Lehigh University has purchased three Bethlehem churches for $3.75 million.
The deal, which closed May 23, includes a more than one-acre parking lot.
Lucy Lennon, a residential and commercial Realtor with Morganelli Properties, represented the Lutheran churches.
“Representing them was an honor. This was a life-changing event for the members of the churches, and I think we handled it with courage and grace. It was truly a team effort,” Lennon said.
The churches are:
St Peter’s Church at 474 Vine Street
St John’s Windish Church and Parking Lot at 617 and 616 East 4th St
Light of Christ Lutheran Church at 202 Worthington Ave
The three churches are consolidating into a new church called Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church, Lennon said. The churches had decided to sell their properties more than a year ago after they merged their congregations.
Lehigh paid cash and no financing was needed. Lehigh outbid the City of Bethlehem, which was also interested in the properties.
Lehigh University has not said what it plans to do with the properties. However, Lennon said, “Lehigh has been an extremely good community neighbor,” and she expects it will continue to show that with its plans for the properties.
Grants through the Manufacturing PA initiative have been awarded to 31 student research projects to help advance innovation in several sectors of manufacturing.
Department of Community and Economic Development Acting Secretary Rick Singer said Friday that Lehigh University, Millersville University, Penn State University – Harrisburg, and York College of Pennsylvania are among the 19 universities that will share in the $2.1 million in grants.
The approved projects are part of Manufacturing PA’s fellowship program, which embeds graduate and undergraduate students with local manufacturers, Singer said in a press release. Once paired, the students develop new technologies and advance innovation statewide.
Universities that have partnered with a manufacturer can apply for and receive between $25,000 and $70,000 in funding for specific student research projects.
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal would invest an additional $1 million in the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program which serves as a collaboration between Pennsylvania colleges and universities, manufacturers, and DCED.
The program is open to any accredited Pennsylvania college or university. The Governor’s proposed increase would allow 14 more manufacturers to partner with universities in adopting new technologies and advancing new products and processes, according to DCED.
“The Shapiro Administration understands the importance of investing in Pennsylvania manufacturing to help spur the economy and generate continued growth and innovation,” Singer said. “The work of the students and companies honored today is impressive and is a great indication of the future success of this historic and vital industry in the Commonwealth.”
The fellowship was developed through collaboration with Pennsylvania’s seven research institutions, manufacturers, and industrial resource centers (IRCs) across the commonwealth and is administered by DCED and Carnegie Mellon University.
Since its inception in 2018, the fellowship has granted $11.9 million to 475 students across the commonwealth, and 142 Pennsylvania companies have benefited from these partnerships.
Kevin Oldt, who was paralyzed in a snowmobiling accident, turned to Good Shepherd for inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient therapy – CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is looking for ways to improve the lives of people with disabilities by bringing industry leaders together to challenge the status quo.
A conference April 22 at Wind Creek Bethlehem’s conference center will bring health care professionals, business leaders and industry experts together to discuss new ideas, Good Shepherd said.
Speakers from Lehigh University, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and others from across the country will share insights on topics such as artificial intelligence, rethinking the patient experience, launching out of the clinic and into the market, and lessons from 40 years of new venture creation, Good Shepherd said.
“As a leader in providing innovative solutions for patients, practitioners and people living with disabilities, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation is uniquely positioned to host and present the Leading Disruption innovation summit,” said Emily Lyter, administrative director of Good Shepherd Learns, Creates and Research at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation.
To register and see the agenda and speaker bios, go to https://www.goodshepherdrehab.org/leading-disruption-a-health-care-innovation-summit/.
Six Lehigh Valley companies will share part of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s $1.1 million investment in regional economic development.
Ben Franklin Northeast will invest $100,000 in Venseca Inc., Lehigh County, an early start-up cybersecurity platform that creates a comprehensive network of trust between service providers and the organizations that use them by creating standardized, independent cybersecurity risk assessments and evaluations of suppliers’ cybersecurity risk postures. The funding supports product development and go-to market execution, Ben Franklin Northeast said.
