Rossin Fellows: Carrying on a formidable legacy

Engineering college leadership and honor society welcomes new members, congratulates those completing service

In mid-April, some of the engineering college's most promising students and young professors were joined by the family of Peter C. Rossin '48 (1923-2003) to celebrate the 2011 induction of the college's elite Rossin Professors and Fellows.
The namesake of the event and the engineering college, Peter C. Rossin '48, was among Lehigh's most accomplished alumni. He graduated with a B.S. in metallurgy (now part of the department of materials science and engineering), although his studies were interrupted through his service as a U.S. Air Force Pilot during World War II. Rossin went on to found Dynamet Inc., a leading manufacturer of titanium and nickel-based alloy products for a variety of applications including industrial products, aerospace development, and biomedical devices.
A successful entrepreneur by any measure, Rossin also used to say that every person owes a debt to society and the institutions instrumental to their success. In 1998, he and his wife, Ada, established a $25-million endowment for Lehigh's engineering college, the largest ever presented to Lehigh. Part of this was used to establish the Rossin Fellows program, a thriving campus leadership organization which today contains an active membership of 83 undergraduates, 42 doctoral candidates, and six junior faculty.
As the ceremony once again proved, students and professors nominated for this prestigious group each year share a common bond with its namesake -- academic excellence, leadership savvy, and an emphasis on community service.
This year's Rossin Professors are Sushil Kumar, electrical and computer engineering, Jeetain Mittal, chemical engineering, and Micheal Spear, computer science and engineering. Dean David Wu recognized each during the ceremony, highlighting the impact and promise of their research endeavors to date.
Twelve doctoral engineering candidates were initiated into the Rossin Doctoral Fellows program, yet only seven were able to attend. According to associate dean of graduate studies and research John Coulter, the other five had the best possible excuse -- they are each off-campus and actively engaged in research. Coulter honored each of the doctoral students by acknowledging their achievements and comparing each of them to Rossin. [Note: new, returning, and completing-service members are listed at the bottom of this article.]
Each engineering department acknowledged their respective undergraduates selected to join the Rossin Junior Fellows. 34 undergraduates were selected for the program, joining forces with 19 returning members. 32 Junior Fellows were congratulated for completing their service this Spring. [Note: new, returning, and completing-service members are listed at the bottom of this article.]
According to their organizational mission, the Rossin Junior Fellows (RJF) focus on recruitment, education and service. The group has created and maintains specialized tours to help attract future Lehigh engineers, peer tutoring and mentoring programs to support current Lehigh engineers, and a variety of service events to support the local community. One such event is CANstruction, where RJF works with Broughal Middle School students to design artistic structures out of food cans that are eventually donated to New Bethany Ministries food bank in Bethlehem.
Perhaps the Fellows' best example of carrying on in the tradition of their namesake were those honored for being especially involved in service activities. As such, Dean Wu recognized Eric Holland and Katherine Glass-Hardenbergh of the Class of 2011 for their commitment and work ethic.
The listing of Rossin Doctoral and Junior Fellows appears below.