Skate to the Puck

Welcome to the latest edition of Lehigh Business!

I admit that I am not a big hockey fan. But Wayne Gretzky had a point when he said, “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” 

The same holds true for us at Lehigh College of Business and Economics. As a leading business school, understanding of the past is not enough. We must “skate” toward the needs of tomorrow’s business world.

Several examples of how we are doing this come to mind. When you ask someone, “Where do you work?” do you make a mental note connecting the location of the company with the home of your new acquaintance? Increasingly the supposition may prove false. What does this spatial discontinuity mean for the future workplace? We delve into this topic in depth beginning on pg. 2.

We are very excited about the physical expansion of our business school (pg. 8). The first phase of the expansion is a new building, which will include classrooms devoted to teaching data analytics plus dedicated space for increased focus on business communications. These physical changes will reinforce curricular changes in the undergraduate core (pg. 14) that add more analytics and communications emphasis for our students.

As the business world evolves, so do the types of careers opening for our students. We must look beyond the more “traditional” career paths and create opportunities for our students to learn about and become a part of the startup culture.  The rich startup ecosystem of the San Francisco Bay Area coupled with the Lehigh@NasdaqCenter provides the fertile ground to plant this growth. Our new Startup Academy (pg. 12) is a shining example of  Lehigh ingenuity and teamwork.

Our alums, students and faculty continue to excel on all fronts. Our faculty research is not only groundbreaking but also impacts your business daily. Whether you shop on-line, are loyal to an app for points, wonder how C-suite compensation is affected by long duration contracts, visit a museum for free or think about risk aversion in investing, our faculty have written about it. Be sure to read “why it matters” about research, beginning on pg. 16.

Likewise, our alumni (pg.22) and students (pg. 30) are blazing trails to the future. Both in breadth of discipline and depth of experience, our business school grads and students are creating the business world of tomorrow.

We are proud to share the stories of Lehigh College of Business and Economics and hope you enjoy reading about all that is happening.  As we kick off the Campaign for Lehigh (pg. 37), please know that we so appreciate the support of alumni and friends in helping us skate strongly to where the puck is going.

Georgette Chapman Phillips, The Kevin L. and Lisa A. Clayton Dean of the College of  Business and Economics

Follow Dean Phillips on Twitter @LehighBizDean