SPRING 2017 LEHIGH BULLETIN LEHIGH BULLETIN SPRING 2017 WHEN LEHIGH BEAT DUKE How teamwork, togetherness and selflessness helped the 2011-2012 Mountain Hawks pull one of the greatest upsets in the history of March Madness. STRIKE UP THE BAND The Marching 97 will have the honor of marching in the 2018 New Year’s Day Parade in London, England. Former Lord Mayor Catherine Longworth, right, of the City of Westminster visited campus in November to officially extend the invitation. Photo by Christa Neu UP FRONT STAFF EDITOR Tim Hyland [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR Mary Ellen Alu ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kurt Pfitzer, Kelly Hochbein CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Margaret Burnett ’17, Lori Friedman, Henry Greenburg ’17, Madison Gouveia ’17, Linda Harbrecht, Dawn Thren, Amy White CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kurt Hansen ART DIRECTOR Beth Murphy DESIGNER Neha Kavan PHOTOGRAPHERS A Team Worth Celebrating Ryan Hulvat, John Kish IV, Christa Neu BUSINESS SUPPORT Traci Mindler “Sports is human life in microcosm.” that legendary tournament, and it won’t be the CONTACT US —Howard Cosell last. But here at Lehigh, that game immediately Lehigh University Alumni Association became, and still remains, one of the greatest 27 Memorial Drive West As anyone who has ever been foolish enough moments in the history of not only Lehigh Ath- Bethlehem, PA 18015-3734 (610) 758-3135 to fall in love with a team knows, there is a fun- letics, but of Lehigh University. Fax: (610) 758-3316 damental truth about sports that, sometimes, And yes, I assure you, the reasons go far be- Hotline: (610) 758-alum non-sports fans simply can’t quite understand. yond basketball itself. CLASS NOTES AND That truth is this: While it may be true to In our cover story for this special issue of the REMEMBRANCES say sports are simply about sports, it’s also Bulletin, Mary Ellen Alu and I tell the story not (610) 758-3675 [email protected] true that sports are about so much more than just of that Lehigh team’s amazing win over the just sports. Blue Devils, but also the focused journey those SUBSCRIBERS For address changes, send At their best, sports can—and, yes, I really be- players and coaches undertook, together, to the mailing label, along with lieve this–be about nothing less than life itself. achieve the unthinkable. Their success, as you’ll your new address, to: Sports can be about community and together- read, was no accident; it came about precisely Alumni Records/Lehigh University 125 Goodman Drive ness. They can be about sacrifice and resilience. because of a shared commitment to be great—a Bethlehem, PA 18015-3055 They can be about tremendous triumph or commitment that was as much a pledge to each (610) 758-3015 [email protected] crushing defeat. They can break our hearts, and other as it was to themselves. Indeed, talk to they often do, but they are also unique in their those players today and they’ll tell you, almost ADVERTISING Traci Mindler ability to deliver almost impossible thrills—not to a man, that never were they on a team that Lehigh University to mention moments, memories and lessons cared for each other, and supported each other, 125 Goodman Drive that can last a lifetime. as much as the 2011-2012 Mountain Hawks. Bethlehem, PA 18015-3754 (610) 758-3015 In this issue of the Lehigh Bulletin, we’ll offer It was a pleasure working on this story, and [email protected] only further proof of that. I sincerely hope that you, our readers, will en- LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN Five years ago, a scrappy, confident group of joy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting Vol. 103, No. 1, Spring 2017 Lehigh Mountain Hawks stunned the college it together. Thank you, as always, for reading. Published three times a year by the basketball world by knocking off the mighty And from us to you, we proudly proclaim: Lehigh University Communications Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA Men’s Basket- Go Lehigh! and Public Affairs Office, in coop- ball Tournament, more commonly known as eration with the Lehigh University Alumni Association Inc. “March Madness.” The thrilling 75-70 triumph Sincerely, was not the first upset in the grand history of Tim Hyland, Editor Share your thoughts—your kudos, your criticisms, your questions—by sending your Letters to the Editor. They can be sent via snail mail to the address at right, or via email to [email protected]. 