Case Alumnus The Magazine of the Case Alumni Association Winter 2017 • vol. 28 • no. 2 ALSO INSIDE: What is the Case Engineers Council? Introducing ISSACS, the newest institute on campus Enhancing professional development and advice for STEM success INNOVATE.CREATE.IDEATE. From classroom to career – come celebrate our engineering community!
case alumnus magazine INNOVATE.CREATE.IDEATE. Engineers Week 2017 JOIN US FOR A NETWORKING RECEPTION AND KEYNOTE SPEAKER EVENT THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 2017 Each year, the Case School of Engineering celebrates National Engineers Week by hosting activities and events to honor the achievements made by Engineers and the positive impacts the profession makes upon our everyday lives. The premier annual event, the Engineers Week Reception, attracts more than 600 guests including students, faculty, alumni and corporate sponsors. This year we introduce a new format, with more networking time than ever before! Featuring Keynote Speaker Janet Kavandi, Director of NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio DATE: Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 TIME: 5:30-9 p.m. LOCATION: The InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center 9801 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH COST: $50 per person (alumni and guests) REGISTER: RSVPcasealum.org/eweek2017byWednesday,Feb. 15 For sponsorship opportunities, visit casealum.org/sponsoreweek.
Watching our students and alumni meet, engage and learn from each other is inspiring. I can’t wait to see how these valuable connections between engineers present and future will help our profession grow.
A Message from the Case School of Engineering
In fact, our annual Engineers Week Reception has been designed to bring engineers of the past, present and future together and give them a chance to mix and mingle, to share their great ideas and to come up with new ones. What began as a modest gathering of mainly students and faculty has grown into a premier event drawing almost 600 innovators of all stripes, from students and faculty to alumni and top industry leaders. And it didn’t happen by chance. We saw in this event an opportunity to build a powerful networking experience for all Case engineers.
I look forward to Engineers Week each year—a chance to celebrate our profession, and to honor past engineers who’ve left a legacy of innovation along with today’s engineering leaders and the current students who are preparing to take up the charge to solve the world’s most pressing problems.
Sincerely, Jeffrey L. Duerk PhD ’87 Dean and Leonard Case Professor of Engineering
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“If you can’t speak clearly and write concisely, you will work for someone who does!”
We see those lessons brought to life when we watch our students at the E-Week Reception, rubbing elbows and sharing their innovations with alumni—one of the best professional resources our students have. And, as you’ll read in the pages ahead, we’re incorporating more opportunities for strengthening interpersonal skills into our undergraduate curriculum, adding a class dedicated to professional development that will create valuable student-alumni connections, as well as bolstering other mentorship programs (while preserving the depth and rigor of a Case degree). And the connections don’t just benefit our students, they also put our alumni in touch with top upcoming talent for their own organizations.
WINTER 2017
Dear Alumni and Friends of the Case School of Engineering,
I often tell incoming students that the greatest idea in the world is doomed to remain just an idea forever if the brain behind it can’t describe it, communicate it and convince others to believe in it. That’s why we place such a strong emphasis on cultivating complementary competencies like effective communication skills and successful team dynamics. These competencies are sometimes forgotten in terms of attributes of successful engineers. As I tell our new students when I address them on the Friday before their first day of classes:
OFFICERS Jeffrey
Sadowski ’63, MS ’67, 1st Vice President Marvin Schwartz ’68, PhD ’73, 2nd Vice President Joe Fakult ’90, Secretary Ronald
The Case Alumni Association serves the interests of more than 20,000 alumni of the Case School of Applied Science, Case Institute of Technology and the Case School of Engineering. Its mission is to serve and advance the interests of the Case School of Engineering, the math and applied sciences of Case Western Reserve University, its alumni and its students, through a strategic focus on fundraising, institutional leadership, responsive services, public relations and student programs.
Tomlinson
Keep tuned to our newly updated website and mailings from the Case Alumni Association for additional information.
This is a great way to interact with the students, learn from each other and get to know our future alumni. (Who knows, we may even find a new employee in the process!)
Herzog ’79, WSM ‘86, President James
The Case Alumni Association’s goal is to preserve and strengthen the bonds of friendship and comradery forged during our trials, tribulations and fun times at Case. Please remember, we all have an open invitation to visit the campus, meet the students and faculty and experience the Case excitement firsthand. Contact Kellie Mayle (Kellie.Mayle@casealum.org), our director of alumni relations, who will be happy to help you get started with more information and directions.
case alumnus magazine
Alumni support for the students and faculty of Case is critical to our school’s continued success. If you already donate, thank you (and please continue)!
Fax:
Case Alumni Association p. 2
Jeffrey O. Herzog ‘79, WSM ‘86 Case Alumni Association, President
Hilary Bovay Photography Wetzler’s Photography
A message
Racheal Seibert (Racheal.Seibert@casealum.org), senior director of development, and Steve Zinram (Stephen.Zinram@casealum.org), our executive director, are available to give you more of the details and direction on participation. It’s a great time to be part of Case. I look forward to seeing more of you on campus and working with you to support the wonderful things happening at our alma mater. from the
Dear fellow Case alumni, The Case School of Engineering, with assistance from our Case Alumni Association, is hosting the Engineer’s Week Reception in February. The event showcases articulate and entrepreneurial Case student leaders, their projects and some impressive business plans. We invite you to attend the Engineers Week reception, featuring a new format that includes more networking time with students and the keynote speaker. The students are looking forward to meeting as many alumni and industry professionals as possible that evening. Please take advantage of the opportunity to participate individually or to host students as a table sponsor.
If you are thinking about joining the motivated alumni team that financially supports Case, we have two options for you to consider. The first is the Case Fund®, the annual fund of the Case School of Engineering and mathematics and applied sciences at Case Western Reserve University. The second is the Case Alumni Foundation, which allows for endowed and planned giving opportunities.
Established in 1885 by the first five graduates of the Case School of Applied Science, the Case Alumni Association is the oldest independent alumni association of engineering and applied science graduates in the nation.
Web:
The Case Alumnus is a publication of the Case Alumni Association, Inc., a 501(c)3 public charity under the IRS code.
Editor Steve
J. Toth Graphic, Design and Layout PHOTO CREDITS
Other opportunities coming your way to interact with today’s Case students include one-on-one mentoring, guest lectures and open forums and discussions.
From a personal perspective, my company is participating as sponsor of a capstone project for senior chemical engineers. We developed a real-life technical challenge for our team of students in a business case format.
Phone:
Email:
Cass ’84, Treasurer Nick Barendt ’95, MS ’98, Assistant Treasurer STAFF Stephen J. Zinram, Executive Director Thomas J. Conlon, Chief Financial Officer Terri Mrosko, Senior Director of Communications Racheal Seibert, Senior Director of Development Kellie Mayle, Director of Alumni Relations Ryan Strine, Manager of Annual Giving Janna W. Greer, Manager of Grants and Stewardship Pamela A. Burtonshaw, Coordinator of Database Operations Melissa Slager, Administrative Assistant Corey Wright ’11, MEM ’13, Webmaster CASE ALUMNUS Terri
CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC. Hall, Room 109 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44106-1712 216-231-4567 216-231-5715 www.casealum.org casealum@casealum.org O. R. J. Mrosko, Toth,
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WINTER 2017 p. 3WINTER 2017 To serve and advance the interests of the Case School of Engineering, the math and applied sciences of Case Western Reserve University and its alumni and students. WINTER 2017 • vol. 28 • no. 2 VISIT WWW.CASEALUM.ORG FOR THE LATEST NEWS AND EVENTS!
The best way to stay connected to the Case Alumni Association between magazine issues is to follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. Please join our sites today for the latest news on alumni, students, faculty and innovative research and projects.
ON THE COVER:
104 18 Case Alumnus THE MAGAZINE OF THE CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 20
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COVER: Case Engineers Council: Building an engineering community on campus The student group that connects engineering departments, campus organizations and students who are passionate about engineering. At the top of their profession Advice from alumnae in achieving top-level career success in the STEM fields. Professional development for engineering students Offering more professional development opportunities to students and finding ways to connect them to industry professionals and alumni is critical in creating industry-ready alumni upon graduation. Oil and Gas Industry Energy Forum 2017 Providing a unique opportunity for students and alumni to learn from Case alumni who are business leaders in the oil and gas industry. Connecting the dots Moving the vision for the Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems to reality. Word: “Sloyd” essay about the Case Amateur Radio Club IDEATE. CREATE. INNOVATE. The Case Engineers Council each year develops the theme for Engineers Week, a weeklong-plus celebration to honor the achievements made by engineers and the positive impacts the profession makes upon our everyday lives. This year’s theme looks at the path from classroom to career and the incredible way engineers use their brain!
