. He played in the first indoor it appeared in the Lehigh weekly calendar for the school year football game (Lafayette vs. Washington & Jefferson) in conven- 1964-65. tion hall in Atlantic City. He also told me that the toughest teams As noted in the caption under they ever played were always Lehigh. the picture of the 1890s high jump- As a kid growing up in Bucks County, he took me to every er, some things never change at Lafayette-Lehigh football game, and most Lafayette home bas- Lehigh, but some inevitably do. In ketball games. When I became a student at Lehigh, it was the first the picture of me high jumping, time I sat on the Lehigh side for the Lafayette game. yep, that is South Mountain in the He wanted me to attend Lafayette, but I always wanted to at- background. In the photos of the tend Lehigh. He was disappointed at first, but then became very three high jumpers, however, the proud that I completed my studies and graduated. He told me af- style of jumping has evolved from ter I graduated that he always thought Lehigh was significantly the Scissor Kick, to the Western more difficult than Lafayette, and much harder to complete the Roll, to the Fosbury Flop. The Flop scholastic requirements. was becoming the accepted way to Anyway, just wanted to pass along my comments. Seeing that jump late in my Track and Field career at Lehigh. I never did con- football again brought back many thoughts of family and football. vert. As an engineering major, I had too many labs, ROTC, etc. David F. Cook ’60 After graduation from Lehigh in ’67 (B. S. Met Eng & Mat Sc), I spent two years in the U. S. Army doing crash damage analy- CRITIQUING AL-GHAZALI sis on aircraft, one year at a Naval Air Station in Texas, and the The article “A Journey into the ‘Proof of Islam’” in the Winter other on a ship off the coast of Vietnam. I took my GREs in what 2014 Lehigh Bulletin was fascinating. was then Saigon, came home with a Bronze Star for Meritorious I am surprised that the article did not mention that by using Service and headed off to graduate school at Penn State using Islamic theology to reject Aristotle, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali effec- the G. I. Bill. While there, I endured antiwar demonstrations, tively sent the Muslim world into the sad state it is in today—with but ultimately earned M.S. (1972) and Ph.D. (1975) degrees in the worst standard of living on Earth. In the 11th century, the Is- metallurgy. Following grad school, I had a career with DuPont lamic world was scientifically and culturally centuries ahead of that spanned almost 30 years, largely managing corporate the Western world. St. Thomas Aquinas embraced Aristotle to technical consultants. After retirement from DuPont in 2001, explain that causal events and interactions in this world are the I taught graduate courses in Reliability Engineering at the Uni- products of material conjunctions, thereby laying the founda- versity of Maryland, College Park, for several years. In 2005, tions of modern science and technology. I published a book entitled Know Your Organization, How to In contrast, al-Ghazali taught that every event in the world is Understand, Operate and Improve Your Organization in the caused by the immediate and present Will of God. If God capri- New Business Environment (Google it!). In August of last year, ciously and directly causes everything, and if God is absolutely I retired (for the third time) from a part-time job in real estate transcendent (i.e., above good and evil; i.e., not necessarily be- sales and marketing. nevolent or logical), then the pursuit of science—with the goal of Life is great, and I’m just getting started learning how to really gaining knowledge about an ordered causal and understandable appreciate it. As a closing, never forget that as a Lehigh grad, set- universe—is a hopeless and useless endeavor. ting your goals high isn’t just about high jumping. Finally, I hope Dr. Yaqub translates Ibn Rushd’s work instead. Roy L. Schuyler ’67

SPRING 2014 | 7 ON CAMPUS NEWS FROM LEHIGH

EXCELLENCE: DAVID WU’S DECADE OF DILIGENCE The initiatives launched during Wu’s deanship (2004-14) include: • Undergraduate interdisciplinary programs in bioengi- neering, computer science and business, integrated business and engineering, sustainable development, entrepreneurship and IDEAS—the integrated degree in engineering, arts and sciences

RYAN HULVAT RYAN • Professional master’s degrees in analytical finance, structural engineering, health- Dean Wu Named care systems engineering, energy systems engineering, and Provost at George Mason FIGURE 1 technical entrepreneurship • The Freed Undergraduate th Research Symposium, the Sum- 45/ mer Research Fellowship pro- After a 27-year career as professor and department chair of industrial193 and gram, and a Clare Booth Luce systems engineering, including a decade as dean of the P.C. Rossin College of David Wu’s Foundation research grant for th contributions Engineering and Applied Science, S. David Wu is leaving to become provost of as dean of the undergraduate women George Mason University in Virginia. P.C. Rossin Wu leaves a legacy of new interdisciplinary endeavors and professional mas- College of 45 Engineering ter’s degree programs that are tailored to global needs, and an expanded menu of and Applied / Science con- research opportunities for undergraduate19 students.3 His inspiration came from tinue to bear a vision of “engineering as Renaissance thinking for the technology era,” which real results. he set forth when he was appointed dean in 2004 and reiterated this spring in In April, U.S. Resolve, the engineering college’s research magazine. News & World Report ranked “David Wu,” said Patrick Farrell, provost and vice president for academic af- the College’s fairs, “has been a major contributor to Lehigh as a faculty member and as a dean. graduate pro- We wish him all the best.” gram as one of the best in the “I am thrilled to start the next phase of my career at George Mason,” Wu wrote nation, ranking in Resolve, which he founded in 2006. “But I will miss Lehigh dearly. After al- it 45th out of • The renovation of Lehigh’s 193 programs most three decades here, I owe my sincere gratitude to the mentors, colleagues, nationwide. historic Packard Laboratory students and friends with whom I have worked side by side to build something to serve as a destination point truly special and distinctive. Together, I believe we have made a real and positive for students and visitors. impact on the lives of young people.” New features include a media Wu built on a foundation laid by previous Lehigh engineering deans, includ- wall, a collaborative learning ing John Karakash (1966-80), who often said, “Lehigh doesn’t educate students space and an environmentally in engineering but through engineering.” controlled glass case for the “Engineering has become a way of thinking that benefits leaders and innova- 1899 Model A-1, the first car tors broadly,” Wu wrote in Resolve. “An engineering education cultivates future ever built by the Packard Mo- leaders in business, law, medicine, architecture, design, journalism, public poli- tor Car Co. cy, environmental studies and of course, engineering and innovation. • Improved recruitment and “The remarkable support from my colleagues has enabled us to work toward a retention of women faculty bold vision of the engineer as Renaissance person for the 21st century.” with a grant from the National —Kurt Pfitzer Science Foundation.

8 | LEHIGH BULLETIN CAMPUS

FOUR QUESTIONS WITH Michele Norris, National Public Radio

NEWS FROM LEHIGH

RACE MATTERS: NPR’s Michele Norris, who visited Lehigh in January, is the founder of The Race Card Project, an CHRISTA NEU ongoing dialogue about race and identity in America.

1 How has your work in recent 2 From Trayvon Martin to Jordan 3 Through The Race Card Project, 4 You started college as an engi- years—writing your memoir, The Davis, race is often a big part of have you been compelled to think neer, but eventually you decided to Grace of Silence, and running The conversations in the public sphere. about forms of identity in different study journalism. Why? Race Card Project—informed your How do those public conversations ways? I always liked to write. I had an in- style of storytelling? shape the dialogue happening Very much so. Our submissions are ternship as an engineer, and instead In journalism, there still are rules though The Race Card Project? about the frame of identity, and that of deepening my understanding, it that you need to follow. But after The public conversation is often frame is very different for lots of dif- showed me that that was not the years of avoiding the word “I” in driven by events like the ones you ferent people. For some of them it’s best thing to do with my career, journalism, when I wrote my book mentioned, but what I see in the the immigrant experience, for some and so I changed my major. My about my family’s rather complex inbox is much more private. People of them it’s the color of their hair, parents were a little freaked out, but racial legacy, it crossed that line, are talking about their own experi- for some of them it’s age or gender, they came around and they came and in doing so, it allowed me to ences and observations. And it’s a or the fact that they speak with a to accept my decision to work as open the door for the Race Card much more intimate experience— Southern accent, or the fact that a journalist. My dad’s gone, but I Project, where other people were the little, small moments that often they speak with an accent that is think he was proud before he went telling their stories—not talking have a very big impact on the way still redolent of their mother tongue. to glory, and I’m certain my mom is about race in the abstract but in the we experience race, or the way that So there are lots of ways people proud today. first person. we observe our own racial identity. experience identity.

SPRING 2014 | 9 CAMPUS

The Right Leader, at the Right Moment Georgette Chapman Phillips, new dean of CBE, on Lehigh and the future of business education.

Late last year, Lehigh announced that Georgette Chapman Phillips, vice dean of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylva- nia, had been named the new dean of Lehigh’s College of Business and Economics (CBE). A few months later, Phillips sat down in her University City office to chat with theBulletin about her new professional challenge. It’s a challenge she is clearly prepared to take on. In a widely lauded career at Wharton, Phil- lips was credited with increasing the number of female and minority students at Wharton to historic levels, creating and implementing a senior capstone project, vastly expanding research opportunities for students, creating a new academic concentration in social impact and responsibility, and cultivating major gifts as part of University of Pennsylvania’s $4.3 bil- lion campaign. During a wide-ranging interview, Phil- lips talked not only about the highlights of her Wharton career, but also her views on the strengths of Lehigh, the challenges of business education in the 21st century and more.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO LEHIGH? It has an incredible combination of talented students, outstanding faculty and dedicated staff. Those are the three legs of the stool that RYAN HULVAT you really need to have if you want an outstanding management education program. You have to have all three. And once I discovered Lehigh had that, everything else just kept getting better. The alumni are very involved and they have great ing an administrator gave me the opportunity THE NEXT ideas. I like the location, because I think there’s a lot to be said to effect change on a completely different level. LEVEL: Lehigh for being in Bethlehem, and that’s not only because of its prox- provost Patrick imity to New York and Washington but also for the work that WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF DURING Farrell has the school can do in the city itself. All the ingredients are there, YOUR TIME AT WHARTON? said Georgette Phillips has “all I think. There are so many things I’m proud of, things the leadership that really changed the face of the Wharton un- attributes nec- TELL ME ABOUT YOUR TENURE AS UNDERGRADUATE dergraduate experience. I think we made Whar- essary” to take DEAN AT WHARTON. WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE? ton and Penn a much better place to be a student. the college “to Being the undergrad dean at Wharton was where I really grew as One of the things I’m most proud of is the the next level.” an administrator. I came to really understand how a university institution of a capstone project for Wharton functions, both from a financial and an administrative perspec- seniors, and there are several reasons why I’m tive. I came to love administration, too. One thing about being a proud of it. First, at its inception, it was a stu- faculty member is that you have control of that classroom, and dent-generated idea. I worked very closely with you have control of your research. I do love my research but be- the students on that because they told us they