Three established manufacturers will receive 1:1 matching funding for work with a college or university partner, Ben Franklin Northeast said.
BRD Noise and Vibration Control, Northampton County, which designs and manufactures materials for noise and vibration control for large commercial HVAC systems and industrial equipment, will receive $10,000 to support the implementation of parametric drawings which will enable the company to improve the productivity of engineering resources, on-time delivery and resource utilization, customer service, quality of product, and support top-line growth plans.
Straight Arrow Products, Northampton County, which produces hair and skin care products for the equestrian and human markets, will receive $20,000 to support the implementation of new modules to their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to enhance forecasting and reporting.
Both companies will partner with Lehigh University’s Center for Supply Chain Management.
US Specialty Formulations, LLC (USSF), Lehigh County, a biotech firm, commercializing an oral-mucosal vaccine, QYNDR, which recently successfully completed its Phase I clinicals, will receive $25,000 and partner with Lehigh University’s Enterprise Systems Center.
Ben Franklin Northeast said this oral vaccine targets multiple COVID-19 variants and may be adapted to other viruses such as flu, Group A Strep and RSV. USSF also produces sterile injectable pharmaceuticals for hospitals, physicians, and is a key supplier in the perfusion market.
The investment supports implementing an electronic quality control system to improve its operational workflow and tie into its anticipated new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
In addition, Ben Franklin Northeast will invest in early-stage companies as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). These projects were financed, in part, from Pennsylvania Small Business Credit Initiative funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development.
LifeAire Systems, Lehigh County, which manufactures air purification equipment for the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), hospital, long term care, and life science markets, will receive $340,000 to continue new product and technology development, increase inventory, and improve its supply chain, Ben Franklin Northeast said.
Spoke Sciences, Northampton County, which develops technologies to deliver insoluble lipidic ingredients in water-based formulations, will receive $400,000 to support and scale up research, development, and commercialization efforts.
The lobby of the new Business Innovation Building at Lehigh University. PHOTO/COURTESY VIXTEX INSTITUTE –
Lehigh University officially launched its executive education program in 2016, but it was in 2017 that it became the Vistex Intsitute for Executive Education, thanks to a $5 million gift from MBA Alumnus, Sanjay Shah.
Shah asked that the institute be named for his company, Vistex, which is a combination of the words vision to execution.
Sarah Andrews, executive director of the institute, said the name is a perfect reflection of their mission.
“We love that that is what it stands for, because that is what we do,” she said.
And now the institute is ready to begin its next chapter and bolster its services to both the local and national business community with its new dedicated space.
Lehigh recently opened its new 74,000-square-foot Business Innovation Building at 201 E. Packer Ave.
The new building gives a home to the Vistex Institute for Executive Education.
Services were previously held throughout the Lehigh University Campus and at other venues in the region, because of a lack of dedicated space.
“It’s everything I dreamed it would be and more from the open lobby space to the classrooms,” Andrews said.
No sooner did the institute move into the new building than it had its first training session. They moved in on a Monday and had a Physician Leadership program with high-potential physician leadersfrom Lehigh Valley Health Network that ran that Thursday through Saturday.
Andrews said the health network has been one of Vistex’s longest and most involved clients.
Kathleen Schuyler, administrator of organizational development for LVHN called Vistex institute a valuable resource.
“LVHN has been successfully partnering with Lehigh University’s Executive Education department for the past five years to enhance clinician leadership skills,” Schuyler said. “Many of our program graduates have effectively assumed additional roles and responsibilities upon graduation from the joint LVHN-Lehigh U program.”
Andrews said other major clients include East Penn Manufacturing, Olympus and B. Braun.
Programs are designed specifically for the targeted business and Vistex Institute uses a combination of Lehigh University professors and other professionals that are experts in the executive education field.
