Scott Koerwer ’90G has been named executive director of Lehigh University’s Iacocca Institute, following an international search, effective Sept. 25. Koerwer joins Lehigh from the Wright Center for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, a not for profit organization focusing on the delivery of primary care and graduate medical education, where he served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer.
Koerwer brings to Lehigh a career rich in experience in higher education and health care. Previous roles include vice president for strategy and planning and founding dean of the graduate school and vice dean for graduate education at the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine; president and professor of business at Newberry College; deputy dean and clinical professor of management at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business; associate dean of graduate and executive programs and services at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business; and director in the executive education division of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Lehigh community at this pivotal time,” Koerwer said. “The Iacocca Institute has a rich legacy and is poised for a bright future. I look forward to supporting its mission and vision through innovative programming with a global outlook and enriched community partnerships.”
“Scott’s expertise will lead the Iacocca Institute into its next phase,” said Cheryl Matherly, vice president and vice provost of international affairs. “With an innovative vision that respects the Institute’s impressive history while looking forward to the University’s future, I am confident he will make an impact on both the internal and external communities. I look forward to welcoming him to Lehigh.”
As executive director of the Iacocca Institute, Koerwer will galvanize the development of the vision, mission and strategic initiatives of the Institute and position the Institute as a premier thought leader on global leadership development. He will be a key collaborator with the Office of International Affairs and work closely with University leadership, faculty and staff colleagues to build programs across disciplines and partnerships with the University and the broader community.
Additionally, Koerwer will explore how the Institute’s work aligns with emerging and established entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives across the University. He will strategize how the Institute’s bodies of work centered on global leadership development may best support and intersect with global innovation, fostering a community of global changemakers. He will also explore opportunities to create innovation ecosystems from both local and global perspectives. Much of this work will play a significant role in priorities outlined in Lehigh’s new strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers.
Koerwer holds a bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College, a master’s degree from Lehigh University and doctorate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Thomas Jefferson University.
The Iacocca Center: Past, Present and Future
In partnership with Lido Anthony “Lee” Iacocca ’45, Lehigh University established the Iacocca Institute in 1988 to help prepare the next generation of leaders to thrive in a global economy, with the belief that successful leadership in the 21st century would require a deep understanding of different cultures and countries, with an emphasis on working across boundaries and borders.
In 1997, the Institute launched what continues to be its flagship program, the Global Village. The Global Village brings university students and professionals from around the world to Lehigh for five weeks each summer to learn how to work across cultures and lead in a global community. The program offers an immersive intercultural learning experience focused on global business and leadership skills. Today, the Global Village alumni network includes more than 2,000 successful leaders from 135 countries.
In 2011, the Iacocca International Internship Program was launched, establishing fully funded internships that allow Lehigh University students to work or do research overseas for six to 12 weeks each summer. More than 500 students have received internships since the program’s founding. Additionally, the Iacocca Institute, inspired by the success of the Global Village, launched additional programs such as Global Village on the Move, which works with global partner organizations to bring programs to cities around the world, and other programs that focus on unique business and cultural environments by taking participants to dynamic locations throughout the world and providing focused learning experiences.
The Institute offers the Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive, an immersive, hands-on program for high school students that combines experiential learning and intercultural connection. What began as a Pennsylvania Governor’s School was folded into the university’s portfolio of summer programs.
Completing the Institute’s slate of programming is the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. As a leadership institute selected by the U.S. Department of State and the International Research and Exchange Board, the Iacocca Institute supports the development of aspiring African business leaders through academic study, workshops, mentoring, networking with U.S. leaders, and collaboration with members of the local community.
The Institute is poised for an exhilarating future that immerses students in a variety of global and cultural experiences and study through a global-oriented lens. Its growth will foster the next generation of global changemakers ready to impact communities locally and worldwide.
