Sharing the physics of life
After 55 years on Case Quad, Robert Brown still sees new worlds to
explore with his students
and colleagues
Commencement 2026
CEO of Lubrizol, a company with historic ties to Case, will deliver convocation address
Fighting for science and sanity
Patrick Crago, MS ’70, PhD ’74, wheeled across the hardwood floor
of his Cleveland Heights living room with practiced ease, then reached
up from his chair to greet me with a handshake and a warm smile.
Much to look forward to in 2026
As we start the new year and semester, I am giving thanks to our incredible community and for all the meaningful possibilities
that 2026 holds in store.
Administrator for job creation
With a new title, CWRU ties research to regional economic development
Case discoverers honored
The National Academy of Inventors welcomes two more Case professors into the fellowship
Bicentennial year
The university will celebrate its 200th birthday and a multifaceted history
Venture success
Medtech startup Neuronoff is ready to launch from CWRU’s new accelerator
Life-like prosthetics
Artificial hands that can feel? Clinical testing is about to begin
BME chair steps down
Bob Kirsch helped grow a highly ranked biomedical engineering program
Looking beyond 5G
Alumnus helps ensure Case remains a player in advanced telecommunications
A healing scientist
Using polymers, alumna engineers a better bandage for stubborn wounds
IBM blues
His startup was doing great until Big Blue bought the shop. Therein lies a book.
Down to earth
David Gerdes’s research spanned the cosmos before he came home
to lead the College of Arts and Sciences
Expanding horizons
With academic options growing, more and more engineering
students are studying abroad
Vanquishing pain
Maria Bennett’s fast-growing startup, SPR,is bringing drug-free
relief to thousands.
‘My role in the personal computer revolution’
His Altair 8800 is in the Smithsonian. If only Bill Gates had stuck around.
Meteorite hunter
To see where we came from, alumna studies the oldest material in the universe
Toward a cancer vaccine
Case researchers close in on a killer with possible treatment breakthrough
Historic homecoming
Homecoming 2025 features several changes amidst the sturdy Case traditions
Life changers, award winners
It’s a privilege unique to biomedical engineers that the people they strive to help often become a friend and an inspiration. That was the case many times for P. Hunter Peckham, MS ’68, PhD ’72, who developed implants that activate paralyzed muscles.
Hello, and thank you
It is with a deep sense of gratitude and responsibility that I write to you today as the Interim Dean of the
Case School of Engineering.
Looking back: Case’s Renaissance man
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE Looking Back Case’s Renaissance man Looking dapper in a suit and tie, Joe Prahl, PhD, turns from a busy white board to call on a student in a class exploring fluid dynamics, his specialty. Prahl,
Canon joins the neighborhood
Alumnus helps lure a new healthcare headquarters to University Circle
Sharing inspiration
Gmail creator will honor his father as he promotes computer programming at Case
Startup athlete
The UAA recognizes athletes for entrepreneurship, starting with a Case engineer
Case inventors honored
The Nationals Academy of Inventors welcomes alumni faculty into the pantheon
Alumni award winners 2025
A world-renowned biomedical engineer leads the list of Homecoming honorees
Life saver
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE News Life saver Professor honored for research with practical, life-saving impact Umut Gurkan, the Wilbert Austin Professor of Engineering, is being honored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for some life-saving engineering. He was
Case-style startup hub
Offering wet labs and comradery, a landmark building is being
transformed into a science-friendly business accelerator
Anxious times for researchers
You probably walked past the Rockefeller Building on Case
Quad hundreds of times in your student days. You’re familiar with
the names etched in stone near the top of the graceful building:
Galileo, Newton, Maxwell, Kepler, and more.
Our graduates give us hope for the future
As we approach the end of another remarkable academic year, I am filled with pride at all we have accomplished in the Case School of Engineering. This spring, we celebrate the work of the entire community and especially the accomplishments of our newest class of CWRU engineers.
Lifting as he soared
As a warrior, educator, and engineer, Leonard Uitenham tended
to boost everyone around him. It all began at Case.