2 | LEHIGH BULLETIN UP FRONT STAFF STAFFVolume 103, Number 1, Spring 2017 DEPARTMENTS 2 FROM THE EDITOR 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT ON CAMPUS 5 A Welcome Addition 6 A Lesson on Nonviolence 7 The Rivalry Earns a Marker 8 UN Briefing Focuses on Education 9 From Lehigh to Silicon Valley 10 DESIGN SHOWCASE: 18 Why the Rings Say ‘Family’ Exploring Creativity RESEARCH WHEN LEHIGH BEAT DUKE: AN ORAL HISTORY 11 A Window to the Future On March 16, 2012, the No. 15-seeded Lehigh Mountain Hawks stunned mighty No. 2 Duke in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. It was a victory that put 11 Thermal Evolution Award Lehigh basketball on the map and helped launch the career of star guard C.J. 12 Illuminating the McCollum. But it was no miracle, and to hear the players say it, it was Circuitry of the Brain no upset, either. By Tim Hyland and Mary Ellen Alu 13 American Geophysical Award CULTURE 14 The Women of Bethlehem Steel 34 A Prescription for Peace 15 LU Philharmonic Performs Mahler’s Sixth A new book argues that successful peacemaking between longstanding adversaries is almost always imposed by states from the top down before it is sustained by ATHLETICS societies. By Kurt Pfitzer 16 Football Adds 15 with Latest Recruiting Class 16 A Surprising Star in the Making NOTES 41 LEHIGH DISPATCH 73 IN REMEMBRANCE 80 MISCELLANY: LUcy, Canine Officer ALUMNI PROFILES 39 Khalil Uqdah ’10 40 Joseph J. Roy ’09 40 Lea Giménez ’12 Ph.D. ON THE COVER: Five years ago, the Lehigh Mountain Hawks knocked off the mighty Duke Blue Devils in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Illustration by Danny Allison SPRING 2017 | 3 UP FRONT A Lehigh@NasdaqCenter launch party was held in January at the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in downtown San Francisco. At left are students from The Baker Institute’s flagship LehighSilicon- Valley program. Below, President John Simon and Ed Konjoyan of Majestic Realty join in the celebration. A Westward Push So too, of course, are our students. In late Jan- uary, a fearless group of Lehigh undergraduates traveled to California to take part in the SpaceX Lehigh’s points of pride are almost too numerous to count. We boast one Hyperloop Pod Competition, a worldwide contest of the most beautiful college campuses in the world. We are steeped in history, that challenged participants to build a functioning with beloved traditions that stretch back more than a century. We cheer on prototype for Elon Musk’s futuristic transporta- teams of true student-athletes—talented, competitive individuals who make tion system. In all, more than 1,000 teams would us proud both on the field and off. We have a vast, passionate and deeply -en enter, but by the time the finals were held, just 29 gaged alumni base, a reputation that places us among the world’s finest insti- teams remained. Ours was among them—the only tutions of higher learning, and a deep well of potential that we will leverage to undergraduate team to advance that far—and they propel this university to even greater heights. did us proud. But most importantly, we have a community of exceptional people and ex- This was a student-conceived, student-led, stu- ceptional minds. They remain our greatest asset. dent-powered project—one that saw our students Each day, I have the privilege and honor of getting to work alongside the leap at the opportunity to be part of a potentially brilliant individuals who call this university home. In our faculty and our staff, revolutionary development. The logistics were our students and our alumni, I find not only an unwavering support system, daunting, the challenges great, and the doubters but also a constant source of inspiration. Lehigh’s people do amazing things, many. But these ambitious students forged ahead forward revolutionary ideas and take on daunting challenges—not just here on anyway, and in the end, their efforts provided les- campus, but in places the world over. sons and inspiration for us all. Early this year, I traveled to San Francisco for the official launch of the new Like those students, we should pursue our pas- Lehigh@NasdaqCenter, a partnership between Lehigh and the Nasdaq Entre- sions fearlessly. Like those students, we should preneurial Center that will provide our students, faculty and alumni with in- serve as active participants in the work of building valuable opportunities to engage directly with the vibrant and ever-expanding a better future. And like those students, we should startup community in Silicon Valley. The launch comes at a time when Lehigh never let the doubts of others cloud our belief in is expanding its presence more generally on the West Coast, and after spend- ourselves. ing a week speaking with our growing alumni base there, it’s clear to me that We as individuals, and we as an institution, are this westward push is well worth the effort. The people I met are the biggest capable of greatness. Together, we should push reason why. each other and ourselves to pursue precisely that. So many times during my trip, I was struck by the true and undeniable pas- sion our West Coast alumni had for their work—and was proud to hear that Sincerely, so many of them credit Lehigh with helping them get to where they are to- John D.