A new school year brings a host of ways to reconnect

I’m energized! Nothing beats the first few days of the school year here at Lehigh, as new students find their feet, as friends and classmates reunite, and as classes, programs and sports get underway. This year, as always, the Lehigh University Alumni Association offers great ways to help you take part in the life and learning experiences of South Mountain, even when you’re far away.

• Connect on campus. Check mylehigh.lehigh.edu, our online alumni community, for details about Young Alumni Reunion (Sept. 28-30), our family-friendly Homecoming Weekend (Oct. 19-21), Lehigh-Lafayette (November 17), and more great events happening soon.

• Network in your area. Regional club events are being held around the country, so find one near you. For example, we’ve scheduled an evening at the opera in San Francisco, a biergarten happy hour in Northern New Jersey, receptions in Shanghai and Hong Kong and a presentation by Paul R. Brown, dean of the College of Business and Economics in the Houston region … just to name a few.

• Get involved online. Our lunchtime Mountain Talk webinars continue this fall with a special professional development series sponsored by Alumni Career Solutions. Join us every Wednesday from Sept. 19 to Nov. 7 as alumni presenters—including entrepreneurs, authors and executives—share their powerful ideas on what it takes to be successful.

• Be social. We’re ramping up our social media efforts, so please join us on Facebook, LinkedIn and now Twitter. We would love it if you would share your photos, memories and opinions with us and with each other, wherever you are.

Your Alumni Association’s programs and events are a great way to reconnect and make the most of your Lehigh network. But don’t forget that you can make connections anytime on MyLehigh. Just log in, and you’ll be able to search our alumni directory, view profiles and even e-mail contacts right through the system. If you haven’t had a chance to activate your account, now’s a great time to do so— instructions can be found in most of the e-mails we’ve sent you.

Finally, I would like to send a very special thank you out to all our volunteers, hosts and attendees who were part of our Summer Sendoffs. Because of you, more than 30 events were held around the nation welcoming parents and students of the Class of 2016, which will celebrate its commencement during the height of Lehigh’s 150th anniversary festivities. Thank you for giving the newest members of the Lehigh family such a warm welcome.

All the best for a great new year!

Robert W. Wolfenden
Assistant vice president for alumni relations
August 2012