Lehigh Board of Trustees reappoints President Alice P. Gast

The Lehigh Board of Trustees has voted to reappoint President Alice P. Gast to a second five-year term through 2016.  

“President Gast’s commitment to academic excellence, to ensuring the success of our students and to building upon our historic strengths while charting an exciting new course for the future have invigorated the university,” says Board of Trustees Chair Daniel Smith. “We are delighted that Alice has agreed to build upon the tremendous progress of the last four years.”

Smith noted that under Gast’s leadership, the academic strength of undergraduates has risen; research and graduate programs have been strengthened; a capital campaign has been completed; a $62-million multi-disciplinary science, technology, environment and policy building has been constructed; new connections have been forged with the neighboring community; international programs have increased markedly; and a new strategic plan has been developed and is being implemented.  

“I am honored by the board’s reappointment, which is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of Lehigh’s leadership team and faculty and staff colleagues,” Gast says.  “The work we do at Lehigh in creating new knowledge, educating future leaders and addressing society’s great challenges is important and will have an impact in the world. I am energized as I reflect on what we can accomplish as we move forward.”

Gast became Lehigh 13th president on Aug. 1, 2006. She is a distinguished scholar and researcher and serves on the Academic Research Council for the Singapore Ministry of Education, the Board of Governors for the New York Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council Committee for Science, Technology and the Law. 

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Earlier this year, Gast was appointed to the post of Science Envoy by the U.S. State Department.

Read President Alice P. Gast’s full biography

Read Gast named to prestigious State Department post