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.
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