Katie Couric Kicks Off Compelling Perspectives page 7 page 10 A Game Changer for Lehigh Athletics ʻGradients of Growthʼ page 34 On a Roll Kevin Takarada ’06G took an unconventional path using his engineering background to revolutionize the New York City sushi industry. page 24 FALL 2024 Lehigh ALUMNI BULLETIN
South Mountain's kaleidoscope of colorful leaves delighted the campus community, including the Lehigh University Police Department's therapy dogs Grace and Scout. Photo by Marcus Smith ’25
CONTENTS 4 World Heritage Site Recognized Bethlehem’s Moravian Church Settlements earns the UNESCO designation. 7 Katie Couric Kicks Off Compelling Perspectives The first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast was the first speaker in this academic year’s series. 10 A Game Changer for Lehigh Athletics Data from wearable technology is helping to improve athlete performance and prevent injury. 24 On a Roll Kevin Takarada ’06G took an unconventional path using his engineering background to revolutionize the New York City sushi landscape. 31 $1 Million Awarded to Offshore Wind Turbine Research The National Science Foundation award is for a three-year study. 34 ‘Gradients of Growth’ Professor Deirdre Murphy is the Lower Merion Conservancy’s inaugural Climate Action artist-in-residence. 38 After 1,000 Points, All Eyes Are on March Tyler Whitney-Sidney ’25 says an NCAA Tournament appearance remains on his wish list in this Q&A. 42 Squawk: Who had the greatest impact during your time at Lehigh? Lehigh alumni reflect on their favorite professors. “The university provided a space where I could explore my passion for understanding different cultures and their impact on global affairs.” —Ashley Pritchard ’09, Page 20 ON THE COVER: Kevin Takarada ’06G was photographed at one of his four MakiMaki Sushi restaurants in New York City. Photo by Rachel Vanni PRESIDENT’S LETTER 2 CLASS NOTES 47 IN REMEMBRANCE 74 ENDNOTE 80
2 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | PRESIDENT’S LETTER Lehigh Alumni Bulletin Vol. 109, No. 3, Fall 2024 Interim Editor Stephen Gross Art Director Beth Murphy Staff Writer Christina Tatu Contributing Writers Amy Bilello, Christine Bucher, Emily Collins, Leslie Feldman, Kristin Laudenslager, Colin McEvoy, Grace Roche ’25, Katelyn Silva, Cynthia Tintorri Class Notes Editor Jessi McMullan ’05 Editorial Director Kristen DiPrinzio Creative Director Kurt Hansen Senior Designers Kate Cassidy, Neha Kavan Photographer Christa Neu Business Support Traci Mindler Send class notes and remembrances to classnotes@Lehigh.edu or call (610) 758-3675 Email address changes to askrecords@lehigh.edu or send the mailing label, along with your new address, to Alumni Records/Lehigh University 306 S. New St., Suite 500, Bethlehem, PA 18015, (866) 517-1552 Lehigh University Communications and Public Affairs 301 Broadway, 4th Floor, Suite 400, Bethlehem, PA 18015, (610) 758-4487 Email: communications@lehigh.edu Published three times a year by the Lehigh University Communications and Public Affairs Office, in cooperation with the Lehigh University Alumni Association Inc. Lehigh ALUMNI BULLETIN Follow Lehigh University on X @LehighU and @LehighAlumni Facebook.com/lehighu Facebook.com/lehighalumni Instagram.com/lehighu Instagram.com/lehighalumni youtube.com/lehighu linkedin.com At Lehigh, our educational mission is centered on advancing learning through teaching, research and service to others. Our vibrant academic community thrives on dialogue that promotes the exchange of ideas and the expression of varied viewpoints. This semester, civil discourse is critical as we continue to navigate a challenging global climate that influences discussions at Lehigh and colleges and universities nationwide. One forum for such dialogue is our Compelling Perspectives program, which fosters discussions across differing perspectives on issues of societal importance. Katie Couric, the first woman to solo anchor a network evening newscast, launched the program’s second year with a discussion on traditional media’s changing role in reporting news. A familiar face—Marty Baron ’76 ’76G ’14H—will be our guest in December, reflecting on coverage of the 2024 presidential election. A third speaker, scheduled to visit in February, will focus on nontraditional media. I look forward to those discussions and invite you to attend if you are able. As we continue to allow for, and encourage, open dialogue on campus, I’m also excited about the progress we’ve made toward achieving the goals outlined in our long-term strategy, Inspiring the Future Makers. This fall, we released the strategy’s first progress report. Organized around the themes of Research, Education, Community and Infrastructure, the report details goals we’ve reached the past 12 months and outlines our focus throughout year two of implementation. Among the many highlights from year one that I’m proud to share are the establishment of a University Research Center for Catastrophe Modeling and Resilience and the formation of an Integrated Business and Health inter-college program launching for students in 2025. To make sure our progress continues, we’ve adopted two mantras for the second year of the strategy: “No Sophomore Slump” and “No Bystanders.” No individual owns this strategy; it is collectively Lehigh’s strategy. For the university to be successful, each of us must engage in helping to move Lehigh forward consistent with our values and priorities. I look forward to keeping you informed as the strategy’s implementation progresses and we prepare Lehigh, its students, its faculty and staff, and the community for the future. Joseph J. Helble ’82 President of Lehigh University SCAN TO WATCH PRESIDENT HELBLE’S VIDEO MESSAGE. Moving Lehigh Forward, Together President Joseph J. Helble ’82 visits with the Alley House Team at Building C on the Mountaintop Campus. The team is working on a project aimed at addressing the acute lack of affordable housing in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