“We use the right instructor for the right organization, someone who is the right fit culturally and by approach,” Andrews said.
She said the institute firmly believes in the value of continuing education for the region’s executives and said it helps companies in areas ranging from supply chain and project management to negotiation skills.
“There is a need to be continuously developing their top talent. Continuous education leads to better ideas,” she said.
The space of the new building, designed by VMA of Philadelphia, was designed to encourage a sense of community.
It has flexible hi-tech classrooms that are constructed so students and faculty have the ability to interact with each other in many different ways.
“Flexibility and adaptability were front of mind,” said Phillips. “Putting the students first drove the design.”
The space and programing are also designed with the needs of the executives that are training there, said Andrews.
“One of the most valuable assets to our clients is their time,” Andrews said.
There are breakaway areas where executives participating in programing can get privacy to take an important phone call or participate in a ZOOM meeting that couldn’t be rescheduled.
The classes are also designed to be high-impact, shorter programs so that the executives are only away for a day or two compared to a week-long retreat.
The new Business Innovation Building at Lehigh University features a classroom in the round. PHOTO/COURTESY VISTEX –
Lehigh University in Bethlehem has officially opened its new 74,000-square-foot Business Innovation Building at 201 E. Packer Ave.
The new building brings together the university’s executive education institute, Vistex, the dedicated Rauch Center for Business Communications, an expanded Bosland Financial Services Lab and other resources for continuing education for professionals in the region.
Sarah Andrews, executive director of the Vistex Institute for Executive Education said the advantage of the new facility is that it brings all of Vistex’s executive education services under one roof.
Services were previously held throughout the Lehigh University Campus and at other venues in the region, because of a lack of dedicated space.
“It’s everything I dreamed it would be and more from the open lobby space to the classrooms,” Andrews said.
The space, designed by VMA of Philadelphia, was designed to encourage a sense of community.
The flexible hi-tech classrooms are constructed so students and faculty have the ability to interact with each other in many different ways.
The classroom in-the-round is designed with four LED arrays hanging above the circular seating, giving everyone a chance to easily collaborate. The faculty member is in the middle of their students, participating in the lesson, not necessarily leading it, according to Georgette Chapman Phillips, dean of the Lehigh University School of Business.
The classrooms are equipped with advanced camera and sound systems to handle students on-site, remote or any combination.
“Flexibility and adaptability were front of mind,” said Phillips. “Putting the students first drove the design.”
Dan Moyer, executive director of the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association, offers details on the 2023 Lehigh Valley Auto Show. –
The Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association is getting ready for the 2023 Lehigh Valley Auto Show.
The show will be held on Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus and will run March 22 to March 26.
This is the 24th year of the Auto Show and this year it will feature over 145,000 square feet of new cars, trucks, crossovers, SUVs, trucks, and motorcycles in four venues: Stabler Athletic and Convocation Center, Rauch Fieldhouse, a Custom/Tuner Pavilion, and Goodman Hall.
Highlights of this year’s show include a racing simulator, an appearance by Lehigh Valley Phantoms players and their mascot and a performance by O’Grady Quinlan Irish Dancers.
The chair of this year’s auto show is Keith Muir, vice president of Star Buick GMC.
The Lehigh Valley Auto Show is designed to allow the consumer to check out vehicles in a pressure-free environment. The product specialists at each manufacturer space are simply there to answer any questions and not sell vehicles.
The organization also supports local charities. In 2022 GLVADA and its dealers gave back over 1.1 million dollars to organizations in the Lehigh Valley.
Lehigh University and edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U Inc., announced Lehigh as the newest member of the global edX partner network, joining hundreds of top institutions committed to expanding access to the world’s best education.
The university plans to launch its first MicroBachelors program with a business analytics focus on edx.org, as well as a Professional Certificate program in data analytics.