DEPARTMENTS1 Dean’s Message 2 President’s Message 4 Case Connections – STEM Education and Campus News 22 Alumni Engagement Update 24 Class Notes 26 In Memoriam 28 The Last
Case GeotechnicalConnectionsengineeringlaboratories
Duerk will be inducted with the 175-member class of 2016 Fellows on April 6 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston during NAI’s annual conference.
case alumnus magazine
Case School of Engineering Dean Jeffrey Duerk, the Leonard Case Professor of Engineering, was one of two Case Western Reserve University researchers elected National Academy of Inventors Fellow for lifetime achievements and leadership in innovation and scientific discovery.
Duerk has been a member of the university since 1988 and dean of the engineering school since 2012. He has published more than 185 peer-reviewed papers, obtained more than 30 patents (with more than 20 licensed to industry) and secured numerous grants sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and industry. He is also the founding director of the Case Center of Imaging Research and founding leader of the Cancer Imaging program in the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Professor Saada addresses the audience at the dedication of the geotechnical engineering laboratories this past October.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by alumni, faculty and guests on Oct. 13, 2016, officially marked the opening of a series of geotechnical engineering laboratories. As a testament to the vision and monetary support of civil engineering professor Adel S. “Tony” Saada and others, the new space includes the Frank Gerace ’48 Geotechnical Teaching Laboratory for undergraduates, the Saada Family Geotechnical Research Labs for graduate students and the Warren Gibson ’65, MS ’69, PhD ’71 Library.
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dedicated last fall
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From left to right: Department of Civil Engineering Chair David Zeng, Richard A. Saada, Adel S. “Tony” Saada, Case School of Engineering Dean Jeffrey L. Duerk PhD ’87 and Camille Gerace Nitschky.
Jeffrey L. Duerk PhD ’87 elected National Academy of Inventors Fellow
Case Alumni Association website redesign Our website has a new look and feel. We’ve incorporated more stories and photos, and the site has been reorganized for easier navigation. You can find the information you need more quickly and by category: alumni, students, campus and giving. Check out our events calendar and news feed as well as our media gallery for videos and event photos. The url address remains the same. Please visit the site at www.casealum.org
Racheal Seibert recently joined the Case Alumni Association team. In her role as senior director of development, she will focus on leadership annual giving and planned gifts. Seibert received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University and her Juris Doctor from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She is proud to have worked with such great local organizations as the Cleveland Museum of Art; the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation; and College Now Greater Cleveland. Siebert is excited to have the opportunity to work with the exceptional staff at the Case Alumni Association, the Case School of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Janna Greer assumed the position of manager of donor relations and grants in September 2016. She is responsible for overseeing Case Alumni Association’s stewardship and endowment reporting, the Case Alumni Foundation’s scholarship program and its subcommittee, student groups. She also serves as the editor of the Annual Giving and Achievement Report. With over ten years of experience, Greer previously held development and donor relations positions at University Hospitals of Cleveland, the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University.
news from across campus Case School of Engineering releases its 2015-16 annual report
Racheal Seibert, Senior Director of Development
Check out these exciting achievements — and many more — by exploring the Case School of Engineering 2015-16 Annual Report at engineering.case.edu/impact
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From unraveling the mysteries of the brain to cultivating an ecosystem of innovation to leading a revolution in networked connectivity to integrating the right pieces to solve the puzzle of advanced energy, and more, the Case School of Engineering is creating an impact through research breakthroughs and academic innovations.
INTRODUCING NEWEST CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION STAFF MEMBERS
Janna Greer, Manager of Donor Relations and Grants
Case Engineers Council:
Connecting engineering departments, campus organizations and students who are passionate about engineering
Row 4: Christian Lytle, Steven Su, Jeremy Zalles, Karyn Ludewig, Alex Monier, Nicole Tartaglia, Emily Szabo, Kim Steere
Photographer:PalaniappanAbhenav Murthy
From bottom to top, left to right:
Row 2: David Rodriguez, Noah Tietsort, Humza Khan, Connor Mulcahy, Abigail Cawoski, Matthew Parulski, Aaron Weinberg
Row 3: Guillermo Fiallos, Eric Miller, Thomas Ugras, Rueben Dockery, Akincan Basar, Andrejs Albertins
Not Pictured: Jessica Qian, Robert Stark, Connor Kiernan, Catherine Boulos, Jeshrene Enerio, Quinten Hutchison, Phoebe Huang, Jonathan Henley, Samantha Miller, Vo Tri Tin Pham, Gillian Tierney, Eric Dong, Abhenav Murthy, Ke Ren, Serena Lai, Ramya
Row 1: Steve Ruan, Darshan G. Parikh, Paul Advincula, Rachel Swanson, Sarah Mortier
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Connecting students to alumni and industry professionals. Collaborating with faculty and corporate relations through discussions, lectures, community outreach, social events and networking.
Building an engineering community across campus.
“Originally, the Case Engineers Council wanted to be an umbrella organization for all of the engineering organizations. CEC has shifted to focusing on building the engineering community by hosting events and through networking,” said Jessica Qian, a third-year biomedical engineering major from Chicago and president of the CEC.
These are just some of the activities that members of the Case Engineers Council focus on each year.
The National Engineers Week Foundation, a formal coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies, is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among students. Engineers Week activities raise public understanding and appreciation of engineers’ contributions to society, as well as enables the students to celebrate the field of engineering through friendly competition, social events, excellent speakers and a culminating Engineers Week event.
Today the organization helps its members work on professional development and leadership skills.
Developing professional skills and mentoring others.
The CEC collaborates with university organizations, including developing a mentor/mentee program to create more unity within the club. Coordinating all the activities surrounding about a week-and-a-half dedicated to celebrating the profession of engineering, known nationally as Engineers Week, is still the primary focus of the group. CEC receives some funding from the Case Alumni Association for the event and works together with the staff to host a celebratory reception that attracts nearly 650 people each year.
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Ideate. Create. Innovate.
Jessica: There is! As a broke college student, you don’t really get to do anything fancy so it is a great opportunity to feel like a real professional.
In addition to CEC President Jessica Qian, joining the discussion was Paul Advincula, vice president of external affairs; Darshan Parikh, vice president of internal affairs; and Rachel Swanson, vice president of marketing.
Case Alumnus: What do you enjoy most about CEC’s involvement with Engineers Week?
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Ideate. Create.
Case Alumnus sat down with students from the Case Engineers Council to talk about the organization, its role and how students benefit from participating in the group. The students also discussed their involvement and planning of the Engineers Week networking event, which this year features keynote speaker Janet Kavandi, director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jessica: It is a great opportunity for students to get involved with leadership on campus and learn how to plan events and take responsibility for something so big. It is something they can plan and be proud of. Networking with alumni and faculty in planning the reception, our students get to meet people and other students they might not otherwise get to know in the classroom alone.
CA: There always seems to be an excitement surrounding the event, especially for the students. Is there more to it than just the opportunity to get dressed up and go out?
Rachel: College is a transition between childhood and adulthood, and you are on your own after college. The EWeek event is an experience that isn’t so “college,” but more professional. It’s a little taste of the world we will be in after college. Innovate.
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CA: What have you learned from the process of helping coordinate these events?
Paul: As a student, there is so much distance between us and these influential figures in science. We don’t often get to see their failures or learn more about their career path or see how the engineering community helped get them there. Learning those things from a speaker will impress upon us the value of building a community, people to work with and that it isn’t wrong to fail.
Darshan: We want to see that adulthood isn’t boring!
Join us for the Engineers Week Reception Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 from 5:30-9 p.m. Featuring Keynote Speaker Janet Kavandi, Director of NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center, 9801 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland Register online www.casealum.org/eweek2017at
Dr. Janet Kavandi
Jessica: Our goal in CEC is to develop leaders and engineers that are well rounded. We want our students to excel in whatever industry they are in. So, by getting started on these events, thinking about how we are going to execute the event and even why we do it, you begin to understand how it will impact others, not just yourself.