My first Lehigh memories include spending fall afternoons with my father at Goodman Stadium. As the leaves changed colors on South Mountain, the team on the field racked up numerous Patriot League Championships and even a home overtime playoff win against Hofstra (memories I shared with head coach Kevin Cahill during my interview with him after he took the job). Another early memory is from 1999, when Katie Couric delivered the Commencement address in front of those very stands as my father, Mike Gross ’99G, received his master’s in electrical engineering. As I oversee the production of this Bulletin, I find it fitting that Lehigh football is off to its best start since 2013 when it began 4-0, and that Ms. Couric, former anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” and co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show, returned to campus. It was a pleasure to cover her kicking off year two of Lehigh’s Compelling Perspectives program (page 7) in September. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of the first Lehigh figures I became familiar with as I spent time at Lehigh was Joe Sterrett ’76. This issue includes a personal letter from him following the announcement of his retirement from full-time service as the Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics at the end of 2024 (page 40). The last few months have also been a new beginning at the university for many others: Manoj K. Malhotra (page 23), the Kevin L. and Lisa A. Clayton Dean of the College of Business; Robin Hojnoski (page 32), the acting dean of the College of Education; and Tariq Ameer (page 18), the new director of Muslim student life/imam. Being introduced to the Lehigh family at an early age, I’m both proud and honored to have the opportunity to deliver an issue of the Bulletin filled with stories that capture the memorable experiences, people and moments that make Lehigh so special. EDITOR’S LETTER A Full Circle Lehigh Moment Stephen Gross Interim Editor EDITOR’S LETTER | FALL 2024 | 3 CORRESPONDENCE MYSTERY SOLVED Lehigh is so special to my family because we moved here back in 1976, when my dad was relocated by Bethlehem Steel. We were all very lost when we had to move from the home we loved. A coworker of my dad’s at Bethlehem Steel suggested he go to Lehigh games, and that was the beginning of a very special tradition in our family. My dad passed away two years ago, and he had a lot of Lehigh football memorabilia. I always wondered where he had gotten a football bobblehead. The mystery was solved when I opened the alumni magazine and there was the story about the bobblehead. Joan Brosious ’17P Administrative Assistant, Housing Services WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Email your comments about this issue to the editor at smg418@lehigh.edu. Send handwritten letters to Lehigh Alumni Bulletin, 301 Broadway, 4th Floor, Bethlehem, PA 18015. Katie Couric returned to Lehigh to kick off this year’s Compelling Perspectives series, which included a Q&A with students (far left). Her first appearance at Lehigh (near left) came as the 1999 Commencement speaker at Murray H. Goodman Stadium. Joan Brosious proudly displays her late father’s Matt Salvaterra Lehigh football bobblehead in her office on campus. Until the previous issue of the Bulletin, Brosious was unaware of where her father obtained the figurine. KRISTI MORRIS / THE MORNING CALL We’d love to hear from you. You can send an email to smg418@lehigh.edu.
4 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST COMMUNITY World Heritage Site Recognized Bethlehem’s Moravian Church Settlements earns the UNESCO designation, which protects sites considered to be of ‘outstanding value to humanity.’ The Great Wall of China took two millennia to build and extends 13,170 miles; construction of the palatial Taj Mahal in India started 200 years ago and took 22 years to complete; and the mysterious pyramids in Egypt at Giza are considered one of the Seven Wonders. Among the most recognizable sites in the world, these monuments now share something in common with Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where the Moravians settled nearly 300 years ago, establishing a town center with distinctive stone buildings, a grand church and the first municipal water system in America. On July 26, after a World Heritage Committee meeting in India, Bethlehem’s Moravian Church Settlements joined the list of 1,223 World Heritage Sites across the globe, cementing the city’s status as a place of innovation and industry. The momentous occasion was recognized with a celebration at the Central Moravian Church Sanctuary, followed by a meeting at City Hall, attended by a delegation of Lehigh representatives. “World Heritage designation brings immense value to the Bethlehem community,” said Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble ’82, who was in attendance. “This designation will attract diverse visitors from all over the world, and help share the story of Bethlehem’s extraordinary history, a history that Lehigh is proud to be a part of.” Helble is a member of the Bethlehem World Heritage Commission, which helped prepare the 400-page application for the Moravian Church Settlements’ inclusion on the World Heritage Sites list. There are now 26 World Heritage Sites across the United States. Pennsylvania’s other sites are Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater in Stewart Township, about 70 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. A Global Opportunity Cheryl Matherly, vice president and vice provost for International Affairs, attended the celebration and is excited to see how the World Heritage designation will bring the Bethlehem story to a global “WORLD HERITAGE DESIGNATION BRINGS IMMENSE VALUE TO THE BETHLEHEM COMMUNITY.” —Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble ’82
FROM THE NEST | FALL 2024 | 5 Tyler Groft ’13 director of the Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Innovation Michael “Mike” Rinkunas ’02 ’08G Lehigh Ventures Lab director audience and create opportunities for community members such as Lehigh faculty, staff and students. “I believe sometimes we tend to think about things that are global as not being relevant to what’s here in our own community, and we are reminded today that is absolutely not true,” Matherly said. “In this case, the Bethlehem story, and by extension the Lehigh story as part of that community, are part of a global story as well.” Lehigh has benefited from connections made through Bethlehem’s World Heritage efforts, Matherly said. In May 2023, a 45-person delegation from Germany visited Bethlehem to honor 300 years of Herrnhut in Saxony—the birthplace of the modern Moravian Church. Capping off the visit, Lehigh signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a partnership with the Technische Universität Dresden, creating opportunities for joint research and publications, and to facilitate academic and student exchanges. Lehigh also has another Saxony connection. Asa Packer, in the decade before he established Lehigh, had visited Saxony to study the mining and manufacturing techniques used there. He was impressed by what