Renovations to the iconic Clayton University Center (UC) at Packer Hall are creating a dynamic environment for student life while preserving the building’s historic grandeur. Thank you to all the generous donors helping to make the Clayton UC a vibrant space for everyone in the Lehigh community.
During his time at Lehigh, Doug Tiesi ’93 ’27P remembers the University Center as the one place where students from all disciplines, whether business, engineering, or sciences, could gather. “It was the one unifying place on campus, the heart of the school,” he says.
So when the plans for the renovation of the Clayton University Center were announced, he knew its potential and what it would mean for students. “When I was here 30 years ago, it was such a classic building, but inside it didn’t seem like it was getting fully utilized,” he says. “So to invest in a place where people can eat and study together seemed like a really great idea,” Tiesi says.
Tiesi is thrilled with the completion of the stunning renovations. “The building outside was always spectacular. But they were able to bring all those cool architectural features inside, and it’s really fantastic,” he says.
Tiesi feels the new Clayton UC represents the core qualities of Lehigh students in many ways. With its multiple dining options, study spaces, and a fire pit at its entrance, the Clayton UC “is really a reflection on Lehigh’s strength, which is socialization. It’s not a school where you lock yourself away.”
Lehigh’s Student Advantage
“You can always tell when you meet a person from Lehigh. You can just hang out with them and talk like an old friend,” says Tiesi. “They have the ability to socialize and empathize with anyone. The graduates from this school have a high EQ.”
The quality of his Lehigh education, paired with the soft skills, or “emotional quotient” that Tiesi gained, has contributed greatly to his success.
Earning a BS in accounting, he remembers, “I gained the ability to communicate, how to deal with group dynamics, and to understand and have the ability to relate to other people, which is super important,” he says. “How to read an audience and how to negotiate by putting yourself in the shoes of the other person,” he says, “so you can find mutually advantageous solutions.”
Tiesi feels he learned these skills from the best. “All of my professors were very hands-on. Lehigh is not a lecture hall school, so I was taught how to be an accountant, but to a skill level that went beyond,” he says. “I learned business and finance from teachers who were professionals in the field, so when I graduated and started working, it was pretty easy because of the education I received.”
One professor who made an impression was Stephen Buell; Tiesi served as a TA in one of his classes. “He was from Wall Street, and he drilled into us early that we needed to be rigorous and understand how to use spreadsheets,” Tiesi says. “I would say that is the single-most important class I took because when I graduated, I was able to model cash flows well, and that was a huge need when I went to work. That was a differentiator for me.”
Sharing Success With Future Students
Tiesi started his career in accounting and worked on structured products on Wall Street and in Europe, ultimately launching a commercial real estate finance company. “I would never be where I am if Professor Buell hadn’t given me the tools and if the Rauch Business School wasn’t in place supplying the computers we needed,” says Tiesi.
“Someone had to step up and make those funds available,” he adds. “I feel we are standing on the shoulders of those alumni who made it possible. And as alumni, if you care about the school, you really care about the kids, and you hope that they have the tools they need for success.”
The love of Lehigh is what motivates Tiesi, along with his wife Elissa '27P, to give back. In addition to the Clayton UC, the Tiesis have supported the construction of the Business Innovation Building, opened in 2023, where son George Tiesi '27 is following in his dad’s footsteps as a finance student.
Tiesi is grateful that George's education is still as strong as when he was a student. He sees it every day in the Lehigh students he’s hired at his commercial real estate firm, Argentic Investment Management. “I want to hire these kids, to show how great they are.” Tiesi feels that supporting the success of Lehigh graduates is an important part of giving back. “If you have pride in your school, you have to be part of students being successful in any way you can,” he says.
