As yet another school year nears its end, Lehigh will soon find itself with a fresh group of alumni ready to take on the world. Although the soon-to-be graduates will have plans of their own post-Lehigh, graduation does not always have to be the final goodbye to the Mountain Hawk family. The university, especially its department of alumni relations, continues to find opportunities that allow collaboration with alumni, and one only has to look as far as Lehigh’s sustainability initiatives to see examples of this engagement.
In many cases, this passion for the environment and sustainable practices manifests itself in individuals during their time at Lehigh, so let’s take a look at some Lehigh alumni who have done, and continue to do, important work in the field of sustainability.
Ellen Iobst graduated from Lehigh in 1981 with a degree in chemical engineering and an interest in environmental engineering. After college, Iobst began working at a mid-sized beverage company where she created a sustainability program — with no money or resources — and managed to reach the benchmark of zero waste to landfill. Now retired, Iobst is a part of the advisory council for the Lehigh Alumni Sustainability Alliance (LASA), and she helps Lehigh with some of its sustainability initiatives.
Victoria Herrmann ’12 learned a lot about climate change and the impacts it has on different ecosystems after joining Green Action, an environmental club at Lehigh. During her years as an undergraduate, Herrmann also worked with Lehigh Dining services to incorporate reusable takeout containers and helped students, faculty, and staff sign a petition meant to help eliminate styrofoam from campus. After graduating from Lehigh, Herrmann became an explorer for National Geographic, and she is also president and managing director of the nonprofit Arctic Institute in Washington, D.C. Herrmann, like Iobst, is another member of the advisory council working with Lehigh’s Office of Sustainability.
In an environmental justice class that explored the conversion of the former Bethlehem Steel mill into a casino complex, Jennifer Gonzalez ’08 ’09G found herself grappling with the existence of environmental issues in urban areas and their effect on local communities. After graduating and attending graduate school, Gonzalez is no longer fighting these issues in the classroom, but rather in person as director of environmental services and chief sustainability officer for the city of Hoboken. In 2019, Gonzalez received Lehigh’s 2019 Young Alumni Award, which is awarded to individuals who have achieved extraordinary success or recognition by colleagues and peers for outstanding leadership and professional accomplishments.
Written by Noah Jalango ’21
Striving for Sustainability: Lehigh has a bold, new 10-year plan for sustainability on campus. As the university addresses its environmental impact, we take the opportunity to highlight six alumni who are among those in the Lehigh community who are doing their part for a more sustainable planet.