10 | LEHIGH BULLETIN CAMPUS

wanted something that would bring together all WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF HOW CBE SHOULD of their experiences. We went through many it- DELIVER BUSINESS EDUCATION TO ITS UN- erations—can we do this? can we do that?—and DERGRADUATE STUDENTS? we eventually settled on a synchronous multi- My belief is that undergraduate management round simulation that incorporated all facets of education is not business school. Undergrad- their business education. It was great from an uate experience should include the arts and administrative perspective, too, because it was sciences, the humanities. Those are four very something that we were able to build from the precious years. And that’s one of the things that ground up. We weren’t building on an existing attracted me to Lehigh, because I know that’s program. It was about, starting from Day 1, how the other colleges view it, too. We have to thinking about how we should build it. Then, be partners with CAS and partners with engi- from a strictly marketing perspective, we had neering. At Lehigh we have very strong academ- STEM SUPPORT NEW to tell these students, "Well, you’re giving up ics across the board, and we can offer a really GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL your last winter break." Now, I had expected great undergraduate business education that ANNOUNCED that these students would have said, "Are you will be complemented by the sciences, engi- Governor Tom Corbett an- kidding?" But instead, they really went for it. It neering and the liberal arts. The menu we can nounced in March that Le- was amazing how it all came together. offer is really very strong. high will host the Pennsyl- vania Governor’s School for Engineering and Technol- I DON’T BELIEVE YOU CAN BE A GREAT ogy (PGSE&T), one of the Commonwealth’s three pri- BUSINESS SCHOOL WITHOUT A GREAT MBA mary academic programs for talented high school students. PROGRAM. OUR TASK IS TO FIGURE OUT Lehigh joins two other prestigious institutions WHAT IT WILL MEAN IN THE FUTURE TO BE hosting Governor’s Schools: the newly-designated Gov- A GREAT MBA PROGRAM. ernor’s School for the Ag- ricultural Sciences at Penn –GEORGETTE CHAPMAN PHILLIPS State University in Centre County and the Governor’s School for the Sciences YOU HELPED WHARTON ACHIEVE ALL-TIME WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE MBA—BOTH (PGSS) at Carnegie Mellon HIGHS IN ENROLLMENT AMONG WOMEN NATIONALLY AND AT CBE? University, which reintro- AND MINORITIES. HOW DID YOU MAKE The two-year residential MBA has been sliding duced the program in 2013 THAT HAPPEN? for a while now. That’s just not the way of the fu- after a five-year hiatus. At Wharton undergrad, we were competing ture. We have a strong part-time MBA program, The goal of the program against the likes of Harvard, Stanford and but the question is where we really see that pro- is to encourage young tal- Princeton, and very often, we’d be cross admit- gram going. What can we do to strengthen the ent to pursue careers in ting against all three of those schools. So what I MBA brand? I don’t believe you can be a great STEM (science, technolo- did was personally reach out to those students. business school without a great MBA program. gy, engineering and mathe- I had a list of the top 25 to 30, and I would match Our task is to figure out what it will mean in the matics) disciplines, thereby them to a faculty member. We would create very future to be a great MBA program. fostering global competi- personal relationships and work very hard to tiveness in engineering and get those students. ANYTHING ELSE YOU’LL BE FOCUSING ON technology for Pennsylva- But really, it starts even before that. I would UPON YOUR ARRIVAL? nia and the nation. get a big list of the top minority students inter- One of the things I’ll be focusing on is elevating Said Alyssa Clapp, ad- ested in business, and I would have my faculty the public face of CBE. I think that’s a big hole ministrative director of reach out to them, write them letters saying, that needs to be filled. I believe my job is to get the program at Lehigh: "Please consider coming to Penn. We want you out there and raise the public face of CBE—to “Our goal is to develop a to consider us, and here’s why we’re a good fit make sure that we have the school’s name on citizen-type engineer, al- for you." It’s about generating a pool. You can’t the tip of people’s tongues, in the press, in pub- lowing students to explore yield if you don’t have a pool. Once we started lic meetings, at conferences and symposia. I re- the technical aspects of doing this, our applications went up overall, ally intend to just keep pushing that name—the engineering and how they but also among African-Americans, women and Lehigh CBE name. can apply that to the world Hispanics. —Tim Hyland around them.”

SPRING 2014 | 11 CAMPUS

The Value of ‘Real Estate’ at Lehigh University ...... is on the rise with a commitment from The Holliday Foundation to advance Lehigh’s ire@l real estate program.

HONORS CBE IS RANKED One of New York City’s top commercial real estate leaders, Marc Hol- WITH NATION’S BEST liday ’88, is always exploring ways to take commercial real estate ventures to BUSINESS SCHOOLS the next level. Now, Holliday, who is the CEO of SL Green Realty Corp., has Lehigh’s College of Business focused on Lehigh to advance the upward trajectory of real estate. and Economics was ranked 31st Through The Holliday Foundation that Marc and his wife, Sheree, created in Bloomberg Businessweek’s for charitable causes, the couple has provided a generous $5 million gift to en- 2014 Ranking of Best Under- hance the Integrated Real Estate at Lehigh (ire@l) minor program in the Col- FIGURE 2 graduate Business Schools. In lege of Business and Economics. all, 132 schools were ranked. The $5 million gift is comprised of two components. The Foundation’s ini- The college finished among tial gift of $3.5 million will further elevate this impressive minor by establish- the nation’s top business pro- ing The Marc Holliday ’88 Professor of Practice and Director of the ire@l programs for the ninth consecu- gram. In addition to the $3.5 million gift, The Holliday Foundation has made Since it was tive year. first launched $1.5 million available as a matching gift challenge to support the new Marc Lehigh once again scored in 2009, Holliday ire@l Operating Endowment Fund. 114 Lehigh highly in academic quality, students have This challenge seeks engagement and commitment from other alumni and finishing in 12th place. Based completed the friends on a “two dollars for one” basis, with the potential to raise an addi- solely on student feedback, ire@l program. tional $3 million in matching gifts for the endowment fund. If the $1.5 million They have Lehigh was awarded an A+ for since gone matching challenge succeeds in attracting another $3 million, then The Holl- teaching quality and an A for on to work iday Foundation’s overall $5 million gift will have raised a total of $8 million job placement. and succeed in support of the ire@l program. The new endowed position will allow Lehigh at such top New York real to attract and retain a highly accomplished real estate professional to direct ACHIEVEMENT NOTABLE estate firms the ire@l program and to teach from experience. This position is critical for as Cushman PROGRESS IN ‘STEM’ & Wakefield, the long-term sustainability of the educational program while the operating DIVERSITY HIRING CBRE and Mark endowment fund bolsters the student experience. With the aid of a grant from Holliday’s SL “I received an outstanding education at Lehigh, which is one of the nation’s Green Realty the National Science Founda- Corporation. great universities,” Holli- tion, Lehigh has succeeded in day said. “It was the initial its efforts to better identify, foundation for my profes- recruit and hire top women sional success. The pur- faculty in science, technology, pose of this gift is to recog- engineering and mathematics nize that and to enhance a (STEM) fields. program that will produce In the fall of 2013, Lehigh future business leaders.” successfully recruited 12 new The ire@l academic mi- faculty in STEM fields. Of nor is the only one in the those, six (or 50 percent) were United States that allows JOHN KISH IV women, even though women any Lehigh undergrad- made up only approximately uate to minor in real es- 25 percent of PhDs in those tate—regardless of their disciplines, according to NSF major. Because students statistics. custom-make their own academic pairings with ire@l, the POWER BROKER: Lehigh’s progress has not combination of their unique backgrounds and academic paths Marc Holliday been limited to STEM fields makes this a true cross-boundary experience that emulates the '88 has served alone. In fact, of the 27 new industry’s everyday collaboration of diverse professionals. Ac- as CEO of SL faculty members hired across cording to Stephen Thode, director of the Murray H. Goodman Green Realty all fields last year, 13 were Center for Real Estate Studies, “This is what sets Lehigh’s pro- since January women. gram apart from the rest.”—Dawn Thren of 2004.

12 | LEHIGH BULLETIN CAMPUS

The Surprising World of Energy In an April lecture, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Yergin explored the dynamic, unpredictable global energy market.

critical importance to the world economy and for geo- politics.” That’s especially true in the realm of supply, he said, where shale gas has become “the biggest innovation in energy so far in this century.” Yergin explained that what began just a decade ago as a new way to produce natural gas has now turned into an “unconventional revolution.” Basically, the U.S. went from “a position of scarcity to a position of abundance.” This breakthrough has had a miraculous impact—and that impact is being felt in many ways. “Five or six years ago, we were going to spend as a country $100 million a year to im-

CHRISTA NEU CHRISTA port Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) because we were short THE ENERGY “In many ways, Lehigh is connected to the of it. Now President Obama says we have a 100-year supply here GURU: energy world,” author and global energy expert in this country and we are getting ready to export it.” By 2015 or Daniel Yergin’s Daniel Yergin said here this spring in an address 2016, he said, the U.S. will be ready to export LNG, and by 2020 April appear- at the Zoellner Arts Center. or 2021, the U.S. will be one of the world’s three largest exporters ance at Lehigh Yergin was referring to the Lehigh alumni of LNG, along with Qatar and Australia, he says. was sponsored mentioned in his 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning by Jeanne A welcome effect of this revolution has been what Yergin calls and Herbert J. book The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money a “manufacturing renaissance” in the U.S. Since natural gas in Siegel '50. and Power. One of them is Ali al-Naimi ‘62, Sau- the U.S. is one-third the cost of what it is in Europe and one-fifth di Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resourc- of the cost in Asia, the U.S. has become “a very attractive place to es; the other is Monroe “Jack” Rathbone ‘21, manufacture in a way that was not the case three or four years CEO and Chairman of Standard Oil. ago.” This translates into a lot of new jobs in the U.S.: over 2 His most recent book, The Quest: Energy, Se- million jobs have been created in the U.S. and, in Pennsylvania curity, and the Remaking of the Modern World, alone, 103,000 jobs were added in 2012. By 2020, that number made it into Bill Gates’ Top Reads list for 2012, will increase to 220,000. with the Microsoft founder saying that the book Of course, energy is not only a commodity. It can also be a “changed his worldview.” The book, and the lec- weapon, explains Yergin. When Russia exports gas to Europe, ture at Lehigh, explored the recent changes in it’s technically a commodity, though Yergin noted “there’s obvi- the global map of energy and how unexpected ously no question that when Mr. Putin and his colleagues look factors are driving these changes. at Ukraine, their natural gas exports are being used as a political Yergin told the hundreds who attended the tool to achieve Russian objectives.” event in Baker Hall that the world is “living But, he adds, the reality of the U.S. as an energy exporter is al- through a period of dramatic changes in ener- ready filtering into political thinking and will give “a new dimen- gy” and that what’s happening in energy “has sion to American influence in the world.”—Rosa Rojas

SPRING 2014 | 13 RESEARCH

INSPIRATION KUDOS FOR A GROUNDBREAKING PROGRAM The physics department’s summer Research Experienc- es for Undergraduates (REU) program, one of the oldest of its kind in the nation, was founded in 1983 and has re- RUDI KUHN ceived funding from the Na- tional Science Foundation for more than 25 years. Recently, the NSF renewed the department’s REU grant for five years with an award of ‘Are We Alone more than $700,000. The NSF In the Universe?’ Joshua Pepper believes we are closer to having the answer.

Joshua Pepper, an assistant professor of physics who helped invent the Kilo- degree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) a decade ago, has discovered seven exoplanets, or planets orbiting other stars, in the Milky Way. He’s confident he’ll find more. funding has enabled the de- “As time goes on,” Pepper told an Asa Packer Society audience in February, partment to give 25 students “we are going to ultimately answer the fundamental question, ‘Are we alone in a year the opportunity to do the universe?’” original research with Lehigh Pepper built the first KELT telescope as a Ph.D. student at Ohio State Uni- faculty members and graduate versity (OSU) and the second as a postdoc at Vanderbilt. The first instrument students. is now located in Arizona, and the second in South Africa. The competitive, 10-week Because the stars that KELT observes are so brilliant, Pepper did not need residential program also re- the kind of large telescope commonly used by astronomers. Although the ceives support from the Jon- KELT lenses are just 2 inches wide, they can precisely measure the brightness athan Karas Educational En- of millions of stars. dowment Fund of the Karas Pepper gave his talk, “How to Discover a Planet in 3 (Not So Easy) Family Foundation. Sherman Steps,” to 100 alumni and friends at the Franklin Institute’s Fels Plane- Fairchild Scholarships for re- tarium in Philadelphia. search in solid state studies Wobble and dip, he said, are two key identifiers in finding an exoplan- and electrical engineering also et. A star’s wobble is caused by the gravitational back-and-forth pull help fund the program, which JOSHUA PEPPER, from an orbiting planet. A dip is caused when an orbiting planet blocks admits rising juniors and se- an astronomer and the star’s light path to the earth. niors. “This program inspires assistant professor For every 40 to 50 stars that the KELT survey identifies as possible of physics, conducts undergraduates to become research focused exoplanets, only eight to 10 meet criteria for further examination. Pep- researchers,” says Volkmar on the discovery of per works with astronomers at OSU and Vanderbilt and from around the Dierolf, department chair of extrasolar planets, world to analyze KELT data with larger telescopes and try to determine physics, “and it ends up help- which are planets if a planet is present. The curve of a star’s wobble helps them verify that that orbit stars other ing physics and related fields than our sun. it is being orbited by a planet. as a whole.” Astronomers have discovered at least 770 exoplanets in the last 20 The REU students pursue years, Pepper said. Thousands of other candidates are awaiting positive confir- research in one of a dozen top- mation. ic areas. In addition to their lab Pepper is a member of the science team for the NASA Explorer Program’s work, they take part in such Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which is scheduled to launch in outside activities as white wa- five years. Run through MIT and Harvard, the TESS program will help deter- ter rafting, softball, cooking mine which stars are the best targets to find planets that could be probed for lessons and glass blowing. the presence of living things.—Dawn Thren

14 | LEHIGH BULLETIN RESEARCH

SCHEMATIC The Stealthy Owl Wing

1 The Cutting Edge: The leading edge of the owl’s wing, the part closest to its head, is made of stiff, evenly spaced, mostly aero- dynamic fibers that reduce noise.

