COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 15 connections among Lehigh, the City of Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley. The program has had a lasting impact on the region, as Fellows often remain after graduation working and making contributions in community organizations. Tormann gained skills in city planning and fostering engagement as a Community Fellow in the City of Bethlehem’s Office of Community and Economic Development. As a Fellow, he completed work related to Bethlehem’s housing needs assessment strategic plan. “I had been plugged into the community engagement component of that project by helping the office get out the surveys, log data, and then provide some reports to the more senior-level staff,” Tormann says. While taking the graduate course “Mapping Data for Public Policy,” Tormann completed a class assignment that was tied to his work as a Fellow. By examining the city’s zoning code and pairing it with his mapping work, he was able to conclude that by making certain changes to zoning ordinances, Bethlehem could create more housing opportunities. When the city published its strategic plan for increasing affordable housing, “Opening Doors: Strategies to Build Housing Stability in Bethlehem,” some of Tormann’s recommendations were included. The experience he gained in Bethlehem prepared him for the job he now holds in Allentown. “I think having the technical background and the technical training from Lehigh and the professional experience from my fellowship in Bethlehem, allowed my transition into Allentown to be that much quicker,” says Tormann, who majored in political science at Loyola University Maryland before earning a master’s degree in public policy at Lehigh. In Allentown’s Recompete Project, Tormann will be part of a team partnering with community organizations to support neighborhoods, facilitate local employment, expand access to childcare, invest in transportation options, and build connections to high opportunity industries. Current Community Fellow Huda Hagos ’24 will be working with Tormann on the Allentown initiative. “It’s a great office to just get to learn from everybody. Everyone has different backgrounds, and Trevor also was in the program right before me too—so that’s a really great person to be working under,” says Hagos, who earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a minor in political science. She is studying for a master’s degree in public policy.
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