he saw in Saxony and believed many of the region’s manufacturing and engineering practices could be applied in the United States. When Packer established Lehigh, he encouraged a curriculum focused on engineering and science to train graduates who could lead economic growth and innovation in the Lehigh Valley. Bethlehem’s Road to the World Heritage List Moravian immigrants founded Bethlehem in 1741 when they purchased a 500-acre tract of land at the confluence of the Monocacy Creek and Lehigh River. The current-day Bethlehem settlement preserves some of the most important sites related to the Moravians in the New World and is significant as an outstanding example of Moravian architecture and town planning, according to Bethlehem officials. The site spans 10 acres in the heart of downtown Bethlehem. It includes nine structures, four ruins and God’s Acre cemetery, all within the already designated Historic Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District. The World Heritage designation is expected to significantly boost cultural tourism to Bethlehem, benefiting the local economy. The designation is the result of a decades-long undertaking, which began in 2002, that included Bethlehem area Moravians, Central Moravian Church, the City of Bethlehem, Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites and Moravian University. —Christina Tatu Delegates from Moravian Church Settlements and other officials, including Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and former Lehigh University Trustee Richard R. Verma ’90, attend the Moravian Church Settlements World Heritage International Recognition of Inscription Ceremony at Moravian University on October 17. Previously the director of sales and visitor experience at the Da Vinci Science Center, Groft was named the new director of the Baker Institute for Entrepreneurship, Creativity & Innovation in November 2023. He graduated from Lehigh with a Bachelor of Science Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS) and received his master’s in organizational leadership from Arizona State University. He aims to encourage students to use design and entrepreneurial thinking while pursuing the institute’s tenets of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. In May, Rinkunas joined the Lehigh Ventures Lab as its new director. After earning his master’s in industrial engineering, Rinkunas began a diverse career in entrepreneurship. He founded several digital marketing firms before shifting to coaching and growing startup ventures. Rinkunas’ goal as the new director is to guide students as they build their ideas into new ventures and help them connect with financial partners. Outside of his business ventures, he is also a volunteer locomotive engineer at the Steamtown National Historic Site. Named The 1869 Luckenbach Mill functioned as a grist mill until the late 1940s and is part of Bethlehem’s Moravian Church Settlements, which was designated as the 26th World Heritage Site in the U.S. SCAN TO VIEW VIDEO OF BETHLEHEM’S HISTORIC MORAVIAN CHURCH SETTLEMENTS. Richard R. Verma ’90 PHOTO COURTESY OF MORAVIAN CHURCH SETTLEMENTS—BETHLEHEM
6 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN AIR POLLUTANTS IMPACT Lehigh researchers Hyunok Choi, associate professor in the department of Community and Population Health, and Breena Holland, associate professor of political science and the Environmental Initiative, along with Lehigh students, are partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to measure concentrations of ethylene oxide (EtO) and other volatile organic compounds in the air. The team has been conducting ambient air quality monitoring using ENTECH 6L Silonite Canisters equipped with timers and probes. This research aims to characterize ambient concentrations of volatile air toxics in Allentown, Pennsylvania, neighborhoods; identify likely sources and community health concerns; and collaborate with the community to sustain monitoring and activities that reduce health risks from air pollution. ON CAMPUS Becoming the Change Growing up in Harlem, Gladdys Soto admits she got into her fair share of trouble, meeting plenty of police officers in the process. “I came across several good police officers in my life who really shaped my view on police in a positive way,” said Soto, recalling her youthful indiscretions. Those interactions inspired Soto to become a security guard with the Lehigh University Police Department (LUPD) and, after attending the Allentown Police Academy earlier this year, the newest sworn officer with LUPD. “I wanted to be the change; I wanted to make that difference and offer a helping hand to whoever I can because we need that sometimes … I’m here to promote the positive aspects of law enforcement, because it’s not all bad,” Soto said. In April 2021, LUPD leaders signed the 30x30 Pledge, a commitment to increasing recruitment, retention and promotion of women in policing. The national initiative, started by a coalition of police leaders, researchers and professional organizations, began in 2018 and pledges to increase the representation of women in police recruit classes to 30% by 2030. “If young people don’t see other people they can identify with, then they won’t see themselves there,” said Associate Vice President of Campus Safety and Chief of Police Jason Schiffer. —Christina Tatu CHRISTA NEU
Katie Couric, a former anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News,” co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show and Yahoo Global News Anchor, kicked off Lehigh’s 2024-2025 Compelling Perspectives series September 17 at Baker Hall in Zoellner Arts Center. For nearly 45 minutes, Couric discussed a range of topics with President Joseph J. Helble ’82, including her advocacy and work in cancer research, the role of media today, the use of generative AI in journalism and fact-checking in reporting. The last 15 minutes of the event was reserved for questions from the audience. Couric, the first of three speakers slated for the Compelling Perspectives series this academic year, also held a question and answer session with students prior to the event. Among the questions Helble asked Couric, one inquired how journalists balance the need for fact-based reporting while not being seen as “presenting a particular political point of view.” Couric referenced interviewing former presidents and said she always wanted to have a strong policy debate, but what’s difficult today is when falsehoods are perpetuated. Couric’s appearance marked her second visit to campus. The first came in 1999 when she was