Spotlight sends its best wishes to all of this year's retiring faculty and staff. Read more about what they're planning for the next chapter of their lives. We've included a photo of those in attendance at this year's Appreciation Dinner.
Marjorie Bartholomew
Development Office
After almost 24 years at Lehigh, Marjorie Bartholomew will be retiring as the Coordinator in Planned Giving in Development. Margie also worked in Development Relations and University Events. She served on ERAC and was a member of the Holiday Party Committee for several years. She and her husband Harvey plan on gardening and baking, while maintaining a wildlife habitat and helping abandoned felines. The visit from His Holiness the Dalai Lama will always be one of her most cherished memories.
Marie Bartos
Technology Transfer
After 24 years of service to Lehigh, Marie Bartos retired as the Administrative Coordinator in the Office ofTechnologyTransfer. She also worked in the Small Business Development Center and the Center for Molecular Biosciences. She was involved with the Sustainable Office Program, was a volunteer for the United Way/Community Day every year, served on ERAC and ushered at Zoellner. She participated in the Turkey Trot, the REACH program, as well as different wellness and fitness programs. In retirement, Marie will continue to babysit for her eleven grandchildren. Marie states, "About eleven years ago I had the opportunity to become part of the Office of Technology Transfer's initial inception. It was exciting to start from scratch and know that it was part of the vision for Lehigh's research."
John Caffrey
Chemical Engineering
John Caffrey retired from Lehigh after 21 years of service. John was a Senior Engineering Technician in the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department. When John decided to retire, he gave six months notice to "ensure a smooth handover and completion of all outstanding projects."
Jo Ann Casciano
Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
JoAnn retired after 34 years of service to Lehigh, most recently as the Graduate Coordinator in Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics. During her time at Lehigh, she served as building monitor and volunteered at Graduate Life events and at the inauguration of Alice Gast. She also participated in the Turkey Trot and Monday Miles. In retirement, she plans to volunteer at the Hellertown Area Library, spend time with her grandchildren, and travel. The recipient of several staff awards, JoAnn says she especially enjoyed supporting the faculty members of her department and interacting with its diverse graduate student population. "I thank all those with whom I have interacted over the years, within and outside of the department, for contributing to a very enjoyable work experience."
Halimeh Dashti
Child Care Center
Miss Hali retired as a head teacher from the Child Care Center after 23 years of service. During her time at Lehigh, she took care of many of the children of Lehigh faculty, staff, students and alumni. Miss Hali was a recipient of the John W. and Barbara R. Woltjen Award. In her retirement, she will be spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren.
Susan De Angelis
Athletics
Susan served Lehigh for thirty years, retiring from her position as Assistant Ticket Services Manager in Athletics. She was an elected member of ERAC and also served on the Paper Cutters committee. So far she is spending her retirement reading and enjoying time with family and friends. She also has several trips planned. Susan treasures having had the privilege to work in the box office during the Dalai Lama's visit to the university. "We were able to show people from all over the United States and the world what a welcoming place Lehigh is. I also was lucky enough to have my picture taken with His Holiness," she recalls.
Robin Deily
LTS
Robin Deily retired as Manager, Client Services and Senior Instructional Technology Consultant after 32 years at Lehigh. She sang in the Choral Union for many years. Robin proudly recalls being part of the Instructional Technology team during the introduction of Blackboard to allow faculty members to create online components for their courses. "This was quite an innovation at the time and certainly challenged and changed the basic notion of coursework at Lehigh." In retirement, Robin is enjoying spending time outdoors and volunteering for several bearded collie organizations, including offering pet therapy with her dog Phoenix.