1 2 Plush, But Dangerous: The wing’s fluffy upper surface 2 is made of a down feather material similar in texture to commercial 3 velvet. Under a microscope, says Jaworski, this structure looks like verti- cal strings with interlocking barbs at their tops. This mesh creates a buffer layer that also stifles sound.

3 Flexible in Flight: The owl’s porous and compliant trailing edge, where the most noise is generated by any bird, may be the biggest key to its silent flight. In contrast to the stiff feathers on the trailing edge of a duck or eagle wing, the trailing edge feathers on a large owl’s HARRY CAMPBELL HARRY wing are flexible JUSTIN JAWORSKI believes the key to creating influencing the design of vehicles and technol- and provide significant noise quieter airplanes, wind turbines and underwa- ogies. Four years of research, he says, have con- reduction. ter vehicles may be found on the wing of an owl. vinced him that three key features account for Jaworski, an assistant professor of mechan- the owl’s ability to fly more quietly—and stealth- ical engineering and mechanics, is studying the ily—than hawks, eagles and other birds of prey. physics of owls’ silent flight in hopes of one day —Carla Prieto ’14

SPRING 2014 | 15 RESEARCH

PUBLISHED A DOUBLE PLAY IN OPTICS Two electrical engineering graduate students recently published articles in major journals on their research in optical technologies. Beibei Zeng, a Ph.D. candidate, wrote in Scientific Reports, a Nature publication, that his group had more than doubled the transmission efficiency of plasmonic color filters (PCFs) by fabricat-

CAR CULTURE/CORBIS CAR ing the filters on an ultrathin, 30-nanometer-thick silver film A FOCUS ON patterned with one-dimension- Between Geometry CURVATURE: al nanogratings. The motions of PCFs are seen as a green al- robot arms are ternative for the conventional and Probability one applica- color filters in TVs, iPads and tion of Neel's Robert Neel is Lehigh’s resident expert in sub-Riemannian geometry. other devices, which are typ- research. ically made of organic dyes or chemicals, are costly to fabri- cate, and can be damaged by Euclidean geometry, the study of flat space, tells us that between every pair of points there is a unique line segment that is the shortest curve between those two points. Two-dimensional ideas can be described by drawing on a flat piece of paper, but suppose instead of a flat piece of paper, you have acurved piece of paper. You might have a cylinder, or a sphere. Riemannian geometry, the study of curved spaces, is of particular interest to Robert Neel. Neel, an assistant professor of mathematics, examines the numerous techniques employed in geometric analysis and probability, exploring geometric structures that have some degeneracy. The overarching theme to his work is the use of probabilistic methods, such as Brownian motion. The heat and ultraviolet radiation. techniques, he says, apply to many mathematical problems. But their light-transmission “Surfaces in a larger space aren’t generally thought of as degenerate, efficiency is less than half that but from a probabilistic standpoint, Brownian motion along the surface of conventional color filters. is degenerate in a way quite similar to what you see in sub-Riemannian Yongkang Gao, who earned geometry,” he says. “I’ve been focused on developing tools that provide a ROBERT NEEL, his Ph.D. in January, reported common method for several different problems, which is perhaps a little assistant professor in Lab on a Chip that he had inverted.” of mathematics, improved the resolution of Neel came to Lehigh in 2009 from Columbia University, where he holds a Ph.D. from nanoscale biosensors to levels was a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow. His Harvard and came to almost as sensitive as those Lehigh in 2009 from research into sub-Riemannian geometry lies at the center of a collabo- Columbia. achieved by much larger com- rative effort with French scientists. mercial systems. Biosensors The motions of robot arms, or the act of parallel parking a car, employ utilize an electronic or optical sub-Riemannian geometry, and Neel’s colleagues are taking his computa- system to analyze DNA, mea- tions and utilizing them in practical applications. Sub-Riemannian geometry sure blood glucose content and also has use at a basic level in understanding how human brains process in- detect biotoxins in the water formation. The excitation of neurons in the brain mirrors a sub-Riemannian or atmosphere. Gao, now with geometric structure, and researchers can model some neural processes with Bell Labs, contributed the cov- a sub-Riemannian setup, leaving the door open to countless future projects er art (above) for the journal. for Neel. The students are advised by “Somewhere between geometry and probability, and some analysis, there Filbert J. Bartoli, department are a lot of interactions that people certainly have explored, but not as system- chair of electrical and comput- atically as I think it merits. There’s too much left on the table.”—Robert Nichols er engineering.

16 | LEHIGH BULLETIN RESEARCH

When a Reformer is Corrupted A historian examines the life and legacy of José de Gálvez.

Corruption was rife in the Spanish Empire of the 18th century, says Barbara Zepeda Cortés, and laws regulating it were as numerous as they were useless. “The Spanish world had laws against appointing family members to office, against smuggling, against stealing money from the state treasury,” says Zepeda Cortés. “In practice, though, the enforce- ment of laws was not impressive, and cor- BARBARA ZEPEDA ruption was everywhere.” CORTÉS, assistant In 1765, King Charles III appointed professor of history, José de Gálvez visitor general and dis- conducts research into political culture, patched him to New Spain (Mexico) to

corruption, state enforce the laws that were being flouted. AISA / THE BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY reform, political social Gálvez ended up being corrupted by the networks, nationalism vast powers he was granted, says Zepe- and identity forma- da Cortés, and his reforms were under- tion, and U.S.-Carib- bean relations. mined by new excesses of favoritism and nepotism. Zepeda Cortés, an assistant professor of history, has received a Paul J. Franz Junior Facul- ty Fellowship to write a book about Gálvez and his daughter and nieces. The most recent book about Gálvez, by Herbert Priestley, was published in 1916 and covers mostly his seven-year brother and nephew to high positions, Gálvez ended up looking tenure as visitor general. like the corrupt people whom he was trying to fight. He crossed José de Gálvez (1720-87) became visitor an invisible line and was criticized by other ministers. After general during the era of the Bourbon reforms, he died, there was a backlash and some of his reforms were re- which had been initiated by King Louis XIV of versed.” France to strengthen the monarchy by creat- Gálvez and his three brothers left a large fortune but few off- ing state monopolies on consumer products. spring. All were women. Josefa de Gálvez, José’s daughter, used Gálvez established monopolies on tobacco, salt her portion of the family inheritance to fight Napoleon and also and gunpowder. He also organized a monopoly to help her mother build a palace in Madrid that is now the Min- on playing cards and decreed later, as head of istry of Justice. María Rosa Gálvez de Cabrera, Gálvez’s niece, be- Spain’s colonial office from 1776 until 1787, that came a poet and playwright with what some have called an early they be produced only in his small native village feminist point of view. of Macharaviaya in southern Spain. Bernardo de Gálvez had three children. Only Matilde sur- In seeking to enforce existing laws, says vived; she married a Napolitan and had three daughters. One Zepeda Cortés, Gálvez ran into fierce local married into a noble family in Naples. The other two never opposition. He appointed friends and family married and spent their fortune building a monumental church members to key posts, using his influence to that, says Zepeda Cortés, is an “architectural treasure with a install his brother Matias and his nephew, Ber- great view of Mount Vesuvius.” nardo, as viceroys of New Spain. He demanded Zepeda Cortés is conducting research in Spain and Italy. higher salaries for his cronies and became him- “Gálvez had this contradiction in his own life,” she says. “Reforms self the king’s best-paid minister. involved political strife. There was so much opposition, but in or- “One motive for these higher salaries,” says der to fight it, he had to create his own group. He squeezed the Zepeda Cortés, “was so that ministers would system like nobody had done before.” not be tempted by bribes. But by appointing his —Kurt Pfitzer

SPRING 2014 | 17 CULTURE

Who Am I? A student filmmaker turns to crowdfunding to help make her new project a reality.

Like many filmmakers, Nadia Sasso ’14G has faced the challenge of securing INSPIRATION the resources necessary to complete her project. She’s also overcome it. MUSIC THROUGH Sasso, a graduate student in American studies who is also completing a cer- THE GENERAZIONI tificate in documentary film, is the creator ofAm I: The Film, which highlights A two-day festival held this the unique stories of women and their identity development, with respect to spring at Murray State Uni- their West African and American cultural experiences. versity in Kentucky gave Paul Production of the documentary meant multiple trips to Sierra Leone— Salerni the opportunity to do where Sasso’s family is from—and Ghana to conduct interviews. She also what he loves best—weave to- needed to hire an editor and cinematographer. A Strohl Graduate Summer Re- gether the lines of his musical search Fellowship from the College of Arts and Sciences helped Sasso cover heritage. some of her costs, but it wasn’t enough. And that’s when she really got to work. Generazioni featured seven “This project is extremely important to me,” she said. “So I had to be cre- compositions by Salerni, pro- ative and get the resources needed to finish.” fessor of music at Lehigh; two To complete Am I, then, she created a profile on Indiegogo, a crowdfunding by his former student Mike website which allows users to receive support from people around the world. D’Ambrosio ’96 ’97, associate On January 9, Sasso began her fundraising campaign and released a seven- professor of music at Murray minute trailer for the film. Six weeks later, on February 21, she closed the cam- State; and one by his teach- paign after raising $5,680, surpassing her goal by $680. “The support has been FIGURE 3 er, the late Korean-American great,” said Sasso, who premiered her film at Lehigh on April 15. “It helped val- composer Earl Kim. Salerni’s idate the fact that this story needs to be told.” son Domenic, first violinist of In addition to Am I, Sasso has worked on two other films at Lehigh:From the Vega String Quartet in res- Steel to Sands: Capital Exploitation as part of the “Community Study through idency at Emory University, Documentary Film” course offered by American studies, andThe First Four, performed in six of the pieces. Nadia Sasso a documentary highlighting four of the first five women appointed as faculty ’14G was one of Generazioni kicked off with members in Lehigh’s English department. the producers a performance of Autumn in She credits Lehigh for giving her the freedom to pursue her dreams. behind The Parco Querini, a piece Salerni First Four, a “Coming to Lehigh, American studies offered the closest program to documentary wrote about the park where he an open-ended media concentration,” said Sasso. “I’m able to build more that explored frequently ran while teaching media-related skills, so I can not only write, but keep up with the digital age the stories of in Vicenza, Italy, in 1994. the first four and tell stories in a different way.” —Karl Brisseaux ’11 women faculty It concluded with Paul and in Lehigh’s Domenic playing the piano- English department. That film violin version of Salerni’s Tod- won best short dler Riffs, which chronicles a film in last day in young Domenic’s life: year’s Greater Lehigh Valley constant play time, repetitive Film Festival. tantrums and eventual sleep. Two decades ago, Salerni put together a similar festival at Lehigh for Kim, which was

