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.
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