R. Jane Derbenwick
Chemistry
Jane Derbenwick has retired after 25 years of service to Lehigh, most recently as Academic Coordinator in the Chemistry department. During her time at the university, she served as an ERAC member, as a member of the annual dinner committee, the tuition benefit committee, and the retention enhancement committee. In retirement, she'll be volunteering at Zoellner, her church, the Bach Choir and the PA Sinfonia. She also looks forward to more time with her grandsons.Jane enjoyed the chance to help students and visitors in her role at Lehigh. "Often, they returned to visit me and thanked me for my help. When I left, several grad students were sad and one even cried."
Robert Eichenlaub
Internal Audit
After 36 years of service to Lehigh, Bob Eichenlaub retired as Director of Internal Audit. During his years at the university, he also served as Manager of Accounting Operations in the Controller's Office. In his "younger days," Bob played on the intramural softball team. "One of my favorite aspects of my position was that it allowed me to meet and work with people throughout many areas of the university," he said. He is now preparing to move to North Carolina where in retirement he'll be providing accounting support for the local Coast Guard base and volunteering in the community.
Gregory B. Fegley
Facilities Services
After 37 years of service to Lehigh as a Boiler Operator, Gregory Fegley retired this year. Retirement is quite active for Gregory. He's exercising, watching movies, reading, listening to music, enjoying his grandchildren and catching up on home projects. Gregory's most vivid memory is working during the blizzard of January 1996. "I worked a 40-hour shift," he recalled. "Yes: Forty hours in a row."
Stefan F. Firtko
LTS
Stefan Firtko retired after 21 years of service to Lehigh's libraries, most recently as the Government Documents and Metadata Coordinator. Stefan was an active employee, acting as a member of the Benefits Allocation Review Team, as well as the LTS Diversity & Inclusion Standing Committee. Stefan's retirement plans include traveling, writing another book, and continuing his hobby of photographing county courthouses. One of Stefan's earliest digitization projects was to inspect the digitized versions of the university yearbooks - the Epitomes. "I checked each page of every issue," he said. "One third of Lee Iacocca's face was missing. This problem of over cropping was quickly rectified."
Jane Frounfelker
Library and Technology Services
Jane Frounfelker retired from Lehigh after 31 years as a Senior Database Applicant Consultant in Library and Technology Services (LTS). Jane began her career in the Bookstore and moved to the Bursar's Office. In 1997 Jane moved to what was then known as Information Resources (now LTS) where she held several positions.
Suzanne Gaugler
Communications and Public Affairs
Sue Gaugler retired as the Business Manager in Communications and Public Affairs after 35 years of service to Lehigh. Sue started at Lehigh as an Accounts Payable clerk before moving into the Publications department which eventually became CPA. While at Lehigh, Sue completed a nine-month program for Business Managers. Since retiring she is enjoying spending time with her two granddaughters, working on some home improvement projects, and fitting in time for reading and going to the movies.
Steven L. Goldman
Philosophy
Dr. Goldman earned his PhD from Boston University in 1971. He is the Andrew Mellon Distinguished Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy and History since 1977. Before coming to Lehigh, he was an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University. He has many publications to his credit. His book, Agility in Health Care: Strategies for Mastering Turbulent Markets, won Book-of-the-Year Award, Health Information and Management Systems Society, in 1998. Dr. Goldman was director of the STS Program for 11 years, from 1977 to 1988, held a joint appointment in the Philosophy and History Departments, and was a co-founder of Lehigh University Press. His teaching and research centers on the history and philosophy of science, and the social relations of science and technology. Dr. Goldman created three highly successful A/V courses in history and philosophy of science for The Great Courses Company. He is also the recipient of the Christian R. & Mary F.Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award.
Eileen Gorzelic
Provost's Office
After 27 years of service, including positions in the History Department and President's Office, Eileen Gorzelic retired as Executive Secretary to the Provost. In addition to her work duties, Eileen also served as a member of ERAC. A few days after retiring, Eileen moved to Florida where she's enjoying the beach as well as family time and her hobbies of quilting and photography. Eileen writes, "One ofmy favorite times at Lehigh was working with commencement for 17 years. The excitement of the event with the pending graduates and their family was just explosive!"
