Provost announces launch of Western Regional Office

I am excited to announce the launch of our Western Regional Office (WRO) geared toward engaging alumni, corporations, and prospective students/guidance counselors throughout the region and beyond.  Effective September 1, 2016, John W. Welty was appointed Vice Provost, WRO and will report to me.  The office is located in San Mateo, California – centralized access to downtown San Francisco, the Silicon Valley and the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley).

The WRO was established to extend educational opportunities for Lehigh students and faculty by building curricular and research partnerships with dynamic enterprises in key regions of the West Coast.  The recently announced partnership with the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center is an example of this work. For these partnerships to realize their full potential we will need a consistent presence and interface, and the WRO will provide us with that consistency and presence.

Initially, the WRO will focus on opportunities in northern and southern California, Oregon (Portland metro), and Washington (Seattle-Tacoma metro).  Other major western U.S. metropolitan areas such as Denver, Las Vegas, and Phoenix may be included later.

Areas of WRO engagement will include: academic programs, student recruitment, alumni relations, university events, development, corporate and industry partnerships and career services. 

This is an important step in creating new opportunities for the Lehigh community and raising our visibility both nationally and internationally.

Patrick V. Farrell, Provost