Bethlehem Commencement Speaker
Roland "Ron" Yoshida
Provost, Dean, Professor
Ron is a third generation Japanese American who was born in Los Angeles in 1948. His undergraduate and graduate degrees were earned at the University of Southern California. He was a researcher in the U.S. Department of Education (1974-1982); Professor of Education at Fordham University in New York City (1982-1987); Queens College, City University of New York (1987-1996); and Dean of Education and Provost at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (1996-2013).
He completed his professional career as a consultant to the Qatar Foundation based in Doha, Qatar (2014-2015). He then attained the most exalted status of retiree which affords him the privilege of choosing whatever activities catches his fancy within the bounds of performing his domestic duties of husband, cook, dishwasher, and gardener. Through it all, he took to heart the advice that his physical education teacher gave him 60 years ago, "Stay in shape, exercise daily."
