For a class that started its Lehigh experience in a virtual space, graduates of the Class of 2024 tossed their caps in the air to celebrate their accomplishments. Now they begin new journeys into careers, military service, advanced degrees, and new ventures. See where they are going, what they are doing, and how Lehigh helped make it possible.
2024 Graduates
Alison Yim ’24
Computer Science and Business (CSB)
Destination: Microsoft
Position: Software Engineer
Journey: Yim was assigned a CSB student mentor during her first year who helped with questions about class, course schedules, and resume building. While that helped greatly, Yim also took advantage of the CSB Association, a network of alumni, students, and workshops. It’s there she met Sam Sausville ’23, who had interned at Microsoft and became an inspiration to Yim.
Ambitious, Yim applied to Microsoft as an intern at the end of her first year.
While rejected, she didn’t give up. That summer and following year, Yim worked to build her resume and experience, participating in projects, hackathons, and freelance work. She partnered with an organization called Develop for Good that partners students with nonprofits where she built and launched a website. She reapplied to Microsoft at the end of her sophomore year and was accepted. The interviews were daunting, but she used tips from the Center for Career and Professional Development.
By the end of that summer, Yim had shown the passion and drive to earn a return offer following her junior year. That internship required a big learning curve into software engineering for Yim as she worked on a newly formed team composed of many new hires and former interns. That’s where she met Lilly Zhu ’21, another wonderful mentor. By the end of her second internship, she received an offer to return full time after graduation to work on Azure cloud computing.
Olivia Nunamaker ’24
Architecture
Destination: Yale
Position: Master of Architecture
Journey: Nunamaker loved her drafting courses in high school and came to Lehigh to study architecture. She questioned that choice as she navigated three-hour-long virtual studio classes during her first year, but she pushed through. Once classes were in person, the design studio and history courses kept her interested. It helped that all the students in the major are close-knit and supportive.
The professors fit that same bill. Christine Ussler '81, professor of practice and founder and principal at Artefact (where Nunamaker interned), led projects for students, including a bridge design and dormitory on MountainTop. Those projects were ones that mattered to the community and to the students; it was an opportunity to solve campus challenges and provide a student perspective.
Wes Hiatt, assistant professor, had students focus on affordable housing ideas for South Bethlehem. He encouraged Nunamaker to consider his alma mater for her graduate studies. It took her a bit to build the confidence to see Yale as a viable option.
Her honor thesis allowed her to work across disciplines and theories. She combined her passion for architecture and dance (she’s captain of a team on campus). Using body-tracking sensory cameras and Python code, Nunamaker annotated movements and designed spaces for individuals based on how they moved. It allowed her to work in abstract and conceptual designs, items perfect to fill out her portfolio.
A class with Eugene Han, assistant professor, helped her prepare that portfolio (and served as her thesis adviser). Nunamaker reviewed and redesigned most every project in it and leveraged a few independent studies to fill in gaps. She’s now excited to work with other students in her master’s program as they design, build, and donate a house to the community in New Haven, Connecticut, over their first year.
Skyler Murphy ’24
Biology
Destination: University of Pennsylvania
Position: Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine
Journey: In an all-about-me poster that Murphy made in third grade, she told her classmates that she loved animals and wanted to be a vet. That interest was narrowed as she began to ride and care for horses. During her junior and senior years in high school, Murphy volunteered at a local animal hospital to confirm her interests.
While tagging along with her older brother as he toured college campuses, she fell in love with Lehigh. The summer after her first year, Murphy shadowed a vet with an equine ambulatory practice for a few weeks. She then spent the next summer as a full-time intern with the same vet.
One night she took part in an emergency surgery, observing the vet as he removed a fatty tumor in the small intestines. The procedure had her with the horse from 9 p.m. until 5:30 a.m the next day. Despite the lack of sleep, she was back to work by 8 a.m. the next morning. Her passion and dedication paid off, and she returned to the same practice the next summer as a full-time paid employee.
During a winter break, Murphy also served as an assistant at a small animal hospital where she helped neuter dogs, including two of her own, a pair of Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Although she loves her dogs, that work made it clear that her passion lies with large animals.
While this hands-on clinical work was formative, Murphy also worked for two years as an undergraduate research assistant to Vassie Ware, professor of biology, in a lab that studied fruit flies. The next four years at Penn will blend lab and clinical experiences and make a third grade vision come true.
Jake Amidon ’24
Political Science
Destination: Emory University
Position: Doctorate in Law
Journey: Amidon came to Lehigh to balance art and engineering, specifically a dual degree in computer science and music. He loved STEM classes in high school and played piano, both classical and jazz-rock fusion. One semester he took a political theory class and was hooked. He took another and started liking it more than computer science.
