“I was particularly struck by how many students talked about kindness and caring. That was never conscious on my part, but can you ever wish for more than that?” Lule said. “I consciously taught writing and journalism, but the fact that they picked up that there’s a way to live and a way to treat people that can make life and learning just a little easier and more enjoyable—that was an added surprise.”
A ‘Bookend Moment’
Tori Penske Aitchison ’92 ’20P ’26P, director of parent and family giving in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, learned about Lule’s retirement from a former journalism classmate at the same time Lule emailed an invite to Aitchison, asking her to join him for one of his final classes. It was a full-circle moment, as Aitchison was a student in the first class that Lule taught when he joined the faculty in 1990 after working for several years as a journalist, author and assistant professor at the University of Tulsa.
“Tori joined my senior seminar on making connections and trying to find your own path, and I invited her to speak to the students about her own experiences,” Lule said. “As I was listening, it dawned on me: Here was a student from my first class talking to students from my last class. It was a 34-year bookend moment.”
As a student, Aitchison said she found an “unexpected mentor” in Lule. At the time, Aitchison said Lule was a young father and new professor, who brought “funny stories of fatherhood into the classroom, along with a huge Dunkin’ coffee and a genuine, warm smile.”
She added, “Jack always found a way to encourage us to bring our full selves to our writing. I wasn’t surprised to see the same energy and compassion 30 years later. He knew every student in his class and talked about his hopes for them. Jack is one of the reasons that we call Lehigh a family. He has shaped the lives of countless students, including mine, and we are all better because of Jack.”
Writing the Next Chapter
During his tenure, Lule was awarded four Lehigh teaching awards, including the Deming Lewis Faculty Award and the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Lule said he has enjoyed his long career at Lehigh, especially the close relationships he formed with students and faculty colleagues. Another highlight, he said, was his time as chair of the Department of Journalism and Communication, a role in which he was able to mentor other faculty members, construct curriculum and fundraise enough money to move the department from the basement of the University Center into Coppee Hall, as well as help endow the college newspaper, The Brown and White, in perpetuity.
In his retirement, Lule is looking forward to traveling with his wife even more, spending time with his two grandchildren, playing music with his family and friends and continuing to write. He is currently working on a book about scapegoating in the media.
“It’s not a goodbye by any means,” said Lule. “I fully expect to continue helping students and colleagues for however many years I have left on this planet.”
—Story by Katelyn Silva