BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Lehigh University is mourning the loss of one of its former leaders.
Alice P. Gast, 67, was Lehigh’s first woman president, serving from 2006-14.
She died Oct. 27 after a nearly four-year battle with pancreatic cancer, the university announced.
Her tenure on the Bethlehem campus was marked by a surge in town-gown relations, establishing the South Side Initiative and community school collaborations with Broughal Middle School and Donegan Elementary School.
She also led a $500 million capital campaign and grew Lehigh’s footprint with the gift of the 750-acre Stabler property in Upper Saucon Township, which was renamed Stabler Pathways.
After Lehigh, she became president of Imperial College London, where she served until 2022.
Lehigh President Joseph J. Helble said he was saddened by her loss and impressed with her intellect, thoughtfulness and commitment to advancing education and research.
“I was grateful for her graciousness in sharing her perspectives on all that makes this university special as I was preparing to return to Lehigh as president,” Helble, a 1982 Lehigh graduate, said.
“She was a steadfast champion of Lehigh University and our pursuit of excellence, and I know the university community joins me in honoring her remarkable legacy and extending condolences to her family and loved ones.”
“She became president of Lehigh at a pivotal moment, setting an ambitious path for the future with many achievements that can be seen in Lehigh today. Her contributions to Lehigh are immeasurable."Daniel E. Smith, former Lehigh University board chair and trustee emeritus
Before Lehigh, Gast taught for nearly 20 years at Stanford University and later served was vice president for research and associate provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lehigh said Gast was a driving force behind projects such as the STEPS building — Lehigh’s hub for interdisciplinary research in science, technology, environment and policy — and the Mountaintop initiative, which reimagined the former Bethlehem Steel research facilities as spaces for student-led innovation.
Former Lehigh board chairman and trustee emeritus Daniel E. Smith said he was grateful for the opportunity to have worked closely with Gast.
“She became president of Lehigh at a pivotal moment, setting an ambitious path for the future with many achievements that can be seen in Lehigh today,” Smith said in a statement.
“Her contributions to Lehigh are immeasurable.
"While too numerous to list, among these were her leadership in the creation of Lehigh’s first strategic plan, the renewal of Lehigh’s focus on research, the strengthening of the board, and the addition of many talented faculty who are among the present academic leaders of Lehigh.”
Smith described Gast as a warm person who possessed humility and a great sense of humor.
“I remain deeply grateful for her devotion to Lehigh and for her friendship,” he said. “I join the University community in extending deepest condolences to her family.”
As with Lehigh, Gast became Imperial College London’s first female leader when she took the reins in August 2014.
“Alice was driven always by clarity and purpose during a time of unprecedented challenge and change,” Imperial College President Hugh Brady said on the school’s website.
“Against the backdrop of a global pandemic, she took Imperial from strength to strength — guided by her belief that universities should be forces for good in the world.
“We all continue to feel the impact of her legacy — here at Imperial, and across the higher education sector. It has been a privilege to follow in her footsteps.”
Gast was born in Houston, Texas, and got a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Southern California, where she graduated valedictorian.
She received a master’s and doctoral degrees at Princeton University.
She is survived by her husband, Bradley J. Askins, and their two children, Rebecca and David.