Darshan: Event planning is a great way to develop soft skills that are different from planning a class project. You don’t get a grade for event planning, but you do get a sense of whether you did a good job or not.
CA: Talk about the importance of interacting with alumni and industry professionals at this Rachel:event. It is extremely important. One of the hardest things is figuring out how to present yourself well and trying to quickly and succinctly explain who you are to someone you never met before. That is one of the areas in which I’ve grown most in these last few years.
Paul: I think the big thing we learn is that we can’t lose sight of who we are serving and who our audience is. We are doing this because we want to interact with alumni, companies and campus organizations. I’ve learned it’s not just about the event, it’s about the people you are doing the event with.
Jessica: The networking format at the EWeek reception is not like a career fair. It is more casual where you are not looking for a job, but learning about different companies and careers. It is fun to get to know everyone without the pressure of an actual job search.
CA: What do you gain from the keynote industry speaker each year?
Jessica: It is a great opportunity for students who have big dreams or ones who aren’t quite sure of their career path to see someone who was once in their position –to see how they got to where they are and what the possibilities are. It is just as important to hear about one’s struggles as it is their successes. We want to hear about what they like about their profession and that what they are doing is rewarding.
There is a perception that being a student is the best time in your life and that it all goes downhill from there! It helps us see that life doesn’t have to be that way. The speaker reminds us that there are many more rewarding years ahead.
Marla Pérez-Davis PhD ’91, deputy director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center, stands in front of a highly modified DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft in the center’s Cleveland Hopkins International Airport-based hangar. The aircraft is used for NASA research including most recently monitoring algae bloom in Lake Erie.
“As the English proverb says, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ Some days just the driving back and forth under snow conditions was enough to test my determination,” said Pérez-Davis, who today serves as deputy director of the research center. The hardest part was missing her son’s playing time in exchange for the bedtime stories.
At the top of their profession
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Marla E. Pérez-Davis completed her doctorate degree in chemical engineering at Case Western Reserve University in 1991. At the time, she was working full time at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, with a toddler son at home. More than one time she considered not finishing the degree program.
Advice from alumnae in achieving top-level career success in the STEM field
• Build a network. It provides for career and personal growth and can carry you in the difficult times.
Pérez-Davis is extremely thankful for NASA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, which she considers key to mission success. The organization is recognized as a best place to work in government because of its commitment.
• Be prepared and work hard. It doesn’t matter who you are, but as a woman in the workplace, it is even more important.
• Learn from your mistakes. We all make them, so don’t be so hard on yourself. Celebrate your achievements. By the numbers: 157 graduates from Case Western Reserve University work at NASA’s Glenn Research Center 61 hold Ph.D.s, 66 hold master’s degrees and 30 have undergraduates degrees
“It is not an easy task to single out key accomplishments because I have been very fortunate to work with an extraordinary number of individuals. None of those accomplishments will have happened without teamwork,” Pérez-Davis said. “One that comes to mind is the pioneering research back in the early 1990s with Dr. James Gaier, a NASA researcher. We conducted a series of tests evaluating the effects of Martian dust in power systems surfaces.”
• Find ways to give back, encouraging and motivating students to pursue STEM careers. The technology field is providing the leaders for tomorrow, so we need to do anything we can to encourage young people to pursue these careers.
• Strive for life and work balance.
Other key leadership positions Pérez-Davis held at Glenn include director of the Aeronautics Research Office from 2010 to 2014, where she served as the focal point for aeronautics research and provided project management, leadership and oversight in support of the agency’s aeronautics research mission. She also served as chief of the Project Liaison and Integration Office and as chief of the Electrochemistry Branch.
This past year NASA Glenn Research Center celebrated its 75th anniversary. Glenn engineers successfully completed a series of tests at its Plum Brook Station on the Orion’s European service module test article, as well as testing of boundary layer ingesting propulsors. These are just a few of the great contributions and accomplishments that the space exploration and aeronautics workforce completed this past year, Pérez-Davis said. Strong commitment to diversity and inclusion
“From a personal perspective, I have learned to accept that at times we will encounter people that are going to judge us by our accent, our looks,” she said. “I have learned, too, that I have no control over people’s filters and perceptions. Inclusion is a choice, so choose wisely and you will be rewarded with the best solution, with creativity and innovation, and in the process, a better organization and Fromworkplace.”acareerperspective, Pérez-Davis shared advice to anyone in or considering a STEM profession:
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Balancing motherhood, family, work and school is not necessarily an easy task but can be done, Pérez-Davis added, with the help of a support system. “From the people that believed in you, to those that carried you or simply offered a hand to hold during trying times, my support was my husband at the time, friends, coworkers, mentors and my advisor at Case, Dr. Donald Feke,” she Pérez-Davissaid.isa
• Get to know your strengths and weaknesses. It is important for all of us to know what we are good at and what we need help with. You have to rely on your strength, but you have to work on your weaknesses.
Pérez-Davis has received many accolades over the years: recipient of NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, 2015 Crain’s Women of Note, the Top 25 Elite Business Women, Hispanic Business Magazine and Women of Color Career Achievement, to name just a few. The Case alumna is quick to point out that her greatest achievements are because of her NASA team.
native of Puerto Rico and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico and master’s degree from the University of Toledo in addition to her Ph.D. at Case. Her career with NASA spans 33 years. Immediately prior to being promoted to her current position in June 2016, Pérez-Davis served as the deputy director of Glenn’s research and engineering directorate, a post she held since 2014.
On her education: I learned to deal with the hardships and “speed bumps” of the road ahead as a woman in a highly male environment. This is increased 10x working in the South and another 10x working in West Texas.
What she wishes she knew as a student: I wish I knew then ALL that I know now! Actually, I even wish I had the knowledge level of 20 years ago. I am going into the fifth decade of my career – life is a joyful journey of learning! Young people should relentlessly prepare themselves for their career; work hard to gain diverse knowledge, starting now. At the top of their profession Advice from alumnae in achieving top-level career success in the STEM field
case alumnus magazinep. 12
How to succeed as a woman in the STEM field: You must be tough, driven and self-confident. There is always going to be someone telling you that you can’t do it and will try to do what they can to position those
President and Chief Executive Officer, Pearl Resources LLC, Pearl Resources Operating Co., LLC and Ristra Energy LLC Major: Polymer Engineering
On her education: The education I received at Case nurtured my ability of independent and creative thinking, as well as insightful, analytical acumen. Additionally, as the first woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, I also started learning what it was like to be the only woman in an environment.
Jennie S. Hwang, PhD ’76 Chief Financial Officer and Principal, H-Technologies Group
How to succeed as a woman in the STEM field: Having been the only woman in most of my working environments, from the boardroom to the factory floor to the classroom, I do have abundant thoughts and a lot to share. Time is precious and how to use time effectively is critical. At either end of the spectrum, one can be not effective or can be very effective; it makes a huge difference in life and career.
Thoughts on her career: A career is not just a job working from eight to five. The work is always with you, either at your desk or on your mind. Learn how to focus and how to prioritize. There are many viewpoints on successful women having it all. I think it is possible and it is immensely rewarding to have a career and raise a family. There are times it can be very frustrating, but if you overcome it, the frustration is just a passing cloud. Look at the big picture rather than being pigeonholed by transient frustrations.
Additional advice: The real thing is the preparation, hard work, focus and the ability to endure and sustain. The most important thing is an individual’s mind and the effort on what you want to accomplish and work for – having that inner drive and confidence.
Myra A Dria ’76
Major: Materials Science and Engineering
What she wishes she knew as a student: The importance of maintaining networks with other women.
Women are terrible networkers probably because their day is already crammed and what little time they have, they need for themselves. Maintaining these relationships is extremely time consuming and women have many different challenges than men in the same position.
Additional advice: Change is very slow – take advantage of every opportunity to learn something new and focus on an entrepreneurial direction. Large companies are great for learning an industry and about business and financial discipline, but I see the most opportunities for people to spread their wings and fly high by participating in their own startup or in a small team of folks who share a high level of respect. Always advocate for Company #1.
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Additional advice: Make sure you’re doing something you enjoy and success will follow. Continue to learn and develop yourself after graduation. Be flexible and be able to adapt to changes especially as your career may move in lateral directions.