the speaker at Lehigh’s 131st Commencement ceremonies. Helble opened this discussion by mentioning her speech, and Couric fondly recounted her time in Bethlehem. She shared that she gave the speech—her first Commencement address—thanks to the persistence of a number of Lehigh students who repeatedly visited the plaza outside the “Today” show studio with signs asking her to speak at their graduation. Couric even brought along the honorary degree presented to her during the Commencement ceremony, which she recently found while cleaning her office. Before Helble invited audience members to ask questions, he closed his discussion with Couric by asking her what she thinks about her own legacy. “I hope that people will think of me as somebody who tried to tell stories and cover the world—events like 9/11— with humanity and heart, and that I respected people’s intelligence,” Couric said. “I didn’t always get it right. I’m a human being; nobody always gets it right 100% of the time. I hope they also see me as someone who used my platform and my relationship with the audience to take my personal losses and give people information that would help them live longer, healthier, happier lives.” Prior to the program, Couric met with students who were members of various campus groups, majors and courses, including Student Senate, United Nations Partnership, those from the journalism department and others.—Stephen Gross FROM THE NEST | FALL 2024 | 7 Couric Kicks Off Compelling Perspectives The former anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” and co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” was the first of three speakers in this academic year’s series. SPEAKER SERIES MARTY BARON ʼ76 ʼ76G ʼ14H RETURNING TO LEHIGH The second speaker in this academic year’s Compelling Perspectives series is Marty Baron ’76 ’76G ’14H, former editor in chief of The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Miami Herald and a former senior editor of The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times. He’ll return to campus December 5. The third and final Compelling Perspectives speaker has yet to be announced, but Lehigh will host that event in February featuring the viewpoint from a representative of nontraditional media. “I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL THINK OF ME AS SOMEBODY WHO TRIED TO TELL STORIES AND COVER THE WORLD— EVENTS LIKE 9/11—WITH HUMANITY AND HEART, AND THAT I RESPECTED PEOPLE’S INTELLIGENCE.” —Katie Couric KRISTI MORRIS / CHRISTA NEU
8 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST Four Questions What advice do you have for students today? In a world that is becoming increasingly “smaller” due to global and transnational ties and alliances, I would advise students to resist one-dimensionality, to challenge themselves by moving beyond their comfort zone, to be tolerant and accepting of different viewpoints, even when they contradict their own beliefs and upbringing. You were awarded a scholarship to study abroad in Moscow, where you stayed for six years. What was that like? I had the unique experience of studying in Moscow, the then Soviet Union, in the late ’80s and was equally fortunate to witness the beckoning of a new era signaled by perestroika and glasnost. Studying in Moscow became a lived lesson in diversity and inclusion as the university that I attended enrolled more than 20,000 students from more than 100 foreign countries. As the new Director of Africana Studies, what is your vision for the program? One of my main goals is to raise the profile of Africana studies both locally and nationally. Implementing a study abroad to the Caribbean is a significant step in realizing this mission. … My goal is to host a conference on Caribbean feminisms/female leadership, and a symposium on Colson Whitehead. Establishing an Africana Distinguished Lecture/Speakers Series that brings renowned scholars and writers to campus is another goal. I am also looking forward to hosting a research associate who specializes in Black Britain in spring 2025. I envision the diversification of the Africana curricula through additional course offerings, new hires and broader partnerships. I am also looking forward to being more engaged with student organizations and establishing stronger relationships with our Africana alumni. What attracted you to Lehigh? Particularly attractive was the latitude and support for research, the embrace of interdisciplinarity and the opportunity to assist in growing the Africana Studies program. Having served as Chair and Director of Africana Studies at Seton Hall University for several years, assuming the position of Director of Africana Studies at Lehigh affords me the opportunity to continue some of those initiatives and to embark on new collaborations, partnerships and challenges. FACULTY AND STAFF ʼ79 Simone Alexander: ‘Resist one-dimensionality’ A native of Guyana, Simone Alexander is Lehigh’s new Director of Africana Studies and a professor of English. CHRISTA NEU
FROM THE NEST | FALL 2024 | 9 Entrepreneur Here’s a Simple Tip to Make More Money From Your Side Hustle Research from Daniel Zane, associate professor of marketing, found that how much a seller enjoys their work is a key consumer cue in peer-to-peer marketplaces. “Don’t sell yourself short,” said Zane. Newsweek Near-limitless Energy Coming Closer to Reality— With the Help of Mayonnaise Research led by Arindam Banerjee, Paul B. Reinhold Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, is utilizing the physical properties of mayonnaise with the hope of producing nuclear fusion technologies. “We’re still working on the same problem, which is the structural integrity of fusion capsules used in inertial confinement fusion, and Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise is still helping us in the search for solutions,” he said. Helio Cold Temperatures May Worsen Asthma Symptoms in Children Biomarkers can be used to explain the connection between cold temperatures, oxidative stress and asthma flare-ups, according to new research from Linchen He, assistant professor of community and population health. “This is the first study to identify this potential connection,” said He. Lehigh Faculty in the Media David Vicic, the Howard S. Bunn Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Lehigh, has been selected to receive the 2025 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Creative Work in Fluorine Chemistry. The international award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of fluorine chemistry, is given once annually. Vicic has co-authored 105 