News

Lehigh University’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) has established a new International Advisory Council, bringing together global business leaders to provide strategic guidance and advocacy, enhancing Lehigh’s global engagement initiatives.

The International Advisory Council will advise key university leaders and bolster Lehigh’s execution of its strategic vision, enhance the university’s community and environment, and reinforce its commitment to excellence in learning, scholarship, and engagement.

"The council brings together a distinguished group of leaders whose expertise and global perspectives will help guide Lehigh’s international strategy," said Cheryl Matherly, Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs at Lehigh. "Their insights and connections will be invaluable as we continue to expand Lehigh’s global engagement and impact."

The inaugural International Advisory Council members are listed below. Follow the links to separate profile stories about each of them.

• Gilles Amadou Acogny ‘85G, co-founder and CEO of Acosphere Ltd., a business consultancy that conducts 70% of its business in Africa
• Ramesh Ananthakrishnan ‘90G, founder of India-based DSM Soft, which provides geospatial, telematics, and GIS mapping services for various industries
• Wade Cruse ‘92, Managing Partner, Southeast Asia at the management consulting firm Bain & Company, where he is based in Singapore
• J. Penney Frohling ‘85, founder of Ethos Partners, a London-based firm that specializes in corporate strategy and financial services
• Demetrios Papacostas '77 '77G, former CEO of Greece-based Hellenic Aerospace Industry, among other international leadership roles
• Ashley Pritchard ‘09, who leads a team at Meta Platforms combating hate speech on Facebook, and worked on human rights initiatives in Myanmar

The formation of the council is consistent with Lehigh’s strategic plan, Inspiring the Future Makers, which highlights the university’s commitment to broadening its global perspective and impact.

Inspiring the Future Makers calls for expanding Lehigh’s reach and visibility through targeted efforts that leverage existing strengths and global relationships, challenging the university’s community to find solutions that “drive societal change and advance experiential learning and real-world application.”

The International Advisory Council also aligns with OIA’s strategic initiatives, which include positioning Lehigh as a premier destination for the world’s best students, and preparing Lehigh’s community members to be global learners, citizens, and leaders.

Each International Advisory Council member is appointed to a three-year term, renewable once for a total of six years. Council members can be alumni, professional leaders, parents and friends of the university, or corporate, educational, and government leaders.

“The members of our new International Advisory Council truly embody the term ‘future maker,’” said Matherly, who will also serve on the council. “We are grateful to them for donating their time, talents, and resources to help calibrate Lehigh’s learning, scholarship, and engagement to the needs of the broader public and professional communities.”

The council will assist in increasing the university’s visibility to prospective students, donors, employers, industry professionals, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, nonprofits, media, and other constituencies, Matherly said.

It will also help Lehigh establish crucial partnerships across these sectors to support academic programs, student opportunities, alumni engagement, and faculty research.

Additionally, the council will help the university refine strategies for building external gift support and securing financial contributions from organizations, donors, and council members themselves, further advancing Lehigh’s international education goals.