Development and Success that Lasts

By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications

Sustainable development is a concept that can be applied to a number of situations and settings.

Junior Ellie Falk of the Lehigh rowing team is combining two passions of hers – sustainable development and engineering – to make a difference.

"After graduation, I'd really like to help people through an engineering lens," said Falk.

This past summer, Falk's passions came together when she traveled to the Philippines in July with a cohort from Lehigh. As she described, the summer was about helping people and creating jobs.

"I was part of the Global Social Impact Fellows, a class run by Khanjan Mehta who is head of the creative inquiry department," said Falk. "I was assigned to the project called Project Plastikan, which focused on community scaled recycling solutions.

"The goal initially was to create a recycling venture in Malabon City in the Philippines, run by disenfranchised women who are underemployed," Falk continued. "In the Philippines, we met a bunch of stakeholders and big players in the plastics industry. We made a lot of connections so we could work more effectively."

While in the Philippines, Falk, and the four other Lehigh students and three faculty mentors on the trip, tested the machines Lehigh had made.

"Lehigh built a group of plastic recycling machines which were supposed to be identical to the ones at the University of the Philippines," said Falk. "We wanted to evaluate if they actually were the same, or if there were any differences."
Ellie Falk Story

Falk hadn't been involved in physically creating those machines, but was tasked to help test them.

That wasn't all.

"We also held a workshop that assessed whether the women from the disenfranchised communities would be able to run these plastic recycling machines," she said.

"[The Philippines trip] was all my interests wrapped into one perfect bundle," Falk continued. "It included mechanical engineering, which is part of my degree. There's the global part (I was considering global studies as one of my focuses). There was also the environmental aspect (which has become another interest). There was women empowerment as well, which I'm really passionate about."

How did Falk get to this point of making a difference on a global level? An interest led her to a class and ultimately, a valuable summer opportunity she wasn't expecting (but is extremely grateful for).

"I signed up for a sustainable development class last spring, piggybacking off the global social impact fellowship," she said. "In the first class, Khanjan spoke with the sustainable development students and said if we did the same work as the fellows, were invested and wanted to travel with them, we would be able to. I ended up being the only person from my class to jump at the opportunity.

"And I'm actually enrolled in the fellowship program this fall."

This fall, Falk came back to Lehigh with increased perspective.

In the end, recycling is just one example of how a community can develop sustainably. But recycling is simply one layer of a very complex problem.

"We stayed in Manilla, which is a huge, very crowded city," said Falk. "There has to be a better way of organizing and creating jobs that will last, in a way that doesn't hurt our environment.

"Manilla is hyper-commercialized," Falk continued. "It's a sachet market, which is basically very small packets of things. You can get a sachet conditioner if you can't afford the bottle. Many people can't afford to buy in bulk, or even normal sizes."

How do sachet markets exacerbate the problem?

By producing a lot of waste.

"There are many opportunities to innovate and create systems which don't produce heaps of trash in the long term," said Falk. "This would also increase people's standard of living."

In additional to her Philippines trip, Falk is innovating and creating in other ways, too. She has also worked with the Pittsburgh-based company IAM Robotics the past two summers.
Ellie Falk

"The summer after my freshman year, I did a lot of documentation," said Falk. "It's a startup, so they didn't have the best backlog of documents for every aspect of their technology. I was bouncing around from supervisor to supervisor trying to figure out how everything works so I could write it down. I returned over winter break and helped assemble the robots they built. It was awesome. I also learned how to solder.

"The experience helped me realize I want to be in mechanical engineering," Falk continued. "I previously declared industrial and systems engineering, but I didn't really think it was for me. Then, I learned how to build things."

Falk liked her IAM Robotics experience so much that she returned this past summer as a mechanical engineering intern. She worked in June and August surrounding her trip to the Philippines.

"I designed and built a weigh station for the robots, which is important in determining the center of mass," said Falk. "It helped make sure the suspension in the wheel was correct, and everything that helps the robot drive correctly."

