Summer Bulletin

N O T E S REMEMBERING Gary Sasso Over the years, Dr. Medina taught at various institutions, including Moravian and DeSales universities. He spent over 15 years teaching Spanish at Easton Area High School. Linnea T. Bailey Ph.D. ’97, Vero Beach, Fla., Feb. 22, 2022. Dr. Bailey taught high school social studies and worked in business, before transitioning to work as a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania and Florida. David E. Weaver M.Ed. ’02, Allentown, Pa., March 13, 2022. In addition to owning and operating his own tax preparation business for many years, Mr. Weaver also worked as an accountant for numerous frms, taught in elementary school classrooms for a short time and held other miscellaneous jobs. Patrick T. McDonald MBA ’12, Phillipsburg, N.J., Dec. 27, 2021. Mr. McDonald was a project engineer with Victaulic. A Dynamic Leader Gary Sasso led the College of Education for more than a decade Gary M. Sasso, dean of Lehigh’s College of Education from 2008 until his retirement in 2018, passed away onMarch 27, 2022. He was 71. Sasso had dedicated his more than 30-year career as a teacher, researcher, faculty member and administrator to improving the lives of children with emotional and behavioral problems and autism spectrum disorders. Among his many signifcant accomplishments during his tenure at Lehigh, Sasso increased federal grant funding andmajor gifts to the college, grew its faculty and staf and created LehighUniversity AutismServices, which provides intervention programs for young children and their families. During a transitional period, Sasso also stepped in as interim vice president and associate provost for the Ofce of International Afairs from October 2015 through March 2016, while continuing to serve as dean. Upon his retirement, he described in an interview the legacy he hoped to leave: “... I spent most of my adult life trying to help children, and I did it as a teacher, as a researcher, as a consultant, as a faculty member and then a chair, and as a dean. And in all those positions, I always tried to keep one thing in mind, and that is, we’re here to make kids’ lives better, to teach them, to help them learn, to help them fnd the best path in life. If people will knowme for that, that will be enough.” Sasso earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in special education from the University of Kansas, where he received training in the feld of applied behavior analysis. He began his career as a professor at the University of Northern Colorado, developing Colorado’s frst academic and research program for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. In 1985, he joined the University of Iowa’s College of Education as a faculty member in the Teaching and Learning Department, as well as in the Department of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine. He later served a seven-year term as chair of the Teaching and Learning Department before his arrival at Lehigh in 2008. Faculty and staf in Lehigh’s College of Education and across the university remembered Sasso’s dedication to his work and to his students, his sense of humor and infectious laugh, and his ability to make those around him feel valued, which defned his leadership of the college. “Gary was a strong advocate for the College of Education and its faculty,” said Pat Farrell, professor of mechanical engineering who served as Lehigh’s provost during Sasso’s tenure. “More than that, Gary was an advocate for kids and helping them get the best education we can give them. He waded into the difcult discussions of charter schools versus public schools and how to develop the next generation of leaders in education and better equip them to succeed. “I think themost excited I ever sawGarywaswhenhewas givingmywife andme a tour of Centennial School. I think, to Gary, this was everything in one place: pioneering best practices, educating and training the next generation of educators and leaders in special education, and, most of all, helping students develop in ways that would not have been possible without the people of Centennial School, the College of Education and Lehigh.” Sasso is survived by his wife, Christine G. Novak, and their son, Spencer. S UMM E R 2 0 2 2 | 7 1

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