Alumni Bulletin - Winter 2008 - (Page 5)

ON CAMPUS COUCH GIFT AIDS ENDOWMENT commencement AMELIO TO GIVE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS Almost 30 years after William J. Amelio ’79 received his Lehigh diploma, the president and CEO of Lenovo Group Ltd. will return to his alma mater to give the commencement address for the Class of 2008 in Goodman Stadium on May 19. “I’m very honored to have this opportunity to tell tomorrow’s leaders about how they can play a role in innovating for tomorrow; how their ideas will shape the future of business, technology, and the world overall; and most importantly, how their journey has just begun!” Amelio says. The man who has reshaped the face of computer technology is also reshaping the lives of impoverished children in Cambodia through a nonprofit organization he and his wife, Jamie, founded. “My experience at Lehigh didn’t just prepare me for a successful career, it gave me a deep appreciation for the importance of devoting oneself to helping others,” Amelio said. Lehigh President Alice P Gast believes Ame. lio is an excellent role model for future Lehigh graduates. “Bill is truly an example of someone who embodies the values we hold close to our hearts at Lehigh,” she says. “As someone who sat on the other side of the podium nearly 30 years ago, Bill will be able to relate to our graduating seniors in a way that is inspiring, yet very real to them.” Professionally, Amelio is known for fostering what he calls “worldsourcing,” or strategic globalization, at Lenovo, one of the top three PC companies in the world. Amelio holds a master’s degree in management from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University. Before joining Lenovo, he spent ﬁve years as senior vice president at Dell Inc., Asia-Paciﬁc and Japan. He has held executive roles at NCR Corporation, Honeywell International and its predecessor, AlliedSignal, Inc., and IBM. In 2003, the Amelio family founded a nonproﬁt organization focused on education. Caring for Cambodia trains teachers and builds schools, libraries, water wells, and homes.—Sarah Cooke Lehigh University has received $4 million for general endowment from the estate of Charles D. Couch ’38 of Wilmington, Del., a former executive with DuPont Co. Couch passed away in December 2006 at the age of 91. “We are so grateful to Mr. Couch for his generosity and forethought, and for the confidence he continually showed in the direction and future of the university,” says Lehigh President Alice P. Gast. “His gift gives Lehigh the ﬁnancial ﬂexibility to explore new opportunities and will make Lehigh a better place for the generations of students yet to come.” Unrestricted endowment is critical to the strength of the university because it provides ongoing resources that can be devoted to the areas of greatest need, Gast adds. Couch graduated from Lehigh in 1938 with a degree in business administration. At Lehigh, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity and a tennis player. Couch was a longtime benefactor of the Lehigh Fund. He was a member of Lehigh’s Asa Packer Society for leadership in annual giving, and a member of the Tower Society, which recognizes gifts to endowment. In 2003, he received the university’s Alumni Award, which recognizes those who have given continuing support to the university and contributed signiﬁcantly to their communities. Couch, who retired from the treasurer’s department at DuPont in 1979, is a direct descendent of Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf, one of the leaders of the Moravian denomination in the 1700s, and his daughter, Countess Benigna von Watteville. Her founding of the Moravian Seminary in 1742 created the origins of Moravian College. Couch will be honored in October 2008 at Lehigh’s annual Founder’s Day ceremony.—Janet Norwood heard@LEHIGH ROBERT LANGER, INSTITUTE PROFESSOR AT MIT PHOTO BY THEO ANDERSON “I always ask myself, ‘How can I make the greatest impact?’ I believe that it’s good to dream. It’s good to take risks. And it’s good to expose yourself to areas you don’t know that can stretch you.” —Robert Langer, director of the nation’s largest biomedical engineering lab, the Langer Lab at MIT. He holds 600 patents and 150 major awards, including the U.S. National Medal of Science. He spoke at Lehigh in November. winter 2008 5

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Alumni Bulletin - Winter 2008

Alumni Bulletin - Winter 2008 Contents From the President's Desk Mailbox On Campus Research Arts & Culture Sports Ugly is in the Eye of the Beholder Fitch's Law of Motion A Blessing to the Community The Amidonian Acclamation China Trip Bridges Cultures, Generations From the Publisher's Desk Alumni News The Last Word

Alumni Bulletin - Winter 2008

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