A physicist will again lead Art/Sci
David Gerdes arrives from the University of Michigan to become dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
The ghost hunter of physics
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE Looking Back The ghost hunter of physics Frederick Reines in 1962 with his neutrino detector at Case Institute of Technology. Frederick Reines stands beside a stack of tubes he was assembling into a device to
Diving into her passion
Scuba and space exploration combine for an exciting pastime for Adele Luta
‘Welcome Aboard’
A wave of new faculty will
strengthen key areas of CWRU and the Case School of Engineering
Adventures in Tech
An internet pioneer reflects on Case, cyber crime, and partnering with a shark
Welcoming Hertz finalists
Prodded by an alumnus, CWRU will offer free rides to finalists of an esteemed fellowship
Spitball is back – hands off
The iconic statue that struggles for respect has a new home on Case Quad
New light on dark matter
Case researcher upends the physics world as he challenges its view of the early universe
Bravo to lifelong Case engineers
I love meeting our retired alumni because I get to ask them what
they are up to. Since they are Case engineers and scientists, it’s usually
something interesting, often remarkable
New faculty join a proud tradition
As we start 2025, we are proud to reflect on another year of growth and success at the Case School
of Engineering.
Engineering Joyful Jobs
At this uncommon cafe, a disability is not a barrier to opportunity
When field trips were expeditions
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE Looking Back When field trips were expeditions Sitting halfway up a rocky chimney, in the center of the photo, is Comfort Adams, a recent graduate of the Case School of Applied Science. He’s posing for
Maestro of the meetup
Doug Meil brings big data specialists together to share ideas, solutions, and pizza.
Hail to a pioneering engineer
Clarkson University honors P. Hunter Peckham for his life-changing work
Siren song
Her parents worked in restaurants so she wouldn’t have to. Guess what Khailing Neoh decided to do?
Meet our new maker
A specialist in makerspace programming came home to lead Sears think[box]
Homecoming happenings
Reunions, football, and a women-in-STEM celebration highlight Homecoming 2024
The college drop-off
For many parents, fall means the start of college and often the first
big goodbye. Tis the season of the dorm room drop-off, to which all
roads seem to lead.
A season to celebrate
As we welcome a new academic year, campus is abuzz with the arrival of the Class of 2028. Like the
classes before them, these new students bring diverse ideas and an enthusiasm for engineering that promises to energize our entire community. Through them, we
see the future of engineering take shape.
Water Wizard
As commissioner of Cleveland Water, Alex Margevicius runs an engineering marvel — one of the oldest,
largest, most innovative water works
in North America.
A coach for life
Known for both his fiery spirit and his patience, William “Bill” Sudeck was proud of something more.
Making the quantum leap
Case student introduces classmates to the world of quantum computing
Engineering out of this world
Maxwell Briggs ’06, MS ’08, PhD ’15, is a space engineer at heart. But to shape the future of space travel, he
needed to think bigger.
Pain-relief entrepreneur
Alumna’s medtech startup attracts millions in growth investment
Seizing the cosmic moment
With totality, the Case Amateur Radio Club saw a chance for ‘citizen science’
Speaking of change
Vinton Cerf, father of the internet, will deliver CWRU’s convocation address
Research leadership
Case professor will lead a multi-million dollar quest to create a better treatment for arthritis
Just getting started
Case researcher attracts a prestigious Early Career award to advance medtech
Standing up for science
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE A message from Case Alumnus editor, Robert L. Smith Standing up for science Cyrus Taylor was addressing a community gathering about the effects of climate change, lamenting the misinformation the subject attracts, when a member
Bravo to the class of 2024
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE A message from Dean Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan Bravo to the class of 2024 Dear alumni and friends, In a few short weeks, we will welcome another year of Case School of Engineering graduates to the
Climate warrior
After leading the College of Arts and Sciences for a dozen years, Professor Cyrus Taylor is on a new and urgent quest: saving the world from global warming.
When off to Case meant off to camp
Pencil poised above a drawing board, a T-square positioned for a
line, a shirtless young man in hiking shoes (and funky socks) partakes
in a Case academic tradition in 1953.
Ready to go
Alumna finds focus and fulfillment as a first responder with a volunteer fire department.
Starting small, thinking big
Emily Dickens ’19, MEM ’20, passed on the corporate world to join a battery startup. She saw a better chance at doing something awesome.
Eclipse over campus
A total eclipse is coming to Cleveland and Case intends to be ready.
Thanks, professor
Students of Hatsuo Ishida will honor their mentor at a spring symposium.
Pathfinder
Hang Loi escaped the Fall of
Saigon and became a leading
engineer for 3M. Now she hopes
to inspire other women to take
the road less travelled.