MicroBachelors and professional certificate programs are “affordable and accessible ways for learners to gain relevant skills and progress their careers in in-demand fields,” a release said. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job openings for both business and data analytics positions are projected to grow much faster than the national average, at 11% and 36% respectively. In addition, MicroBachelors programs provide a pathway toward pursuing a full bachelor’s degree.
“Lehigh is expanding its online strategy to help achieve our mission of advancing learning through the integration of teaching, research and service to others,” said Lehigh Provost Nathan Urban. “This new partnership with edX enables us to grow our online presence and bring the academic rigor, entrepreneurial mindset and collaborative opportunities that Lehigh is known for to learners around the world.”
“Lehigh joins a growing number of universities creating new pathways to opportunity on the edX platform,” said Andrew Hermalyn, president of partnerships at edX, “and we are proud to partner with them to expand access to high-quality, purpose-built online education.”
With news of massive layoffs in the tech industry and other sectors recently, Lehigh University’s College of Business said it is launching a new Economic Impact Scholarship program which can be used towards all of its full-time graduate programs.
The $12,000 scholarship will be awarded with more than half of the funds given in the first semester o. The goal is to soften the impact of the costs associated with the sudden shift to begining a graduate program, including the expenses associated with the change of status for H1B visa holders, relocation costs and technology upgrades.
Kevin Ezzell, interim director of graduate recruitment for the school of business, said the scholarship was created to assist with the impact on a potential student’s recent layoff or rescinded job offer, especially where someone is on a temporary visa and is at risk of having to return to their home country, if they can’t find a new job or enroll in a graduate program.
“It was important for us to develop a plan to try and help impacted prospective students now and in the future in the event of an economic downturn,” said Ezzell.
The financial assistance is only part of the scholarship program, he said. It also includes an application fee waiver, accelerated admissions decision and potential flexible start dates. All programs are also GMAT/GRE optional.
The Economic Impact Scholarship Program can be applied to the following Lehigh University College of Business graduate programs, many of which are one-year graduate programs: 1-MBA, MS Financial Engineering, MS Applied Economics, MS Business Analytics, and MS Management.
Illustration of CO2 capture system being tested by Advanced Cooling Technologies – illustration by Josh Charles –
Advanced Cooling Technologies is working with Lehigh University to test a process to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.
Josh Charles, lead research and design engineer for the Lancaster-based company, said with a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, his team is testing a direct air CO2 capture mechanism developed by Arup Sen Gupta, PC Rossin professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lehigh University.
While in the concept phase, Charles said his team is testing the system to see if it can pull carbon out of the air and store it to improve the environment and fight climate change. So far it is working.
“The removal of CO2 is crucial to curbing carbon emissions, one of the contributing greenhouse gases,” he said.
The Small Business Innovative Research funding has allowed Charles and his team to develop the project. The test set up was designed to scale up and use low-voltage renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power to capture the air.
The system, he said, pulls air through small spherical balls made of a resin. The carbon is captured by running an alkaline solution through the balls. It can then be stored in containers in old oil or gas wells underground.
“The typical method to capture carbon uses heat which takes energy,” he said. “We are doing it without heat.”
The process uses solar or wind power instead, which makes the process more flexible and can be used in more places.
Sen Gupta said the use of electricity results in minimal energy use. The process uses absorbent material that air passes through, but the CO2 doesn’t. “The filter capacity is important,” he said.
Most CO2 comes from industrial stacks, Sen Gupta said. There are systems that can capture 15% at that point. What he was looking for was a way to capture as much as possible from air anywhere.
“If we can establish something where we can capture as much as 15% from anywhere, we can transform change,” he said.
“This is a small scale right now,” Charles said. “Once we get reimbursement for phase 2, we will ramp up the testing on a larger scale.” The proposals are being written and Advanced Cooling Technologies hopes to have funding by this summer.
The system is set up in a shipping container-sized contraption. “It’s meant to be capable of being placed anywhere,” he said.
