Lehigh University announced a $10 million gift to significantly reshape how first-year engineering students begin their academic journey, funding the creation of a new hands-on learning environment and expanding an innovative curriculum that immerses students in real-world problem-solving from day one.
The gift, provided by David Jackson ’67, Patricia Jackson, Suzanne Jackson, and the Suzanne and David Jackson Foundation, will establish the Jackson Laboratory within the university’s historic Packard Laboratory. The new facility will serve as the central hub for Lehigh’s First-Year Rossin Engineering (FYRE) program, an initiative that integrates experiential learning, research, and design into the earliest stages of engineering education.
The Jackson Laboratory will be designed as an open-concept studio equipped with advanced tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters, enabling students to work on practical challenges ranging from sustainable infrastructure to energy storage solutions. The space will also include collaborative areas to foster faculty-student interaction, group presentations, and the development of communication and leadership skills.
Currently operating as a pilot program with 34 students, FYRE is expected to expand to all first-year students in Lehigh’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science by 2028. Unlike traditional first-year engineering curricula that emphasize foundational math and science coursework, FYRE introduces students immediately to hands-on projects, research opportunities, and capstone-style experiences tied to real-world societal challenges.
University leaders say the initiative represents a broader shift in engineering education, aligning technical training with creativity, problem solving, and practical application. The program is part of Lehigh’s “Inspiring the Future Makers” strategy, which emphasizes experiential learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
The Jackson family, particularly David Jackson, a 1967 chemical engineering graduate, views the initiative as a way to better prepare students for modern engineering careers by combining foundational knowledge with applied experience and innovation.
Packard Laboratory, which has served as the center of Lehigh Engineering since 1929, is expected to take on renewed significance with the addition of the Jackson Laboratory, marking what university officials describe as a transformative moment comparable to the building’s original opening.
KEY QUOTES
“This lab will be where students do not just study engineering, it will be the place where they become engineers.”
Nathan Urban, Provost, Lehigh University
“The Jackson Laboratory will solidify Lehigh as a leader in cultivating critical thinkers and doers, engineers who are best prepared to create, to lead and to succeed.”
Joseph J. Helble, President, Lehigh University
“It’s one thing to learn a calculus theorem, memorize it, and regurgitate it for a quiz. It’s something else altogether to make something or fix something that’s broken.”
David Jackson, Donor And 1967 Chemical Engineering Graduate
“FYRE is a complete revamping of what we’ve traditionally done in engineering education both at Lehigh and as a discipline. The Jackson Laboratory will not only provide a physical space for FYRE students to do engineering, it will also be the place where the wider Lehigh community sees the power of Lehigh Engineering in action.”
Steve DeWeerth, Lew And Sherry Hay Dean Of Engineering, Lehigh University