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and his research helped provide the conceptual framework for understanding how earth-abundant metals could be used to introduce small fluorinated functional groups into larger organic molecules. A building block approach that involved pairing the fluorinated groups with earth-abundant metals to make a more reactive chemical species was optimized so the fluorocarbon transfer was more reliable. Vicic showed it was possible to prepare and bottle a variety of activated and well-defined fluoro-organometallic complexes with metals such as copper, nickel and cobalt, and study how they give up their fluorinated group to organic substrates. Vicic’s work demonstrates how the metal identity, the metal oxidation state and the ligand framework all play a role in tuning the chemistry to specific needs. The reactivity patterns identified by Vicic guided the development of new synthetic methodologies of interest to industry. One of Vicic’s fluorinated reagents has recently drawn the interest of Pfizer, who paired up with Snapdragon to synthesize it on a greater than 100 gram scale using a continuous stirred tank reactor. The ACS Award for Creative Work in Fluorine Chemistry address will be presented at the 2025 Winter Fluorine Conference in Clearwater, Florida. RESEARCH David Vicic Wins American Chemical Society Award for Creative Work in Fluorine Chemistry The professor will receive the award at the 2025 Winter Fluorine Conference in Clearwater, Florida. CHRISTINE T. KRESCHOLLEK
10 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN Dhruv Seshadri, assistant professor of bioengineering, studies how wearable technology can be improved and how the data can better athletes’ performance while preventing injury. A GAME CHANGER FOR LEHIGH ATHLETICS
FALL 2024 | 11 STORY BY CHRISTINA TATU PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTA NEU
12 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN When a member of Lehigh’s football team tore their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the first game of last season, it was a devastating injury that coaches expected could take up to a year to heal, said head coach Kevin Cahill. Thanks to information provided by wearable technology, which includes devices such as GPS trackers, blood oxygen saturation monitors, heart rate monitors, motion sensors and muscle oxygen sensors, the football player was able to be rehabilitated in half that amount of time, Cahill said. Hundreds of Lehigh student-athletes–including those on the football team–are participating in a study involving wearable technology led by Dhruv Seshadri, an assistant professor of bioengineering. The study is hastening athletes’ return after injuries, and more importantly, could provide objective data to guide rehabilitation programs and mitigate overuse injuries. The ACL is a band of tissue that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone and stabilizes the knee. When torn, the ACL usually requires surgery and rehabilitation that can take up to a year, sometimes longer. Wearable tech can provide a wealth of information about an athlete’s movements on the field, and it gives insight into how well they are training. In the case of Cahill’s football player, muscle oxygen sensors were used to determine how well the injured leg was recovering, and Seshadri’s team was able to share the data with athletic trainers who came up with a rehabilitation plan. “By their measurements, he was ready to go in six or seven months, so that’s huge. A lot of it has to do with what we are doing in the training room, and ACL injuries have unfortunately become more common,” Cahill said. Wearable tech has become increasingly popular on the field and in the gym in recent years. While there are a lot of devices out there, Seshadri says there’s room for improvement, particularly in how the data is shared with the user and how it can be translated into something proactive to guide decision-making. “I think there’s still a lack of actionable insight that can be gleaned from the data,” Seshadri said. “What I mean by that is a lot of these devices provide numbers, provide analytics, but what does that mean in the context of what the athlete is doing? That’s where artificial intelligence and machine learning can be applied to translate such data.” Seshadri and a team of students are working in the new Seshadri Lab at Lehigh to develop improved wearable tech for athletes and other groups, such as hospital W “By their measurements, he was ready to go in six or seven months, so that’s huge. A lot of it has to do with what we are doing in the training room, and ACL injuries have unfortunately become more common.” —LEHIGH HEAD FOOTBALL COACH KEVIN CAHILL
FALL 2024 | 13 patients who could benefit from noninvasive monitoring. Part of that process is developing analytics that can translate data in a user-friendly way. The team is assessing the accuracy of existing devices and developing predictive models to translate reactive data into something actionable. The data could be used to show how athletes are performing over time, how they compare to their position groups and how they are performing in relation to the rest of their teammates, Seshadri said. He also is in the early stages of designing his own wearable device for applications ranging from sports medicine to neuromuscular disease, cardiology and neonatal monitoring. Data-Informed Sports When Seshadri came to Lehigh last year, he continued his research into wearable technology and its health implications, which he started during his graduate training at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Seshadri and his students have been working with the men’s and women’s soccer teams, men’s and women’s basketball teams, men’s and women’s swim teams and football. Seshadri’s group collected data from nearly 200 student-athletes last season and will collect data from even more this academic year. Joseph Amitrano ’23, a Ph.D. student studying bioengineering in the Seshadri Lab, is using programs such as Python and RStudio to develop machine learning models that assess the workload-response variables in athletes to evaluate performance and rehabilitation. “We are looking at trends in the data to see if they may be more susceptible to injury, so on that front we are interested in incorporating their sleep parameters, knowing how stressed they are, their energy levels and, from a physiological standpoint, what their heart rate is, how fast they are moving and what their muscle oxygen saturation levels are,” Amitrano said.