During the fall of his junior year, he dropped CS to pursue a new major. At the same time, a friend of his was in the midst of an estate legal dilemma. As Amidon helped him, the friend asked if he ever considered becoming a lawyer. That’s when Amidon picked up a minor in legal philosophy. At the same time, he began to volunteer for political campaigns, assisting a county executive in Maryland and a Pennsylvania congresswoman.
The summer before his senior year was dedicated to LSAT preparation. He treated it like a full-time job, taking practice exams and reviewing results. He took the exam three times … with dramatic percentile improvements each time. He nabbed six offers to law schools and accepted Emory because of its expertise in corporate and contract law. He plans to pursue intellectual property law and join the Lehigh Lawyers Association.
Keagan Casey ’24
International Relations and Economics
Destination: Department of Defense
Position: Second Lieutenant, Marines
Journey: Casey always seems to have a jump on things. He came to Lehigh with many advanced placement credits and declared his major in the fall of his first year. His advisers mapped a path for him that he followed. He graduated in December 2023 and soon after took his oath of office as a platoon leader in the Marines.
His path to the military began during his sophomore year. At lunch a Marine Corps table was in the cafeteria where he spoke with a recruiter. He applied for the platoon leaders class, which he calls the longest job interview on the planet. That interview started with two six-week officer boot camps over his sophomore and junior summers. He is now competing with other officers for an assignment placement and soon will be assigned 30-60 Marines to lead.
Leadership and discipline seem to come easy for Casey. He was a tour guide on campus as well as a Gryphon for three years. He was a member of the swim team, competing in distance events, and just qualified for the Boston Marathon after running in his first marathon on Long Island. He plans to remain in the Marines for 20 years and then pursue a position at the State Department.
Karen Li ’24
Integrated Business and Engineering and Computer Science
Destination: Harvard
Position: Ph.D. in Robotics
Journey: Li began her Lehigh experience as a remote student from Vancouver, British Columbia. By her sophomore year, she was meeting more people, joining clubs, and learning to expand her networking skills through the Center for Career and Professional Development. An associate professor of computer science and engineering, Roberto Palmieri, whom she met in a required database management course, opened new doors and helped Li challenge herself.
She began to work on a research project and joined SwarmsLab, led by David Saldaña, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, where she accumulated experience in building aerial robots. Additionally, she served as a teaching assistant and founded and became president of the Lehigh Aerial Swarms Club, which earned top three finishes in four national competitions. She journeyed with the Office of Creative Inquiry to a university in the Philippines and presented aerial robots as a viable solution for relief centers during times of natural disasters to assist people in need. She plans to bring this practical application mindset to robotic technology as she begins her Ph.D. at Harvard in the fall.
Irene Macri ’24
Mechanical Engineering
Destination: Army
Position: Field Artillery Officer
Journey: Macri’s brother graduated from Lehigh in 2018 with a degree in chemical engineering. He was also in ROTC. Macri remembers visiting campus back then for his military ceremonies and was wowed when she heard about his paratrooper exercises at airborne school. When she knew she wanted to pursue a degree in engineering and sought the leadership development, physical regime, and mental preparation of ROTC, she followed in her brother’s footsteps, and Lehigh seemed the perfect fit.
She began her days at Lehigh as a student and in Army ROTC as a member of the Steel Battalion. Three days a week from 6-7 a.m., she was up for physical training. Another afternoon each week was the outdoor tactics lab. By her junior and senior years, she was leading those activities. During her summer, she’d spend 35 days at Fort Knox for training.
As a student, Macri conducted research alongside Christina Haden, associate professor, mechanical engineering, and held a civilian internship at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Macri also co-founded the women’s wrestling club and delighted as it grew.
Next up, she is headed off to Kentucky to assist at Fort Knox with ROTC training. In August, she starts her six-month basic officer leadership course in Oklahoma. Then she will be stationed in Washington State, serving for four years on active duty and then another four in reserves. She is eager to serve the country with such a necessary job.
Spencer Duff ’24
IDEAS – Mechanical Engineering and Theatre
Destination: University of California at San Diego
Position: MFA in Drama – Lighting Design
Journey: Duff entered Lehigh with an interest in engineering. While he decided which discipline to pursue, he was lucky enough to have many advanced placement courses already under his belt, which gave him the freedom to explore a variety of classes. In one elective, Melpomene Katakalos, associate professor of theatre, suggested Duff consider the IDEAS program. As he met students and chatted with professors, it became clear IDEAS was the perfect fit to combine all of his interests.
Duff began to take theater tech classes in lighting design and worked as a designer for several main stage productions. He was a member of the Beyond Bars initiative through the Office of Creative Inquiry where he helped produce a play to spur discussion on the school-to-prison pipeline. He studied architecture in Sicily through a summer trip. As he became more and more involved in theater on campus, he leveraged his skills in mechanical engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering. Duff graduated in three years and is eager to begin the three-year master’s program and fully focus on theater.
