Thirty-four years ago, with a 32-ounce tumbler of piping hot black coffee in hand, Jack Lule strolled into his first-ever class at Lehigh in the basement of the Clayton University Center.
Running his hands through his long hair, the journalism department’s newest professor told his students to bear with him as he took a few more swigs and let the caffeine kick in before starting the class.
He admitted to his students that, as the father of two young children, he was tired. But he also made it apparent that a lack of sleep or a busy schedule would not hold him back from sharing his years of knowledge and experience with his class and shaping the department into what it is today.
Lule was hired in 1990 after working for several years as a journalist, author and assistant professor at the University of Tulsa. He was chair of Lehigh’s Department of Journalism and Communications from 1994 to 2002 and again from 2011 to 2020. He also directed the global studies program when it was first developed.
As he looks to spend more time writing his fourth book, traveling the world and spending time with his family, Lule will be retiring after this semester.
Spotlight Recipient
Jack Lule
Professor of Journalism