14 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN FERGUSON WATKINS ’18 Senior Software Engineer at WHOOP Watkins, who earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and integrated business engineering, has worked at the wearable tech company for nearly two years developing generative AI applications. Learn more about Lehigh alumni and students involved in the development of wearable devices. SARAH WOLFE ’10 Director of Product Management, Wearable Technology, at Essilor- Luxottica The parent company of brands such as Ray-Ban, Oakley and Oliver Peoples, EssilorLuxottica is blending eyewear with technology. Their Smart Eyewear Lab employs researchers and scientists who are developing a new generation of smart eyewear. JORDAN LICKSTEIN ’25 Intern at Israeli startup LittleOne.Care This company is the maker of Elora, a wearable device that monitors a pregnant woman’s sleep, nutrition, activities and mood. When the baby is born, it tracks the child’s development and safety by providing alerts if the child is shaken or falls. Anthony Cino ’24G, a master’s student studying bioengineering, is developing a wearable device for patients with dysphagia. There are many factors that contribute to whether an athlete is injured, from how stressed they are, both physically and mentally, to the strength, or lack of strength, in certain muscle groups, he said. “At Lehigh University, they are student-athletes, so we know that the academic component significantly impacts their onfield performance, and their on-field performance affects their academics,” Amitrano said. “There’s that synergistic pathway between the two. We are trying to understand, holistically, what is going to allow them to perform at the highest level.” Wearable Tech at Lehigh The terms of Seshadri’s study protect the identity of the students participating, but Cahill and other Lehigh coaches are proponents of wearable tech. The coaches say it has created friendly competition among teammates who like to compare stats, it’s improved performance, and most importantly, it’s helping to prevent injury and guide rehabilitation. “How quickly can we get guys back from injury? How long until they are back up to full speed? You’re not guessing, it’s data-based and numbers-based, and the more we can use this information, the smarter decisions we can make and the healthier decisions we can make,” Cahill said. Seshadri said his team is conducting one of the few studies looking at muscle-oxygen saturation as a biomarker, or guide, to rehabilitating athletes following ACL reconstruction. Seshadri is also co-leading a similar study with the NFL’s from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. “If we start to collect more data, we can then help forecast and assess if the athlete is on track in their healing at various time points,” Seshadri said. “What testing should be done at various time points to ensure athletes are returning at their highest level and doing what they love to do on a daily basis?” Cahill said that before wearable tech was widely available, coaches determined how to practice by viewing athletes on the field and taking an educated guess about what condition LEHIGH ALUMNI AND STUDENTS IN WEARABLE TECH JESSICA GARCIA ’12 ’13G CEO and Founder of Tozuda The company manufactures impact indicators that show whether a helmet has been damaged in a fall. If the fall is significant enough, the indicator changes color, letting the wearer know to replace their helmet.
FALL 2024 | 15 they were in. With data, coaches can now get baseline readings. Stats are collected before the season, mid-season and postseason to show how athletes are performing over time, Cahill said. If data shows their performance is lagging, coaches can determine why and potentially pull back on training to prevent injury. The information also helps direct the kind of training athletes need. Athletes are susceptible to injuries, such as ACL tears, when their quad muscles are overtrained compared to their hamstrings, or one leg is stronger than the other, Cahill said. “It’s really all-encompassing what you’re doing in the weight room. Are you strengthening the quad enough? Is the hamstring too strong or not strong enough?” he said. “There are a lot of different variables we are trying to track, but that’s what wearable tech has helped us to do.” Lauren Calabrese ’07 took over as women’s head soccer coach in 2022. She was a four-year starter during her time as a student-athlete on the soccer team and said there wasn’t any hard data back then. When Calabrese began coaching, she pushed for every women’s soccer player to be outfitted with a WHOOP, a wristband that looks similar to an Apple Watch and collects round-the-clock data such as sleep patterns, blood-oxygen levels, resting heart rate and skin temperature. When Seshadri came to Lehigh, Calabrese and her team started sharing their data. Some players also began wearing GPS trackers. Amitrano was able to tell the women soccer players how quickly they were recovering after a game by looking at data, such as how much sleep they got the night before, and subjective measures, such as how hard practice felt that day, how stressed the athlete was and how well-rested they felt. The data showed that sleep and recovery are the biggest factors that impact an athlete’s performance. Recovery includes everything the athlete does after a practice or workout, from whether they reach a deep sleep, how many calories they eat and if they do after-care, such as taking an ice bath, Amitrano said. Seshadri’s work with the women’s soccer team is particularly important because there is a lack of data on women athletes. “Men’s sports are funded at twice the rate compared to women’s sports, and that financial inequity means there’s a lack of resources and technology that can be used for monitoring,” Seshadri said. “One of the key questions we are interested in exploring is the effect of menstrual cycles on injury—how do changes in vitals and workload-based variables affect the overall wellbeing of student-athletes.” Working with Seshadri’s team has been an interdisciplinary experience, Calabrese said. She’s working with a team of people to make important decisions about players instead of acting alone. “I’m collaborating with sports medicine, we are working with our sports performance coach, a sports psychologist and nutritionist,” Calabrese said. “It’s very holistic in the sense that decisions aren’t being made in a vacuum.” Seshadri’s Other Work In addition to his work at Lehigh, Seshadri is studying the application of wearable tech in a variety of other areas. His team recently partnered with Geisinger Health System to study the implications wearable tech couldhave for pedi- “If we start to collect more data, we can then help forecast and assess if the athlete is on track in their healing at various time points.” — ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOENGINEERING DHRUV SESHADRI Joseph Amitrano ’23, a Ph.D. student studying bioengineering in the Seshadri Lab, has been working with the women’s soccer team to collect data.
