Lehigh’s Institute for Functional Materials and Devices (I-FMD) recently hosted its annual Lehigh Materials Symposium in Whitaker Laboratory. Each year, the symposium provides an opportunity for the Lehigh community to explore cutting-edge research and strategic directions for industrial R&D, while networking with academic and industry researchers.
The May 5, 2025, event focused on the theme of “Sustainability in Energy, Materials, and Chemicals” and brought 10 experts from across academia and industry to campus to present on topics including materials for carbon capture and energy storage, plastics, catalysts, and materials enabling the circular economy.
The symposium began with a welcome from I-FMD Director Elsa Reichmanis, Professor and Carl Robert Anderson Chair in Chemical Engineering, followed by opening remarks from Lehigh Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Nathan Urban. Urban underscored Lehigh’s commitment to addressing the technical challenges facing industry and society, and noted the importance of events like the symposium in fostering collaboration between faculty researchers and industry experts.
The invited speakers included prominent leaders in innovation and sustainability. Alexa Dembek, chief technology and sustainability officer at DuPont, delivered a keynote talk offering the company’s perspective on innovation for a sustainable future. Additional keynote speakers included Ryan Lively, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, who spoke on carbon capture, and Amy Marschilok, a professor of chemistry at Stony Brook University, who provided insight on energy storage. Other speakers represented a range of industry and academic institutions such as the University of Delaware, B. Braun, the City College of New York, Corning, Princeton University, New York University, and Evonik North America.
The event also hosted a networking lunch for all attendees, which was followed by a poster session showcasing research from I-FMD affiliated graduate students. More than 30 students presented their work, alongside the first cohort of six RE@L scholars from Lehigh Carbon Community College, who conducted research with I-FMD faculty during the Spring 2025 semester.
“This focused symposium provided opportunities to engage with leaders from industry and academe alike to discuss challenges associated with the design and development of sustainable advanced technologies across multiple sectors of our national and global economy,” said Reichmanis. “The vibrant discussions sparked throughout the day will help shape new multidisciplinary, collaborative research initiatives both within Lehigh and with external partners.”
