Dean’s Message

Yes, the changes are outstanding, but so are the students

Dear alumni and friends of the Case School of Engineering:

Change is powerful. The transformation I have witnessed since my first visit to campus in 1979 has been profound. It is most gratifying to watch both the campus and the city it calls home evolve. It’s hard to imagine our campus without the Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box], but only a few short years ago, one of the world’s largest university-based innovation centers was merely an idea, and what is now the Richey Mixon Building was seven floors of storage space. It has been an incredible journey watching one of our most iconic campus facilities grow from a 2,500-square-foot experiment to the very epicenter of our ecosystem of innovation. Our current students cite Sears think[box] as a top reason they chose Case Western Reserve, and I can only heartily agree when alumni tell me they wish it had been here when they were.

As impressive as it’s been watching Sears think[box] come to life and thrive floor by floor, it’s not the only new addition. The Tinkham Veale University Center opened in 2014, providing a refreshingly modern bridge between the east and west sides of campus, as well as new dining options and state-of-the-art meeting and study spaces. The historic Temple-Tifereth Israel has been transformed into a stunning performing arts facility recently joined to campus by the breathtaking Nord Family Greenway, and the Uptown District is teeming with retail, restaurants and other attractions.

While much has changed in terms of our physical space, the Case spirit remains the same. This is still a place that attracts the driven—the kind of students, faculty and research staff who combine technical mastery and innovative spark to advance their respective fields and help solve societal problems.

I am consistently impressed by the caliber and character of the students and researchers we attract at Case Western Reserve. And it has been my privilege to serve this outstanding scholarly community this past year as the interim dean of the Case School of Engineering. As I return to the faculty, I look forward to all that we will continue to accomplish as the school embarks on a new era with the leadership of our new dean, Ragu Balakrishnan.

Homecoming is a few short weeks away. Now is an exciting time to return to Case Western Reserve—to celebrate the Case legacy, explore today’s campus and help usher in a new chapter.

While much has changed in terms of our physical space, the Case spirit remains the same

Sincerely, James McGuffin-Cawley Interim Dean, Case School of Engineering Arthur S. Holden Professor of Engineering