Around the Quad

Case Quad, the heart of science and engineering, undergoes its biggest makeover in nearly 50 years.

The heart of the Case campus became a construction zone this summer as an ambitious renovation of Case Quad commenced. Beginning in mid-May, temporary fencing went up at the south end of the Quad, familiar walkways closed, and backhoes and jackhammers began to tear up much of what was familiar between Bingham and the Michelson-Morley Fountain.

By the start of fall semester, August 29, the Quad will be well on its way to its new self. That means bright new cement walkways, more shade trees, a new promenade and an outdoor event space for gatherings and small concerts. The university is taking advantage of the makeover to install better Wi-Fi, more security cameras and pedestrian-friendly lighting.

“It will be somewhat transformative,” said Christopher Panichi, director of CWRU’s Department of Planning, Design and Construction.

He said the project has been on the drawing board for several years but was delayed by the pandemic. Plans call for most of the work to be completed by the fall, but parts of the project will continue through the school year.

Last reconstructed in the 1970s, the Quad poses special challenges for a project planner. The Cleveland fire department insists that main walkways be able to support fire trucks, should one ever need to reach the front of a classroom building. That’s why some walkways resemble city streets, Panichi said.

The new design will result in more artfully paved, curving walkways and better pedestrian flow, some of it along a new Central Promenade between Strosacker Auditorium and Nord Hall.

The Michelson-Morley Fountain is staying put, bubbling on the site of old Case Main, but the fountain will be complemented by a Quad Garden closer to Bingham. While some trees had to be removed, many more are being planted this fall, Panichi said.

Alumni returning for Homecoming will glimpse the first traces of what planners expect will be a greener, brighter, more inviting heart of campus.

The Case Rocket Team took 2nd place at a prestigious competition.

The Spaceport America Cup bills itself as the world’s largest collegiate rocket engineering competition. More than 1,300 students from 95 schools descended on the launch complex in southern New Mexico in June, and they have reason to remember Case Western Reserve.

The Case Rocket Team, which is supported by the Case Alumni Foundation, took 2nd place overall at the giant launch. It also placed first in its category — the 10,000-foot commercial off-the-shelf launch — attaining maybe the biggest twin wins in club history.

“This is huge. I would say it’s for sure the best thing we’ve ever done,” said club president Russell Lubin, a mechanical and aerospace engineering major.

The competition drew schools from 16 nations to Las Cruces, New Mexico, June 21-25. This was the first year Case attended in person. After a successful test flight of “Lake Effect,” the team’s 10-foottall rocket soared to within 102 feet of the altitude goal of 10,000 feet, an astonishing accuracy that ranked in the top 99th percentile. The parachute blossomed above a flawless recovery. The University of Sydney (Australia) won the first-place trophy, with Case only a few points behind. Now, a team that typically entered smaller, regional competitions has its sights set higher.

“Before, our rockets worked but they didn’t win,” Lubin said. “Now that we know we can succeed at this level, we will continue to pursue these competitions.”

Homecoming 2022 features a mix of live, hybrid and first-time events. many of the events will livestreamed over the Internet, allowing people to tune in from anywhere. Details on all Homecoming events can be found at casealumni.org/homecoming/.

Here are four highlights to add to your calendar:

The Case Alumni Association’s first fully live Homecoming celebration in three years will unfold October 6-9 on and around a newly renovated Case Quad.

Sounding a theme of “Refresh your memories,” organizers are inviting alumni and friends back to campus for a weekend offering fall foliage, lab tours, a dean’s reception, movie nights and more.

For people who can’t make it in person,

Guests are invited to reconnect with classmates and meet some of Case’s stellar students while enjoying libations and appetizers as Dean Ragu Balakrishnan hosts a Homecoming reception: 4:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, in the lobby of Nord Hall.

Awards Ceremony (hybrid event) A short walk from the dean’s reception, eight remarkable Case alumni will be honored and University President Eric Kaler will deliver remarks at the annual alumni awards ceremony: 6:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, in Strosacker Auditorium.

(hybrid event) What’s the outlook for the Case School of Engineering? Dean Balakrishnan will share his view and answer questions at this poplar Homecoming tradition. Guests enjoy complimentary coffee, tea and cider: 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, in Strosacker Auditorium.

Fresh walkways lead to the engineering and science labs (including the new concrete lab) that make Case Quad a world-class research center. Pick up your tour map in the lobby of Nord Hall and start exploring: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8.

With enrollment increasing, the university invests big in South Campus housing.

To accommodate growing enrollment and housing demand, the university is building two new dormitories in Little Italy that promise to bring new energy to South Residential Village.

