Research is growing at Lehigh University

In all four of its colleges—the College of Arts and Sciences, the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, the College of Education and the College of Business and Economics—and in fields cutting across all disciplines, Lehigh researchers are engaged in work that is impactful, powerful and groundbreaking. The university strives to foster an atmosphere in which those researchers are empowered to pursue answers to the greatest questions of our time.

Coinciding with the launch of the inaugural issue, four members of the Lehigh faculty—Professor Martin Harmer, Professor Lee Kern, Professor Naomi Rothman and Professor Damien Thévenin—spoke on camera about their passion for the work in a video called: "'A 24/7 Experience.'"

In it, Martin Harmer, professor of material science and engineering, says research is "…a 24/7 experience. You don't close the door when you go home and then forget about it. It's always on your mind, you're always thinking about it. You're always trying to solve the problems."

Harmer and his colleagues are exploring "Uncharted Territory" in their latest project as they seek to discover and study the anti-thermal processes which appear to reverse nature by becoming slower or remaining unchanged as the temperature increases.

Adds Damien Thévenin, whose research interests include biochemistry, membrane protein biophysics and drug delivery: "Lehigh University, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Chemistry have been very helpful at supporting young investigators. We are able to build collaboration with other colleagues here, but also outside."

Most recently, Thévenin and his students have been collaborating to develop "A Focused Attack on Cancer Cells," via a unique targeting and delivery system that uses a peptide, or amino acid chain, to seek and destroy cancer cells.

Lee Kern, professor of special education whose work is "Moving Youth Toward Success"—especially those experiencing severe mental health and behavioral disorders—echoes the importance of collaboration in her work:

"Lehigh has been just a really great place to do research. We have schools that have collaborated with us and are interested in finding new techniques and ways to improve their practices," says Kern. "We have wonderful doctoral students who are engaged in the research. They're motivated, they're enthusiastic and they're interested in research. And, I have great colleagues. I have colleagues that support research, that understand why it's so important and that are wonderful to collaborate with."

Among the unique aspects of Lehigh is its equal emphasis on research and teaching.

Naomi Rothman, assistant professor of management, describes what Lehigh's commitment to the teacher-scholar models means to her: "What Lehigh has offered me in many ways is this ability to combine the things that I study with teaching opportunities that very much complement and progress my research."

Rothman's research focuses on the social consequences of emotions in the workplace, power, justice and negotiations, exploring emotional ambivalence and questions such as "To Lead or Not to Lead?"

Adds Harmer: "We have a research-active faculty that is involved in a very wide range of very exciting research project areas and that gets communicated to the students. I see research and education go hand-in-hand. We engage our students—undergraduates, graduates—in research at all levels as much as we can. And I think that makes for a well-rounded university."

Finally, research, according to Harmer, takes dedication: "It's just ingrained, I think, in those of who pursue this career to never give up on trying to solve big problems."

Adds Thévenin: "Lehigh is really showing, in my opinion, progress. We are going up and it's always good to be part of something that is growing."

Video - https://youtu.be/zaF7zpMmNj0
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160426/359974

SOURCE Lehigh University

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