Research universities have a unique responsibility: We provide the knowledge and insight that can help individuals in the wider world succeed in their efforts, and we ask the challenging questions many might not have the opportunity to address or perhaps even notice. That responsibility—and the freedom to meet it—is also a tremendous privilege.
Here at Lehigh, amid a period of significant growth and change, we remain focused on our responsibility as a research university. As we expand our campus community, build new facilities and move forward on important strategic initiatives—including our new College of Health—we continue to produce important work that informs and inspires the world.
We recognize the value of curiosity and creativity, and how a commitment to excellence and rigorous effort contributes to the greater good. We embrace difficult questions and the hard work required to uncover answers. We celebrate the interplay of ideas from a variety of disciplines and foster a supportive environment that promotes the achievement of both individuals and collaborative teams, large and small. Our faculty and graduate students produce work of lasting impact. As our university grows, that impact will only become greater.
This fourth edition of the Lehigh Research Review explores some of the exceptional work being produced within and across our four colleges. In these pages, you’ll learn about projects with the potential to impact the status quo both locally and globally, projects that highlight the importance of following wherever the questions lead, and projects that have resulted in new understanding and creative expression with the power to transform hearts and minds.
Whether examining the origins of gender roles or the function of the von Willebrand Factor, the effect of immigration on wage distribution or the connections among coral populations in the Gulf of Mexico, Lehigh researchers embody the university’s mission of advancing learning through the integration of teaching, research and service to others. Their work is an essential part of our vibrant campus community—one that continues to inspire us year after year.
Sincerely,
Patrick V. Farrell
Provost
Alan J. Snyder
Vice President and Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Studies