Harry Keen, a sophomore thrower on Lehigh’s track and field team, has developed a course registration tool, founded a student quantitative organization and has taken on a rigorous academic course load.
An honors student in the Integrated Business and Engineering program, Keen said he plans to double major in physics while pursuing minors in financial technology and data science, balancing his academic work with athletics and innovation.
Keen said competing as a Division I athlete while managing a demanding academic environment has pushed him to become highly disciplined.
“College athletics involves pushing yourself and your willpower, and it’s very easy to see those spillover effects go into other facets of your life, whether it be academics or just general interests,” he said.
Building on that discipline, Keen began looking for ways to apply his technical skills to everyday student challenges.
One project he developed is a program designed to modify Lehigh’s “Plan Ahead” registration tool and the course selection process. Keen said the idea stemmed from his own frustrations navigating class registration, prompting him to develop an algorithm to simplify the experience.
He said his goal was to create an extension that consolidates all the information students search for when building their course plans into a centralized, easy-to-use platform.
After developing the initial concept, Keen conducted research to determine how best to execute his idea. Through that process, he said he discovered a methodology used by a student at another university that proved better suited for his project than his original approach.
After four days of intensive development and an additional four days waiting for Google Chrome to approve the extension, Keen’s project officially launched. Since then, he said roughly 130 students have used the tool.
“That means that’s 130 people’s lives that I made somewhat easier,” Keen said. “And that’s something that feels pretty good.”
Sophomore thrower Aaron Lee said he’s been inspired by Keen’s work ethic and accomplishments.
“He’s very on top of things,” Lee said. “He’s very proud of what he does and he’s very persistent with what he does. I think those are some things that stick out to me when it comes to him.”
Lee said watching Keen manage a wide range of commitments has influenced how he approaches his own responsibilities, adding that Keen’s drive extends beyond athletics and academics.
Beyond his registration tool, Keen also sought to create a community on campus centered on quantitative finance, leading him to build Lehigh Mountain Quant. The organization aims to build a supportive, educational environment to prepare students for careers in the field.
That same interest in quantitative finance and data-driven problem-solving has extended beyond campus initiatives. Keen will take the next step in his career this summer, joining HPS Investment Partners LLC as a risk and quantitative strategy intern.
“What really stood out to me with this internship was that it is a learning experience within the actual industry of what I’ve been doing for the past two years,” Keen said.
As Keen’s responsibilities continue to expand across athletics, academics and extracurriculars, balancing each commitment has become an essential part of his routine. He said he doesn’t worry much about the pressure that comes with his workload because he has a genuine interest in each of his pursuits.
Keen also pointed to optimism as a core motivator.
“I don’t ever say ‘This can’t be done’ or ‘This idea is too far-fetched’,” he said. “When things go wrong, it’s OK. The thing is, you can only control what you can control.”
His teammates said that mindset isn’t only central to Keen’s own success but also has a noticeable impact on those around him.
First-year thrower Jack Wolf said Keen’s accountability and perspective have helped him better manage stress in competition.
“I’ve learned from (Keen) to lean into your teammates, your people around you and know that they’re there for you,” Wolf said.
Keen said that support system and mindset are closely connected to how he approaches everything he’s taken on. Rather than viewing his commitments as separate responsibilities, he sees them as interconnected efforts driven by a shared sense of purpose and passion.
He said that motivation allows his commitments to feel less like obligations and more like opportunities to learn and grow.
“I think life moves fast, but it’s really nice to really find an interest and work at it,” Keen said.
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