Episode #04: Khanjan Mehta
Khanjan Mehta, inaugural vice provost for Creative Inquiry and director of the Mountaintop Initiative has a motto: Get stuff done. President John Simon explores what drives Khanjan’s passion for problem solving, his frustrations with the “tyranny of content,” and how he guides students to tremendous successes — and spectacular failures — so they can change the world.
Stay tuned after the episode to hear how student projects have continued remotely since the disruption of COVID-19 and how creative inquiry can help us navigate in a vulnerable, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous world.
Episode Extras
Creative Inquiry: The most impactful innovations often start with simple questions posed by curious minds. The Office of Creative Inquiry supports a wide range of initiatives that help students and faculty increase their capacities for independent inquiry, take intellectual risks and learn from failure, collaborate, recognize important problems and opportunities, and effect constructive and sustainable change.
Global Social Impact: Working to Reduce Plastic Waste Abroad: Adrian Suarez ’22 joins Lehigh student team over summer to help improve the environmental landscape in his native Philippines.
A Classroom Leaves the Syllabus to the Students: Article in the New York Times featuring Lehigh University mentioned by President Simon in the episode.
Creative Inquiry + Mountaintop Initiative Videos
Addressing Global Health Challenges in Sierra Leone
Summer at the Summit
Frame Changers Cartoons
Envisioned by Khanjan Mehta and drawn by artist Jabez Issa, Frame Changers is a weekly cartoon series that captures learning moments on topics ranging from creative inquiry and culture change in academia to social innovation and global sustainable development. Please enjoy some of his latest creations and find more at https://www.facebook.com/LehighFrameChangers.