PERSISTENCE: titled Earthlight after Kim’s Nadia Sasso short opera and featured mu- ‘14G used the sic from his disciples. crowdfunding “I just love these ironies,” site Indiegogo he said. “I was 39 years old to help make when I had Earthlight in Earl’s her new film a honor. Mike is 39 now, and he reality. just had Generazioni in my

RYAN HULVAT RYAN honor.”—Jaime DellaPelle ’14

18 | LEHIGH BULLETIN CULTURE

EXHIBITION Creating ‘Complexity’

THEO ANDERSON was asked by Lehigh Pres- ident Alice P. Gast to photograph the B and C Buildings of the Mountaintop Campus last summer. Anderson’s haunting images captured the buildings before they were cleaned out, and while they still were home to relics left behind by former employees of Bethlehem Steel. An- derson later shared the images with the Lehigh community in Complexity, an exhibit hosted this spring in the DuBois Gallery. “Mountaintop at Lehigh is an opportunity, an adventure, an inspiration,” Gast said at a gallery talk for the exhibit. “It’s about education. It’s about taking risks. We are fortunate enough to see this through the discovery of a wonderful artist.” To see images from Anderson’s exhibit, visit theoanderson.com/about-complexity/

SPRING 2014 | 19 CULTURE

DEBUT PRODUCING ‘JEZEBEL’S LIPSTICK’ The development of any new theatrical production is a collaborative process between actors, the director and the playwright. Darius Omar Williams’s latest profession-

al project found him onstage JEFF GOLDBERG / ESTO in Minnesota last November helping to develop a new play. Williams, assistant professor of theatre and Africana studies, was part of a workshop production of Jezebel’s Lipstick at the Pillsbury House and Theatre in Minneapolis. Jezebel’s Lipstick is the story of Lehigh, Live at Carnegie Hall an evangelistic fall from grace When Lehigh takes on Lafayette in New York City this fall, of a reverend and his wife and probes the redemptive value the occasion won’t be just about football. of Christian faith. Staging the two-person show with just two days for rehearsals, the production brought Williams to- When members of the Lehigh community gather in New York City next gether with friend and fellow fall to watch Lehigh take on Lafayette in Yankee Stadium, they’ll be treated playwright Renita Martin. to more than the 150th meeting of the nation’s most frequently played college “She trusted my director’s football rivalry. eye as well as my choices as a On Friday, November 21, 2014, the night before the Big Game, the singers trained actor. In the process of who make up Lehigh University Choral Arts will perform at one of America’s working through some of her most prestigious concert venues—New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Accompa- edits, she was open to my sug- nied by a full orchestra, Choral Arts will present Carmina amoris, a choral sym- gestions in terms of refining phony composed by Steven Sametz, the Ronald J. Ulrich Professor of Music some of the writing and cuts,” FIGURE 4 and director of Choral Arts. The nearly 300 singers and players will be directed says Williams. by Sametz. The mainstage production “When we take stage, we will show ourselves, in important ways, to be what was part of Pillsbury’s Late we always are: singers coming together from all walks of life, all majors in the Night series, which provides university, at levels from beginners on up, engaged in the common pursuit of an opportunity for Minneso- Choral Arts making music at the highest level possible,” says Sametz, who is now in his 35th at Lehigh ta- and New York-based artists comprises four year at Lehigh. to present their experimental ensembles: The Carnegie Hall performance will be an important milestone for the Cho- work, works in progress and the 160-voice ral Arts. Choral singing, beginning with the Glee Club, Lehigh’s first organized Choral Union, finished plays. the 60-member singing group, has been one of Lehigh’s long-standing traditions and will cele- “It’s invigorating for me to University brate its 145th year in 2014. continue my work as a pro- Choir, an The Lehigh community will host a number of festive events during The 18-member fessional actor outside the women’s en- Rivalry weekend, including the Carnegie Hall performance. The celebration university,” he says. “It’s very semble called begins on Thursday, November 20, when representatives from the Lehigh and Dolce, and the important to ... always con- historic men’s Lafayette communities will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Ex- textualize any historical and/ Glee Club. change. The symbolic gesture serves two purposes: the formal closing of the or theoretical material we day’s trading session and the official launch of Rivalry Weekend. discuss in class with practi- Five miles north in Times Square, both colleges will host a welcome recep- cal experience. It enhances tion that evening. Rivalry Weekend will also feature walking tours of unique any classroom discussion for New York City landmarks, a behind-the-scenes tour of the United Nations, a me to provide professional performance workshop and several “leadership dialogues”—in-depth discus- context while also highlight- sions of timely topics led by Lehigh faculty and alumni. ing personal experience as an Registration for the weekend’s activities opened May 1. For more information, artist.” visit lehighsports.com/rivalry150.

20 | LEHIGH BULLETIN AD LEHIGH IN OUR LIVES

SPRING 2014 | 21 ATHLETICS

HIGH ACHIEVERS HIGH HONORS FOR KEMPTON, MCKNIGHT AND PRICE After a successful debut season for the Mountain Hawks, Le- high forward Tim Kempton ‘17 was named the Patriot League men’s basketball rookie of the year. Senior guard Mackey McKnight and freshman guard Austin Price received All-

LEHIGH ATHLETICS League and All-Rookie honors, respectively. HONORS: Kempton, who averaged Ryan Knouse 13.2 points and 7 rebounds First at the ’14 (left, front) and Benjamin per game, is the fourth player Academic Finish Line Beauchamp ’14 in program history to win the were tops as award; Marquis Hall ’10, Rob A long-distance runner and a discus thrower scholars and Keefer ’08 and CJ McCollum make the Academic All-Patriot League team. athletes. ’13 won in previous seasons. Kempton, a native of Scott- sdale, Arizona, scored 10 or more points in 25 of 31 reg- Lehigh men’s track and field senior Ryan Knouse and junior Benjamin Beau- ular season games, convert- champ have been named to the Academic All-Patriot League team. ing 52.2 percent of his field The Academic All-Patriot League teams are voted on by the league’s sports goal attempts. Price, a sharp- information directors. To be eligible for the Academic All-Patriot League team shooter who led Lehigh by or the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must making 51 three-point shots, achieve at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key con- joined Kempton on the Patriot tributor in their sport. League’s All-Rookie team. Knouse, a finance major and native of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, posted a 3.94 McKnight was named to GPA throughout his four years at Lehigh. He made the Dean’s List, earning at the Second-Team All-Patriot least a 3.6 GPA every semester, while also landing on the Patriot League Academ- League. He set the Lehigh ca- ic Honor Roll every year. Knouse finished fifth in the 10,000-meter race at the reer and single-season records outdoor Patriot League Championships with a time of 31:55.78. He also ran the in total assists, surpassing the 5,000-meter race at the league championship meet and placed tenth. This is the marks set by Hall in 2010. McK- first Academic All-League honor of his career. night averaged 6.2 assists in 31 Beauchamp, a native of Spencer, New York, holds a 3.74 GPA as an electrical games this year, ranking 12th engineering major. He was named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team nationally. He also led the team in 2012-13 and was also a 2013 Academic All-Patriot League representative. Beau- in scoring with 13.3 points per champ earned second-team All-Patriot League status at this season’s outdoor game. McKnight finished his championship meet after finishing second in the discus throw with a launch of career with 1,309 points, plac- 50.07 meters. He also competed in the hammer throw and placed 11th. ing him 16th in Lehigh history.

22 | LEHIGH BULLETIN ATHLETICS

STATS Lehigh’s King of Assists

McKNIGHT’S Justin Goldsborough ’16: 23 FIRST ASSIST led to a three-pointer Austin Price ’17: 28 by classmate Anthony D’Ora- Stefan Cvrkalj ’15: 31 zio ’14, giving Lehigh a 20-11 lead with 5:52 Anthony D’Orazio ’14: 33 remaining in the first half of a matchup with the Penn State Jesse Chuku ’16: 39 Nittany Lions at State College on November 12, 2010. Tim Kempton ’17: 40

McKNIGHT’S FINAL ASSIST led to a Justin Corey Schaefer ’15: 50 Goldsborough dunk with 4:04 remaining in a Patriot League tournament Holden Greiner ’13: 63 matchup with Holy Cross in Worcester, Mas- sachusetts. on March 5, 2014.

Gabe Knutson ’13: 66 CAREER HIGH IN ASSISTS 11 vs. Sacred Heart on De- cember 1, 2013

3 CAREER DOUBLE- CJ McCollum ’13: 99 FIGURE AS- SIST GAMES 11 (12/01/13 vs. Sacred Heart); 10 (11/12/13 vs. Rider); 10 (1/15/14) vs. American)

All other Mountain Hawks: 105 IN THE 2012 NCAA TOURNAMENT McKnight’s first assist led

LEHIGH ATHLETICS to a two-point jumper by CJ Senior point guard Mackey McKnight be- 19 different Mountain Hawks have benefited McCollum, in came Lehigh’s all-time leader in assists in a from his generosity. Lehigh’s historic February game against Bucknell, surpassing the For an in-depth look at McKnight’s record, upset against former record of 566 held by Marquis Hall ’10. the Bulletin enlisted the help of Ken Pomeroy, Duke. The New Orleans native finished his career a college basketball writer and statistician, who with 1,327 points—good for 14th all-time at broke down McKnight’s career by the num- Lehigh—but his 577 career assists are what set bers—and revealed who was on the receiving him apart. Since he arrived on campus in 2010, end of the most of his dishes.

SPRING 2014 | 23 ATHLETICS

PROFILE A Dynamic Diamond Duo

Emily Brusher ’15 (left) earned First Team Patriot League honors after leading the league in strikeouts in 2013. Morgan Decker ’16 was named Patriot League rookie of the year and player of the year after winning the league triple crown that same year. In advance of the 2014 season, they chatted with the Bulletin about life, Lehigh and softball.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR BIGGEST FROM WHAT OR FROM WHOM DO YOU been so many great softball players, both ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE (NOT NECESSAR- DRAW YOUR MOTIVATION? present and now alumni that have motivated ILY SOFTBALL RELATED)? me. One in particular is Lisa Sweeney. She MD: I’m motivated by my teammates and had an amazing career as a pitcher at Le- MD: My greatest achievement would be my family, but I am also naturally a very high and now coaches at Prince-ton. She is winning Rookie and Player of the Year in competitive person, so I would say a huge also an amazing woman who has, probably my freshman season, which is something I motivator for me is my hatred of losing. I unknowingly, motivated me to keep pushing never would have thought I would do. want to be the best on the field every day in forward and challenge her astonishing every at bat, and I think that is what keeps accolades. EB: My biggest accomplishment would be me motivated the most. scoring over 1,000 points in basketball and MORGAN, WHAT’S ONE FUN FACT ABOUT having over 1,000 strikeouts in softball EB: I am motivated by my family. I consider EMILY? EMILY, WHAT’S ONE FUN FACT throughout my high school career. I’ve been myself to have two families; my blood family ABOUT MORGAN? told it’s the first time anyone in New Jersey and my softball family. My parents and my has done it but I, honestly, am not sure. I sister have done everything they could to MD: Emily is a huge cat lover. love this because it encompassed my two provide and give me the best childhood I favorite sports. could have imagined. They’ve sacrificed so EB: A fun fact about Morgan is that she much for me with sports and I am motivated watches Bull Durham before the start of to show them it was all worth it. There have every season. STEVE BOYLE STEVE

24 | LEHIGH BULLETIN ATHLETICS

WHO WOULD YOU SAY HAVE BEEN YOUR HOW DOES THE LEADERSHIP FROM ALL off the field. I swear that’s why we’re so BEST MENTORS? THE PLAYERS AND COACHES IN THE successful, because we live and die for PROGRAM PLAY A ROLE IN SUSTAINING each other on and off the field. The leaders MD: My parents, who have always supported YOUR LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT? in the past have paved the way for me and me and who have always guided me through for those after me. I have learned how to when I feel like I’m not playing my best. EB: I think that everyone on our team knows approach situations and how to lead by They always know what to say to lift my their role and fulfills that role to the best of example and vocally in my first two years, spirits and remind me who I am as a person their ability, and that all starts with strong enough that a captain role was bestowed and as a player. My upperclassmen and leadership by the coaches as well as the upon me. I am so honored to have this posi- teammates are also mentors in the sense players on the field who make sure everyone tion this year and will continue to pave the that I learn from all of them on a daily basis. is getting their job done. This understanding way for leaders in the future. Our success, and organization is something that is key to though, doesn’t just come from the appoint- EB: I would say my biggest mentor would all successful teams, including our program. ed leaders, it comes from the fact that the be my first softball coach. She taught me whole team strives to be leaders them- so much about the game, that it was so MD: It all starts with the type of girls coach selves. I truly believe that everyone in the much more than physical. The first lesson strives to bring into the program. He knows program has developed a bond that nothing she taught me was that the game of softball that cohesion isn’t just important on the will ever compare to. Lehigh Softball is a was 90 percent mental. Her first lesson has field. He has recruited girls who have pretty amazing program to be a part of. stayed with me until this day. meshed and learned to become a family

SPRING 2014 | 25 26 | LEHIGH BULLETIN A Transformative PRESIDENCY

Over the course of her eight years at Lehigh, President Alice P. Gast drove Lehigh forward—and changed the university for the better.

