end of an era
Dean Ragu’s impact on Case will likely be lasting
By Robert L. Smith
This fall will be the first in seven years without Venkataramanan Balakrishnan leading the Case School of Engineering. The dean, widely known by his nickname, “Ragu,” stepped down in June and plans to join the faculty after a six-month leave. But even without his familiar presence in Nord Hall, Balakrishnan’s influence will be deeply felt—today and for years to come.
More than one third of the school’s current faculty were hired during his deanship, which began in September 2018. Balakrishnan grew both the school’s research enterprise and its philanthropic support to historic levels. He also strengthened student enrollment, in part, by establishing a popular new Department of Computer and Data Sciences and making hands-on, experiential learning a key facet of a Case education.
Political changes, like the Trump administration’s cuts to federal research spending and new restrictions on international students, leave some of his accomplishments vulnerable. But many of the changes are expected to endure, partly because they are working. Enrollment is strong and Case continues to attract stellar students and faculty.
As he looked back on a job he describes as “all consuming,” Balakrishnan’s pride was evident.
“Maybe the best anyone can say is that you left a place better than you found it, and I think I can say that,” he said during a reflective interview in June, a week after commencement. “To me, seven years is a nice sweet spot. The university has made it clear they are happy with the way things are going and they wanted me to stay. But I think it’s time for fresh ideas. It’s time for someone new.”
Balakrishnan expressed confidence in Senior Associate Dean Chris Zorman, MS ’91, PhD ’94, who will serve as interim dean during the national search for his successor. He noted the school’s budget is balanced and alumni support is strong.
“Right now, we are in a very good place,” he said. He did not always feel so confident.
Unexpected Challenges
When he arrived on campus seven years ago in June to meet his new colleagues, he learned that the school was running an operating deficit. Challenge one was to balance the budget by growing enrollment. Drawing from his experience as the former associate dean of research in the College of Engineering at Purdue University, Balakrishnan also wished to expand the research enterprise. That meant attracting more research grants and graduate students to serve as research assistants.
He refers to “big levers” he pulled to solve problems and move the school forward. As he urged the university to market engineering more aggressively, he also gave them a recruitment tool. He made experiential learning a hallmark of a CWRU engineering education.
“I wanted the students to enjoy the fun of engineering, to have a hands-on experience, right from the get go,” he said.
Alumni like Roger Susi ’77 helped to make that happen. After a successful pilot program, the Roger Susi First Year Engineering Experience Lab opened in the basement of Bingham, offering hands-on teamwork to first years. Enrollment surged from 425 students in 2019 to between 550 and 600 today—creating an engineering student body of about 2,300 overall.
Next, he moved to recruit more graduate students by developing innovative partnerships and programs and luring more international students. He elevated Sunniva Collins, MS ’91, PhD ’94, to Associate Dean of Professional Programs. She helped design and enhance programs that would attract master’s candidates from around the world.
Many were drawn to the new Department of Computer and Data Sciences, which Balakrishnan created to focus more resources on computer science and to meet the age of artificial intelligence. Alumni like Kevin Kranzusch ’90, an executive at Nvidia, shared this vision and offered transformative support. The department quickly became the most popular at the university.
While luring new students, Balakrishnan recruited faculty to fill professorships opened by retirements and new faculty positions. Many of the new hires are promising researchers who quickly attracted research awards and grants.
The school spent a record $57.1 million on research in fiscal year 2024, an all-time high.
Professor Balakrishnan?
Stephen Zinram, CEO of the Case Alumni Association, Inc., said those accomplishments help to cement Balakrishnan’s legacy. He noted the school continued to perform relatively well even through the Covid pandemic, which shut down much of campus in 2020 and hobbled universities nationwide.
“He kept right on rolling, meeting with alumni through Zoom, keeping everyone engaged,” Zinram said. “Ragu doesn’t know how to take a day off.”
University President Eric Kaler also sees a hard-earned legacy.
“Ragu has been a remarkable and steadfast leader,” he said in a statement. “His leadership guided the school through the Covid-19 pandemic, led to record-setting increases in research expenditures, and enhanced our academic offerings in engineering. Ragu’s vision over the past seven years has positioned the school exceptionally well for its future.”
Said Provost Joy Ward: “We are grateful for his leadership and look forward to having him on the faculty.”
In July, Balakrishnan began a six-month paid sabbatical, his first. He said he planned to visit family in England and consider how he can contribute to Case and to his home Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, where he holds tenure.
“I have been in academia non-stop, without a single break, ever since I graduated in 1992 with a PhD,” he said. “So I’m just going to take some time off and spend some time figuring out the best way I can continue to help. I’m just going to take a little time off and breathe.”
There is a lot he’s going to miss about being the inaugural Charles H. Phipps Dean of the Case School of Engineering and that includes the alumni, whom he was proud to represent.
“We have amazing alumni who are extremely accomplished but exceptionally humble, and thankful for their alma mater,” he said.
“I can’t say enough good things about our students,” he added. “They are fantastic. They are committed, incredibly talented. Interacting with them is the best part of the job.”
He thinks the school deserves to boast a bit more, especially about its faculty.
“In keeping with our Midwestern ethos, we don’t go around bragging too much. The good news is, we have outstanding faculty, and the new crop of faculty is just breathtakingly talented,” he said.
“Last but not least, I’m just really proud of the leadership team here (in Nord Hall). I keep telling them, ‘We are the best team on campus.’”
To a prospective new dean, he says, a great job awaits in a great place.
The dean joined faculty processing across Case Quad in May as part of the Clap Out of graduating seniors and his last class of Case engineers.
Dean Ragu Balakrishnan called the Junior-Senior Scholarship Reception his favorite event of the year.
“The good news is, we have outstanding faculty, and the new crop of faculty is just breathtakingly talented.”
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