The project is scalable, Charles said. The unit will capture a minimum of 500 tons of CO2 per year. “It could potentially scale to thousands,” he said, as the units can be built larger and stack on top of one another.
“Dr. Sen Gupta envisions deploying this anywhere, especially in third world countries where they are experiencing climate change,” Charles said. “If they want to be part of the {climate change} solution, they can use it.”
Domestically, Charles said large companies will be able to use this on a large scale to reduce emissions, but anyone can use it on a smaller scale.
“The challenge,” Sen Gupta said, “is when we remove it {from the air}, where does it go. Right now, we are looking at underground.”
Charles said storing the carbon underground shouldn’t hurt the environment. “Look at natural gas. We pull it out for use so then we could fill that space with CO2.”
He added that there is a concern that CO2 could leak out which would undo what the system has done by removing it. However, “there is no contamination risk because we are putting it back where it came from, just more concentrated.”
The Rauch Business center on Lehigh University’s campus. PHOTO/MARCO CALDERONE –
This summer, Lehigh Valley area high school students will have a chance to boost their business skills.
The Lehigh University College of Business is partnering with the Iacocca Institute at the university to provide financial aid to area high school students in need for a program to help enhance their business, entrepreneurship, leadership and global citizenship skills.
“This aid will help make the program financially accessible to eight to 10 students from the Lehigh Valley region, each summer,” said Georgette Chapman Phillips, dean of the College of Business. “We especially want to reduce the barriers for historically underrepresented students to pursue careers as entrepreneurs and business leaders.”
The Iacocca Global Entrepreneurship Intensive is an immersive, hands-on, four-week, summer program for students ages 15 through 17 from around the world.
“IGEI graduates will be able to evaluate the potential of ideas to become successful innovators, formulate business and marketing plans, create compelling pitches, and navigate cultural differences while collaborating to succeed as a team,” said Kira Mendez, director of the Iacocca Institute
As part of the program, as many as 60 participants live and work together on Lehigh’s campus. The ideal student is academically sound, has an interest in business and entrepreneurship and a record of leadership and service activities.
IGEI students will take part in entrepreneurial design challenges, business hackathons and team projects that develop solutions for U.S. or international client organizations.
Lehigh University faculty will take the students on a week-long intensive look into an area of interest, as well as help them participate in cultural and social activities, with local and regional field trips.
Aid from the partnership will support students opting into a new business-focused track launching in summer 2023.
Lehigh University has contracted with Chicago-based Syntellis Performance Solutions to streamline budget development, forecasting and capital planning.
Syntellis provides enterprise performance management software, data and analytics solutions for higher education institutions.
Lehigh will use the company’s Axiom Higher Education suite to transform its budgeting and forecasting processes through a single integrated, cloud-based software platform. The suite will provide the university’s finance department access to real-time data and insights to improve budgeting processes and empower better strategic investment decisions.
“We were searching for a new financial planning solution and wanted a cloud-based, intuitive system,” Warren Loller, budget director for Lehigh University, said in a release. “Syntellis ticked all the boxes for us, and we quickly realized that the Axiom Higher Education suite would give our finance team a transparent and comprehensive view of critical expense, revenue and other finance data to inform our operational budgeting and long-range planning.”
The suite integrates with source systems – such as general ledger, human resources and student information systems – to provide near real-time access to data, streamlined budgeting and planning processes, and improved decision-making and stakeholder collaboration. Lehigh will now be able to shorten budget cycles, forecast more accurately, and identify variances and outliers for quick correction.
Flint Brenton, CEO of Syntellis Performance Solutions, added: “Lehigh University’s finance department is forward thinking. They did not want to simply replicate their existing budgeting processes but wanted to improve it. We are excited to work with Lehigh University to propel them forward … and feel honored they chose to work with Syntellis to make that happen.”
Paula Wolf is a freelance writer
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