“Let us set our sights high.” ¶ That was the challenge laid out by Alice P. Gast upon her inauguration as Lehigh’s 13th president on April 13, 2007. Eight years later, as Gast’s final semester at Lehigh comes to a close and she transitions into her new role as president of Imperial College London, it is clear that Lehigh under her leadership accepted her challenge—and is, as a result, a better place for it. The evidence of this can be found everywhere. It can be found in the heart of campus, where the STEPS building stands as a testament to Gast’s commitment to sustainability, and it can be found atop South Mountain, where the groundbreaking Mountaintop project is redefining higher education in the 21st century. It can be found in communities across America, where students have completed scores of important service projects, and in developing nations across the world, where they are undertaking sustainability and entrepreneurship initiatives to enact real change. It can be found in Upper BENEDICT DOUGLAS ANDERSON, THEO Alice P. Gast, her husband, Bradley J. Askins, and their two children, Rebecca and Saucon Township, where a vast new tract of land offers enor- David, arrived on South Mountain in 2006. She was inaugurated the next year. mous possibilities for Lehigh’s future, and in South Bethlehem, where stronger bonds between the university and its community are making a measurable change in the lives of residents. The STUDENT Experience It can be found in the historic financial strength of the Univer- sity, and it can be found in the enduring commitment of Lehigh STUDENTS FIRST In an August and dedicated administrators are alumni to their alma mater. 27, 2006, Convocation speech that all equally and wholeheartedly committed to undergraduate Mostly, though, it can be found in the inquisitive, entrepre- served as her first major address to the campus community and excellence. We are dedicated to neurial, committed individuals who make up Lehigh’s cam- established what would be an en- making your years here at Lehigh pus community—the students, faculty, staff and alumni who during commitment to the student as productive, rich and valuable as accepted the challenge Gast issued eight years ago, and who experience, President Gast spoke to possible. We are here because of have over the course of those eight years pushed this univer- students about the responsibilities you and for you.” sity forward in their own unique way. that come along with freedom, In commemoration of a Lehigh tenure replete with accom- the importance of chasing their A CLEAR GOAL When Lehigh plishments, the Lehigh Bulletin has compiled a retrospective dreams, and the deep value of the under President Gast’s leadership of Gast’s eight years in office. It looks at how she pushed the relationships that they would make embarked on an ambitious, 10-year university forward in four key areas—the student experi- during their years at Lehigh. She master campus planning process in 2009, the ultimate aim was to cre- ence, academic excellence, the university’s global impact and also promised to make the student experience a top priority during ate the kind of campus spaces that Lehigh’s willingness to take on the biggest challenges of the her presidency. “One of the things maximize learning opportunities day—and also makes clear the enormous impact Gast has had that drew me to Lehigh was the for its students. “Our plan clearly not only in creating the Lehigh of today, but in influencing university’s clear and unwavering articulates a goal of creating an where this university will be five, 10 or even 20 years into the focus on students. At Lehigh, our environment where the academic future.—Tim Hyland loyal alumni, outstanding faculty and living experiences merge into

SPRING 2014 | 27 “We are dedicated to making your an integrated learning experience,” years here A NEW EXPERIENCE Lehigh in STEM SUCCESS In recognition of President Gast said at the time. “As 2012 launched the LehighSilicon- the 40th anniversary of undergrad- we seek to engage every student at Lehigh as Valley program, a one-week immer- uate women at Lehigh, President in the full breadth of opportunity productive, rich, sion workshop for Lehigh students Gast announced in 2012 the available at Lehigh, we can use this near San Francisco, California. The establishment of a new $1 million opportunity to take a critical look and valuable unique program is coordinated by endowed scholarship program to at how our spaces can draw our as possible. the Baker Institute for Entrepre- support women studying in the community together in creative and We are here neurship, Creativity and Innovation science, technology, engineering productive ways.” and has quickly become a signature and mathematics (STEM) fields. because of you program for the Institute. Said The announcement was one of the CHANGING THE CULTURE The and for you.” Tyler Walton ’12, a participant in highlights of the yearlong 40 Years first year of Lehigh After Dark con- the program’s first year: “You gain of Women celebration at Lehigh. cluded, and by all accounts, it was more practical experience in one a massive success, offering stu- week than you do in a semester of A WIN FOR THE AGES In one dents 45 new social opportunities lectures. The people we read about of the most memorable moments to pursue on weekend nights. The in normal case studies are sudden- in Lehigh sports history, the men’s program has become an important ly in front of us, and we were in a basketball team, led by star shoot- part of Lehigh’s efforts under Presi- position to ask them whatever we ing guard CJ McCollum, upset the dent Gast to deemphasize drinking wanted.” mighty Duke Blue Devils, 75-70, in on campus. the second round of the 2012 NCAA

28 | LEHIGH BULLETIN From the Start, She Believed in Lehigh How does one measure the impact of a great college president? As one aspect in such an evaluation, we can try to answer the question with hard numbers—the traditional metrics of the business of higher education. We could look at fundraising totals, enrollment numbers and quality, faculty recruitment, the financial bottom line, major awards won and ranking successes achieved. Undoubtedly, the university has excelled in these more traditional metrics during the past eight years of President Alice Gast’s outstanding service to Lehigh. But as I reflect on Alice’s tenure, I believe that her greatest achievement cannot be captured merely in one of those more traditional metrics. Rather, her greatest legacy is that in most everything she has undertaken since her arrival here in 2007, she has encouraged the university community to imagine a better, more dynamic, more impactful Lehigh. In other words, she has raised the ambitions of the entire university. Because of this, Lehigh stands to benefit from her powerful leadership

DOUGLAS BENEDICT, CHRISTA NEU for years to come. During her time on South Mountain, Alice has successfully raised our reputation both nationally and internationally, cementing our place among the leading institutions of higher learning in the world. She has created scores of new international learning opportunities for our students, ensuring that they will enter an ever-more global marketplace with precisely the kind of skills and cultural understanding they will need to enjoy long and successful careers. She has proven to be an adept During her tenure, President Gast oversaw the completion of the Linderman Library renovation, the construction of the STEPS fundraiser, helping us complete the largest campaign in building and the official launch of the Mountaintop project. university history while positioning us to enjoy continued success going forward, and she has strengthened governance structures that make Lehigh a more stable institution. She has led the recruitment of a wonderfully men’s basketball tournament. The UP ON THE MOUNTAIN In what talented group of young and dynamic faculty, worked to victory sparked celebrations all might prove to be her lasting legacy improve the lives of the residents of South Bethlehem around campus and put Lehigh’s at Lehigh, President Gast in October and, most recently, opened up wonderful new opportu- true scholar-athlete athletics of 2013 announced that Lehigh had nities for our students with the launch of the innovative model on the national stage. Wrote received a $20 million gift from President Gast in an op-ed that alumnus Scott Belair ’69 to formally Mountaintop project. Of course, these remarkable and appeared in the Allentown Morning create the “Mountaintop Experi- myriad achievements point directly to her great intelli- Call afterward: “We admire them for ence”—the reimagining of 120,000 gence, vision and leadership skills. But they also point, I the way they believed in themselves. square feet of former Bethlehem believe, to her great love for Lehigh. Their incredible prowess on the Steel research facilities into spaces Anyone who has come to know Alice appreciates that court was only outdone by their for innovative and open-ended she really does love this place. Just as important, from intelligence and demeanor in front of learning experiences for Lehigh the moment she first joined the Lehigh community, the cameras. The rigorous education students. Calling the gift a “defining she really believed in it. In fact, I think she may have they receive at Lehigh and their moment” for Lehigh, Gast praised believed in it more than many did. demanding training were evident in Belair’s generosity and laid out a By inspiring the university community that, as great their confidence and poise. We take bold vision for what the space might their example as a reminder to all of eventually become. “Great spaces as Lehigh was, it could be even better, she pushed all of us: Commit yourself to excellence, can serve as catalysts for progress,” us to aspire to greater things. We did so. And today, we work hard, and believe in yourself.” she said. “There are rare moments are a better university for it, well positioned to meet the in the history of a university when an challenges of the future. —Daniel E. Smith Jr. ’71

SPRING 2014 | 29 Major gifts during President Gast’s presidency include the creation of the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Endowed Scholarship Fund, the donation of 755 acres from the Stabler Foundation, the foundational gift for the Dexter F. Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation, and Lee Iacocca’s International Internship program. Lehigh Goes GLOBAL absolutely unique opportunity aris- REAL RESULTS A university’s SETTING THE STAGE In 2007, A QUANTUM LEAP In July of es. This is one of those moments.” greatest obligation is to prepare just after her arrival on campus, 2011, Lee Iacocca ’45 pledged $5 The project launch drew plaudits students to succeed in the real President Gast developed her million in challenge funds to raise from media nationwide and brought world, and in that regard, Lehigh strategy for “Getting to Global $10 million for the new Lee Iacocca newfound attention to Lehigh. Wrote under President Gast is excelling. Lehigh,” with the aim of creating a International Internships for Fast Company magazine: “In an age According to a 2013 report, of true global culture on campus. “We Global Leadership, which combine where Massive Open Online Cours- Lehigh’s 1,020 bachelor degree want internationalism to flow not global education with real-world es, or MOOCs, challenge traditional recipients, verifiable post-gradua- only from formal instruction but internships. “Through Lee’s vision higher educational hierarchies by tion career activities were obtained also from day-to-day conversa- and generosity, this gift will provide providing anyone coursework on for 88 percent of the graduates. tions, associations and friend- opportunities for our students to a screen, the Mountaintop project This data was acquired directly ships,” she said of the initiative. gain a deeper understanding of the is taking physical, collaborative from graduates, employers, uni- “This includes providing mean- unique challenges that exist in an learning environments and hurtling versity staff members, parents and ingful international experiences interdependent and highly connect- them into the 21st century.” This LinkedIn profiles. The percentage, for our students and welcoming ed global society,” President Gast past spring, Lehigh announced that or knowledge rate, of similar data more international students and said in announcing the gift. In the 27 more projects would take place collected by other universities visitors to our university.” In the first three years of the program, at Mountaintop during the summer nationwide is 60 to 65 percent. years since, Lehigh has offered an more than 120 students have com- of 2014. ever-expanding array of programs pleted international internships, in to allow students to study, work countries as diverse as Malaysia, and conduct research abroad. India and Kazakhstan.