Be inspired by this Case engineer
None of us would have chosen Hang Loi’s start in America. She was 9 when her world exploded and her family fled the Fall of Saigon. Her immigrant experience entailed desperate flights, refugee camps, and starting over in a cold new city where she did not know the language.
Building an even stronger School of Engineering
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE A message from Dean Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan Building an even stronger School of Engineering Dear alumni and friends of the Case School of Engineering, Recent years have been ones of significant growth. Brick by brick,
When the professor was All Pro
Cleveland Browns’ Coach Blanton Collier used to complain that his star quarterback would overthink things. He wanted Frank Ryan to rely on his instincts and powerful arm to win NFL football games
Why a Master of Engineering Management?
Alumnus values the skills he acquired when he came back to campus for more.
Still an engineer without borders
Randy Beck’s thirst for water projects began at Case and now draws a
crowd of colleagues.
Helping Case prosper
Roger Susi continues his exceptional support of the Case School of Engineering.
Is 80 the new 60?
Two eighty-something alumni are recognized for their enduring zest for life.
Leading by example
Campaign leaders contribute millions to the vision of a new research building.
On the job training
Leading Virginia’s largest construction project requires tricky environmental engineering.
Fun with math, really
Case students develop a video game that rewards kids for crunching numbers.
New steelmakers
A Case research team aims to replace the blast furnace with electrochemistry.
New building for a new age
In one of its largest building projects in decades, the university will build a $300 million laboratory complex designed for team science.
A toast to Yost
Yost Hall was being emptied this summer for its coming demise. Adminis-trative offices and the math department are being moved to new locations on campus so that Yost can be razed — probably early in the new year — to make way for the new research building.
A year of growth and discovery awaits
Another academic year is underway at Case Western Reserve University and, as always, we are enthusiastic about another year of progress, innovation,
and impact.
My place at Case
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE My place at Case What it was like to be a ‘Casey Coed’ when coeds were rare. By Clair Lohr ’68 At freshman orientation in 1964, each of us was given a class tie. It
Excitement grows for research building
Case alumni committed early and big to the vision of a $300 million research building on Case Quad.
Doing AI the right way
As the era of artificial intelligence dawns, Cal Al-Dhubaib is ready to help us meet the startling new
normal. We’re going to need him.
New sport for a new stage in life
When the kids moved out, Brian White and his wife began to row.
Technology for humanity
With a pandemic pivot, a Case engineer immersed herself in
“the latest and greatest tech” — the kind that helps people.
Not in Kansas anymore
Through his job at NASA Glenn, young alumnus is helping to launch a new space age.
International educator
Alumnus brings an engineering perspective to United Nations University.
Time for new blood
Case team is part of an historic effort to create the world’s first artificial blood.
Support for a new flagship — and a legacy
Not long after University President Eric Kaler outlined plans for a
$300 million research building on Case Quad, the Case Alumni
Association committed $5 million to the project — the largest financial commitment in its 138-year history.
My journey with the Class of 2023
At our commencement ceremonies last month, more than 500 students joined the ranks of Case School of Engineering alumni.
A president with panache
Resting his elbow on his white Thunderbird, his other hand tucked inside his jacket pocket, T. Keith Glennan appears happy to pose as he arrives for work in 1957. By this point, he had been president of Case Institute of Technology for nearly a decade.
Powering the future
The U.S. invests another $12 million into Case’s efforts to build a better battery.
Don’t worry, just whistle
Kate Hart, a systems engineer, is also a busy singer-songwriter spreading good cheer.
Coming right up
Whatever your restaurant needs, Aaron George’s startup will find it, now.
Hypersonic research
From his Case lab, alumnus will help the nation prepare a new defense.
Space just got closer
A Case-trained astronomer explains why the Webb space telescope heralds a new age of exploration.
With new projects underway, and exciting 2023 awaits
Groundbreaking research has been a pillar of the Case School of Engineering since the beginning. In 2022, we saw a record number of our faculty receive impressive grants and awards that exemplify the transformative ideas that come to life here as they work to uncover solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. Each year we continue to advance, and I expect 2023 will be no different.
A big investment in science and engineering, at last.
The last new building to rise on Case Quad, Nord Hall, opened nearly 25 years ago. Before Nord, you have to go back to 1969 and the dedication of Crawford Hall to recall a towering investment in science and engineering at Case Western Reserve.
Best business advice I ever got
An entrepreneur and innovator shares what he’s learned about communicating effectively.