Parveen (Taruna) Gupta
Bursar's Office
Taruna Gupta retired from the Bursar's Office after 14 years of dedicated service. In her retirment, Taruna plans on spending time with family.
Ann Marie Guttman
LTS
Ann Marie Guttman has retired after 32 years of service to Lehigh. Over the years, she held a number of positions in LTS and its predecessor, LUCC, as well as the Bursar's Office. While at Lehigh, Ann Marie and her coworkers could often be seen walking around the campus. In retirement, Ann Marie will be traveling and spending time with family.
Bruce Hargreaves
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Dr. Hargreaves earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley in 1977. He came to Lehigh that same year as an assistant professor in the Department of Biology and was promoted to Associate Professor in 1984, eventually moving to the department of Earth & Environmental Sciences in 1991. His undergraduate and graduate courses covered topics including biology, environmental physiology, ecosystem ecology, Earth history, and geography/mapping (GIS). His research and graduate student mentoring focused on marine and freshwater ecosystems including topics on biological adaptations of organisms, impacts of ultraviolet radiation, and more recently on climate change. He and his wife have moved to the San Francisco Bay area to be closer to family and for the climate. Dr. Hargreaves says he is "continuing my long-term research on lakes and climate change using my installed electronic monitoring equipment and working with non-retired colleagues (data collection instruments at Lake Lacawac in the Poconos of PA and at Crater Lake, OR and Lake Tahoe, CA/NV in the west)."
William Heffner
International Materials Institute
William Heffner has retired from his position of Associate Director of the International Materials Institute after 11 years of service to Lehigh. He was active in science camps for students and teachers at Lehigh University, the Da Vinci Science Center, as well as local schools in the Allentown and Reading area. He also mentored several high school students in projects for regional science fair competitions. In retirement, he is continuing work with science education, developing low cost hands-on experiments. He is also pursuing interests in extended season gardening, electronics, home repair and a range of other long neglected interests. "During my time at Lehigh, I co-developed the programs of the International Materials Institute for Glass, and helped to establish our international reputation for promoting both glass education and research," William writes. "Overall, it is the collaborations with talented people at all levels across the Lehigh community that I cherish most from my years at Lehigh."
A. Peet Hickman
Physics
Dr. Hickman earned his PhD in 1973 from Rice University. After working at SRI International in Menlo Park, CA for 20 years, he came to Lehigh in 1994 as a Professor in the Department of Physics. His research involves the theory of collisions between atoms and molecules, and he is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He has collaborated with colleagues at Lehigh and also at the Universite Montpellier, Montpellier, France, where he was a Visiting Scientist in 2010 and 2015. After retirement, he expects to remain somewhat active in research but also plans to spend more time on his hobby of photography.
Suzanne L. Irvine
Advancement Office
Suzanne Irvine retired as Senior Development Officer in the Advancement Office after 14 years of service to Lehigh. She also worked as an Associate Research Scientist in the College of Education. Suzanne took an active role in a variety of endeavors at Lehigh, including the Lehigh Environmental Advisory Group and the Advancement Office's workplace diversity/ education group. Since retiring, she is helping support her elderly mother and her daughter's theatre arts pursuits as well as taking part in volunteer activities. Suzanne says receiving appreciation from students meant a lot to her. She wrote, "A student member of the Formula SAE car design team appeared at my office door one day with a miniature aluminum racing car wheel the team members had designed and 3-D printed as a thank you. The tiny piece of industrial sculpture remained prominently displayed in my office with a quote taped below: 'Even a pebble makes a ripple."'
Vaclav Janout
Chemistry Department
Vaclav retired from Lehigh after 26 years of service as a Senior Research Scientist in the Chemistry Department.
Gloria Jedinak
Communications and Public Affairs
After 17 .5 years at Lehigh, Gloria Jedinak retired as Coordinator, Communications and Public Affairs. In addition to CPA, Gloria worked in a variety of offices at Lehigh, including the President's Office, External Relations, and Corporate and Foundation Relations. In retirement, Gloria is enjoying walking, reading and quilting.