30 | LEHIGH BULLETIN Alice Gast’s LEHIGH $725M total fundraising completed, including the $500 million Shine Forever campaign, originally launched in 2004, plus another $225 million during her tenure.

755acres added to campus via the Stabler acquisition

DOUGLAS BENEDICT, RYAN HULVAT, GOOGLE EARTH 50% increase in Asa Packer Society membership 537 new endowed scholarships created

“Everywhere I travel … I see % GOING GREEN Following up on A GLOBAL FIGHT Lehigh Univer- 40 people looking to of Lehigh students now have one of the main initiatives from sity joined universities and colleges an international experience, her inauguration, President Gast in universities to worldwide in signing the United Na- and more than 1,200 2008 formed the Lehigh Environ- produce the globally tions Academic Impact Initiative in participate in research mental Advisory Group to identify competent, highly July 2010. Lehigh was later selected ways in which the university could to host the worldwide hub for improve its impact on the environ- educated workforce Principle 6: Global Citizenship, and ment while also studying the com- that we need held a UN Conference on campus in plex issue on a global scale. The 2012 to support the initiative. move drew praise from around the for the future.” university. Said Sudhakar Neti, pro- LEHIGH FOR THE WORLD In 200 fessor of mechanical engineering her 2011 Founders’ Day address, study-abroad programs and mechanics: “I’m very pleased President Gast affirmed Lehigh’s now offered to see that sustainability and dedication to crafting a truly global environmental issues are receiving view, and said the university would the attention they deserve from the do so through integration, global- university, and I’m glad that Lehigh ization and leadership. “Everywhere 63,000 is doing its part to reduce the im- I travel, from Uzbekistan in Central hours of service pact carbon dioxide molecules have Asia, to Moline, Illinois, in the contributed by the Lehigh on the atmosphere.” Central United States, I see people community each year

SPRING 2014 | 31 Grand CHALLENGES looking to universities to produce of Lehigh graduates now have an DO MORE! President Gast set gagement in health sciences. But the globally competent, highly international experience during the bar high at Lehigh from the there is more that we can do.” educated workforce that we need their time on campus. Lehigh has very start of her tenure. At her for the future. In Moline, they need 15 institutional memoranda and inauguration, she highlighted three A REAL STATEMENT In a move a workforce able to take manufac- more than 49 agreements regarding initiatives on which Lehigh’s spe- that hinted at what would become turing to the next level of efficiency research and student exchange cial blend of talents, creativity and an enduring commitment during and the capability to produce programs, offers 200 study abroad collaborative spirit could generate her presidency, President Gast in goods, like John Deere tractors, in programs in 40 different countries, real results: The Environmental January of 2008 announced the the United States. In Uzbekistan, and last year had 13 Fulbright Initiative, The Global Islamic Stud- creation of the Council for Equity they need educated innovators scholars. The university is also a ies Center, and a more concerted and Community (CEC), then com- to build their economy on higher founding member of the U.S. In- effort in the provision of healthcare prised of 14 members of the cam- value-added goods beyond natural donesia Partnership Program, and in the U.S. Said President Gast of pus community who had demon- resources and agriculture. How will its United Nations Youth Delegate her health care initiative: “I believe strated commitment to diversity Lehigh answer the call? How will we program has become a model for we can contribute to new solutions through research, teaching, work or meet these needs?” colleges and universities around and more effective provision of service. “Our goal in this initiative the world. The program, which healthcare through our ability to is to create an environment where AN INTERNATIONAL CAMPUS started at Lehigh, last year drew the define technology needs, patient we all work together, transcending By most every measure, Lehigh is participation of 400 students from demographics and our search for racial, cultural, and other bound- a more global campus today than 80 countries. new therapies, which will always aries,” she said at the time. “Our it’s ever been before. Forty percent be at the core of a university’s en- success in these efforts will lead

32 | LEHIGH BULLETIN ‘Our Alice’ Alice Gast’s tenure at Lehigh has been extraordinarily successful. I will leave it to others to describe her achievements. As to these achievements, I would observe only that no one should have been surprised. After all, she came to us at a point in her career where it was evident to all that she had an unbroken record of high achievement as an administrator, researcher and teacher. High achievement and high standards. I have a vivid rec- ollection of my first impressions of Alice. Prior to her accept-

THEO ANDERSON, DOUGLAS BENEDICT, LEHIGH ATHLETICS ing our invitation to become our 13th President, Alice, with husband and young children in tow, came to campus for a visit. I met Alice, Brad, Re- becca and David at the Lehigh Valley Airport, and escorted them over to campus. During the course of the short car ride, I found myself on the receiving end of Alice’s gently posed questions. These were questions that reflect- ed far more knowledge of, and insight into, Lehigh than anyone could reasonably be expected to have acquired in a few short weeks. They were four of the biggest events of President Gast’s tenure: the NCAA tournament victory over Duke, the Dalai Lama’s visit, the first Academic Symposium, During the course of that day, I became convinced and the celebration of 40 years of undergraduate women at Lehigh in 2011. that if we could persuade Alice to come to Lehigh, we would have a president whose goals for this university would challenge and inspire us, and ultimately, make Lehigh an even better university than it likely other- us to a stronger community and a Steel site plans and address the wise would be. It was also clear that we would have a richer educational experience for needs of the community. The SSI president who would be a good listener, an inclusive all.” Soon afterward, Lehigh’s Board has proven to be a tremendous suc- of Trustees formed a subcommittee cess, and continues to help shape and collaborative manager, a thoughtful and imagina- on diversity, led by trustee Ralph development of the South Side. tive problem-solver, and a decisive leader. In the full- Albert Thomas ’76. ness of time, we learned that Alice is all of that. We also A BOLD MOVE At the height of came to understand that our 13th President is an open, GOOD NEIGHBORS Lehigh in the 2008 financial crisis, President warm and caring person who adores students, con- 2007 launched the South Bethle- Gast led the groundbreaking at the nects effortlessly and effectively with faculty, adminis- hem Development Study Group, site of the STEPS building. The trators and alumni, and whose affection for Lehigh and which was charged with determin- $62.1 million facility covers 135,000 fascination with higher education is palpable. ing Lehigh’s strategic approaches to square feet, provides offices for 80 When Alice takes leave of us in June, she will be the significant changes expected on faculty, staff and graduate students, leaving a better, more vibrant and more elevated Le- the South Side. At the same time, and features 50 research and the university officially created the teaching labs. It is part of an $85 high than the one she came to lead in 2007. She will South Side Initiative, which brought million initiative that encourages also be leaving a deeply appreciative Lehigh commu- together the university community, natural and social scientists to nity that will take pride in her future achievements, the people of Bethlehem, govern- collaborate with engineers on prob- as she will in ours. ment officials, experts and devel- lems in energy and environmental She has become one of our own. opers to learn about the Bethlehem sustainability that are too complex —James R. Tanenbaum ’70

SPRING 2014 | 33 “We have tremendous momentum and to confine to one field of study. Gast are making a EVER MORE ENGAGED On April years is the way the students have encouraged the Lehigh community 15, 2009, President Gast signed the reacted to the administrators. When to think boldly about long-term difference in the Lehigh University Climate Commit- I got here, it was more of a rebel- possibilities. “The uncertainties world through our ment, affirming Lehigh’s dedication lious attitude. People were rallying we face today remind us of how vul- teaching, research to creating institutional policies for change,” Kodama said. “Now, nerable we are, and they cause us and procedures to manage the it’s working very closely with the to reflect on our core mission and and service.” development and implementation administration, and the adminis- our core values,” she said. “But this of a plan that affirms environmental tration has found the same level of is not the time to retreat or give up. protection and improvement. The respect for the students that we’ve In fact, now is the time when, more signing made good on one of the found for the administration. We than ever, we need to meet the promises President Gast made work together now. We’re a unit.” challenges of the world and contrib- upon her arrival at Lehigh three ute real value to real problems such years earlier. Student Alice Kodama WHAT WE STAND FOR The Prin- as energy, environment, infra- ’09 remarked at the time that the ciples of Our Equitable Community, structure and resources.” Since it university’s new leadership had which detailed Lehigh’s enduring opened in 2011, the STEPS building played an important role in getting commitment to creating a welcom- has been certified as LEED Gold, a students more involved in import- ing, open campus climate, were ad- milestone achievement for Lehigh ant institutional goals, most espe- opted by the Lehigh community and and for sustainability efforts under cially those related to sustainability. discussed during a campus-wide President Gast. “What’s changed in the past three town hall meeting led by President

34 | LEHIGH BULLETIN Awards & HONORS

• In October 2008, President Gast was named one of the top 100 “Modern Era” engineers in the country, under the category of “Leadership,” by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

• In June of 2010, President Gast received an honorary degree from the University of Western Ontario. Speaking to graduates at their 295th Convocation, she said: “Never before have educated people like you had so many opportunities to contribute so much, so please contribute.”

• In September of 2010, President Gast was selected as one of three new U.S. science

DOUGLAS BENEDICT, CHRISTA NEU envoys by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. In the role, she was charged with encouraging U.S. global engagement in science and technology, and eventually traveled to the Central Asian and Caucasus regions, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The LehighSiliconValley program is giving Lehigh students an immersive experience in America’s technology industry, while the Broughal and Donegan school partnerships are • President Gast joined edu- offering crucial support for local students and families in South Bethlehem. cation experts from around the world at a conference at England’s University of Not- Gast in 2011. Said President Gast schools by removing barriers to ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES tingham in February of 2010. at the time: “This is an opportunity learning and generally assisting the Lehigh’s campus expanded in size The Lord Dearing Memorial to acknowledge what we stand for schools with a variety of educa- by almost 50 percent—opening Conference provided a forum and how we want to enact that tional and health programs. Both up almost endless possibilities for for accomplished educators to every day.” The Principles would go have been great successes. “There the university and its neighboring shape the debate on its future. on to become a hugely important is really nothing more important to communities—as a gift of 755 acres reference point for all discussions our future and to our success, than in Upper Saucon Township was pre- on campus regarding diversity and our children,” President Gast said sented to Lehigh by the Donald B. • In 2012, President Gast inclusion. upon the Donegan announcement. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation was elected to the board of “Lehigh University is committed in May of 2012. The gift was one of directors of the Chevron Corp., EYE ON THE FUTURE Lehigh to serving our community and our the most generous gifts in Lehigh’s one of the world’s leading in 2013 announced the launch of a nation through effective collabo- history, and one of the largest integrated energy companies. community school partnership in rations in support of our neigh- donations of land in recent higher She also serves on the boards at South Bethlehem with Donegan El- borhood schools. We believe that education history. Wrote President the King Abdullah University ementary School. Two years earlier, the community school model ... Gast at the time: “This is truly an of Science and Technology, Lehigh had launched a partnership provides tangible improvement in exciting time for Lehigh. We have Academic Research Council for with Broughal Middle School, the educational opportunities for tremendous momentum and are the Singapore Ministry of Edu- also located on the South Side. the children and families of our making a difference in the world Both programs aimed to expand community.” through our teaching, research and cation, and New York Academy opportunities for students in urban service.” of Science, among others.

