Heralding the vision and philanthropy of Lehigh founder Asa Packer, Interim President Kevin Clayton told the community gathered in Packer Memorial Church for Friday’s Founders Day celebration – one held on the same day that Lehigh named John D. Simon its 14th president – that the virtue of giving is a defining principle of the university and serves to sustain Packer’s legacy.

Describing Packer as a “man of action” who rarely gave speeches or interviews or wrote letters, Clayton said Packer tried his hand at a variety of trades before founding the railroad that eventually made him wealthy. “But to Asa,” Clayton said, “wealth wasn’t an end in itself. It wasn’t his ultimate goal. His wealth didn’t define him. What he gave back did.”

Packer served the public as a member of the state legislature, as a congressman and judge. He supported nearby St. Luke’s Hospital and Bethlehem’s St. Mark’s Church. And he gave back by founding Lehigh – a university that continues to develop other people of action, Clayton said.

“Giving back means thinking about more than yourself,” he said. “It's a mindset. It is a way of life.... At Lehigh, we see this every day.”

Evidence of that, he said, can be found in the faculty, who share their knowledge and experiences to help inspire students to explore and grow; to alumni who mentor students, provide internships and are fiercely loyal Lehigh ambassadors; to students, who look out for, support and respect one another while also serving the local community; and to the staff, who cultivate a safe, supportive and inclusive living environment to allow students to grow into emotionally mature young men and women.

Asking those assembled to continue to find ways to share their time, talents, experiences and resources, Clayton said “great universities don’t just happen. They are a result of commitment, hard work and caring.... Asa Packer started Lehigh on the path to greatness. But Lehigh attained greatness because of the generations who gave back. And Lehigh maintains its greatness because people continue to give back.”

Founder’s Day has been an annual tradition since it began in 1879 following Packer’s death. This year’s event was particularly notable for the announcement earlier in the day that Simon, who currently serves as executive vice president and provost at the University of Virginia, was named Lehigh’s new president. Simon will assume the presidency on July 1.  Clayton has served as Interim President since Aug. 1, following the departure of Alice P. Gast for Imperial College London.

A life-changing student experience

In her keynote address, Class of 2015 member Alexandra J. Stephanou reflected on her Lehigh experiences and how they shaped her goals for the future.

The international relations and economics major and business and Arabic minor from Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, recalled her first Founder’s Day three years ago, when she was overcome with emotion and new-found love of Lehigh. At that point, she said, “I never imagined that I would be addressing you all today.”

Drawing on Asa Packer’s transformative vision to produce well-rounded scholars, Stephanou said that “this type of education was unique 149 years ago, and it still is today. Lehigh continues to offer a college experience unlike most others, which impacts students for the rest of their lives.”

She considered her own involvement and Lehigh adventures, and said that Packer’s tradition of identifying needs and transforming them into opportunities lives on through her personal experience.

“Early on in my academic career, I realized that I wanted to extend my learning further than just my major. It seemed that most of my friends were involved with programs such as IBE [Integrated Business & Engineering] and IDEAS [Integrated Degree in Engineering, Arts and Sciences]. This made me question why I wasn’t taking advantage of these renowned cross-disciplinary programs,” said Stephanou, who created her own path to better prepare for a career in foreign intelligence.

Equally helpful were her interests outside the classroom, which included her roles as an Orientation Leader and Gyphon, her involvement with the Student Senate and Panhellenic Society and an internship through the Lehigh University/United Nations Partnership. But the success she holds most dear was the creation of the Lehigh University Dance Marathon, which not only served to unite the campus during a year characterized by division, but raised $40,000 to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“I could not be more proud to share that Dance Marathon is on its way to becoming a Lehigh
tradition, with its second event planned for Nov. 8,” she said. “It is the innovative, constantly questioning, and determined environment of our Lehigh community that has allowed me to thrive as a student....

“Just a few months ago, I was a student who could not imagine remaining engaged with Lehigh after graduation. But now, reflecting on the transformative effect this school has had on me, there’s no doubt in my mind I will continue to have a close relationship with it. Lehigh has changed my life. And now I invite you all to stand with me if Lehigh has changed your life,” said Stephanou, as those in Packer took her cue, stood and loudly applauded.

Following her talk, Provost Pat Farrell installed student officers of the four undergraduate classes, the Undergraduate Student Senate, the Graduate Student Senate, and the Council of Student Presidents. (See list below.)

The Lehigh University Choir offered musical accompaniment during the ceremony, including a performance of “Glorious Lehigh,” which was arranged and conducted by choir director Steven P. Sametz, the Ronald J. Ulrich Professor of Music.

University Chaplain Lloyd Steffen provided the invocation, and the benediction was offered by Rabbi Danielle A. Stillman, director of Jewish Student Life.

During the program, Clayton recognized the new members of the Lehigh Board of Trustees who were in attendance: Michael Conner ’80, P’14, Peter Diamond, Stephen Klasko ’74 and Frank “Ted” Walsh III, ’88.