On her education: My Case education taught me how to solve problems, which is what we encounter every day at work. I also learned how to give oral presentations and write clearly from my thesis advisors. What she wishes she knew as a student: It’s important to understand the business you’re in and how you’re contributing to the business goals. How to succeed as a woman in the STEM field: Your technical skills are only one aspect of your performance. A high performer will also have the soft skills or competencies in leadership, communication, interpersonal skills, influence, etc. Women may be less willing to take risks but don’t be afraid to take risks, make mistakes and push yourself out of your comfort zone; you’ll learn a lot about yourself and what you’re capable of achieving. About her career: I’ve been in my current position for about one year, after returning from a four-year expatriate assignment in China.
“speed bumps” in your road ahead. It is almost like being an Olympic athlete in your everyday job: “If it wasn’t tough, then everyone would do it.” The hurdles are set higher for women – not because we aren’t good, but 90 percent of the bosses are still men, and 55 percent don’t believe you should be in the same career as they are.
Ka-Pi Hoh ’84, MS ’87, PhD ’89 Operations Manager, Finished Products, Lubrizol Corporation Major: Macromolecular Engineering
Brittney Sunday is majoring in chemical engineering and will complete her undergraduate degree this May. She took the professional development lab previously and declared it as one of the best classes she has ever taken.
The course is modeled after the flagship LEAD course in place at Weatherhead for over 25 years. Intentionally designed to support and broaden a student’s self-awareness, professional competencies and teaming skills, 20 percent of the final grade requires students to conduct career informational interviews with individuals in a career or job of interest.
This fall, the Case Alumni Association reached out to the Division of Engineering Leadership and Professional Practice team at the Case School of Engineering to discuss issues regarding professional development for engineering students. We brought together engineering alumni to offer feedback from an industry perspective to Marc Buchner, associate dean for academics, and Debbie Fatica, an assistant dean and director of DELPP. All agreed that offering more professional development opportunities to students is critical in creating industry-ready alumni upon graduation.
The participating team members came up with great suggestions to pair alumni with students, and the team is working to implement many of the programs over the next few semesters. Buchner and Fatica also shared information about a new requirement for engineering students, ENGR-396, beginning in the 2017-18 academic year. Taught by a Weatherhead School of Management instructor, Ellen B. Van Oosten, ENGR-396 is a professional development lab for engineers offered as a pilot program this semester.
Professional development lab for engineers to launch next fall
Brittney Sunday (right) works on her interviewing skills.
case alumnus magazine
With graduation looming, Sunday will start a job with Pfizer later this spring. The course was helpful throughout the job search process and focused her on identifying her strengths and using them to her advantage. “Consciously thinking about my strengths helped immensely during job interviews. I could better
“Ultimately, as I state in the syllabus for the students, this course is about shaping the technical professional within you so you are best positioned to succeed in relating to, collaborating with and leading groups of diverse individuals,” Van Oosten said. Alumni sharing their stories around such professional experiences is Ourinvaluable.engineering students are very bright and very talented and involved in numerous activities on campus while also working as a co-op or intern in companies, Van Oosten added. They often have firsthand learning experiences that illuminate the need for support with professional development and get them excited to learn about what effective technical leaders and professionals do.
“One of the biggest takeaways from this class was learning about the differences in people and their learning styles. I was able to identify my own learning style,” Sunday said. “One of the most helpful assignments was when we were tasked with interviewing professionals in fields of interest, which helped me solidify my career plans.”
“This course is much different from most other engineering courses. Whether or not a student ends up in a technical management position, the tools and insights from this course will benefit him or her in all walks of life,” said Van Oosten, assistant professor of organizational behavior and faculty director of executive education at Weatherhead. “As an engineering graduate myself, I have firsthand knowledge of the importance of this course and am honored and excited to help our students achieve their goals.”
Pilot program began spring semester p.
Identifying strengths
Volunteers needed Alumni can help with the course in a number of ways. They can meet with students and share their experiences as part of the career informational interview assignment. They can also volunteer to be a speaker or join a panel to share their story and insights with students. In addition, there is always a need to provide rich and meaningful work co-op and internship experiences, Van Oosten pointed out.
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Michael Siberski completed his undergraduate degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering in 2016. He works under contract as a fuel cell test engineer at General Motors in Detroit. He originally heard about the professional development lab in mid-November 2015, just before his last semester of school.
WINTER 2017 verbalize what I bring to the company, as well as give concrete examples,” she said.
Now that he has been in the workforce for a short while, Siberski realizes that the course provided him an invisible compass to use when he was interviewing for his first job out of college. He was better able to listen to his gut in order to pick out opportunities that complemented his values and strengths and to turn down the ones that did not.
“I’ve always considered myself to be a people-oriented person, so the opportunity to study the behavior of others in the work world really attracted me,” Siberski said. “The course seemed more of an education on ‘the inner workings of the professional mind,’ which really intrigued me.”
Siberski said he learned a lot about the functioning of teams, emotional intelligence and the behavioral patterns of good leaders. He was not expecting the amount of work the students did trying to understand themselves as individuals with unique talents and tendencies, and how to apply them. In that respect, he said the course greatly exceeded his expectations and considered it a turning point in his life.
We need alumni volunteers to help with ENGR-396 Any engineering alumni available for a panel discussion on Feb. 20, 2017, to speak to the class about your career on another date, or for career informational interviews as part of the professional development lab for engineering students, contact Director of Alumni Relations Kellie Mayle at kellie.mayle@casealum.org or 216-368-0635. Michael Siberski ‘16
Staying true to one’s values
“I think that really helped me to set myself up for success in my current role as a test engineer in the GM Hydrogen Fuel Cell lab,” Siberski said. “I wanted to work for a cause that positively disrupts the transportation industry, in this instance by providing a zero-emissions alternative for automobile propulsion.”
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“I felt as if I was able to wake up from the autopilot following the plan that I had had since I first started college, and to really start to ponder what was next, which wasn’t easy,” Siberski explained. “Of course, that result won’t come about without putting lots of intentional thought into the assignments – you get out of the course what you put in.”
John Knific ‘09, Wisr president and chief operating officer
“I’m so thrilled to have Case as one of our five pilot partners,” said Knific, Wisr president and chief operating officer. “Case students are not coddled; they put in the hours. They deserve to have more frequent touch points, individuals who have been in their shoes.”
The new initiative launched in February 2017, but alumni have been signing up since December in order to ensure they were included in the initial mentoring sessions. Knific said his team is “blown away” with the commitment and resources that student affairs, the career office, alumni relations and the Case Alumni Association have brought to the table to ensure a successful launch.
Knific said that he and cofounder Kate Volzer were inspired originally by the idea that every student should have a personal board of advisors. If more Case students could find their drive and passion, paired with their incredible work ethic, amazing things can happen, Knific added.
Sponsored by the Case Alumni Association, the Case Western Reserve University Alumni Association and Career Center, the professional networking platform called Wisr was cofounded by Case Western Reserve alumnus John Knific, a biology major who graduated in 2009.
“I was all over the place as a student. I studied pre-med biology, music and entrepreneurial studies at Weatherhead School of Management. I know I could have used Wisr! Learning to juggle different disciplines, with the academic rigor of Case helped me develop a ‘get stuff done’ attitude, which has grown and persisted into becoming a technology entrepreneur and executive,” Knific said.
A 15- or 30-minute conversation can change a student’s life forever. The Alumni Career Network makes mentoring simple – the system provides automated matching, scheduling and follow-up communications, and a forum for alumni to provide the advice Case students want and need.
It is now easier than ever for alumni to help current students find a fulfilling career path thanks to a new automated mentoring program that connects our alumni to engineering, natural science and mathematics students.
The Wisr platform is equipped with many features including advisory session and scheduling, Professional development for students
Make a difference by mentoring a student
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“Wisr will provide us the opportunity to facilitate and measure new connections between alumni and students and provide a platform for networking and mentoring, something we believe to be extremely valuable,” said Kellie Mayle, director of alumni relations at the Case Alumni Association. “We are thrilled to partner with Wisr and feel that the platform will help us leverage relationships between alumni and students for career exploration.”
Laura Papcum, assistant director for Alumni Career Services, works with students in the Career Center
Register today at case-signup.wisr.io and transform a student’s career forever industry-standard authentication, automatically created profiles using LinkedIn, activity analytics and custom-branded web applications. Wisr maintains calendar appointments, helps build discussion topics and agenda, provides automated feedback and has an integrated conference bridge. A provided metrics dashboard makes it easier to monitor user activity.
