What others are saying
Gregory C. Farrington, Lehigh University’s 12th President
I've always said that the only thing good enough for Lehigh is the best, and I believe that is just what Lehigh is getting in Dr. Gast. Her appointment is truly an outstanding one. Personally, I am enthusiastic about her appointment and I look forward to her years of leadership at Lehigh. Her strengths are perfectly matched to Lehigh’s next set of challenges and I am confident that the institution will be better for her time at Lehigh.
Dr. Gast and her family have the good fortune to become members of a wonderful community—one that is filled with bright, warm, inquisitive, and creative individuals. I know the Lehigh family will embrace her family as warmly as they embraced my family. It is that kind of place. I wish her well as she takes the reins of this wonderful institution.
Susan Hockfield, President, MIT
Alice is an exceptionally talented academic leader and a wonderful colleague. Her leadership on issues relating to research policy and organization, faculty governance, and intellectual property, to name a few, is more than impressive, as is her ability to bring people with different interests together around a common agenda. All of these qualities will serve her—and the university—very well as Lehigh's next president.
Charles M. Vest, President Emeritus, MIT
She has been extremely effective in working with faculty to build interdisciplinary research teams and infrastructure. Alice Gast will be an extraordinary university president. She is smart, personable, a team builder, and is deeply committed to academic values and goals.
John L. Hennessy, President, Stanford University
Alice is a tremendous scholar and a star faculty member. She is an extraordinary individual whose leadership talents have risen meteorically. Lehigh is fortunate in that she is now ready to take on a new and exciting challenge. She is a great choice for Lehigh’s next president.
Robert Brown, President, Boston University
Alice Gast is one of the most talented university leaders that I have had the pleasure to work with. She is dedicated to excellence and works tirelessly with faculty and students to help them reach new levels of achievement. Alice is a brilliant choice for president of Lehigh University.
Alan J. Heeger, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2000, University of California at Santa Barbara
This is a coup for Lehigh. Alice Gast enjoys a reputation as an internationally renowned research scholar, and as a leader with exceptional strengths in both the strategic and management aspects of university administration. Lehigh can justly be proud of such an extraordinarily wise choice.
Rafael Reif, Provost, MIT
As Vice President for Research and Associate Provost, Alice has done an extraordinary job. Whether it has been fostering new interdisciplinary initiatives, such as the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, tackling tough research policy and intellectual property issues, matters of environmental health and safety on campus, or the challenge of dealing with international scholarship in an era of heightened security concerns, Alice has provided wisdom and practical guidance.
I know that I speak on behalf of her many colleagues and friends at the Institute in saying that we will miss her tremendously, even as we celebrate her selection as Lehigh's next president. They are very fortunate, indeed.
Mohamed S. El-Aasser, Provost, Lehigh University
I’ve had the pleasure of interacting in a number of professional capacities with Dr. Gast for more than 20 years. I look forward with great enthusiasm to the prospect of working under her leadership. She is a true world-class scholar. Theodore Roosevelt once stated that a key element every leader needs to have is the fundamental gift of common sense. Dr. Gast possesses not only a high intellectual ability, but has the gift of common sense as well. We are truly blessed to have someone of her stature to be appointed as Lehigh University’s 13th President.
LEHIGH PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS
William Hecht ‘64, Chair
Alice Gast has a remarkable record of accomplishment as both a scholar and as a leader in higher education. She is an extraordinary individual who recognizes the strengths of Lehigh as a broadly based university, and understands how to move Lehigh forward as one of the nation's leading undergraduate and graduate research universities. The search committee reviewed literally scores of highly qualified individuals, and Dr. Gast was the clear choice of the committee and the trustees. Lehigh is indeed honored to name Dr. Gast as its next president.
Paul N. Leitner, Vice-Chair, and Member, Board of Trustees
In Dr. Gast one finds the unique combination of stellar scholarship coupled with leadership qualities that will serve the broad dimension of what is Lehigh University. What better visionary to accept the mantle from President Farrington.
Anne Meltzer, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Alice Gast is remarkably accomplished as a scholar and an administrator. The breadth of her experience makes her well prepared to take on leadership at Lehigh. We are extremely fortunate to have her as our next President.
Cara Diorio ‘07, Student
When meeting with Dr. Gast, she was very eager to understand the expectations of Lehigh’s next president from a student’s perspective. I am excited to be a student under her leadership; she truly is an intriguing woman who will be greatly admired throughout the university.
Rajan Menon, Professor, International Relations
I'm delighted that Dr. Alice Gast has agreed to become Lehigh's 13th president. She is a world-class scholar and an accomplished administrator. Her keen intelligence, her capacity to listen and to grasp complex issues rapidly, and her imagination and creativity will quickly be apparent to the members of the Lehigh community as they get to know her. That Alice is Lehigh's first woman president makes her appointment all the more significant and gratifying.
Susan Sherer, Professor, Management and Marketing
Alice has a strong record of accomplishment that I am sure can be seen from her vita. In meeting her, what I found most compelling is that she is highly intelligent and perceptive. I believe that she will work well with all the various constituencies both internal and external to Lehigh.
Jacob Kazakia, Faculty Personnel Committee Chair
The members of FPC were very impressed by her credentials and they unanimously expressed their approval of the candidate. The committee looks forward with confidence and enthusiasm toward a bright new chapter of Lehigh's history.