Veronica Jurasits
Political Science
Ronnie Jurasits retired as Coordinator in the Political Science Department after 13 years of service. Ronnie began her career as a Secretary/ Assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Bessie King
LTS
Bessie King retired after 25 years of service to Lehigh as the Library Stacks Coordinator for the Fairchild Martindale Library. During her time at Lehigh, Bessie participated in Day of Caring, MOOV, Monday Miles, and the Valentine's Day book collection and sale. Bessie's retirement plans include hiking, bird watching, traveling and spending time with her grandchildren. Bessie was dedicated to ensuring that every book possible was available to patrons of the library. She recalls that she and Mary Ellen Kitchen visited departments in person to pick up books and renew those still wanted by faculty. "We saved faculty members from returning hundreds of books to the libraries themselves," she said.
Susan Kitei
Health and Wellness Center
Susan Kitei retired after a 31-year career at Lehigh as the Associate Director and then Director (since 1996) of the Health and Wellness Center. Susan served on the Emergency Preparedness and Pandemic and Radiation Safety Committees. Of her retirement plans, she writes, "Medically speaking, I plan to perform bariatric surgery on my home (downsize), increase my vitamin D levels (spend more time outdoors), strengthen my bones (exercise more), keep my mind sharp (read more for fun and new intellectual pursuits), and improve my heart health (spend more time with family and friends)." Susan is proud of the work she accomplished promoting preventive services to students, and in dealing with significant health challenges. "I'll never forget the outbreak of meningococcal meningitis during the 2011 Lehigh-Lafayette week," she said. "Although the outcome was very positive ... and the students survived without complications, it was a difficult time."
Dale Kochard
Communications and Public Affairs
Dale Kochard retired after 11.5 years at Lehigh as the Assistant Vice President of Community and Regional Affairs. In retirement, he is serving on several non-profit boards as well as enjoying travel, gardening, golf and cooking. Dale says he hopes people at Lehigh view the community in a different light as a result of his work. "I would like to believe that I was able to help instill the importance of our community engagement for the future of both Lehigh and the community," he said. "Twenty five years from now, our South Bethlehem community will be different from the community we know today. How much Lehigh and its people engage in that transformation will make all the difference whether we like the new South Bethlehem community."
Stephen Lidie
Library and Technology Services
Steve Lidie retired from Lehigh after 36 years as Senior Analyst for LTS Technology Management. Steve writes, "I became part of the Lehigh community in 1970 as a freshman. Even though I wasn't hired until 1979, for the four years between graduation and my hiring, I continued to maintain strong ties with Lehigh. So I can easily say that I will have given 45 years of my life to the University. But now it's time to move on, the younger generation is here and they're quick and smart; the house is in good hands."
J. Gary Lutz
Education
Dr. Lutz came to Lehigh in 1961 as an undergraduate student studying physics and never left. By 1969, he had earned his Doctorate in Education. He would eventually become a professor in the Department of Education and Human Services. Over the years, he has served in many roles, such as Director of the Lehigh Computing Center, 1982-1986; Chair of the CP,SP&SE department, 1992-1995; Interim Dean for the College of Education, 2007-2008; Interim Director for the Office of Institutional Research, 2009-20 l O; and became Vice Provost for Institutional Research in 2010. Dr. Lutz was awarded the Christian R. & Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1988. His retirement will focus on grandchildren and his comic book collection.
James R. McIntosh
Sociology and Anthropology
Dr. McIntosh earned his PhD from Syracuse University in 1970, but came to Lehigh in 1966 as an instructor. His research interests are alcohol and drug use and abuse particularly among college students. He served as Director of the Graduate Program from 2010-2011 and served as department chair from 1981 to 1990 and again from 2001 to 2006. He was the recipient of the Hillman Award in 1994 and Outstanding Faculty Award in 1989. In 1996, he was asked to be the Mace Bearer at University graduations and other formal occasions, which he still does today. Dr. McIntosh is a Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA since 2003, a member of the American Sociological Association and the Eastern Sociological Association.