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Hosted by the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Sponsored by the Case Alumni Association
The panel discussion will include a look at the challenges facing all aspects of the oil and gas energy industry. The panelists will discuss how their undergraduate and graduate degrees and experiences from Case helped prepare them for their careers and discuss additional insight and opportunities for engineers and MBAs in the industry.
Oil and Gas Industry Energy Forum 2017
The forum panelists include Myra Dria ’76, George Damiris ’82, WSM ’85, Tom Komos ’80, WSM ’87 and Mark Smith ’83.
Oil & Gas Industry Energy Forum Participants Myra Dria’ 76 Chief Executive Officer and President Pearl Resources LLC, Pearl Resources Operating Co. LLC and Ristra Energy LLC Production Myra Dria, one of a handful of women in her graduating class at the Case Institute of Technology, went on to achieve great success in the petroleum industry. After rising through the ranks of top petroleum corporations, Dria eventually founded three companies. She serves on the visiting committee of the Case School of Engineering and is a member of several petroleum and energy industry associations.
Thereception.forum
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, April 6, 2017
The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is hosting an Oil and Gas Industry Energy Forum 2017 this spring. The event provides a unique opportunity for students to learn from Case alumni who are business leaders in the oil and gas industry, said Daniel Lacks, chair of the “Thesedepartment.business leaders bring a wide range of industry perspectives and business skills including exploration and development, refining and retail operations and financial and risk management. Our students will see firsthand the many opportunities the industry presents for engineers and business professionals,” Lacks said. “For our alumni, it is an opportunity to engage in a thoughtful discussion on the wide range of challenges facing the oil and gas industry.”
The event is made possible through a designated endowment held at the Case Alumni Association. Faculty, students and alumni are invited to attend the panel discussion, followed by a complimentary will be moderated by Jeff Herzog ’79, WSM ’86, president of the Case Alumni Association, who helped compile the panelists, all experts in varying aspects of the oil and gas industry. Herzog is president of Nexus Engineering Group, LLC based in Cleveland, Ohio, a full-service independent engineering firm serving the oil and gas, chemical and manufacturing industries.
“I am thrilled, proud and honored to be part of this forum and am looking forward to an interesting and lively discussion,” Herzog said. “All of my fellow alumni presenting at the forum are not only brilliant engineers but have proven to be great business leaders. They possess the unique combination of intellect, ethics, energy and personality needed to build and run complex businesses.”
All five of the participants started their career at the Standard Oil Company of Ohio, a company founded in Cleveland by John D. Rockefeller, whose name still appears on the physics building on the Case Quad.
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“I have known Mark, George and Tom since we were all students at Case. More recently, I have gotten to know Myra, who is a member of the dean’s visiting committee, as part of my Case Alumni Association duties,” Herzog said.
The original Standard Oil Company was eventually split into smaller companies including Exxon, Chevron, Mobil and Amoco. “It’s especially exciting for me, as a Case and Standard Oil alumnus, to be part of this forum, talking about oil and gas just a few blocks from where this important industry was born,” Herzog added.
Jeffrey Herzog ’79, WSM ’86 President and Cofounder, Nexus Engineering Group, LLC Moderator
George Damiris ’82, WSM ’85
In addition to her bachelor’s degree in polymer engineering from Case, Dria obtained her Ph.D. in petroleum engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. Mark A. Smith ’83 Partner, Houston Advisory Practice Leader
Thomas Komos ’80 WSM ’87 Senior Vice President, Fuel Supply TravelCenters of America Product Sales
Tom Komos graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. In 1987, he completed a Master’s in Business Administration from the Weatherhead School of Management. Tom began his career in 1980 with the Standard Oil Company in Cleveland as a development engineer. Over the next 20 years, he served in technology assessment and numerous strategic planning roles for both Standard Oil and British Petroleum. He joined TravelCenters of America in 2001 and served as the vice president, strategic planning before assuming his current role in fuel supply in 2007.
Chief Executive Officer and President HollyFrontier Refining George Damiris has served as chief executive officer and president of HollyFrontier Corporation since January 2016. He previously served as executive vice president and chief operating officer from September 2014 to January 2016 and as senior vice president, Supply and Marketing from January 2008 until September 2014. Damiris joined the company in 2007 as vice president, Corporate Development after an 18-year career with Koch Industries, where he was responsible for managing various refining, chemical, trading and financial businesses. Damiris holds both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Case Western Reserve University.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Financing Mark Smith leads PwC’s advisory practice for the Greater Texas market. Smith worked in industry at BP for the first 15 years of his career, beginning as a process engineer. He progressed through various roles and management positions in operations planning/LP modeling, logistics, oil trading, marketing and commercial management. Smith’s experience provided him with a broad perspective on business issues across operations, commodity markets, human capital and risk management. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Jeffrey Herzog leads the Cleveland-based Nexus Engineering Group, with offices in Toledo, Ohio, and Houston, Texas. He began his career with the Standard Oil Company of Ohio, later acquired by BP. Herzog held various engineering and business assignments at Sohio until joining a Cleveland-based engineering firm leading its refining business and then worked at Praxair, Inc., an industrial gas company. He started his business in 2005. Herzog is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, with degrees in mechanical engineering and an MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management. p. 17
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Connecting the dots Taking
The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing the way we connect our physical world to the virtual world. IoT refers to the network of billions of physical devices that can connect to the internet and to each other. Leveraging this networked revolution is what keeps Kenneth Loparo PhD ’77 up at night.
case alumnus magazine
“The motivation for ISSACS was to find a disruptive technology or set of disruptive technologies that are very forward-looking, that would capture the market, the interest and the attention of people long into the future,” said Loparo, who now is intent on finding a way to make the vision of the new institute a reality. “The EECS department as a foundation for this digital initiative fits the bill well.” Loparo linked electrical engineering with its focus on the design and application of sensors, device and interface p. 20 a From vision
In 2016, Case Western Reserve University launched the Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems, known as ISSACS, to lead specific IoT initiatives, data science, cybersecurity, networks and more. The concept for ISSACS grew out of the strategic plan for the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science – of which Loparo is chair.
WINTER 2017 p. 21 electronics and instrumentation, with a computer engineering focus on embedded systems, computer architectures, and wireless and wearable devices and systems. Computer science provides expertise in databases, algorithms and networks, and systems and control provides the systems perspective including computational modeling and communications, feedback control, optimization and decision-making.
Learn more about ISSACS in the pages of the Case School of Engineering 2015-16 Annual Report at http://engineering.case.edu/impact.
In order for the full picture to emerge, said Loparo, there also has to be an educational piece, a research piece, a development piece, and a translational piece of ISSACS that takes the research and development into practice.
digital initiativeTo reality
“If I put all of these together and ask what disruptive technologies will likely have the greatest impact on the Internet of Things, it just sort of pops out at you,” Loparo said. “The entire department is all about devices and technologies and connectedness, communication and control. It’s about data and algorithms. It’s about being smart and secure, and it’s about managing connected systems so that the total is greater than the sum of the parts. That’s ISSACS in a nutshell.”
Turning the vision into reality – going from a virtual institute to a physical institute – will, of course, require funding. Other universities are starting to realize the importance of IoT, and they are starting to invest in their own initiatives, Loparo stated. “What concerns me most is I’m afraid that we’re going to be ‘too little, too late,’” Loparo replied. “We were early to have this vision, and we do not want to be last to execute it. The time to act is now.”
The reach-out both internally and across the region is already underway. One such partnership involves Intwine Connect, LLC, which started leasing lab space on campus through the university’s Technology Transfer Office in 2014 to develop hardware, software, data analytics and other services enabling IoT.
Perhaps the most critical piece, according to Loparo, is the infrastructure. In order to have smart cities and smart roads, smart hospitals and smart manufacturing, smart infrastructure is the next step.
The idea is to ultimately create laboratories within ISSACS.
While the new institute will be EECS-centric, the need is great to partner with other engineering departments, other schools on campus such as business, law, management, nursing and medicine as well as creating strategic regional and industry partnerships such as healthcare, manufacturing, energy and infrastructure.
Connecting the missing pieces
With a $200,000 planning grant from the Cleveland Foundation, taking the next step in the process just got a boost. Case Western Reserve and Cleveland State University will partner to build an operational foundation for academic collaboration, focused mainly on economic development and partnership. As part of the Cleveland Foundation’s broader digital economic strategy called the Digital Excellence Initiative, the goal is to transform Northeast Ohio into a national model of collaboration, research, technology transfer, workforce development and community infrastructure in the emerging area of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).
