Solving problems, creating jobs

As a graduate student, Maria Bennett, MS ’98, had the opportunity to work with Dr. John Chae, a professor of biomedical engineering who was experimenting with nerve stimulation to treat stroke survivors. That research inspired her master’s thesis, which led to her startup, SPR Therapeutics—today one of the fastest growing companies in Greater Cleveland.

Chae, now executive vice president of the MetroHealth Medical System, sees a familiar and powerful pattern.

“Maria, like many people at Case, had the opportunity to meet people like us who aspired to change the world,” he said.

Change the world she did. Bennett’s innovations, which you’ll read about in this issue, offer an alternative to opioids to vanquish chronic pain. What’s more, her Cleveland-based company employs more than 300 people.

Nor far away, LayerZero, a company started by two Case classmates, has matured into a critical supplier of essential parts for data centers. The billion-dollar company plans to grow by 100% in 2026, and its customers wish it could grow faster. Meanwhile, the venerable Prentke Romich Co., which sprang from Case and pioneered speech-generating devices for people with communication challenges, is adding jobs near Wooster.

What do these three employers have in common? Case alumni who addressed a problem and created jobs with science and engineering.

It’s not an easy time to pursue university research. The work is threatened by federal funding cuts and a simmering war on science. Yet our students and faculty continue to identify problems and strive for solutions. Let’s do all we can to support them as they carry on this Case tradition. Our community, and our economy, is better for it.