SPRING 2014 | 35 “I wish Alice and her family all the best going forward. She has left Lehigh in a good place, enabling us to build on her legacy. She traveled far and wide, carrying the Lehigh story with her, leaving a positive impression along the way.” —Joseph R. Perella ’64

RESEARCH and ACADEMICS

A NEW TRADITION The inau- Center for Academic Success. This development. It would earn a cov- AN ENERGIZED CAMPUS gural Academic Symposium, “A summer, Lehigh will also unveil a eted spot among the nation’s top When President Gast announced Celebration of Research and Its new Summer Scholars Institute for 25 entrepreneurial programs later the hiring of Patrick V. Farrell as Global Impact,” was held in April first-generation students. in the year and cement Lehigh’s Lehigh’s newest Provost in early of 2007, featuring five internation- reputation as a center for entrepre- 2009, Farrell noted that the energy ally renowned scholars as keynote WHERE BUSINESSES GROW neurship in higher education. he felt on campus at the time was speakers. The Symposium has Ben Franklin TechVentures, located one of the things that most drew since become one of the most im- on Lehigh’s Mountaintop campus, ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES him to Lehigh. “My sense in talking portant academic events at Lehigh. was named by Inc. magazine as President Gast has overseen a vast to people on campus is that there’s one of the nation’s top ten “Start-up expansion of research opportuni- a real enthusiasm and optimism PROVIDING SUPPORT Lehigh Incubators to Watch” in 2011. ties for students. In the 2012-2013 about not only what Lehigh has under President Gast has made academic year, more than 1,200 been, but what it can be in the great strides in its efforts to pre- TRUE LEADERS Lehigh launched students took part in research future. And people are anxious to pare its students for academic suc- the Dexter F. Baker Institute for projects, 386 worked on faculty re- take that on.” Farrell has been a key cess. In 2011, the University created Entrepreneurship, Creativity and search, 55 received grants for their partner for President Gast, playing the Academic Transition program Innovation in the spring of 2010 to own work and 45 were supported a large role in such initiatives as to assist new students with the actively foster and champion the by the Dale S. Strohl ‘58 Awards for the Cluster Initiative, faculty hiring challenges of university life, and in entrepreneurial spirit at Lehigh and Research Excellence in Humanities and the Mountaintop project. 2012-2013, a record 553 first-year advance creativity and innovation and Social Sciences. students sought support from the for economic, cultural and social

36 | LEHIGH BULLETIN HELMY H. ALSAGAFF, THEO ANDERSON, DOUGLAS BENEDICT, JOHN KISH, IV, CHRISTA NEU

President Gast’s influence and impact on Lehigh can be seen in the continued engagement of its alumni, its growing global profile and, perhaps most notably, in the ever more impressive achievements of its students. “Difficult problems are solved through INNOVATION CENTER Lehigh the creation of CREATING LEADERS Speaking A PROMISE KEPT Lehigh an- in early May of 2010 received a gift to LEADERS magazine in 2010, nounced a new Community Health of $10 million from Daniel E. Smith new knowledge President Gast explained why Lehigh faculty cluster from a pool of seven Jr. ’71 and his wife, Elizabeth Riley, and the education was so fully committed to developing proposals in the summer of 2013. to establish the Smith Funds for future leaders. “We turn to our insti- The interdisciplinary topic cluster, Research and Innovation in Science of students who tutions of higher education to solve which followed the launch of and Engineering at Lehigh Universi- can lead us in difficult problems,” she said. “They clusters in Africana Studies and in ty. “The Smith Family gift will have the future by are solved through the creation of integrated networks for electricity, a transforming impact on Lehigh, new knowledge and the education aims to study the complex interplay fueling innovation and fostering a applying what of students who can lead us in the among community members, their culture of intellectual entrepreneur- they’ve learned in future by applying what they’ve environments and the healthcare ship across campus,” President learned in the context of large prob- system at the local level. The Gast said at the time. “These funds the context of large lems and grand challenges.” That creation of the cluster spoke to will allow us to translate great problems and commitment continued until the the success President Gast had ideas into robust and sustainable grand challenges.” end of her tenure, as in May of 2014 in promoting the importance research, significantly enhance our Lehigh launched its own Leader- of healthcare at the time of her research productivity, and secure Shape program, a six-day experience inauguration—and made good on Lehigh’s place among premier resi- that challenges students to explore her promise that Lehigh could and dential research universities.” identity development and inclusive would “do more.” L leadership skills.

SPRING 2014 | 37 38 | LEHIGH BULLETIN Story by Tim Hyland

‘A Minority of One,’ Reprised

In the Fall of 1951, Costel Denson arrived on campus as the first African-American student in Lehighhistory. More than 60 years later, he returned to South Mountain to share his incredible story— one of inspiration and despair, loneliness and triumph.

sit and hear Costel Denson ’56 tell his why he would go on to become one of the most To Lehigh story is to take a walk through respected minds in the world in the field of flu- the history of race relations not only on South id mechanics. He enjoyed a long and successful Mountain, but in the nation as a whole. career at GE, launched two companies based on Denson is the man, after all, who became the technologies that he himself developed, and lat- first African-American student to ever enroll at er returned to academia, serving as professor of Lehigh. He did so in 1951—12 years before Mar- chemical engineering, dean of engineering and tin Luther King Jr. led the March on Washington Vice Provost for Research. and brought the Civil Rights Movement into the Notably, he also returned to Lehigh, during nation’s consciousness—and so, as one might the 1968-69 academic year, to serve as a vis- imagine, Denson’s time on campus was marked iting professor in chemical engineering. That by more than mere academic challenge. year, the university was home to 28 African- To put it simply, for four years here at Le- American students, and at the conclusion of his high, Denson was alone. visiting tenure, Denson wrote a piece for this Yes, he found family with the fenc- very publication, reflecting on his two stints at ing team—a team that he would eventual- Lehigh and offering his thoughts on how Lehigh ly captain—and he found family, too, in the might better serve the African-American com- African-American church in Bethlehem. He munity and live up to its mission. It was titled, found mentors in the department of chemical “A Minority of One.” engineering, and he found supporters in the In mid-April, Denson returned to campus to university administration, too. But even with meet with administrators, faculty and students. the support of a few, his time at Lehigh, inevi- He was here to share his story, his perspectives tably, was never going to be easy. And it wasn’t. and his words of wisdom with those who make But he never gave up. Even when he wanted up the Lehigh of today, and he was kind enough to, he never gave up. He wouldn’t let himself. during his time here to sit down for a lengthy in- UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES Which is why he went on to earn his degree terview with the Bulletin. During an hour-long A LEHIGH PIONEER: at Lehigh and his commission in the U.S. Army. interview, Denson told what can only be termed Cos Denson arrived at It’s why he later would earn a master’s degree a wholly unique and truly inspirational Lehigh Lehigh as the University’s from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1960, story—one that offers a sobering look back at first African-American stu- and his doctorate from the University of Utah both America in the mid-20th century, and at one dent in the fall of 1951. in 1965, both in chemical engineering, and it’s man’s difficult, lonely and inspirational journey.

SPRING 2014 | 39 Where did you grow up? instructed to go down to the principal’s office. I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, in the Bea- Everyone froze, because of course, you only get ver Valley. It was steel country, a town called called down to the principal’s office if you’re in New Brighton. Everyone was hardworking, and trouble. I’m thinking, “What did I do?” When I it was a mixed community. We had black folks, entered the office, they handed me the phone, Irish folks, Italian folks, Eastern Europeans. We and I picked it up and the man’s name on the line all got along pretty well. Of course, it was sec- was (former Lehigh vice president for advance- tionalized, but when it came to football, we all ment) Paul Franz Jr. He said to me, “I’m going to played together, and we all did very well. That be in Pittsburgh tomorrow, and I’m wondering was the binding element in the community— if you could meet me there.” Now, I didn’t know the football team. where I was going, but the next day I caught the bus and found the building he said he would be What did your mother and father do for a living? at. Out comes this man with these two elegant My mother was a housekeeper for a wealthy women—they were the Dravo sisters—and we all family, and my father was a millworker. Neither went into this other room. We talked for an hour. of them went to college, but my mother later They were asking me all of these questions. And went on to become a licensed practical nurse. then I went back home. I had no idea what was She did that in the later stages of her life. But going on—I just thought it was all strange. she also had great musical talent. She was the church organist for something like 30 years, and But obviously, something was up. as her son, I had to sing in the church choir and What happened next? behave. But I did have some good talent myself. Ten days later, of course, I received this big I started playing when I was 5 or 6 and I studied thick letter from Lehigh saying, “We are grant- music for about 12 years, and I was looking at a ing you admission, and we’re giving you a Dra- career in music. Remember, this was the 1940s, vo scholarship.” I didn’t have to play sports or and what kind of jobs could you get back then anything. They would cover my tuition, room if you were a black man? Well, one of them was and board, and I would get some spending to be a musician. So my junior year, I applied money, too. They were only giving out ten of to Oberlin College, and was granted early ad- those scholarships, and I was getting one of mission, and I thought that was that. I was just them. Now, around the same time, I had been studying hard and playing football. admitted to MIT, but I hadn’t received as good an aid package, and I told my parents that’s So what changed? where I wanted to go. They said, “No you’re But then during my junior year I took a chem- not. You’re going to Lehigh.” istry course, and one of the teachers was one of the assistant football coaches. He was kind of a What can you tell me about your first days here? rough guy. One day we were sitting in class, and Eventually the day came for me to depart for we were given an assignment that was supposed Bethlehem. My father bought me a plane tick- to take two or three hours. Well, I polished it et for $17, and I boarded the plane and was just off in about 30 minutes and then I was sitting totally wacked out. I hadn’t ever been on a plane there wondering what to do. I told the teacher, before. We landed in Easton and I grabbed a taxi “Coach, I don’t have anything to do here.” So to campus, and I eventually found where the ad- then he handed me this magazine. And I tell missions office was. I went down and obtained you, I read that magazine for the next two years. my key and then found my room and started un- It was called Chemical Engineering. I just fell in packing. I was still scared to death. I had never love with it and said, “This is what I want to be.” seen anything like this campus in my life. Of course, everyone thought I was nuts. In those days, all of the freshmen had room- mates, and there was a lot of activity that day How did you change their minds? as all of the students started moving in. So I’m They said there was no way I was going to end up waiting for my roommate, and nobody ever a chemical engineer. But I persisted. I ended up comes. After a couple of days, I go down to the applying to the Carnegie Institute of Technolo- Alumni Memorial Building to see the vice pres- gy, Lehigh, MIT and the Case Institute. Now, in ident of student affairs. I found him and said, high school, I was a big star football player and a “Sir, I’m a bit worried. My roommate hasn’t good scholar. I graduated fifth in my class. I was shown up yet, and I’m worried something may president of the science club and all kinds of oth- have happened to him.” Well, that’s when he er stuff. So one day I’m sitting in class and I was told me, “Cos, we’ve never had a colored per-

40 | LEHIGH BULLETIN giving me private lessons twice a week. I really worked at it. And as it turned out, that was my saving grace—my family. Come November, the coach had to pick the varsity team, and he only took nine guys total, and when he picked the team I was No. 3 in the saber. I ended up fenc- ing all four years at Lehigh. I earned four varsity letters and was captain during my fourth year.

When it came to academics, did you find that you struggled at all making the transition from high school? There was a learning curve, yes, but mostly it was analytic geometry and calculus that gave me the hardest time. I had a room by myself, of course, so I was able to hit the books really hard. I aced those and couldn’t believe it, and after that, I was OK. I finished the semester with a really decent average.