“This funding provides a focused opportunity for … leveraging our complementary assets and identifying critical needs for the future,” Loparo said. The grant will support a six-month planning effort to help create a more connected community. That’s just a drop in the bucket of the estimated millions of dollars in seed money needed to put the organizational structure of ISSACS and the Cleveland academic IoT collaborative in place, said Loparo, but is certainly a step in the right direction.
“I think ISSACS is great for the region, and for Case to be in the forefront of what is emerging as the next major technology trend in the industry is exciting,” said Dave Martin (WSM ’85), founder, president and CEO of Intwine Connect. “It offers a tremendous employment opportunity and overall momentum to the region. To see this vision come to life would certainly be a highlight of my career.”
The Case Alumni Association enjoyed another successful Homecoming and Reunion Weekend this past October. All alumni were invited back to campus for a special weekend of activities to reconnect with former classmates and experience up close and personal, the remarkable innovation taking place on campus today. The weekend officially kicked-off on Friday morning with a Coffee and Chat with Dean of the Case School of Engineering Jeffrey L. Duerk PhD ’87 Dean Duerk provided an update on the school to a packed crowd of alumni, parents and friends.
case alumnus magazine 2016 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend
Chi Corporation Reunion
p. 22 Alumni Engagement Update
The highlight of the weekend was Friday evening’s signature event, the award-winning All Classes Celebration and Innovation ShowCASE. This year the event was held in the university’s entrepreneurship innovation design ecosystem, the Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box]. Guests spent the evening exploring the space, mingling with student entrepreneurs and their interactive displays, enjoying great food and honoring our alumni award recipients. Saturday special events included a luncheon for our Grand Classes graduates and the Class of 1966 50th Reunion. The private event held in Tomlinson Hall included a cocktail hour, dinner and an update from the dean. Alumni and guests enjoyed an evening of reconnecting and reminiscing about their years at Case and began already talking about plans for their next milestone reunion. We are making plans to see you again next year for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2017, scheduled for Oct. 5–8. If you would like be a part of the planning committee, please contact Kellie Mayle, director of alumni relations –kellie.mayle@casealum.org or 216-368-0635.
Bottom, right: Ken Loparo PhD ‘77 with alumni host Frank Ilcin ‘61
The Case Alumni Association held a special reunion for the affinity group Chi Corporation alumni during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. Chi Corp alumni Frank Ilcin ’61 and John Massey ’66 hosted the reception held in the Glennan Building. Kenneth Loparo PhD ’77, chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, provided a department update to the group, as well as an overview of the new Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems (ISSACS). Over 30 alumni and guests attended the reception to reconnect with their Chi Corporation affiliates.
WINTER 2017 p. 23
Hosted by the Case Alumni Association and the Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University, the event was held at the Cafe ArtScience, Le Laboratoire Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Boston Faculty Lecture – Nov. 3, 2016
In November, we took the Faculty Lecture Series on the road to Boston with Mark Griswold, professor of radiology, Microsoft HoloLens collaborator and NORTECH “Inventor of the Year.”
Professor Griswold’s lecture focused on his work with Microsoft Hololens, the first self-contained, holographic computer enabling users to engage with digital content and interact with holograms. Griswold educated guests on how this new revolutionary system can potentially transform teaching and learning.
CES 2017 Alumni Reception –Jan. 5, 2017 in Las Vegas
Another successful alumni reception was held during CES® 2017 in Las Vegas in January. In partnership with the Alumni Association of Case Western Reserve University and Weatherhead School of Management, the Case Alumni Association hosted over 100 alumni and guests at the Palms Casino Resort for a reception. The event was held in a penthouse suite with a fabulous night-time view of Las Vegas. The energy of the guests was amazing and everyone had a great time networking and talking all-things Jeffreyinnovation.Duerk PhD ’87, dean of the Case School of Engineering, attended and was thrilled with all those who turned out for the event. Dean Duerk stated, “The event was fantastic. [It was] packed, lively, people engaged – really great.”
1970s Philip E. Orbanes ‘70 Gloucester, Massachusetts A lifelong board game enthusiast, Philip was quoted in a Cleveland.com article saying “classic board games like Monopoly, Clue and Scrabble are more popular than ever before.”As the former director of creative development and senior vice president of research and development at Parker Brothers, Philip has spent nearly 50 years creating, playing collecting, and cherishing games of skill and strategy. He also wrote four books on Monopoly, and serves as chief judge and dispute-resolver at national and global Monopoly tournaments. Philip co-founded Winning Moves Games (www.winning-moves.com), which strives to preserve and re-introduce classic games from Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley, as well as create new games.
1940s Richard L. Garwin ‘47 Scarsdale, New York Dick was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 for his landmark work over the last 50 years, ranging from particle physics to nuclear nonproliferation. He still actively speaks at the youthful age of 88! At a White House ceremony on Nov. 22, President Barack Obama presented the award to Dick, alongside 20 other recipients. Ever since he was a Cleveland kid tinkering with his father’s movie projectors, Dick never met a problem he didn’t want to solve. Reconnaissance satellites, the MRI, GPS technology and the touchscreen all bear his fingerprints. Dick has advised nearly every president since Eisenhower. Enrico Fermi, also a pretty smart guy, is said to have called Dick the only true genius he ever met.
John F. X. Daly ‘89, MS ‘91 San Francisco, California In September 2016, Jack was named partner at TPG Capital, a private equity platform of global alternative assets firm. He most recently served as a partner and managing director in the principal investment area of the Merchant Banking Division at Goldman Sachs Group, leading the U.S. Industrials Private Equity team.
1960s Michael H. Diamant ’68 Cleveland, Ohio Michael retired from the active practice of law at the end of 2016, after 45 years of a satisfying and productive career. He will continue as counsel through Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP in certain active cases, and will otherwise serve independently as an arbitrator and mediator for technology, intellectual property and business cases. Michael recently was named a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
1980s Jeffrey L. Duerk PhD ’87 Avon, Ohio Case School of Engineering Dean Jeffrey Duerk, the Leonard Case Professor of Engineering, will be inducted with the 175-member class of 2016 National Academy of Inventors
class notes
1950s Lionel V. Baldwin PhD ’59 Fort Collins, Colorado Lionel has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. Widely regarded for his knowledge and skill in academic administration, Lionel served National Technological University for more than a decade prior to his retirement in 2000. He initially created the university in 1984 after leaving his role as the dean and professor of the College of Engineering at Colorado State University. After he retired from NTU, Lionel served as a founding consultant, then director and treasurer of the African Virtual University in Nairobi, Kenya. Although Lionel is now retired, he maintains active involvement with numerous scientific organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, IEEE and the National Society of Professional Engineers. In addition, he is a fellow of the American Society of Engineering Education, as well as a chairman of the Engineering Deans Council.
Fellows on April 6 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum in Boston during NAI’s annual conference. NAI Fellows are nominated by their peers for outstanding contributions to innovation in such areas as patents and licensing, innovative discovery and technology, significant impact on society and support and enhancement of innovation
case alumnus magazinep. 24
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU! Send your CLASS NOTES updates about job promotions and professional development awards, and personal milestones like your wedding and anniversary, as well as photos to casealum@casealum.org
John Knific ‘09 Rocky River, Ohio John launched a new virtual mentoring venture called Wisr, which is now being implemented at Case Western Reserve University. He stepped down as chief executive officer of Decision Desk in September, but will remain on the company’s board of directors.
Hillary C. Emer ’07, MS ’07 Cary, North Carolina Hillary moved to North Carolina to take a new job as director of operations, content with Relias Learning. She most recently worked at MRI Software in Cleveland as director of professional services and support.
Weston, Florida Felipe is the founder and chief executive officer of FGC Plasma Solutions, a Cleveland-based company that is developing a novel fuel injector for jet engines and gas turbines. He is one of four innovators nationally to participate in a new two-year entrepreneurship program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, starting in February 2017. Felipe has previously been recognized as a rising energy innovator in Forbes “30 under 30” and honored at the White House as an emerging global entrepreneur by President Barack Obama.
class notes
Joseph Connolly MS ’09 Cleveland, Ohio Joseph was recently named to Crain’s Cleveland Business Forty Under 40 list. He is an aerospace engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center. He received his master’s degree from the Case School of Engineering in 2009, majoring in systems and control.
