8 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST In recognition of the Indigenous people who originally inhabited South Bethlehem, Lehigh signed a historical Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Delaware Nation, a sovereign, federally recognized nation of Lenape people. Signed in October, the document signaled an ongoing, reciprocal partnership with one of the Lenape tribal nations whose homelands Lehigh sits on. It enabled Delaware Nation to relocate an extension of their historic preservation office on campus, to facilitate the tribal nation’s work in the region. Delaware Nation is headquartered in Anadarko, Oklahoma. Working Together “Any time you can establish a formal relationship with a tribal nation, it’s a big deal,” said Sean M. Daley, a faculty member with the College of Health who directs Lehigh’s Institute for Indigenous Studies (IIS). “When you look at the way Indigenous people and tribal nations are treated, they are left out of everything,” he said, referring to many major health and educational studies. “Any time an academic institution can bring them into the fold and work with them, it’s a good thing.” The MOU was signed by President Joseph J. Helble ’82, Provost Nathan Urban and President of Delaware Nation Deborah Dotson. College of Health Dean Beth Dolan also attended the signing. Additionally, through a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and ISS will work with federally recognized tribes to develop a plan highlighting the state’s Indigenous histories, stories and cultures. The grant will allow the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and Lehigh to correct mistakes by including Native people in the storytelling process and promoting the stories, histories and cultures of the tribal nations originally from Pennsylvania. —Christina Tatu Lehigh and Delaware Nation Sign Agreement The partnership will aid Indigenous research and establish a historic preservation office. PARTNERSHIP BY THE NUMBERS RECOGNITION BUSINESS INNOVATION BUILDING WINS DESIGN AWARD The Business Innovation Building received a SARA (Society of American Registered Architects) 2023 National Design Award for design studio Voith & Mactavish Architects. The technology-driven building supports a broad range of pedagogical and collaborative activities across four floors of student spaces. A dedicated suite houses the Lehigh Ventures Lab, a business incubator for early-stage entrepreneurs. The building also provides a permanent home for the Vistex Institute for Executive Education. Lehigh completed its first entire building LED lighting conversion on campus in 2018 and will be continuing improvements through 2024. 1,729,000 Kilowatt hours saved per year due to latest round of upgrades, the equivalent of energy usage in 163 average U.S. homes. $181,500 Estimated cost savings per year for 2023 lighting upgrades. Amount Lehigh invested in LED lighting upgrades across eight buildings in 2023. $1M+ of campus square footage upgraded to LED lighting since 2018 as buildings more than 10,000 square feet in size were prioritized. Approximately 42% 22Campus buildings, out of 162, that have been fully converted to LED lights. JEFFREY TOTARO / MARCUS SMITH ’25
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