Saffer '74, 76G takes helm of Lehigh’s graduate business programs office

	Martin Saffer

Martin K. Saffer has been named as the new associate dean for graduate programs at Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics.
Saffer takes the helm of a program already named as one of the nation’s most competitive by BusinessWeek Magazine, whose editors ranked Lehigh’s part-time MBA program as No.5 in the country and No.1 in the Mid-Atlantic region.
“Marty brings a formidable professional background to the program,” says Paul R. Brown, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “He has a strong understanding of strategic planning and industry, as well as changing dynamics of the global marketplace—attributes that I think make him incredibly well-positioned to lead our graduate programs office.”
Now in its 55th year, Lehigh’s MBA program is one of only a few select programs in eastern Pennsylvania to be fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the international governing body for business schools. Less than one-third of U.S. business schools and only 10 percent of business programs worldwide meet the rigorous standards of AACSB.
“This is an incredibly exciting time to be affiliated with Lehigh’s graduate business programs,” says Saffer, who earned both his undergraduate degree and MBA from Lehigh’s College of Business and Economics. “Though Lehigh has been recognized as the Mid-Atlantic’s premier part-time MBA program, we’re not resting on our laurels. We’re in a unique position to address market challenges and are aggressively looking at ways to further enhance our offerings.”
The part-time MBA program has become very selective, ranking among the country’s best in both the amount of professional experience of its students and average GMAT scores.
In addition to the Lehigh MBA, the office offers joint MBA degrees with Lehigh’s College of Education and P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, a doctoral degree in economics, and three highly-regarded certificate programs.
Lehigh’s graduate programs office also offers selective M.S. programs in Accounting and Information Analysis, Analytical Finance, Economics, and Health and Biopharmaceutical Economics.
Saffer comes to the position after serving as the senior development officer in the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations. He worked closely with the College of Business and Economics on its development initiatives while there, forging a close relationship with the college, its alumni base and external partners.
Saffer joined Lehigh in 2007 after 30 years of corporate experience, primarily with Ford Motor Company. He held a variety of strategic, business development and operational positions with the company, both in the United States and Europe.
--Tom Yencho