‘Audacious science’
National Geographic showcases the work of a Case biomedical engineer.
What a ride
Alumna leaves helm of NASA Glenn after nearly 40 years with the space agency.
Playing on
Former CWRU soccer star, now an engineer, is still reaching his goals as a player.
An entrepreneur’s journey
It took two attempts to earn that Case degree, but Jing Lyon’s resilience led to her dream job.
Case talent can be a marvel to see
We customarily tape an interview with our alumni award winners and
create a short film to introduce them at Homecoming. They get to talk
about themselves, with prompting, and we all get to know them better.
To Autumn, our favorite time of the year
The fall issue of Case Alumnus always marks an exciting time. The new academic year is upon us and we enjoy welcoming faculty and students back to campus. It also means that in a few short weeks, as the weather cools and the leaves change on the newly renovated Quad, some of you will make your way back to University Circle to celebrate homecoming.
Albert “Al” Gordon ’42 relished
the opportunity to help Case
and Case students and spent
a long life pursing both goals.
He died March 20, 2022, at the age of 101.
Early moneyball
Sixty years ago, Don Knuth helped the basketball team achieve new heights.
When Greek Week Ruled
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE Ken Baker ’70 When Greek Week ruled In 1970, it mattered that SAE had the fastest bed on campus. As winter turns to spring in Cleveland, Case students’ attention turns to thoughts of outdoor fun.
Overdue degree
Between freshman year and graduation, Dean Cookson squeezed in a remarkable career.
A romance with dance
Susie Nagorney, a mathematician and educator, will seize any
chance to ballroom dance.
Shaping tech leaders
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE Features Shaping tech leaders In a new course, alumni superstars share their startup savvy with aspiring entrepreneurs. By Hannah Jackson ’24 Ram Fish leads a class at Sears think[box] in February. A dozen students sit
The music makers
Is it real or is it think[box]?
When it comes to violins, two young
alumni want to make it hard to guess.
ChemEs can do it
CWRU President Eric Kaler leads a call for more national support for chemical engineering.
The Science of Beer
With this illustration, the Brew Crew
a team of Case chemical engineering
graduate students won Best Poster
in the AIChE Beer Brewing Competition at the 2021 annual meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in November in Boston.
A season to shout about
With help from sharpshooting engineering students, the men’s basketball team made history.
Tom Kicher left a big space
One day about two years ago, I called Tom Kicher’s mobile phone and
reached him in his car. I wanted to talk with him about a story he was
writing for Case Alumnus.
A spring made finer by our remarkable graduates
The academic year follows a rhythm counter to that of the natural world. Just as the earth begins to
reawaken each spring, the school begins to slow down and we prepare to say goodbye. Thus, spring is always somewhat bittersweet in my mind – joy at new beginnings tempered with a bit of wistfulness as another academic year goes by.
Super-duper computer coming
Case researchers will soon have access to way more computing power.
The road not taken
Karl Zender ’59, PhD, started his career with a degree in physics from Case and ended as a professor emeritus of English. How did that happen?
Tiny tech, big opportunity
Using science developed at Case, a technology company aims to make Cleveland a hub of polymer manufacturing.
Covid fighter
Chemistry professor helped discover a way to block the spread of the coronavirus.
Applying science, creating jobs
From a humble lab in the Kent Hale Smith Building comes the kind of discoveries that are launching new products and even shaping a new industry. How’s that for applying science?
The Kranzusch way
A computer science visionary is helping his alma mater join the big leagues.
Case impact is wonderful to see
A dean sees a school of engineering that connects to the outside word, driving industry innovation and workforce development.
Minor pivot, big impact
How a non-traditional software engineer made her minor a career.
Jazz Man
Brian Taylor, a trumpet-playing
biological engineer, finds that jazz
and engineering share a tempo.
Designing a better rover
Alumnus is helping NASA launch a fleet of mini rovers to explore new worlds.
Class of Covid-19
She and her classmates lost a lot to the pandemic — but they maybe gained something, too.
Academic trailblazer
Illinois State chooses a Case-trained scientist as its first woman president
Lordy, lordy look who’s 140
With the aid of alumni, KSL plans to commemorate Case history
Like a brand new world
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE A message from Case Alumnus Editor Robert L. Smith Like a brand new world It was a sight to behold that sunny day in late August, as I walked out the front doors of Nord
Let the next chapter begin
The magazine of the Case Alumni Association at the Case School of Engineering CAA SITE A message from Dean Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan Let the next chapter begin “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald This quote feels especially poignant as we
The glass guru
Propelled by “Case drive,” Arun Varshneya used glass science to build better products and save lives. He’ll receive our Gold Medal at Homecoming this fall.