I've always said that the only thing good enough for Lehigh is the best, and I believe that is just what Lehigh is getting in Dr. Gast. Her appointment is truly an outstanding one. Personally, I am enthusiastic about her appointment and I look forward to her years of leadership at Lehigh. Her strengths are perfectly matched to Lehigh’s next set of challenges and I am confident that the institution will be better for her time at Lehigh.
Dr. Gast and her family have the good fortune to become members of a wonderful community—one that is filled with bright, warm, inquisitive, and creative individuals. I know the Lehigh family will embrace her family as warmly as they embraced my family. It is that kind of place. I wish her well as she takes the reins of this wonderful institution.
Susan Hockfield, President, MIT
Alice is an exceptionally talented academic leader and a wonderful colleague. Her leadership on issues relating to research policy and organization, faculty governance, and intellectual property, to name a few, is more than impressive, as is her ability to bring people with different interests together around a common agenda. All of these qualities will serve her—and the university—very well as Lehigh's next president.
Charles M. Vest, President Emeritus, MIT
She has been extremely effective in working with faculty to build interdisciplinary research teams and infrastructure. Alice Gast will be an extraordinary university president. She is smart, personable, a team builder, and is deeply committed to academic values and goals.
John L. Hennessy, President, Stanford University
Alice is a tremendous scholar and a star faculty member. She is an extraordinary individual whose leadership talents have risen meteorically. Lehigh is fortunate in that she is now ready to take on a new and exciting challenge. She is a great choice for Lehigh’s next president.
Robert Brown, President, Boston University
Alice Gast is one of the most talented university leaders that I have had the pleasure to work with. She is dedicated to excellence and works tirelessly with faculty and students to help them reach new levels of achievement. Alice is a brilliant choice for president of Lehigh University.
Alan J. Heeger, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2000, University of California at Santa Barbara
This is a coup for Lehigh. Alice Gast enjoys a reputation as an internationally renowned research scholar, and as a leader with exceptional strengths in both the strategic and management aspects of university administration. Lehigh can justly be proud of such an extraordinarily wise choice.
Rafael Reif, Provost, MIT
As Vice President for Research and Associate Provost, Alice has done an extraordinary job. Whether it has been fostering new interdisciplinary initiatives, such as the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, tackling tough research policy and intellectual property issues, matters of environmental health and safety on campus, or the challenge of dealing with international scholarship in an era of heightened security concerns, Alice has provided wisdom and practical guidance.
I know that I speak on behalf of her many colleagues and friends at the Institute in saying that we will miss her tremendously, even as we celebrate her selection as Lehigh's next president. They are very fortunate, indeed.
Mohamed S. El-Aasser, Provost, Lehigh University
I’ve had the pleasure of interacting in a number of professional capacities with Dr. Gast for more than 20 years. I look forward with great enthusiasm to the prospect of working under her leadership. She is a true world-class scholar. Theodore Roosevelt once stated that a key element every leader needs to have is the fundamental gift of common sense. Dr. Gast possesses not only a high intellectual ability, but has the gift of common sense as well. We are truly blessed to have someone of her stature to be appointed as Lehigh University’s 13th President.
LEHIGH PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE MEMBERS
William Hecht ‘64, Chair
Alice Gast has a remarkable record of accomplishment as both a scholar and as a leader in higher education. She is an extraordinary individual who recognizes the strengths of Lehigh as a broadly based university, and understands how to move Lehigh forward as one of the nation's leading undergraduate and graduate research universities. The search committee reviewed literally scores of highly qualified individuals, and Dr. Gast was the clear choice of the committee and the trustees. Lehigh is indeed honored to name Dr. Gast as its next president.
Paul N. Leitner, Vice-Chair, and Member, Board of Trustees
In Dr. Gast one finds the unique combination of stellar scholarship coupled with leadership qualities that will serve the broad dimension of what is Lehigh University. What better visionary to accept the mantle from President Farrington.
Anne Meltzer, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Alice Gast is remarkably accomplished as a scholar and an administrator. The breadth of her experience makes her well prepared to take on leadership at Lehigh. We are extremely fortunate to have her as our next President.
Cara Diorio ‘07, Student
When meeting with Dr. Gast, she was very eager to understand the expectations of Lehigh’s next president from a student’s perspective. I am excited to be a student under her leadership; she truly is an intriguing woman who will be greatly admired throughout the university.
Rajan Menon, Professor, International Relations
I'm delighted that Dr. Alice Gast has agreed to become Lehigh's 13th president. She is a world-class scholar and an accomplished administrator. Her keen intelligence, her capacity to listen and to grasp complex issues rapidly, and her imagination and creativity will quickly be apparent to the members of the Lehigh community as they get to know her. That Alice is Lehigh's first woman president makes her appointment all the more significant and gratifying.
Susan Sherer, Professor, Management and Marketing
Alice has a strong record of accomplishment that I am sure can be seen from her vita. In meeting her, what I found most compelling is that she is highly intelligent and perceptive. I believe that she will work well with all the various constituencies both internal and external to Lehigh.
Jacob Kazakia, Faculty Personnel Committee Chair
The members of FPC were very impressed by her credentials and they unanimously expressed their approval of the candidate. The committee looks forward with confidence and enthusiasm toward a bright new chapter of Lehigh's history.
Posted on:
Monday, May 08, 2006
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