This issue of Resolve arrives at an exciting moment for our university and for the Rossin College.
Following two semesters of open dialogue among our community of stakeholders, Lehigh released a new strategic plan this summer. The themes that emerged through that dialogue, and the specific goals and initiatives now integral to Inspiring the Future Makers, resonate deeply within our college. As the plan’s initiatives gather momentum, transformational opportunities for Lehigh’s engineering community are on the horizon.
This issue of Resolve highlights intriguing interdisciplinary projects that align with the plan’s emphasis on “high-paced, high-reward research,” as well as the strong integration of the plan’s key initiatives with our evolving research and educational activities as a college.
Lehigh teams are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, and specifically machine learning, to make advances that will revolutionize the way we diagnose diseases, store and distribute energy, and manufacture materials, to name a few.
At the same time, the development and incorporation of cutting-edge data science tools and techniques requires careful consideration of how these technologies impact users and our society as a whole. Lehigh’s Institute for Data, Intelligent Systems, and Computation (I-DISC) is emerging as a leader in research that champions a holistic, human-centered approach to AI.
The article “Hotbed of Innovation” delves into innovative carbon-reduction technologies developed by Lehigh Engineering faculty: a process that captures and renders dangerous carbon dioxide into harmless baking soda, and a device that efficiently captures and stores renewable energy for large-scale industrial usage.
Also of note is a new $3 million NSF National Research Training (NRT) grant that will enable graduate students in energy-related fields to lead the energy sector in overcoming its reliance on carbon and in addressing related inequities.
Bringing these themes together is this issue’s Rising Star, electrical engineer Javad Khazaei. His work focuses on novel machine-learning approaches to smart energy grid management and the wider integration of renewable energy.
Our Q&A features Jill Seebergh ’89, a Principal Senior Technical Fellow at Boeing with a focus in materials and coatings. The chemical engineering alumna has built a reputation as a strategic technical leader and a strong proponent of the value of mentorship and developing talent into interdisciplinary thinkers and leaders: people she calls “π-shaped engineers.”
Finally, we celebrate the ingenuity and determination of a group of students who have led the Lehigh University Space Initiative (LUSI) to a successful liftoff. The team designed and built Lehigh’s first Mars rover and is developing a CubeSat proposal to submit to NASA. These students are indeed shining examples of the Future Makers that Lehigh and the Rossin College seek to train and inspire.
As we move forward, Lehigh’s strategic plan is poised to further invigorate the Rossin College and the broader campus community like no other milestone in our institution’s recent history. Stay tuned for the Spring 2024 edition of Resolve, where we plan a more in-depth exploration of opportunities for growth and transformation arising from the strategic plan.
As always, thank you for your support of Lehigh Engineering and the Rossin College. Please drop me a note with your comments.
Stephen P. DeWeerth, Professor and Dean
P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science
steve.deweerth@lehigh.edu