Over the course of her Lehigh career (and life), Falk has helped a number of projects and initiatives run correctly, including on the water with the rowing team.

As a program, the Mountain Hawks have focused on sustainable development as well. They have been successful in creating a culture, which will lead to growth that should last.

"I've heard about how far Lehigh rowing has come and I'm really excited to be part of the change," said Falk. "At one point, making grand finals at the Patriot League Championship was the goal. Now, it's the expectation.

"Today, our goal is to win Patriots," Falk continued. "It's exciting to see that type of progression and development. It's ambitious, but the change in mindset has really helped our training this year."

Falk is playing an important role in the program's (sustainable) development, creating a healthy culture through strong leadership.
Ellie Falk

"I want to make sure the juniors and seniors set a good example for the sophomores and freshmen," said Falk. "I'd like to see myself in a leadership role. I was in the first Varsity Eight my freshman and sophomore year, and I believe it's due to the fact I work really hard. That's been one constant I've always had, even when I played hockey in high school. I haven't been the most talented, but I've worked really hard which got me onto teams I wouldn't have otherwise."

Ellie's hard work is evident to those around her.

"We want a culture that's sustainable over many classes and creates a legacy for those who are part of it," said Lehigh head coach Brian Conley. "Ellie's experience in the Philippines, and with IAM Robotics, showed her it can be done, but takes buy-in from people who are passionate. Ellie is incredibly smart and works very hard. She could not have made our Varsity Eight as a first-year or sophomore without those virtues and values.

"Now as a junior, Ellie is in a strong leadership position to help her classmates become the best versions of themselves because of her experiences," Conley continued. "This is the sustainability of our culture and reason for the success we've had over the past several years. While Ellie may not realize it, the things she's passionate about are exactly the reasons she has made an impact on our team and her teammates."

It's no coincidence that no matter the setting, Falk finds herself in situations with similar themes. Two big themes have been passion (for what one does) and connections (with people), all shown in her Philippines trip, IAM Robotics and Lehigh rowing.

There is plenty of crossover. At IAM Robotics, Falk observed a hard-working culture – much like she has helped foster within the Lehigh rowing program.

"It's exciting to work with a startup," said Falk. "Everyone there cares very passionately about the work they do. When everyone is that passionate, you want to work hard with them. It's also a really close-knit company and I can go to anyone for help."

Doesn't that sound familiar?

It's much like the Lehigh rowing culture.

"The connections on my team are extremely meaningful," said Falk. "I know I could go to anyone on the rowing team and they would jump to help me. I would do the same for them. We are very open with each other and we're honest and accountable, which I truly value."

"The Lehigh rowing culture is as strong as ever," said Conley. "It's something our team values and protects greatly because the team created it, so they own it. Ellie and her classmates came as first-years not long ago when the team was making some of its biggest leaps in the Patriot League. Some athletes can become satisfied, but Ellie and her teammates are wanting more each year.

"When athletes want to be challenged more, it's exciting for everyone because now everyone is testing themselves, including the coaching staff, about what becomes possible," Conley continued. "Culture can come and go if you don't invest in them, and the people in them.

"Ellie cares about our culture and thrives on challenge. She has risen to great heights and there's still more to come.

Better Me Better We

Upcoming Event: Women's Rowing at Drexel and George Washington on April 4, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Rowing at Knecht Cup on April 11, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Rowing at Lake Wheeler Invite on April 24, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Rowing at Colgate on May 2, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women's Rowing versus Patriot League Championships on May 15, 2026

Completed Event: Women's Rowing versus Mountain Hawk Invite on March 28, 2026 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing versus Class Day Regatta on November 1, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Head of the Schuylkill on October 25, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Head of the Charles on October 18, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Head of the Housatonic on October 11, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing versus Scrimmage on September 27, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Women's Rowing at Patriot League Championships on May 16, 2025 , , 8th of 9

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