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Driving Innovation from Coast to Coast

Since 2016, Lehigh University has strengthened its coast-to-coast pipeline of innovation, bridging the East Coast and West Coast through pioneering programs and industry collaborations. By connecting students, faculty, alumni, and partners to Silicon Valley and the broader global innovation ecosystem, Lehigh continues to expand its reach and impact.

About LehighWest

Located in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District, Lehigh University’s Western Regional Office—LehighWest—serves as a strategic hub for partnerships and programs that advance education and accelerate innovation. From immersive learning experiences to industry engagement, LehighWest helps students, faculty, and alumni navigate and thrive in today’s fast-changing world.

Building a More Innovative Lehigh

LehighWest leverages the university’s distinctive strengths to foster a more agile, collaborative, and forward-thinking institution. Our efforts focus on four key areas:

  • Academic Programs

  • Student Recruitment

  • Industry Partnerships

  • Career Development for Students and Alumni

Powered by Collaboration

The LehighWest team works in close partnership with offices and departments across the university—including Admissions and Financial Aid, Entrepreneurship, Creative Inquiry, International Affairs, Research, Development and Alumni Relations, and all five of Lehigh’s colleges.

Together with campus leadership, faculty, and students, we align real-world opportunities with meaningful outcomes—enriching the Lehigh experience and expanding the university’s visibility and impact on a global scale.

Personnel

Dr. Samantha Dewalt
Managing Director, Western Regional Office
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-dewalt/

Dr. Dewalt serves as Managing Director of LehighWest, Lehigh University’s West Coast Innovation Hub and strategic initiative that connects students, faculty, alumni, and partners to Silicon Valley and the global innovation ecosystem. As the senior leader charged with executing Lehigh University’s strategy and presence on the West Coast, Dewalt provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and programmatic execution across four core activities centered in Lehigh’s San Francisco office: experiential learning, undergraduate and graduate student recruitment, career pathways, and industry engagement.

Morgan Volkart ’06 ’10G
Associate Vice Provost, Western Region and International Recruitment
Phone: (650) 581-1908

Morgan provides leadership and execution to meet or surpass enrollment goals for the Western Region and internationally. Morgan works collaboratively with the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid and Office of International Affairs to ensure continuity of information and interactions. Ultimately her work seeks to fulfill key Lehigh priorities for student body geographic diversity and internationalization.

Ms. Morgan Volkart ’06 ’10G joined the Western Regional Office in February 2017 as Associate Vice Provost for Western Region and International Recruitment after serving as Director of International Recruitment and managing regional recruitment in Southern California from San Diego. Morgan works closely with students, counselors, community based organizations, and alumni to help build Lehigh’s reputation. Prior to her work in Admissions, Morgan worked in higher education for several years in a variety of capacities, including as a study abroad advisor in the Lehigh Office of International Affairs, and she worked in Shanghai, China teaching English. After growing up in Las Vegas, NV, Morgan, a first-generation college student, ventured east to Lehigh University to earn a B.A. in Social Psychology and Asian Studies, which led to continuing her studies in Chinese culture and Mandarin at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.  Morgan returned to Lehigh in 2008 to earn her M.Ed. in Globalization and Educational Change with graduate certificates in both International Counseling and International Development and Exchange in Education.

Wendy Fong
Director of Industry Engagement

Wendy engages with Western Region industry partners, national laboratories, and research centers, to enrich the Lehigh faculty and student experience. She works with volunteers to bring novel ideas, new energy and student job opportunities to the Lehigh community.

Mrs. Wendy Fong joined the Western Regional Office in June 2017 as Director of Industry Engagement. Prior to Lehigh University, Wendy was the Senior Strategic Programs Manager for Carnegie Mellon University – Silicon Valley. While at CMU-SV, she focused on growing research collaborations, teaching a mobility courses and mentoring practicum teams. She won the CMU Carnegie Institute of Technology: Innovation Award and was nominated for CMU Andy Award: Commitment to Students. As Chairman and President of the J Consortium, Wendy led 20 companies through worldwide voting to standardize the first International Java language specification. For this work, she won the top Standards of the Year award at Hewlett-Packard. At Microsoft, Wendy won the Business achievement award for her work on standardizing mobile phone technology. Wendy received her B.S. and M.S. in EECS at UC Berkeley and was a Visiting Scientist at Stanford University – CS.

Dr. Sarah Leedberg
Dr. Sarah Leedberg
Assistant Director, Innovation Programs
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-sarah-leedberg/

Sarah Leedberg is a visionary leader at the nexus of education, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. As Assistant Director of Innovation Programs at Lehigh West she designs and delivers transformative programs that cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets across all disciplines, equipping students to navigate uncertainty and seize emerging opportunities.

Dr. Leedberg earned her Ed.D. in Transformative Learning in the Global Community from Webster University (2025), following an M.S. in Foresight from the University of Houston (2020), an M.A. in Education and Innovation from Webster University (2018), and an M.S. in Geology from the University of Texas at El Paso (2012). Her published research on entrepreneurial self-efficacy informs her evidence-based approach to program design and stakeholder engagement.

Dr. Willy Das
Dr. Willy Das
Curriculum Innovation Manager
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-willy-das-1276b2105/

Willy Das, Ph.D., is Lead Researcher and Educator at Lehigh West. Shee earned her Ph.D. in Business Policy and Strategy from the Indian Institute of Management and specializes in translating entrepreneurship theory into practice. Dr. Das collaborates with scholars, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem builders to advance research that drives real-world impact; her work has appeared in academic journals and in outlets such as Harvard Business Review, FastCompany, and Startup Magazine UK. A dedicated mentor to entrepreneurs worldwide, she also advises congressional offices to turn evidence-based insights into actionable policy. Passionate about empowering resilient leaders, Dr. Das is committed to fostering innovation that matters.