6 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST Growing up in Detroit with a pianist as a father, Mount Allen III ’11G was encouraged to explore music. While his sister became a renowned jazz pianist, composer and educator, he went on to make landmark contributions to music in other ways. It was at Lehigh, where he pursued a master’s in educational leadership while working at the Zoellner Arts Center, that Allen grew passionate about addressing inequities in education. He said Professors George P. White and Floyd Beachum spurred his thinking about critical theory. “They can make mistakes. They can try things out, and it doesn’t go to the real Internet. It gives them that hands-on experience, without the real consequences.” “I became aware of how inequitable systems of education can be in America and the role of educational leadership in making a difference in people’s lives,” he said. Allen pioneered the idea of leveraging the high-speed National Research and Education Network (NREN), typically employed in the sciences, for virtual collaboration in the arts. ‘Opening Portals’ Today, Allen, who recently earned an Ed.D. from Cal State-Fresno in educational leadership, is director of operations at the San Francisco Jazz Center. He continues to push the limits of computer networking technology to advance educational equity. Among his efforts, he founded Opening Portals to the World of Jazz, a virtual education community that includes public libraries and schools from kindergartens to universities. One component is making live jazz performances and music master classes available through NREN to children whose schools would otherwise lack access. “There’s an opportunity for this technology to make an impact in the lived experiences of marginalized people, and one of the easiest ways to make this transformation is through cultural experiences,” he said. “Jazz and other improvisational art forms are really great vehicles for this.”—Dave Block Building Bridges Through Jazz COMMUNITY | ALUMNI ʼ11 Dominic DiFranzo The assistant professor of computer science & engineering and his team developed “Social Media TestDrive,” a tool that allows kids to learn digital literacy skills around cyberbullying and the like on a simulated social media platform. PODCAST | FACULTY New Appointments Announced After separate comprehensive national searches, Manoj K. Malhotra was named the Kevin L. and Lisa A. Clayton Dean of Lehigh’s College of Business, and Carol Packard was named Lehigh’s vice president for development and alumni relations. Malhotra was the John R. Mannix Medical Mutual of Ohio Professor of Operations Management and former dean of the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He succeeds Georgette Chapman Phillips, who retired June 30. Malhotra brings a breadth of experience from holding significant academic and administrative roles. Packard, who was associate vice president for colleges and units at Cornell University, succeeds Joseph Buck. She brings more than 20 years of private sector and higher education experience with demonstrated expertise in strategic business and relationship development. SCAN CODE TO HEAR THE FULL PODCAST “MAKING THE INTERNET A SAFER PLACE.” Carol Packard Manoj K. Malhotra UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0OTQ5OA==