The ceremony also recognized new administrators, which included Jennifer M. Jensen, deputy provost for academic affairs, who began her duties at Lehigh in December 2013; and Patricia A. Johnson, vice president for finance and administration, who came to Lehigh in January 2014.

Georgette Chapman Phillips was honored as the first Kevin L. Clayton ’84, 13P and Lisa A. Clayton ‘13P Dean of the College of Business and Economics. She began her duties in July 2014.

In addition to Jensen and Phillips, 20 new faculty were welcomed.

Recipients of fellowships, professorship, endowed chairs and coaching positions included the following:

• Jesus M. Salas, Alison and Norman H. Axelrod ’74 Endowed Summer Research Fellowship
• Tamara A. Lambert, Charlotte W. and Robert L. Brown III ’78 Endowed Summer Research Fellowship
• Beibei Dong, Thomas J. Campbell ’80 Professorship
• Kerney Jebrell Glover, Class of ’61 Professsorship
• Zach G. Zacharia, Class of ’61 Professorship
• Parveen P. Gupta, William L. Clayton Distinguished Professorship
• Corinne A. Post, Scott Hartz ’68 Term Professorship
• Robert W. Neel, Frank Hook Assistant Professorship
• Nicholas Sawicki, Frank Hook Assistant Professorship
• Muzhe Yang, Francis J. Ingrassia ’75 and Elizabeth McCaul Endowed Professorship
• Larry W. Taylor, Frank L. Magee Professorship
• Arindam Banerjee, P.C. Rossin Assistant Professorship
• Yevgeny Berdichevsky, P.C. Rossin Assistant Professorship
• Bryan W. Berger, P.C. Rossin Assistant Professorship
• Javier Buceta, Dolores T. and William E. Schiesser Faculty Fellowship
• Nelson Tansu, Daniel E. 39 and Patricia M. Smith Chair
• Wouter Hendrix ‘10G, Howard J. Talmud ’77, ‘78G Men’s Head Tennis Coach
• Anne S. Meltzer, Francis J. Trembley Chair in Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Volkmar R. Dierolf, University Distinguished Professorship
• Katya Scheinberg, Harvey E. Wagner Endowed Chair in Systems Engineering
• Alexander (Sasha) Stolyar, Timothy J. Wilmott ’80 Endowed Faculty Chair in Industrial
• Engineering

Also honored were newly promoted and tenured faculty:

Awarded Tenure at the Rank of Full Professor

• Georgette Chapman Phillips, Kevin L. Clayton ’84, ’13P and Lisa A. Clayton ‘13P Dean in the Perella Department of Finance, College of Business and Economics and in Africana Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences

Awarded Tenure at the Rank of Associate Professor

• Yinan He, international relations
• Jennifer M. Jensen, deputy provost for academic affairs, political science
• Promoted to Full Professor
• Alec M. Bodzin, education and human services
• Mooi Choo Chuah, computer science and engineering
• Frank R. Gunter, economics
• James A. Hall, Peter E. Bennett Chair of Accounting
• Slava V. Rotkin, physics
• Katya Scheinberg, Harvey E. Wagner Endowed Chair in Manufacturing Systems Engineering
• Nelson Tansu, Daniel E. ’39 and Patricia M. Smith Chair, electrical and computer engineering, and Director for the Center of Photonics and Nanoelectronics
• Aladdin M. Yaqub, philosophy
• Awarded Tenure and Promoted to Associate Professor
• Saladin Anbar, political science
• Liuba Y. Belkin, management
• Xuanhong Cheng, materials science and engineering
• Marilyn J. Jones, art, architecture and design
• Douglas M. Mahony, Axelrod Family Endowed Fellow, management
• Dominic J. Packer, psychology
• Shamim N. Pakzad, civil and environmental engineering
• Bruce Whitehouse, sociology and anthropology
• Muzhe Yang, Francis J. Ingrassia ’75 and Elizabeth McCaul Endowed Professorship, economics
• Yuping Zhang, sociology and anthropology
• Also recognized were new members of Leadership Plaza:
• Walter C. Allen, Jr. ‘38
• Susan Beckerman
• Thomas J. Campbell ‘80
• Maria L. ’87 and John R. Chrin ’85, ’86, ‘10P
• Hobart B. Dietz, Jr. ‘53
• Ellen and Vincent A. Forlenza, Jr. ‘75
• Elizabeth P. Frank
• June W. and Leon C. Holt ’48, ‘85PG
• Herbert A. Roemmele ‘53
• Karen G. Shihadeh Schaufeld ’83 and Frederick D. Schaufeld ’81, ‘15P ’17P

Student Officers:

• John M.E. Schultz ‘15
• Max G. DeZarn ‘16
• Frederick R. Coleman ‘17
• Hai H. Le ‘18
• Kerry A. Mallett ‘15
• Nipun Goel ‘12G

Story by Linda Harbrecht

Photos by Christa Neu