Jeffrey Milet
Theatre
Professor Milet earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University School of Drama in 1969 specializing in scenic design, lighting design, performing arts venue design and acoustics. He came to Lehigh in 1976 as a Division Head of Speech and Theatre, which he was instrumental in building into the Lehigh Theatre department we know today. He moved up in rank, eventually being promoted to full professor in 1989. Professor Milet is an associate with George C. Izemour Associates, who specialize in theater design and technology. He is also cofounder of the Lehigh IDEAS program.
Sudhakar Neti
Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Neti earned his PhD from the University of Kentucky in 1977 and has served Lehigh for over 38 years. He is a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics. His area of research is fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and transport phenomena. Over the years he and his colleagues were the recipients of numerous research awards and more recently Dr. Neti along with four other researchers received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop ways to capture and store solar energy for nighttime use. He currently has continuing research contracts with the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. DOE ARPA-e, Qatar National Research Foundation and he is continuing his work with the Mexican national research lab CIDESI. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, member of the ASME Committee on Standards for Thermal Energy Storage, and Sigma Chi. Since he will no longer be dealing with graduate students and research issues, he expects to have plenty of time for reading and tennis during the coming years.
Debra Hartzell Nyby
Office of International Affairs
After "39 years and 1.5 months," Debra Nyby has retired from Lehigh as Director, International Services. Over her years at Lehigh, Debra worked in numerous departments including the Provost's Office and the Dean's Office in the PC Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. Debra was co-chair of the committee that planned the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Her fondest memories are of times when Lehigh's entire campus joined together, whether around the visit of a religious icon or the tragic loss of a beloved undergraduate student. That loss, which took place in 1981, had a profound impact on Debra. "Our campus came together," she recalled. "I knew I wanted to spend my entire career with this wonderful community." Her retirement plans include crafting, gardening, and grandmothering.
David Pankenier
Modern Languages and Literatures
Dr. Pankenier earned his PhD in Asian Languages from Stanford University in 1983. He came to Lehigh in 1986 as assistant professor and was promoted to full professor in 1998. He speaks or reads several languages; Chinese, Swedish, French, German and Japanese. He has received many awards and recognitions throughout his career. He is an International Fellow in the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Member
of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, Honorary Fellow for the Institute for the Study ofYin-Shang Culture at Zhengzhou University, PRC. He received the Paul J Franz Jr. Faculty Fellowship at Lehigh, and research fellowships from NEH and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation - just to name a few. Dr. Pankenier serves on the Executive committee of the International Conferences on the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena and the European Society for Astronomy in Culture. His most recent book, Astrology and Cosmology in Early China: Conforming Earth to Heaven, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2013. He is currently sailing the off-shore cruiser Cygnus in Hawaii.
Elizabeth Posivak
Advancement Office
After 25 years in a wide variety of roles in the Development and Advancement offices, Elizabeth Posivak retired this year as Administrative Coordinator. During her time at Lehigh, Elizabeth volunteered for events, such as Volunteer Day, Reunion, Commencement and the 150th Anniversary. In retirement, Elizabeth continues to pursue her hobbies of sewing and crafts. She is looking forward to taking day trips and walks with her husband
and hopes to spend more time with her grandchildren, including those in Florida. Of her years at Lehigh, she writes, "Lehigh University gave me the opportunity to grow and learn and be part of a family. I will always treasure the friendships made."