Felipe Gomez Del Campo ‘16
1990s Laura J. Flanagan ‘90 Wilmette, Illinois Laura was named president and chief executive officer of Foster Farms, the West Coast’s leading poultry producer, effective August 2016. She most recently served as president of the ConAgra Foods Snacks Division, one of North America’s leading suppliers of packaged foods.
2000s Brian Szuter ’06, MS ’11 Kirkland, Washington Brian accepted the position of software engineer, tools and infrastructure at Google in Washington State. He most recently worked at Rockwell Automation in Cleveland as a software project engineer.
Christine (Fleming) Hendon ’07, MS ’10 Long Island, New York Christine, assistant professor of electrical engineering at Columbia University, won the Presidential Early Career Award, the highest honor the U.S. government gives to young scientists and engineers. Christine, who develops innovative medical imaging instruments for use in surgery and breast cancer detection, was one of 102 researchers from across the nation named by President Obama. Hendon has earned numerous honors for her groundbreaking work: in 2015 she won a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development award; in 2014 she received a National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award; in 2013 she was named to both MIT’s prestigious list of 35 Innovators Under 35; and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of game changers in science and health care.
2010s Carlin Jackson ‘15 Cleveland Hts., Ohio Carlin earned a spot on Crain’s Cleveland Business Twenty in their 20s list this past August. He owns an IT consulting company and studied both software development and finance while at Case.
Christopher J. Krimbill ‘16 Scottsdale, Arizona The recent graduate and tennis player was awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship for his stellar academic and athletic accomplishments. C.J. is the first-ever Case Western Reserve University men’s tennis player to win the award. He is the 24th overall recipient of the award in CWRU athletics history.
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Artur Mager MS ’51, Los Angeles, CA, November 22, 2016
Arthur P. Leary ’44, MS ‘51, Chagrin Falls, OH, September 21, 2016 Leslie W. Steele ’44, MS ‘48, Cincinnati, OH, October 5, 2016
Rolf E. Rylander ’49, Solon, OH, December 2016
Joseph J. Keppes ’50, Kettering, OH, September 18, 2016
Morgan C. Larkin ’38, Salem, OR, November 19, 2011
George M. Klein ’41, Del Ray, FL, September 8, 2016
John J. Reinmann ’54, MS ’57, Rocky River, OH, April 20, 2016
Paul H. Liebenauer ’57, Oswego, NY, October 20, 2016
Richard H. Snyder ’58, Palm City, FL, October 16, 2015
John C. Gambrill ’57, Springfield, VA, November 2016
Thomas P. Herbell ’56, Parma, OH, May 2, 2016
Louis A. Tuzi MSE ’58, Sagamore Hills, OH, May 7, 2016
William G. Ormiston ’56, Belpre, OH, May 20, 2016
Chester Topp ’51, Evergreen, CO, October 2, 2013
Joseph B. Crowley ’55, Findlay, OH, August 12, 2016
Thomas W. Thornton ’56, Woodstock, IL, October 3, 2016
Robbins R. Bosworth ’39, city unknown, March 14, 2005
Maynard C. Ishelm ’43, Cupertino, CA, May 7, 2016
John Ludwigson ’60, Gambrills, MD, September 8, 2015
Frederick S. Jerome ’57, Elmhurst, IL, May 18, 2016
Donald M. Sweet ’42, Akron, OH, June 4, 2016
William R. Frerich ’42, Williamsburg, VA, August 31, 2016
Wesley H Aldred ’53, Cleveland, OH, May 20, 2016
John L. Safko ’60, Columbia, SC, June 15, 2016
case alumnus magazinep. Edward26 Sellner ’35, Clarksville, TN, March 18, 2011
Richard F. Jaeger ’54, Willowick, OH, December 10, 2016
John W. Webb ’50, Wausau, WI, October 12, 2016
Dean F. Williams ’57, Forked River, NJ, November 7, 2016
John M. Spear ’49, Monroeville, PA, September 2, 2016 C. Philip Alexander ’50, MS ’54, Richmond, VA, October 21, 2016
Martin L. Anderson ’53, Cumming, GA, March 25, 2016
Kenneth L. Kutina ’58, Orange Village, OH, July 27, 2016
Martin A. Phillips, Jr. ’52, Bath, OH, October 22, 2016
Herbert W. Scibbe ’58, Brecksville, OH, April 15, 2016
William H. Jurey ’52, Wadsworth, OH, November 24, 2016
George E. MacDonald ’52, city unknown, January 2016
Philip B. Rockwood ’37, Venice, FL, March 26, 2009
Robert G. Donkin ’44, Tulsa, OK, June 18, 2016
Stanley R. Reas ’53, Moneta, VA, October 5, 2016
Albert E. Hulse ’51, Santa Rosa, CA, October 15, 2016
James C. Martinson ’55, Hudson, OH, June 4, 2016
John P. Mann ’51, Parma Hts., OH, June 18, 2016
Donald P. Metzger ’56, Mattawa, MI, November 24, 2016
Thomas A. Free ’60, Orchard Park, NY, May 25, 2016
John Janos ’56, Viera, FL, October 10, 2016
Theodoer S. Cichocki ’50, Cleveland, OH, December 30, 2014
Frederick C. Herot ’42, Wilton, CT, February 6, 2016
Richard A. Scherbarth ’43, West Hurley, NY, April 4, 2016
In Memoriam
Ralph D. Gray, Jr., ’60, Morristown, NJ, August 26, 2016
Raymond D. Daniels, Jr. ’50, Reno, NV, May 8, 2016
Daniel B. Raber ’57, Asheville, NC, June 11, 2016
William D. Kuhlman ’38, Midland, MI, December 30, 2016
Kenneth C. Garman ’44, Pittsford, NY, May 2016
Henry R. Friedrich ’52, Millersburg, OH, June 21, 2016
James G. Watterson ’54, Chagrin Falls, OH, July 9, 2016
Charles W. “Cal” Marschall PhD ’60, Westerville, OH, May 4, 2016
Boris Mokrytzki ’55, Ontario, Canada, December 6, 2015
Donald W Krauter ’48, Troy, NY, July 27, 2016 Robert Penovich ’48, Indianapolis, IN, July 8, 2016 Richard Rau ’49, Lancaster, VA, November 24, 2016
Richard A. Graff ’44, Lakewood, OH, June 1, 2016
Thomas E. Hedge ’53, Painesville, OH, April 2, 2016
James R. Branche ’56, Huntington, PA, June 22, 2016
Joseph E. Hausmann ’40, Beavercreek, OH, January 25, 2014 Fraser Noble ’40, Maricopa, AZ, May 20, 2014
William E. Zoller ’50, Chesterland, OH, September 25, 2016
John L. Bates, Jr. ’47, Shaker Hts., OH, September 20, 2016
Thomas Mahovlich ’51, Willoughby, OH, January 12, 2016
Lewis F. Hudson ’54, Lyndhurst, OH, February 23, 2015
Joseph Lamborghini ’55, Newmarket, NH, November 10, 2016
Donald l. Grader ’40, Polk, FL, December 20, 2009
Howard W. Semon ’40, Malvern, PA, November 4, 2015
Thomas H. Nicholl ’39, Leawood, KS, April 25, 2015
Richard C. Walter ’43, Aurora, OH, September 15, 2016
Robert K. Dietly ’50, Erie, PA, September 10, 2016
William R. Kerler ’51, Charlottesville, VA, November 13, 2016
Robert A. Wilkens ’55, Walnut Creek, CA, May 15, 2016
William P. Zabel, Jr. ’40, Tallahassee, FL, July 14, 2010
Robert Pikovnik ’52, Chardon, OH, September 3, 2016
Elwin L. Rooy ’56, Aurora, OH, September 23, 2016
Raymond C. Srail ’56, Parma, OH, October 9, 2016
Robert A. Komenda ’59, Plano, TX, August 21, 2016
Jerry G. Alert ’55, Columbia, SC, June 28, 2016
Ralph E. Biddle ’42, Hendersonville, NC, December 9, 2014
Edward M. Petrushka ’55, Fort Worth, TX, July 29, 2016
Edward A. Andres, Jr. ’51, Lexington, KY, May 21, 2016
Robert E. Chrien MS ’55, PhD ’58, Bridgeport, CT, October 10, 2016
John F. Havel ’59, Wadsworth, OH, June 30, 2016
Donald D. Mandalfino MS ’64, Seven Hills, OH, July 2016
William R. Kerler ’51 Bill Kerler of Charlottesville, Virginia, passed away on Nov. 13, 2016, at the age of 87. As an accomplished catcher on his high school baseball team, Bill was drafted to play for the Detroit Tigers. He decided instead to pursue an engineering degree from the Case Institute of Technology, of which he was very proud. He retired as chief operating officer at Jacobs Engineering Group in Pasadena, California. Bill was quite active in helping to grow alumni engagement in Virginia and worked closely with both the Case School of Engineering and the alumni associations to that end. Notable Deaths