Give my regards to Case
Improv added mirth and memories to the quest for an engineering degree
How’s your emotional IQ?
Now more than ever, engineers need the emotional intelligence to communicate ideas and lead teams. There’s a class for that.
Electric innovator
Another engineering professor joins the National Academy of Inventors
Mission possible
Case-trained scientists are helping NASA explore Mars for signs of life
Sharing the thrill of engineering
As a leader of Robotics for All, freshman Garrett Tieng is helping pull more youth into STEM
Go STEM and go bold
Alumna delivered encouraging words to Case students tuned into the annual SWE luncheon
Encouraging words
I love words of wisdom, maybe because I have so few to offer. “You’re not as good as you think you are,” is what I would tell my 22-year-old self. Thanks to Case alumni, our new graduates have a deeper font of knowledge to draw from. They maybe have more need for it, too.
Better days, exciting times ahead
As we prepare to close the book on an academic year that was anything but typical, we do so with an increased feeling of hope and growing confidence that a return to normal — even a slightly modified version of normal — is imminent.
Zooming back together
The brothers of Phi Kappa Theta used the pandemic to reunite — virtually and meaningfully
Telling her story
With her debut film, alumna expands Hollywood’s view of Asian Americans
Community angels
Fighting cancer became personal for alumnus T. Urling Walker and his wife
Entrepreneurial encore
Alumna aims for a second healthcare success in her adopted hometown
Solid idea
With a new and unusual lab, Case hopes to become a leader in concrete innovations
Building smarter robots
Case researchers take lead role in national effort to breathe life into cyborgs
Wow, a centennial
One hundred years. That’s a proud legacy for Case Alumnus, but also for the Case Alumni Association, as it symbolizes the importance and the impact of Case alumni through the decades.
A century in the books, a bright future ahead
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Case Alumnus, the magazine of the Case Alumni Association. To me, this anniversary signifies more than 100 years of a magazine. It stands for 100 years of community — a century of connection between Case alumni and the school’s faculty, staff and students.
100 years of Case Alumnus
How has Case changed across a century? Sometimes a magazine cover is worth a thousand words.
Unsung heroes
Factory workers and polymer scientists work overtime to fight the coronavirus
Setting the stage
Former Weatherhead Dean Scott Cowen steps in as interim university president
Explorer scientist
Harry Fielding Read and the Case tradition of the intrepid professor:
Reid’s trek to Alaska in 1890 helped establish Case as a school that both attracted and cultivated bold scientists and engineers.
Look who’s 135
The Case Alumni Association celebrates a landmark birthday with an eye to the future.
No dice
Engineering and ethics clashed when his uncle the gambler asked him to fix the game
Preparing for a fall like none other
The Case School of Engineering community would normally be bustling with back-to-campus activities, the start of a new academic year, and preparations for homecoming celebrations. This year, the hustle and bustle has taken on a different tone as we prepare for an academic year that will look and feel markedly different from anything any of us have experienced before.
Hire Case
The emotions generated by landing your first job, that thrill and anxiety, may only be outdone by the shock of abruptly losing it.
In recent times, hundreds of Case students and young alumni have received that second phone call, the one with stomach-dropping news: A start date has been postponed, an offer rescinded, an internship cancelled.
Antarctic adventure
At the end of the earth, Allen Foster enjoys a fantastic view of the heavens — and a longer shower
Proud of our resilience and character
A message from Dean Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan
The Entertainer
An engineer by day, alumnus Brett DiCello commands the spotlight at night. Thanks, Mom.
Teaching with heart
Memorial Teaching Award winner offers sound instruction and something more
Emergency mode
The Case School of Engineering marshalled its resources to confront the pandemic
Super humans
Film makes heroes of biomedical engineers and the people whose lives they change
Engineering better farms
Students design sustainable systems, and hone engineering skills, as they help a community greenhouse grow
New civil engineer
As Kirsten Bowen knows, there’s a special satisfaction that comes from building things that everyone wants to see
@2020 Case Alumnus Magazine
Case Alumni Association, Inc.
All rights reserved.