S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 | 7 C A M P U S C H R I S T A N E U Michael Gusmano, professor and associate dean for academic programs in the College of Health, has been named director of Lehigh’s Center for Ethics. Gusmano, who arrived at Lehigh in Fall 2021, plans to collaborate with members of the Lehigh community who have been working with the center to leverage existing resources and increase participation across the university. He envisions a forum through which faculty and students can present their work in ethics to broader audiences and hear from individuals outside of Lehigh from a variety of fields dealing with ethical issues. The Peter S. Hagerman ’61 Lecture Series remains a priority, as does collaboration with faculty developing and teaching ethics courses. The center will continue to offer grant opportunities for research and programs related to ethics. “The study of ethics really is about systematically thinking about the way the world ought to be and helping people develop the kinds of skills to approach those questions and to recognize that it’s about developing arguments around those kinds of ethical claims, and not merely viewing this as an assertion of opinion or the triumph of a particular ideological or religious doctrine. This is about a sort of lifelong curiosity,” Gusmano says. Gusmano received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Maryland College Park and an M.A. in public policy from the State University of New York at Albany. In addition, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the RobertWood Johnson Foundation Scholars in Health Policy program at Yale University. He most recently served as director of the health systems and policy concentration at the Rutgers University School of Public Health. Gusmano serves as co-director of the World Cities Project and has served as a research scholar at the Hastings Center, the world’s premier bioethics research institute, since 2010. Founded in 2018, the center has been housed in the College of Arts and Sciences but will now be an initiative of the Office of the Provost. The center was created through the support of the Class of 1961 Endowed Fund for the Teaching of Ethical Decision-Making, established by Mike Hoben ’61, Paul Smith ’61, the late Joe King ’61, and the late Peter Hagerman ’61 to ensure the seamless incorporation of ethics education into the Lehigh experience.—Kelly Hochbein Gusmano Named Ethics Director The Center for Ethics will now be an initiative of the Office of the Provost Soft-Switch was acquired by LotusDevelopmentCorporation in 1994, with Zisman serving as CEO. A year later, IBM acquired Lotus, and Zisman stayed on until his retirement in 2004 as vice president of corporate strategy. In 2009 he founded Golf Genius, a cloud-based software system that helps golf professionals manage leagues, tournaments and events. “I thank Mike and the Zisman family for this honor,” Luyben said. “I like the expression, ‘I touch the future—I teach.’ I think that’s applicable in Mike’s case. I also want to thank Lehigh for providing the faculty with students we can challenge and encourage.” President Joseph Helble, himself a graduate of Lehigh’s chemical engineering program and former student of Luyben’s, thanked Zisman for his incredible philanthropy and said the gift in honor of Luyben is proof that “what the faculty and staff do at Lehigh makes a huge difference in shaping the future.” “We are grateful to Mike ZismanandLinda for this generous, impactful gift for the university,” said Nathan Urban, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Chairs such as this one are incredibly important to us as a university, to attract and retain the very best faculty, to give them the kind of support and resources that they need to carry forth and excel in Lehigh’s research and teaching missions.” A former Lehigh trustee, Zisman served on numerous committees during his tenure. Hewas part of the Rossin College Advisory Council and was inducted into Leadership Plaza in 2009. “I often tell people I’m a product of my education,” Zisman said. “I got an incredible grounding at Lehigh and a great foundation in analytical, critical thinking. But I think Professor Luyben had more impact on my life than anybody. And I’m grateful.”—Cynthia Tintorri
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