Faculty & Programs

Following the Artemis II mission

As global attention turns to NASA’s Artemis II mission—the first crewed journey back toward the Moon in more than 50 years—Professor Hart, founding director of Lehigh's Master's in Aerospace and Space Systems Engineering, is helping audiences across the news media landscape make sense of this historic moment. A former astronaut and professor of mechanical engineering and mechanics at Lehigh University, Hart brings a rare combination of firsthand spaceflight experience and deep technical expertise. 

Dan M. Frangopol, the inaugural Fazlur R. Khan Endowed Chair of Structural Engineering and Architecture Emeritus and professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at Lehigh University, has been selected to receive the 2026 Raymond C. Reese Research Prize from the Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

As artificial intelligence races ahead—reshaping nearly every aspect of modern life—Lehigh University computer scientist Daniel P. Lopresti is among a group of researchers asking a deceptively simple question: What would it look like if the field of computing rallied around a shared, long-term goal?

Five Lehigh University professors have been named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The 2026 cohort comprises 230 emerging inventors representing 82 NAI Member Institutions across the globe. This year’s class is the largest to date, with members collectively holding over 2,000 U.S. patents.

Lehigh University’s Research Translation AcceLUrator was highlighted at Carnegie Mellon University’s 2025 Startup Week, a multi-day celebration of entrepreneurship, innovation, and frontier technology hosted by CMU’s Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. From September 23 to 26, the event brought together roughly 2,000 academics, researchers, investors, founders, and university leaders for over 25 events to explore strategies for accelerating innovation and advancing regional tech ecosystems.

The Lehigh University community came together for the 2025 Faculty Appreciation Banquet to celebrate excellence in teaching, research, advising, and service across disciplines. The annual event recognized 18 faculty members for their contributions during the 2024–2025 academic year, honoring newly appointed professorships, long-service milestones, and award recipients.

Israel E. Wachs, the G. Whitney Snyder Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Lehigh University, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest professional honors in the field of engineering.

Lehigh University’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) is launching two new courses focused on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Industrial Engineering (IE) and Operations Research (OR), reinforcing the department’s leadership in preparing students and professionals for a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Together, these offerings put practical skills into action with guidance from proven methods, emphasizing impactful and ethical use of AI in complex service and industrial systems.