Better Together
Lehigh Earth and Environmental Sciences Open House
April 1, 2026, 4:30-6:00 pm, STEPS Concourse
1 West Packer Avenue, Lehigh University, Bethlehem
Keynote Speaker: Sarah DeGrendel, Sustainability Manager, City of Bethlehem
From the vast architecture of our planet’s systems, to the silent workings of invisible microbes, Earth thrives through profound connections. Rocks weather at the touch of water and surrender their minerals to produce soil. Oceans and air engage in a dialogue to keep our climate in balance. Organisms work around the clock to transform the elements we all need to survive. Cooperation and interdependence are written in every landscape. In this planetary choreography, Earth and its communities are simply better together.
Our quest for a sustainable future also relies on the strength of our connections. Emerging challenges of our time cannot be solved by anyone or anything in isolation. A resilient world calls for collective care and shared stewardship, and when we align our science with our communities - our passions with our pursuits - we become more than the sum of our parts: better together.
On this Earth Month, we invite you to celebrate and explore with the Lehigh Earth and Environmental Sciences the ways in which we are Better Together. We continue to raise awareness, foster collaboration, build community, and take action to ensure the sustainability and habitability of our planet. Our open house will begin with our Keynote Speaker, Sarah DeGrendel, Sustainability Manager of the City of Bethlehem, and will include many partner groups and organizations within the Lehigh community and the broader Lehigh Valley whose efforts demonstrate the spirit of our theme Better Together.
Better Together 2026 Event Partners:
Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council (website)
Contact: EACBethlehemPA@gmail.com
Bethlehem Farmers Market (website)
Contact: bethlehemfarmersmarket@lehigh.edu
B Beautiful: Community Mapping for Environmental Justice (website)
Instagram: Bethlehem beautiful
Grow Well Consulting (website)
Lehigh Gap Nature Center (website)
Lehigh University Bioblitz Club
Contact: Ray Kennedy, rak326@lehigh.edu
Contact: Audrey Conan, auc429@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University Environmental Policy (website)
Contact: Mark Noble, mdn215@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University Environmental Studies (website)
Contact: David Casagrande, Director, dac511@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University Office of Creative Inquiry (website)
Including Global Social Impact Fellowship (website), Lehigh Valley Social Impact
Fellowship (website), and Campus Social Impact Fellowship Programs (website)
Contact: mountaintop@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University Office of Sustainability (website)
Contact: sustainability@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University Outing Club (website)
Contact: inouting@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University / United Nations Partnership (website)
Contact: Bill Hunter, wdh3@lehigh.edu
Lehigh University / United Nations – Greening of the Missions (website)
Description: The Greening of the UN Program is a cohort of students in a unique
triangulated initiative between the Permanent Missions to the United Nations in NYC,
the UN Environment Programme, and Lehigh University. Every year, Lehigh students
connect with a country’s UN Mission to study their existing sustainability practices,
make suggestions, and award certification that reflects progress. Most recently, we have certified the Swiss and Canadian Missions (and more!) where we have recommended actions that have reduced over 400 million metric tons of CO2 and 2.7 million sheets of paper.
Contact: Bill Hunter, wdh3@lehigh.edu
Contact: Sam Anderson, saa426@lehigh.edu
Lehigh Valley Audubon Society (website)
Contact: contactus@lvaudubon.org
Mindful Steps into the Forest (Forest Walking Project) (website)
Description: A student-led interdisciplinary project exploring the impact of forest walking on mental health and well-being, integrating wearable technology, environmental data, and immersive VR/AR approaches
Contact: Jong Cheol Shin, jong.shin@lehigh.edu
Contact: Jack Filius, jbf226@lehigh.edu
Contact: Sungwon Yu, suy324@lehigh.edu
Contact: Krina Shukal, krs524@lehigh.edu
Contact: Jessica Lee, jel228@lehigh.edu
Monocacy Creek Watershed Association (website)
Contact: monocacycrkwa@gmail.com
Nurture Nature Center (website)
Contact: Lauren Fosbenner, Project Specialist, lfosbenner@nurturenaturecenter.org
PlasTech Ventures (website)
Contact: Jayden Altamura, jaa429@lehigh.edu
Contact: Garrett Hyneman, gah229@lehigh.edu
Contact: Piper Joseph, plj229@lehigh.edu
Contact: Arturo Sanchez, ars528@lehigh.edu
PureSpaces Global Social Impact Fellowship
Contact: purespacesif@gmail.com
Saucon Creek Watershed Association (website)
Southside Permaculture Park (website)
Contact: David Casagrande, Faculty Advisor, dac511@lehigh.edu
Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley (website)
Contact: watershedcoalitionlv@gmail.com