40 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN “My experience in the new building has been very positive,” Koukova says. “I particularly like the design and setup in my classroom that allow student interactions and group discussions. My students, all graduating seniors, were very excited to move to the new building after the spring break.” Deirdre Trabert Malacrea, professor of practice in the marketing department, held her students’ client presentations to Martin Guitar and HangDog Outdoor Adventures, founded by Mike McCreary ’07, in Room 111—one of the rooms that feature breakout pods. There are tables for four different groups, each equipped with a monitor that the students or professor can utilize. Creating opportunities for collaboration was completely intentional. “What makes this facility so special is that it was designed with collaboration in mind,” McKay Price, Perella Department of Finance, Goodman Chair for Real Estate Studies and director of the Goodman Center for Real Estate, said when the building opened. “It is a place where faculty and students can come together, exchange ideas and push each other to be more creative and innovative. This type of collaborative learning is essential for preparing students for life after Lehigh, where they will need to work across different fields and disciplines to solve complex problems.” The design of the building and its focus on collaboration also help Lehigh achieve goals laid out in its strategic plan, which leans into interdisciplinary approaches to education and expanded opportunities for students. “[The Business Innovation Building] provides space for the College of Business to experiment with the new, to build on that pioneering effort in interdisciplinary collaboration with engineering and expand the reach “I particularly like the design and setup in my classroom that allow student interactions and group discussions.” – NEVENA KOUKOVA Associate Professor of Marketing The Tauck Family Lobby welcomes the Lehigh community into the Business Innovation Building.
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