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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