What makes Lehigh Engineering, Lehigh Engineering?
It’s more than the big-time academic resources and the small-school feel. It’s more than the tradition that links each of us back to the very roots of engineering as a profession. It’s more than the bed races, Lehigh-Lafayette Weekend, and the view from the lookout point on a crisp fall evening. (But, of course, those certainly don’t hurt.)
Lehigh’s long-standing commitment to the creation of knowledge through experiential learning and interdisciplinary research serves as the bedrock for our community’s many successes—a heritage of achievement that cascades across generations of students and faculty.
The success of an institution with this mindset absolutely depends upon its community’s enthusiastic support, its eager participation, and its intellectual openness. Thus, creating the climate for individuals to develop a sense of belonging and community while pursuing new knowledge is the key to continued growth and success—in the physical and digital spaces where we congregate, and in the programs we develop in search of what’s next.
The Rossin College’s Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) recognizes this interdependency and sets goals and steps to build a stronger, more engaged community. Weaving DEI into the fabric of our institution at every level fosters the participation that is key to sustained impact—be it a research breakthrough that leads to a new patient-centered medical treatment, or a mentoring program that opens doors and changes the trajectory of countless futures.
Lehigh’s brand-new Health, Science and Technology (HST) Building, featured in this issue’s cover article, is a strong expression of this forward-thinking approach to institutional development. From its architectural layout to the thoughtful composition of the building’s faculty and student tenants and their complementary research interests, the HST Building is designed from the ground up to foster a sense of purposeful community. Open spaces and interdisciplinary neighbors facilitate synergies, as the Rossin College partners with Lehigh’s College of Health to advance research and education at the intersections of our disciplines.
Our Q&A shares the perspective of chemical engineering alumnus Vince Forlenza ’75, current chair of the Lehigh Board of Trustees. A former CEO of Becton, Dickinson and Company, Vince led the firm’s transformation into a global powerhouse in the medical device, diagnostic, and life sciences sector. A longtime Lehigh and Rossin College supporter, Vince has been generous in his support of the College of Health and the development of intersection points with our engineering community.
This issue’s Rising Star is Christina Haden, a teaching associate professor in our Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics. Christina has been at the forefront of college diversity and inclusion efforts for years, and her innovative approach to course design and delivery is yet another shining example of the Lehigh interdisciplinary, inquiry-based, impact-focused mindset in action.
As a way for the extended Lehigh Engineering community to take action, we have launched the Rossin College Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund, which will help ensure that students from historically underrepresented groups have the opportunities and means to fully engage in the Lehigh experience. Visit engineering.lehigh.edu/give to learn more about this effort and our ongoing initiatives supporting experiential learning and interdisciplinary team science.
Thank you as always for your interest in Lehigh Engineering and in the Rossin College. Please drop me a note with your thoughts and comments.
Stephen P. DeWeerth, Professor and Dean
P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science
steve.deweerth@lehigh.edu
