FROM THE NEST | SUMMER 2024 | 39 Lehigh held its 156th Commencement celebrations over two days, with Stephen S. Tang ’85G ’88 Ph.D. ’22P, principal at Tangent2Cogent, board chairman of NowDiagnostics Inc., and former chairman, president and CEO of Orasure Technologies, delivering the keynote at the graduate ceremony and doctoral hooding. The following day, Scott Willoughby ’89, senior vice president of performance excellence at Northrop Grumman and program manager for NASA’s James Webb telescope, delivered the undergraduate keynote. Goodman Stadium hosted both celebrations May 18-19. Tang told graduates their career path likely won’t be a straight line, but that’s OK. Tang’s career didn’t unfold as originally planned, but he has been successful, guiding organizations for more than 30 years as chairman of the board or chief executive officer. He said he was confident they could do great things, if their degrees inspired them to learn more, they continued to invest their hard work into curiosity to change the world and learn new skills, and if they remained humble because luck plays a role in success. He also shared what he called crucial insight that he learned during his career. “Life is more than numbers. It’s more than the numbers of working years, the amount of wealth, the accolades of career accomplishments,” Tang said. “It’s about leaving a legacy of kindness, compassion, empathy and service to higher causes. …” Willoughby, a first-generation college student, told undergraduates that his career was one in which learning about himself “was far more important than matching anyone else’s expectations of what I should be.” Willoughby was pivotal in the development of NASA’s James Webb telescope, the world’s most powerful space telescope. “I truly hope what you can take away from today is that what makes you you is your strength. By applying that to the fullest, you can truly achieve anything,” he said. “But also feel secure in knowing you don’t actually have to know what that ‘anything’ is today. Learn who you are first. Discover you, find success.” COMMENCEMENT Celebrating the Class of 2024 Scott Willoughby ’89, who worked on NASA’s James Webb telescope, and corporate leader Stephen S. Tang ’85G ’88 Ph.D. ’22P deliver keynotes. “LIFE IS MORE THAN NUMBERS. ... IT’S ABOUT LEAVING A LEGACY OF KINDNESS, COMPASSION, EMPATHY AND SERVICE TO HIGHER CAUSES. ...” —Stephen S. Tang ’85G ’88 Ph.D. ’22P “I TRULY HOPE WHAT YOU CAN TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY IS THAT WHAT MAKES YOU YOU IS YOUR STRENGTH. BY APPLYING THAT TO THE FULLEST, YOU CAN TRULY ACHIEVE ANYTHING.” —Scott Willoughby ’89 2,179 Number of new alumni in Class of 2024 138 Number receiving interdisciplinary degrees 47 Number of states represented 59 Number of countries represented 548 Number of master’s degrees 123 Number of doctoral degrees COMMENCEMENT BY THE NUMBERS SCAN CODE TO VIEW THE COMMENCEMENT HIGHLIGHTS PHOTO ESSAY. Stephen S. Tang ’85G ’88 Ph.D. ’22P CHRISTA NEU / BETH MURPHY
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