Alumni Updates

Civil engineering alum Amit Varma '01 PhD has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), one of the highest honors in the field.

After completing his undergraduate degree in physics at Lehigh, George Awad ’22 ’25G found himself chasing something unexpected: the flavors of Thailand. His passion for mango sticky rice—a classic Southeast Asian dessert—sparked the idea for Aroi Mango, LLC, a food startup focused on reimagining the dish for U.S. audiences. Now, as he wraps up his master’s degree in Lehigh’s Technical Entrepreneurship (TE) program, Awad is blending culinary creativity with business savvy to bring his idea to life.

Ask people what mechanical engineers do, and the answers usually follow a familiar script: They design engines, optimize machines, and make systems faster, lighter, more efficient. In other words—they build.

As a project engineer at consulting firm Thornton Tomasetti, Rossin College alum Sena Kizildemir 18G '23 PhD, sees things differently.

“Mechanical engineering isn’t only about creating what works,” she says. “It’s also about understanding what fails—and making sure it never happens in real life.”

Electrical engineering alum Kate Johnson ’89, president and CEO of Lumen Technologies, will deliver the keynote at Lehigh’s 157th undergraduate Commencement ceremony on May 18, 2025. Johnson has led business transformation initiatives at Microsoft, Oracle, GE, and other major firms, and now heads Lumen’s shift toward becoming a trusted network for artificial intelligence solutions.

In a recent blog post for the Society of Women Engineers, structural engineering and mechanical engineering alum Sena Kizildemir '18G '23 PhD reflects on her role as a senior project engineer at Thornton Tomasetti, where she uses advanced simulations to understand how structures fail before disaster strikes. Drawing on examples from infrastructure and beyond, she highlights how modeling can be applied across scales—from buildings to biomedical devices—to improve safety and resilience.

BioE Alumni Spotlight: Amanda Ferrante '20

Article written by Rida M., Bioengineering undergraduate student and student office worker in the Department of Bioengineering.

Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences (IDEAS) graduate Yash Patel ’24 leveraged his hands-on experience and interdisciplinary education to land a manufacturing engineering role at the spaceflight company

Mechanical engineering alum Jifu Tan ’12G ’15PhD, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Binghamton University, has received funding through the National Science Foundations’ prestigious Faculty Early Career and Development program to support his research on predicting blood clot formation. 

BioE Alumni Spotlight: Joey Kelly '20

Article written by Rida M., Bioengineering undergraduate student and student office worker in the Department of Bioengineering.