Leading by Example

Annual Report 2019

Lehigh people, driven by the desire to make an impact, are rallying to support GO: The Campaign for Lehigh. The $1 billion-plus effort upholds access and opportunity, experience and impact, and research and distinction. Thank you to those who are leading the way with their generosity.

GO: The Campaign for Lehigh is about taking action—a sentiment embraced by trustee and campaign co-chair James Maida ’85 ’17P ’19P and his wife, Sharon ’17P ’19P. Since the campaign’s launch, James has thrown himself into his role as one of the university’s top fundraising volunteers, traveling the country to connect with alumni and friends, and Sharon has joined the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Education. Now, the Maidas have gone a step further, adding to their family’s philanthropic legacy with a gift to name one of the New Residential Houses. Julie and Jordan Hitch ’88 ’20P ’21P and Charlot and Dennis Singleton ’66 are also supporting the new state-of-the-art residential facilities. The Maida, Hitch and Singleton Houses will open in fall 2020.

“Sharon and I want to ensure that future generations will receive the same great education and opportunities that our daughters, my father, my siblings and I received while at Lehigh. It is what others did before us and what we have the obligation and honor to do now,” said Maida.

Leading by Example | Annual Report 2019

On the Corner Where Business Meets Technology

Thanks to the support of generous alumni and friends, the corner of Taylor Street and Packer Avenue is poised to become a new intersection for business and technology at Lehigh. With collaborative, tech-ready spaces, an additional soon-to-be-built College of Business building will create a new culture of innovation, learning and research for business students and faculty. Debbie and Jeff Bosland ’88 ’22P recently named the expanded Financial Services Lab, and leadership gifts have been received from Board of Trustee member Frank E. (Ted) Walsh III ’88 and his wife, Karen, as well as Daniel Hyman ’02 and his wife, Vivien Wadeck. Alison and Norman Axelrod ’74 are funding the Business Analytics Teaching and Research Lab, which will provide a state-of- the-art learning environment for teaching information systems and analytics. A pooled gift among PwC partners, employees and the PwC Foundation will support a “Wall of Fame” honoring Lehigh business leaders.

Increasing Access to Lehigh

Lehigh welcomed the first cohort of French Scholars this fall. The first-year students, who hail from all around the country, are supported through a new endowed scholarship created by Kenneth R. French ’75 and his wife, Vickie. French, an entrepreneur and academic who benefited from a scholarship himself, wanted to make sure others would have access to the Lehigh experience that sparked his own success. Ultimately, the fund will support five students in each class, with a preference for first-generation students. Scholarships and financial aid remain the number-one priority of GO: The Campaign for Lehigh. To date, $146 million has been raised toward an overall goal of $350 million for scholarships and financial aid.

Revving the Research Engine

Doctoral students are the engine behind research at Lehigh. Relentlessly curious, they put in long hours in the lab, analyze data, mentor undergraduate students, support faculty work and conduct the hands-on experiments that lead to new knowledge. Joan Stephans, daughter of Peter Rossin, and her husband, Peter, have committed $1 million through the Rossin Foundation for doctoral students in the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. This support will cover costs for as many as 10 Ph.D. students during their first semester, a critical time when students are identifying their research direction and launching their studies. The gift will help attract a diverse group of talented doctoral students to Lehigh and catalyze giving from others, paving the way for the Rossin College to reach its goal of securing first-year funding for all incoming doctoral students.

Celebrating Distinguished Alumni

During the inaugural Leadership Recognition Dinner held in October, six alumni from across the country were honored for outstanding achievements that changed their industries and communities.