Welcome from the Dean
Robert A Flowers II
Herbert J. & Ann L. Siegel Dean,
College of Arts & Sciences
On behalf of the College of Arts & Sciences at Lehigh University, welcome. Whether you are a student, alumna or alumnus, community partner, or public servant, we are glad you are part of what we are building together.
The College of Arts & Sciences is the intellectual and creative core of Lehigh. Our faculty drive interdisciplinary innovation across fields from data science and ethics to environmental resilience and the study of human cultures, societies, and the natural and physical world. Our students are current and future leaders whose curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking prepare them not just to navigate a rapidly changing world, but to shape it. And our alumni, partners, and community members are essential collaborators in everything we do and aspire to become. If you are a student considering Lehigh, you will find here more than a place to study. You will find a place to test ideas, take risks, and discover what matters most to you.
Why the liberal arts? Because a deepened understanding of human nature is essential to solving the most pressing challenges of our time, from climate change and global health to artificial intelligence and social equity. A liberal arts education cultivates both knowledge and humanity. It teaches students not only to think creatively, but to question assumptions, engage across differences, and recognize the limits of their own understanding so that learning becomes a lifelong pursuit.
At Lehigh, that education extends far beyond the classroom. Through research centers like the Small Cities Lab, where students and faculty partner with small cities to explore challenges and co-create equitable solutions with humility and respect for local knowledge, and the Oceans Research Center, where they study the health and sustainability of marine systems, our community works together to produce real solutions to real problems. Through internships, study abroad, and original research, students gain life-launching experiences that open doors and build purpose. And through partnerships with community organizations, government agencies, and industry leaders, we connect the work of the college to the broader world in meaningful and lasting ways.
Our vision is bold: to build the most powerful liberal arts driven innovation ecosystem of any college anywhere; to lead in providing life-launching experiences that prepare students for diverse and evolving futures; and to be known for a distinctively Lehigh liberal arts experience defined by creativity, connection, and impact.
None of this happens without community. Alumni, partners, and supporters are not peripheral to our mission, they are central to it. The future of this college is one we are building together, and it is bright.
We are grateful you are part of it, and excited for what we will create together.