Workers started in July clearing trees and asphalt from a parking lot on Murray Hill Road. Foundation work should be underway by Homecoming in October, and plans call for the new dorms with a combined 600 beds to be ready for fall 2024.

“I really think it’s going to change the perception of the south village,” said Christopher Panichi, CWRU’s director of planning, design and construction. “When this is done, the students are going to want to get into this one.”

The new dorms, nicknamed Murray and Hill, will rise adjacent to the newly renovated Fribley Commons, whose large windows look out on Adelbert Road. Red brick facades and front porches are meant to reflect the ambience of Little Italy. Green space and amenities are expected to make them popular places to live.

Plans call for a play lawn, a “gathering grove” with hammocks and grills, a reading and wellness garden, an event patio, and a large multipurpose room where clubs and student groups can meet.

Although plans for the dorms predate the pandemic, enrollment trends added urgency to the project, estimated to cost $110 million.

With applications growing, President Eric Kaler has said he thinks the university can grow modestly with no diminishment in the quality of students. He envisions increasing undergraduate enrollment by

The new dorms will connect to Fribley Commons, lower right. about 500 students, or by about 9 percent, over the next four years. The new dorms, designed to house second-year students in mostly double rooms, will offer engineering and science students a short walk to Case Quad. The last dorm built by CWRU was the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Residence Hall, which opened in 2015 on the far north side of campus.

Retiring professors leave a legacy of research and academic leadership.

It’s been a summer of retirements for the Case School of Engineering. The school said goodbye to several distinguished faculty members, professors and researchers who collectively represent hundreds of years of service to Case and its students.

Dean Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan expressed the thanks and admiration of many as the spoke of the group’s dedication and legacy.

“It is hard to overstate the impact these individuals have had on the Case School of Engineering and Case Western Reserve University,” the dean said. “Through their dedication and leadership, they have changed the lives of countless students, advanced the school's research and entrepreneurial enterprises, and added fundamental new knowledge to the field of engineering. While they will be sorely missed, I remain deeply grateful for their contributions and am delighted that they will have the opportunity for new adventures in the years to come.”

Professors who have attained emeritus/ emerita status include:

PhD ’68, retired after 44 years at Case. A Distinguished University Professor and the Wallace R. Persons Professor Emeritus of Sensor Technology and Control, Liu was the longtime Director of the Electronics Design Center and helped Case hone its expertise in microfabrication and electrochemistry.

Renowned as a researcher, beloved as a mentor, Liu received the Gold Medal from the Case Alumni Association in 2016. He was previously awarded a Meritorious Service Award and the Samuel Givelber ’23 award for promoting fellowship.

Adel “Tony” Saada, PhD, joined Case Institute of Technology in 1962 and became synonymous with the Department of Civil Engineering, which he chaired for 20 years. His legacy is assured.

Saada helped design and build the $1.2 million Saada Family Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory in the Bingham Building. Meanwhile, the Saada Family Fellowship Fund, administered by the Case Alumni Foundation, provides two to three fellowships per year to outstanding students pursuing a doctorate in civil engineering.

Saada received a Meritorious Service Award from the Case Alumni Association at Homecoming 2019.

PhD, joined case in 1996 and rose to become a Distinguished University Professor and the Wilbert J. Austin Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. She also served as associate dean for research.

Rimnac’s research exploring orthopedic biomechanics was funded by medical and industrial partners for more than 30 years. In 2013, she received a Meritorious Service Award from the Case Alumni Association.

Marc Buchner, PhD, an associate professor emeritus in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, joined the faculty in 1976 and became one of Case’s most innovative and respected academic leaders. Among other duties, Buchner served as associate dean for academics and director of the Virtual Worlds Gaming and Simulation Lab.

Marc DeGuire, PhD, an associate professor emeritus in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, celebrated his 35th year at Case this year with the Gutti Memorial Teaching Award — given by engineering students to the top undergraduate teacher.

PhD, served the university for 44 years as a professor of pathology, macromolecular science and biomedical engineering and, since 2012, as a Distinguished University Professor.

Uzi Landau, PhD, a professor emeritus of chemical engineering, served as department chair and enhanced Case’s strength in advanced electrochemical systems and processes.

PhD, an associate professor emeritus of materials science and engineering, served as faculty director of the Wind Energy Research and Commercialization Center and helped make Case a leader in wind energy technology.

Ken Loparo, PhD ’77, the Arthur L. Parker Professor Emeritus of Engineering, will be honored for 44 years of service to Case and to the Case Alumni Association with a Silver Bowl at Homecoming 2022.