Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation of New York has funded a new pilot program at Lehigh that will take a fresh look at our study abroad programs. The goal is to develop a more strategically focused program that will integrate international study into a student’s major as a part of the total Lehigh experience.

Led by Provost Mohamed El-Aasser, a group consisting of Lehigh’s four college deans and select faculty and administrators will travel to other institutions to look at their programs and hold on- and off-campus workshops to develop a fresh perspective. Lehigh’s faculty will develop a targeted group of universities overseas with which Lehigh can partner, so that study abroad students will learn how to live in an increasingly diverse and global world.

Council of Graduate Schools

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) gave a grant to Lehigh’s College of Business and Economics to implement a new Master of Science in Health and Bio-Pharmaceutical Economics, a professional degree program designed for students with undergraduate life sciences degrees. A previous grant in 2004 from CGS, administrator of the Ford Foundation initiative to spur the development of professional graduate degrees across the country, jump-started planning of the new MS program.

The MS in Health and Bio-Pharmaceutical Economics program was designed by Tom Hyclak, current interim dean of the College of Business and Economics. The implementation phase of the program is being directed by Art King, professor of economics. The new program will prepare students to carry out sophisticated studies of the benefits and costs associated with new drugs, medical therapies and diagnostic procedures, and to perform critical analyses in support of marketing decisions and risk management in portfolios of R&D projects.

Engineering Information Foundation

The Engineering Information Foundation gave a major boost to Lehigh University’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science and their Summer CHOICES program with a grant to support the week-long summer session for middle school girls. Held in July of each year and organized by the RCEAS Dean’s Office, the program engages students from the region in

hands-on experiences to encourage creative problem-solving and the exploration of engineering and science as career options. Because the national average for female undergraduate enrollment in engineering colleges is less than 20%, Lehigh is working hard to increase the pipeline of women into engineering programs, to achieve the diversity that is needed in the field for innovative research and development.

The Rider-Pool Foundation

Lehigh’s Zoellner Arts Center received a grant from The Rider-Pool Foundation of Allentown, PA for the unique EdgeEvents series. Begun in 2001, the EdgeEvents series brings three non-traditional or offbeat presentations each season to diverse audiences of the Lehigh Valley. Sometimes performers are new or undiscovered talent, and sometimes the acts are so unusual that they draw a small but loyal following.

The Rider-Pool Foundation, known for its support of novice and avant-garde performing arts events, is a strong supporter of Lehigh’s Zoellner Arts Center for the past several years. This year’s EdgeEvents include MacHomer, Kitka and Huun-Huur Tu, and Nellie McKay. For more information on these, see Zoellner’s website (http://www.lehigh.edu/zoellner).