What were your social interactions like? Did you receive any difficult treatment? It was an issue sometimes when I walked around campus. Some students, I noticed, would cross the street. But for the most part, the students didn’t really bother me. One of the biggest heartaches I had came at rush time. Rush was going on and there was all of this activity all CHRISTA NEU evening long, there was all of this noise in the hall, and I kept waiting for somebody to knock on my door, and of course that never happened. And that’s one thing I wanted to talk about. When I came there, there was no Martin Luther DR. DENSON: son here before. You’re kind of an experiment, King Jr. There was no Civil Rights Act. So what Denson enjoyed we’re not sure how it’s going to go, and so you happened here at Lehigh—I really don’t know a long and suc- are going to have a private room.” I was crushed. why it happened. They weren’t forced to do it. cessful career I walked back up to my room and called home, So what I eventually concluded was that there in industry and and my parents asked me what was going on. I must have been several factors that all had to be later served as professor told them, “I can’t deal with this.” I mean, I had working in concert with each other to make this of chemical just turned 17. So then my father said, “OK, Cos, happen. Everything had to be in alignment. The engineering and just come on back and we’ll get you a job in the trustees could have said no, and for all I know, vice provost for steel mill.” And I realized, well, I was going to some of them did. The president had to be lined research at the have to make it work. I was just scared to death. up behind it. The administrators had to be University of But I knew I had to make it work. lined up behind it. Many of the faculty had been Delaware. pushing for something like this for many years, How did you make it work, then? and I think that was obviously a very positive During the first week of classes, I remember thing. All of those elements had to be working that Lehigh hosted a demonstration for all of in concert to have made this happen. Anybody the different activities you could participate in could have vetoed it, but they let it happen. And on campus. It was in the old Taylor Gym, and I they provided financial support, too. remember seeing a demonstration by the fenc- ing team. I thought, “Well, this looks like fun. Did you find the faculty to be supportive? I’m going to figure out what this is all about.” When I was a student here, I have to say, many All of the guys were just super nice. They really of the faculty were very supportive. During my welcomed me in, and they told me what nights junior year, I could barely breathe. I was in re- they held workouts and invited me to come ally bad shape and had just about had it. It was work out. I met the coach, and he ended up tough enough doing the work and solving the

SPRING 2014 | 41 problems. But to just be alone all the time? It A lot of this resurfaced when I was really a burden for me. It became very op- came back for my 50th reunion. pressive. We had a big dinner that night, I remember I was sitting in a lecture one day, and a classmate of mine, Har- and we were learning all about these technical ry Levine, gave a speech. He had terms you need to know as a chemical engineer. called me about a month before We were talking about how, if you were working that, and he said he was going to in a factory you might have all of these quanti- give a speech and he wanted to ask ties of materials coming in, and then in the mid- me some questions for the speech. dle of the lecture the professor says, “And this is And so at the dinner he’s giving this where you need to find your [n-word] to unload big speech about Lehigh, and right all of this stuff.” I just shut down. That’s just one in the middle he started talking occasion I had to deal with. And I thought after about me, and how he felt now, my third year I just could not take it. looking back on those days, that he realized that I must have been very How did you cope? lonely. It was a wonderful speech. So I started to act out. I started to act out a lot. Then he asked me to stand, and I Was partying too much and all of it. Eventually, did, and it all came back. the chairman of our department, Alan Foust, FLASHBACK: who was a big, 6-foot-6 Texan with this deep I have to ask: Lehigh gave you a great opportunity, Denson penned voice and Texas drawl, called me in to his office and gave you a platform on which to build a won- an essay for and just flat out told me, “The rumor is you’re derful career. But your time here was also very dif- the Fall 1969 out partying too much. Do you want to blow ficult. So what are your feelings for Lehigh today? issue of the everything?” And I tell you what he did next: I love it. I actually created a scholarship, and Bulletin about He called my parents back in Western Penn- the scholarship was for students who were his experiences sylvania and he told them what was going on. going to major in chemical engineering, or an at Lehigh. Then he asked them, “Would you please come offshoot. It has nothing to do with race. I had out here? I want to talk to you, in front of him.” a tough time but when I created the scholar- And I remember sitting in his office with my ship, it wasn’t just for black students, it was for mother and my father, and my father just laced excellence in chemical engineering. That’s my me out. I mean, he really tore into me. I got it statement. And to me, it’s a powerful statement. back together after that. I made it through the I think it says a lot that I would do that—that I semester. haven’t closed that door behind me.

It must have been tough, though. Lehigh is still dealing with issues related to Who supported you? diversity, and is working to make the campus I had the support of Prof. Foust, the big Tex- a welcoming place for all students. I am an, and I had the support of another faculty wondering what your thoughts are about member, who invited me over to his house one where Lehigh is, and what it can do better. day and told me, “I know you’re struggling. Let Sometimes as I read through the Bulletin, I look me help.” And that helped a lot. The last thing at all of these alumni with all of the letters after that helped, I think, was that the summer af- their name—Joe Smith, ’70, P’90 and so forth. ter my junior year was the summer that I went But I think that’s an important thing that is to ROTC summer camp. I remember we were missing with minority alumni, and I wonder how standing in lineup, and the commanding offi- many minority alumni end up sending their chil- cer and the lieutenant colonel came over and dren here. What’s the legacy? I don’t see it very asked my name, and when I answered, they often. And I think that’s one metric I would look said, “Oh, we’ve heard about you. We’ll see if at—what is the comparison of the white children we can’t change that.” And they did. When I and grandchildren of alumni here vs. the mi- came out of that camp, I was just a different nority children and grandchildren here? Maybe person. I was ship-shape. But I think the big- that’s what needs to happen. Maybe we have a gest difference was Foust—he picked up the situation where prospective minority students phone and made that call to my parents. And are saying, “My father and mother went there, my father listened to that big Texas drawl on and they had a hard time, so I’m not going.” the phone, saying “Cos is acting out, and he’s You’ve got to fix that. What do we do to make it going to fail.” But in the end, I survived. I re- so that our minority graduates say to their kids, ceived my commission and I survived. “You’ve got to come here?” L

42 | LEHIGH BULLETIN NOTES

That’s the Spirit! Robert Wolfenden on the growing opportunities offered by the ‘Lehigh family.’

On April 26, my wife Valerie and I celebrated our 33rd wedding tunities and benefits: Alumni Weekend and Reunion, Sendoffs, anniversary. With a pub crawl. Homecoming and Family Weekend, regional club outings, and I know what you’re thinking: Bob, you are such a romantic! virtual Mountain Talk lectures and alumni career webinars. But before you judge me, you have to know that this wasn’t just We’re adding new alumni affinity groups, with access to alumni any pub crawl. It was the Fells Point Haunted PubWalk, hosted networks connected with entrepreneurship, accounting and the by the Lehigh Club of Baltimore. health care industry. And we have plenty of other ways you can Granted, it wasn’t champagne and roses, but Val and I agreed volunteer, network and stay connected. that there was no other way we’d rather celebrate this mile- Take advantage of all we have to offer at mylehigh.lehigh.edu. stone than with our Lehigh family. The event was coordinated And while you’re there, I would be remiss if I didn’t encourage by Bobby Buckheit III ’09 (who incidentally just received our you to show your support for Lehigh with a meaningful gift before Regional Volunteer of the Year Award during Alumni Weekend) the end of our fiscal year on June 30 (just go to give.lu/spirit). You and his wife, Krista Bellick ’11, who have brought new life to can support the university as a whole or a program of your choice, the Baltimore Club with their commitment and enthusiasm. The and even make your gift in honor or memory of someone special PubWalk itself is co-owned and operated by a Lehigh alum: Amy to you. Lynwander ’91 has been introducing visitors to this amazing Thank you for your support and for keeping the Lehigh spirit neighborhood for more than 14 years through her unique tours. alive! Val and I had a great time. And yes, I’m pretty sure I saw a ghost. Not everyone would choose to connect with the “spirit” of Lehigh in such a literal way. But I share this story not only to thank and celebrate our club volunteers, but to remind you that Sincerely, the Lehigh University Alumni Association offers so many oppor- Robert W. Wolfenden, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations

SPRING 2014 | 43 NOTES

PROFILE Yevgeniy Tkachenko ’91, ’93G, ’95 Ph.D.

Yevgeniy “Gene” Tkachenko left his home in Ukraine in 1990, at the onset of the breakup of the Soviet Union, and went on to play a role in another momentous transformation—the birth of the wireless communication industry. “When I came to Lehigh,” says Tkachenko, “I had absolutely no clue what to expect. I didn’t even know if I should bring a coat. But I did know it was a huge opportunity.” Tkachenko arrived at Lehigh as part of the U.S.-Soviet Exchange Initiative endorsed by Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gor- bachev. He earned three degrees in electrical engineering and has used his knowledge of semiconductors to build computer chips for cell phones around the world. “It’s great to have had the opportunity to develop technologies for Motorola, Nokia, iPhones and GalaxyS,” says Tkachenko. “They make our lives so much fuller and safer, and more interesting and dynamic than they were two decades ago. “We can truly call what has happened in the last 20 years a wireless revolution,” he says, noting that some areas of the developing world that lack Internet access or other wired connectivity do have cell phones. “If something happens in a remote village, the next minute it appears all over the globe. Mobile devices are empowering people and political groups to spread their messages. “Wireless communication is making the world more free and democratic.” In 1995, Tkachenko joined Alpha Industries, a Massachusetts maker of communications chips, where he focused on military and space wireless applications. Alpha later merged into Skyworks Solutions Inc., the largest provider of semiconductors for mobile telephones in the U.S., and Tkachenko became senior director of engineering. “We went from producing hundreds of thousands of wireless devices a year to building several million a day. Some of these were very complex multichip In Lehigh, Tkachenko found a home away from JUST STARTING Tkachenko, exec- modules integrating many different semiconductor devices and home. “I met some very special people here. Plus, utive VP for Eta technologies within footprints of a few square millimeters.” my wife, Lena, and I had our daughter while I was Devices’ handset Tkachenko recently left Skyworks to become executive vice pres- at Lehigh, so we have sweet memories of the place.” business, says the revolution in ident for the handset business at Eta Devices, an MIT spinoff that The revolution in wireless communication, he wireless commu- makes semiconductor chips. “At Eta,” he says, “we have a technology says, is just getting started. “We’ve only reached nication has just begun. The oppor- that promises to revolutionize the next generation of mobile and the tip of the iceberg.” Coming soon: wireless pha- tunity to work on wireless infrastructure devices from the standpoint of efficiency and blets (a cross between a phone and a tablet) that real-world prob- power.” do everything from making credit card purchases lems at Lehigh,, he says, gave him He credits much of his success to his Lehigh education, especially to starting your car to testing your blood sugar. a competitive Prof. James Hwang, his adviser. “Lives will be saved because doctors will have advantage. “Lehigh provided me the opportunity to work on real-life wireless access to whatever is happening to a per- problems with commercial companies. This, in my view, is what son’s body at any point in time,” he says. differentiates the U.S. university system in general, and Lehigh in “I’m so blessed to have been able to work on particular, and it is why the U.S. has such a competitive advantage these things; it’s been the chance of a lifetime.” globally.” —Elizabeth Shimer Bowers

50 | LEHIGH BULLETIN NOTES

ARCHIVE Packer Hall, 1886 UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

THE HEART OF IT ALL: It is without question the most iconic building on campus. Packer Hall, shown here shortly after its opening and otherwise known as the University Center, was built in 1886 and has since stood at the center of Lehigh’s campus. The building originally was home to a chapel, classrooms, offices and dormitory space, and during construction a railway line was built specifically to carry materials to the building site. Today, the building is home to various dining facilities, a bank, conference rooms and numerous offices, including dean’s offices and various student-support departments.

66 | LEHIGH BULLETIN END PAPER

NOSTALGIA: The Greatness of The Goose

there’s no getting around it: “The Goose” is simply part of wich shop has evolved into something of an institution here on Lehigh. For more than 30 years, the Goosey Gander Caterer and South Mountain. So, too, has cheerful owner Tony Silvoy, who Deli has been dishing out its beloved sandwiches and deli de- can always be counted on to deliver his wonderful food with a lights, and in the course of those three-plus decades, the sand- friendly greeting and a broad smile. Photos by Christa Neu

80 | LEHIGH BULLETIN

Nonprofit Org. US Postage Paid Lehigh University Alumni Association Permit 498 Burlington, VT 27 Memorial Drive West 05401 Bethlehem, PA 18015-3734 www.lehigh.edu/alumni

During a photo shoot at the Goodman Campus in March, Lehigh softball stars Emily Brusher ’15 (left) and Morgan Decker ’16 showed off their skills—and shared a laugh or two as well (see story, pg. 24). Photo by Steve Boyle