Stephen G. Roseman
LTS
Steve Roseman has retired after nearly 44 years of service to Lehigh as manager of Systems and Networking Administration. In retirement, Steve says he is "playing in the dirt and breathing fresh air after 43 years working underground, kayaking, volunteering somewhere, and babysitting." Steve is proud of the longevity and cohesion of his team. "In May 1999 I was asked to be Team Leader of the eight-person Systems and Networking Administration team, and in November of 1999 I was asked to add the eight-person Operations team for a short time, which lasted 16 years. During all of that time, I lost two people, both to retirement."
Keith Schray
Chemistry
Dr. Schray earned his PhD from Pennsylvania State University in the field of Physical Organic Chemistry in 1970. He came to Lehigh in 1972 as an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and was promoted to full professor in 1980. He has received several honors and awards throughout his career including the Alfred Noble Robinson Award to the Outstanding Junior Faculty Member and the Lehigh University Stabler Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Schray was a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Biochemistry. He and his wife are exploring moving to Ecuador.
Rebekah Schultz
Office of the Registrar
Rebekah Schultz has retired after 28 years at Lehigh, where she served as Associate Registrar. Before moving to the Registrar's office, Rebekah worked in the computing center, one of the precursors of LTS. Rebekah took pride in the thoroughness of her efforts. "I was going through old records and found several students who had completed their requirements but had never applied for their degree. I contacted them and most did not even realize they had graduated," she said. "I felt great satisfaction in working with the advisors to ensure the success of the students in reaching their goals." In retirement, Rebekah plans to volunteer in the community, see her friends more often, and travel with her husband to places they've never visited.
Joseph S. Seem
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Joseph Seem retired from his position as an Engineering Technician after 14. 5 years of service to Lehigh. He is looking forward to serving the community in retirement. "This summer I will be helping with a garden that provides fresh vegetables to a local food bank," he said. "My wife and I will also be traveling to California a few times this year to visit our son's family."
Jill Sharkey
Distance Education
Jill Sharkey has retired from Lehigh after 13 years of service, where she served as the Coordinator in the Office of Distance Education.
John Smeaton
Student Affairs
After 32 years of service to Lehigh as the Dean of Students and then the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, John Smeaton is retiring from the university. John served on numerous university committees at Lehigh and is proud of the difference he has made. He writes, "I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with talented, caring colleagues. Together, we have been able to make a positive difference in the lives of our students." He also plans to reengage in several community organizations and spend time with "a beautiful granddaughter."
Frankin Smith
Transportation Services
After many miles, bus routes and passengers, Franklin Smith retired from Lehigh after 10 years of service as a bus driver in Transportation Services.
Nancy Speck
College of Business and Economics
After 27 years (and several deans), Nancy Speck has retired as Executive Secretary in the College of Business and Economics. Nancy began her career at Lehigh as a Secretary in the Center for Innovation Management Studies. In May of 1996, Nancy moved to the College of Business and Economics.
Rosemarie Szczepansld
Facilities Services
Rosemarie Szczepanski retired from her position as Administrative Clerk in Facilities Services. She plans on relaxing and spending time with family in her retirement.
Perry Zirkel
Education
Perry A. Zirkel is university professor emeritus of education and law, and he was formerly dean of the College of Education and more recently held the Iacocca Chair in Education for a five-year term. He has a PhD in Educational Administration and a JD from the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Laws degree from Yale University. He has written more than 1,450 publications on various aspects of school law, with an emphasis on legal issues in special education. He writes a regular column for Principal magazine and did so previously for Phi Delta Kappan and Teaching Exceptional Children. Past president of the Education Law Association and co-chair of the Pennsylvania special education appeals panel from 1990 to 2007, he is the author of the CEC monograph The Legal Meaning of Specific Learning Disability; the more recent books, A Digest of Supreme Court Decisions Affecting Education and Student Teaching and the Law; and the two-volume reference Section 504, the ADA and the Schools, now in its third edition. In 2012, he received the Research into Practice Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Excellence in Research Award from AERA's Division A (Administration, Organization & Leadership). In 2013, he received the University Council for Educational Administration's Edwin Bridges Award for significant contributions to the preparation and development of school leaders.