Sofia Espinoza ’24
Population Health
Destination: Johns Hopkins University
Position: Master of Science in Public Health
Journey: In her English 2 course during her first year on campus, Espinoza wrote about inmate health in Pennsylvania. It was the first taste of what has become a passion: health education and communication. She began to work on research in the plasticity of memory. She served as Lehigh Valley Social Impact Fellow, studying mental health, and as a Global Social Impact Fellow, educating women about treatable health problems in Sierra Leone. Her work has led to two publications and, fingers crossed, a third in review.
Socially, she was active in Lambda Theta Alpha, Latin Sorority, Incorporated, where she co-created 60 events a year to help a network of educated Latinas harness their motivation to further their education and personal growth. All of this aligned with Espinoza’s goal to be known on campus and off. The latter ambition, beyond the bubble of campus, came in the form of serving as a barista at a northside coffee shop where, over three years, she formed a strong connection with many members of the Bethlehem community.
When it came to entering the job market, all of the positions of interest required a master’s degree. At first, that requirement sowed seeds of doubt. But a conversation with Khanjan Mehta, the vice provost for creative inquiry, allayed those fears when he told her she deserved to go to the best graduate schools. She was accepted at four programs and accepted the offer at the country’s highest-ranked program in public health.
Sam Barney-Gibbs ’24
Journalism and Political Science
Destination: United Nations
Position: Intern in the Department of Global Communications
Journey: Curiosity and over-thinking led Barney-Gibbs to consider a degree in philosophy where he could ask many questions and work to understand the fundamentals of things. These tendencies prompted him to apply to over 20 colleges. He selected Lehigh because as an Eckardt Scholar, and thanks to welcoming faculty and staff, it felt like the university sincerely wanted him here.
Once on campus, he felt welcomed by the faculty in global studies and journalism, ultimately finding his Lehigh family at The Brown and White. The newsroom became his home on campus, and Barney-Gibbs rose through the ranks to become editor-in-chief. One of his pieces on the geographic divides in the South Side earned him the Williams Prize and Kachel Prize for journalism. During his tenure, the paper earned the most Keystone Media Awards among small/medium Pennsylvania colleges for two consecutive years.
Barney-Gibbs also worked with the Office of International Affairs where he developed a strong relationship with Bill Hunter, director of fellowship advising and United Nations (UN) programs. Politically, Barney-Gibbs got to know lots about local politics. Some of that came from his internship in the Bethlehem mayor’s office. Some came from his years of working at Saxbys. While his appointment at the UN lasts six months, Barney-Gibbs is optimistic about the doors it will open and how it will leverage his talents as a writer and global thinker as he applies for fellowships and jobs that will take him further across the world.
Emma Anderson ’24
Bioengineering
Destination: Sanofi
Position: Industrial Operations Associate
Journey: During her first year on campus, Anderson attended a virtual career fair where she was introduced to Sanofi. The company’s work and values resonated with her so deeply that working there became a dream job. Over the next four years, she worked to make that dream a reality. It began with her joining a biological science research lab where she studied cohesinopathies, a type of genetic mutation, using zebrafish as a model. That experience confirmed that a research environment was her path forward.
By her sophomore year, she knew that she wanted to use her research skills to help other people and worked to develop those skills. An easy place to apply them was her academic chair leadership role at her sorority. She refined her resume and personal elevator pitch at the Center for Careers and Professional Development during her junior year and landed an internship at Rocket Pharmaceuticals, a company dedicated to finding treatments for rare genetic diseases. By her senior year, she had remained in contact with representatives at Sanofi. She applied to the vaccine manufacturing supply rotation development program and earned a spot. Over the next two years, she will rotate among four different departments to find her best fit in the company.
Louis Logsdail ’24
Mechanical Engineering
Destination: Hardwire Inc.
Position: Mechanical and Design Engineer
Journey: Athletics was a defining part of Logsdail’s life. He was recruited to Lehigh as a pole vaulter. His training was all season between winter indoor meets and spring outdoor meets. For three years, he competed and followed a demanding schedule. During his fourth year, he coached his peers (all to their personal bests). If his later afternoons and evenings were dedicated to the field, his mornings were all classroom and design lab (or his work as a Gryphon).
For three semesters, Logsdail worked closely with Brian Slocum, managing director of the design labs at Wilbur Powerhouse. Logsdail spent two semesters creating an ambitious capstone project: developing what he describes as a wall with multiple 3D irises, a project that turns mechanical motion into art and combines the iris in a camera and a jet engine exhaust nozzle.
Logsdail served as the only military defense intern at Singularis Solutions, giving him an opportunity to work across multiple teams on stealth technology projects. He used that experience to land his role at Hardwire, a body armor manufacturer. Logsdail wanted to make a difference in the world and work for a company with a clear purpose. Developing bulletproof technology for the military, law enforcement, and school systems seemed like the perfect fit.