16 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN atric and adolescent athletes. Most devices on the market today are geared toward adults because when a device is being developed, it is easier to get enrollment and consent from adult participants, Seshadri explained. There’s a significant need for a pediatric device, especially because young athletes today are training harder, playing longer hours and suffering more injuries. There’s been an epidemic of “Tommy John” injuries among youth baseball players, Seshadri said. Named after the retired pitcher who played Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1989, John injured his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and became the first person to undergo a UCL reconstruction surgery. Seshadri’s lab is also leading a study using wearable technology on pediatric and adolescent female softball pitchers in the Indianapolis area. He is interested in monitoring the participants’ workload with the goal of using scientific data to drive policies that will help reduce injury. Seshadri’s team also plans to work with students at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio. The facility is an international boarding school for high school and postgraduate elite athletes. In addition to the athletic angle, Seshadri believes wearable tech could be used for noninvasive monitoring of individuals with serious conditions such as congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, dysphasia and neuromuscular disease to provide immediate feedback on muscle quality, function and tone, and help guide rehabilitation. A Personal Connection Seshadri, who played a variety of sports when he was growing up, says he has always been interested in the convergence of human performance, sports and technology. “The opportunity to look at technology with something I love—like sports—to integrate the two together was something I stumbled upon in a serendipitous manner, but it’s really something I enjoy. It’s my passion,” he said. Seshadri recalls taking a class on biomedical entrepreneurship (BioDesign) while earning his master’s degree at Case Western. One day, the class began talking about “I’m collaborating with sports medicine, we are working with our sports performance coach, a sports psychologist and nutritionist. It’s very holistic in the sense that decisions aren’t being made in a vacuum.” —WOMEN’S HEAD SOCCER COACH LAUREN CALABRESE ’07
FALL 2024 | 17 wearable technology in the NBA. At the time, the Golden State Warriors won the first of their four-year rivalry in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers—a particularly exciting win for Seshadri, who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. Soon after, Seshadri’s father sent him an article on wearable technology in the NBA and encouraged him to pursue wearable tech as a career. “I started reading about stuff they were doing and I thought, ‘This is really cool, like how you can monitor workloads and correlate that to injuries,’” Seshadri said. “It was a really fascinating mix of physiology, engineering and medicine. I was interested in all three. I credit my parents for giving me the keys and foundation to pursue my passion.” After learning more about the field, Seshadri contacted members of the Cleveland Browns medical team and ended up collaborating with them for more than seven years to study wearable tech. Seshadri’s passion for the subject matter led him to open the Seshadri Lab at Lehigh, which now has about 25 students, including those pursuing undergraduate, master’s and doctorate degrees. Most recently, the Seshadri Lab welcomed a visiting undergraduate researcher from SRM University in Chennai, India, and had several high school interns this past summer. An Interdisciplinary Lab Seshadri’s students say the lab is an interdisciplinary space that has given them hands-on experience and a chance to explore their interests. Tony Del Vecchio ’23 is a second-year master’s student studying bioengineering. He’s interested in mechatronics, a multidisciplinary field that combines mechanical engineering and electronics. He’s working on a smart, orthopedic knee brace. The brace will include a gyroscope sensor that can tell doctors how much range of motion a patient has, and determine how effective their rehabilitation treatment is. “I really like hands-on projects, getting to design stuff, and this is a very design-centric, mechanics- focused project,” Del Vecchio said. He loves the Seshadri Lab’s sense of community and how interdisciplinary it is. Many of the students have a bioengineering background, but their interests are diverse, including materials science, electronics and statistics, Del Vecchio said. Hayley Whitney ’24 is a first-year Ph.D. student studying bioengineering. Her undergraduate degree was in statistics. She credits the Seshadri Lab with giving her practical experience. “This is my first real opportunity having real-world data and to work with extracting that data, imperfect scenarios and problem-solving. It was my first chance to put my statistician’s hat on and say, ‘What can I do? How can I make a meaningful impact?’” Whitney hopes to eventually work on research in women’s sports. “My mom is a nurse, and I want to continue that legacy of creating things for the purpose of bettering the people around us,” she said. Anthony Cino ’24G, a master’s student studying bioengineering, is developing a wearable device for patients with dysphagia to assess their ability to swallow and help guide treatment. Currently available devices use wires, which are uncomfortable near a patient’s face. “As a student, I think it’s really cool that I get a glimpse into what goes into each of the different developmental steps in working toward a device that can actually be used on patients,” Cino said. “It’s a really amazing opportunity that I get to do research like this.” L Dhruv Seshadri, assistant professor of bioengineering, in the Seshadri Lab at Lehigh, where students are working to advance wearable technology. Hayley Whitney ’24, a first-year Ph.D. student studying bioengineering, collects data from a fellow student.
18 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST In a world facing complex challenges, Design Thinking offers a powerful approach to problem-solving that recognizes the needs of the end user in every solution. Lehigh, which is committed to advancing human-centered innovation, has been accepted into the Global Design Thinking Alliance (GDTA), a global network dedicated to this shared goal. Lehigh is just the fourth U.S. institution to be accepted into this alliance, underscoring a deep commitment to fostering a culture of entrepreneurial innovation and creativity on both local and “You hear all the time about awesome science that’s being done, work that seems so pivotal, but then we as consumers don’t see the end product of it when we’re walking down the aisles.” global scales. The GDTA connects Design Thinking practitioners from diverse disciplines across 23 countries on five continents. “Training students in Design Thinking is perfectly aligned with our institution’s commitment to preparing students for successful careers as ‘Future Makers,’” Nathan Urban, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said. “Graduates who can approach challenges from the perspective of the human end user will be uniquely positioned to change their industries and communities in positive ways.” Implementation Lehigh is actively implementing Design Thinking principles across campus with initiatives including the Designing Your Life curriculum used by the Center for Career and Professional Development to foster career readiness, the Lehigh User Designed Inquiry initiative that focuses on innovation in education and the Design Thinking for Innovation course available to all students. Lehigh’s Baker Institute is working to embed Design Thinking for Future Makers modules in courses across all disciplines. Lehigh’s Office of Entrepreneurship will serve as the university’s member representative. —Kristin Laudenslager Human-Centered by Design PARTNERSHIP Whitney Blocher McTigue An assistant professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering, McTigue has multiple innovative research projects underway that reflect her commitment to helping fundamental science reach consumers in the real world. PODCAST | FACULTY New Muslim Student Life Director Lehigh welcomed the arrival of Tariq Ameer as Lehigh’s new director of Muslim student life/imam on May 30, marking another step toward creating a campus climate that champions leaders who continue to work toward making Lehigh a campus for everyone. Ameer’s appointment marks a significant step forward in Lehigh’s commitment to inclusivity and the celebration of diverse perspectives and traditions. Joining the Chaplain’s Office as a teacher, counselor, spiritual resource and religious leader, Ameer will provide spiritual and emotional support to Lehigh’s Muslim community. As associate chaplain, he will serve the entire Lehigh community. “I am thrilled to be able to apply my skills and learnings to Lehigh’s foundational efforts to build an intentional community that can contribute to the healing of our world at every level,” Ameer says.—Amy Bilello SCAN CODE TO HEAR THE FULL PODCAST ABOUT ENGINEERING FOR THE REAL WORLD. UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CHRISTA NEU
FROM THE NEST | FALL 2024 | 19 This year, Musikfest attracted more than one million visitors to the Bethlehem area, including the South Bethlehem community that encompasses Lehigh’s campus. And for the first time, in partnership with ArtsQuest, Lehigh added to the list of free festivities at the 10-day music festival with a live podcast taping, a multimedia performance and “Lehigh Lounge.” Showcasing Lehigh Provost Nathan Urban has been interested in showcasing Lehigh during Musikfest since he began at the university four years ago. Urban and organizers for the Lehigh at Musikfest event were inspired by the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas, an annual festival and conference that celebrates the convergence of interactive technology, film, television and music industries. “I would like for people coming to Musikfest to learn that Lehigh is an innovative, pragmatic, human-scale research university. I would like for them to see Lehigh as a part of the community and a place where great ideas are put into practice, and where we educate people who want to make the future through innovative research and education,” Urban said. “I would like for them to leave thinking that they want to discover more.” Lehigh at Musikfest New, free events at Musikfest included the live-taping of a podcast, a musical performance and the ‘Lehigh Lounge.’ COMMUNITY ROTH RETIRING Frank Roth ’80, general counsel, will retire from Lehigh at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. For more than 23 years, Roth has provided legal counsel and guidance on all legal matters relevant to Lehigh. His team played a pivotal role in significantly advancing Lehigh’s geographic footprint, including at the Mountaintop Campus and overseeing the acquisition of the 755acre Stabler Campus. And, he provided legal advice and support for the construction of numerous Lehigh buildings, including Farrington Square and the Health, Science and Technology Building. Additionally, Roth, who taught a course on legal ethics at Lehigh in the past, helped usher in the first-ever amendments to Lehigh's 1866 Charter of Incorporation. In 2022, Roth and his wife, Helene ’80, established the Roth Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to provide need-based financial aid for undergraduate students, with a preference for women studying in STEM fields. ADMINISTRATION Lehigh Events at Musikfest Festival attendees had the opportunity to exchange ideas during a live-audience taping of three podcast episodes of “Creative Confidential,” hosted by Bryan Tuk, a jazz musician, local attorney and entrepreneur. Guests for the podcast included DJ Spooky (Paul Dennis Miller); Dick Boak, artist, writer, woodworker, musician and longtime Martin Guitar employee; and Bill Childs, award-winning creative director, author, designer and strategist. Afterward, DJ Spooky performed a multimedia presentation of his “Arctic Rhythms” with a string quartet featuring Lehigh faculty musicians. Mister Lee’s Noodles in Bethlehem hosted the “Lehigh Lounge” on two different days. Attendees received a free drink and bite-size noodle dish from Mister Lee’s. Students, including those participating in the Mountaintop Summer Experience Program and The Hatchery: Student Idea Accelerator through Baker Institute, gave hands-on demonstrations of projects they were working on.—Christina Tatu The “Lehigh Lounge,” hosted by Mister Lee’s Noodles, was one of the university’s events at Musikfest. CHRISTA NEU
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