Richard A. Friedell, MD
Francis M. Baluck ’63, Mount Vernon, OH, July 16, 2016
Larry E. Thomas ’61, Titusville, FL, August 7, 2016 Allen D. Zych ’61, Carlsbad, CA, April 5, 2016 David A. McBride ’62, Mansfield, OH, June 14, 2016
Srinivasan Sivashankaran MS ’83, Beachwood, OH, December 12, 2016
John D. Jackson ’73, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, July 12, 2012
David A. Wilson ’63, Huntsville, AL, April 1, 2016
Roger G. Derr ’81, West Henrietta, NY, December 1, 2015
David L. Turk ’64, Austinburg, OH, March 29, 2016 Stanley Fleeter ’65, W. Lafayette, IN, July 7, 2016, William T. Jones ’65, Colorado Springs, CO, June 7, 2016 Richard Thalheimer ’65, Nicholasville, KY, March 28, 2016
WINTER 2017 p. 27
Jonathan L. Brockwell ’69, Charleston, WV, June 10, 2016
Josh E. Pierson ’93, Denver, CO, September 9, 2016 Anna Owensby ’12, Greenville, SC, April 14, 2016
Dennis P. Skala ’63, Fort Wayne, IN, June 8, 2015
Rick L. Shipley ’74, Clute, TX, August 11, 2016
William P. Nebel ’67, Cleveland Hts., OH, November 15, 2016 Wallace B. Shepherd ’68, Newport, RI, July 25, 2016
Griff L. Bilbro ’73, Raleigh, NC, November 10, 2016
L. Ensign Johnson, Jr., MS ’63, PhD ’64, Nashville, TN, November 3, 2016
Harold G. Pohler ’63, Aurora, OH, April 13, 2016
Richard J. Jones MS ’76, Westerville, OH, August 9, 2016
Gary F. Kaiser ’78, December 4, 2015, Fort Collins, CO
Kent A. Smith ’85, Newbury, OH, August 2, 2016
Paul J. Arnold ’79, Mt. Vernon, OH, June 17, 2016
Peter J. Otto ’69, New York, NY, February 2, 2016
Stephan E. Kopas ’70, July 31, 2016, Indianapolis, IN
Peter H. Cashy ’64, Cleveland, OH, June 1, 2016
Terence N. Troy ’63, Albuquerque, NM, July 3, 2013
Robert C. Evans MS ’76, Hanover, IN, March 10, 2015
Millicent H. Thomas MS ’78, Somerville, AL, August 12, 2016
Thomas G. Scecina ’63, Boston, MA, September 6, 2016
Melvin H. Sollberger PhD ’71, Annapolis, MD, December 2015
David E. Falcon ’63, Franklin, WI, January 25, 2016
Gud Bambakidis MS ’63, PhD ’66, Cleveland, OH, December 12, 2016
Troy Zenevic ’90, Hubbard, OH, October 6, 2016
Lionel “Harry” Mofflin MS ’80, Cleveland, OH, November 25, 2015
Sister Teresemarie McCloskey, S.N.D., PhD ’72, Chardon, OH, September 11, 2016
Richard T. Maurer MS ’71, Nanuet, NY, August 16, 2016
Richard Friedell of Shaker Hts., Ohio, passed away in May 2016. He was the beloved husband of Katherine (nee Anderson), the steward of the Grant Anderson Scholarship Fund. Friends may contribute to the fund in care of the Case Alumni Association.
Charles K. Wilk ’76, June 17, 2016, Jacksonville, FL
Mark A. Stan MS ’82, Albuquerque, NM, August 12, 2016
A. G. Davis Philip PhD ’64, Schenectady, NY, March 28, 2016 David L. Price ’64, Rochester, NY, August 13, 2016
Gordon G. Cross MS ’66, Chagrin Falls, OH, June 6, 2016
Kim L. Walton MS ’83, Lake Jackson, TX, July 7, 2016
Charles R. John ’74, Baltimore, MD, March 11, 2016
Robert J. Contolini ’72, Lake Oswego, OR, September 23, 2016 James Martin PhD ’72, Beijing, China, December 12, 2016
case alumnus magazine
build through amateur radio extend far beyond the technical. Assembling a temporary station p. 28
By: Kristina Collins BS/MS student in electrical engineering at Case Western Reserve University and President of the Case Amateur Radio Club
For more information about the Case Amateur Radio Club, including licensing, operating hours and alumni outreach, please visit w8edu.wordpress.comThesepostcardsweresent out to all alumni listed in our logbooks, which date back to the club’s inception in the 1940s.
In the nineteenth century, when the rapid pace of the Second Industrial Revolution necessitated the training of skilled tradesmen, an educational philosophy arose in Finland, which posited that all the elements of a classical education – geometry, philosophy, language, literature, mathematics – could be taught through woodworking. Educational Sloyd (from the Swedish slög, meaning “handy”) has since cropped up in a new form and an unlikely place: the Case Amateur Radio Club, W8EDU.
Students (author center) at a radio direction-finding “foxhunt” in 2011. Photo credit: Tyler Laseter KJ4HNN.
Prof. David Kazdan AD8Y and Rob Wiesler KC9PTE continue Field Day operations late into the night.
at Squire Valleevue Farm, for instance, as we do every summer for a nationwide radio event known as Field Day, poses oblique challenges from a range of disciplines. Electronics: This radio isn’t working, how do we fix it? Electromagnetics: Where should our antennas go? Process engineering: How can we pack and unpack our equipment most efficiently? Management: How should we operate in order to maximize our points in the contest? Marketing: How can we get more people to join us? Archery: How will we get this wire antenna between those two trees? Woodworking: How will we get this wire antenna down? None of these skills are wasted, and it’s through this kind of practice that we cultivate our capabilities as both radio operators and engineers. To excel at either requires us to tackle matters both technical and otherwise, to break problems down into manageable parts, and to build on existing systems with energy and creativity –to be, in a word, handy.
For the uninitiated, “ham radio” is the use of certain reserved parts of the radio spectrum for personal communications and experimentation. You need a license to get your call sign and participate, but once you have it, you can talk to hams anywhere in the world – and conduct radiofrequency experiments, making the ham license a must-have for the aspiring mad scientist.
At Case, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is capitalizing on this unique power by tapping W8EDU as a curricular resource. We’re developing a new laboratory space – the Dr. Robert E. Collin Radiofrequency and Communications Laboratory – and incorporating ham projects into new courses, including a course on radar this spring. Our shack and antenna farm hosts experiments from the physics and civil engineering departments, and even a Canadian ornithological association, while the station hums with a parade of operators. Many are students in the SAGES class “Shrinking the World,” which uses ham radio as a lens to examine issues surrounding communications, regulation and censorship; a novel combination that is, as far as we know, unique among Theuniversities.skillswe
Amateur radio is undergoing a renaissance in collegiate technical education and has been embraced as a teaching tool at many engineering schools: one that offers a ready-made laboratory for teaching electronics, digital signal processing, electromagnetics and other staples of engineering curricula.
The Last Word: ‘Sloyd’
WINTER 2017 Make your gift to the Case Fund®, the annual fund for the Case School of Engineering and math and applied sciences at Case Western Reserve University, before June 30, 2017. Invest today in the next generation of makers, innovators and entrepreneurs. Visit casealum.org/givenow CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Tomlinson Hall, Room 109 • 10900 Euclid Avenue • Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1712 • www.casealum.org Make an impact on current and future students Ryan Strine 216-368-6399 • ryan.strine@casealum.org.
CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Tomlinson Hall, Room 109 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1712 CLEVELAND,ORGANIZATIONNON-PROFITU.S.POSTAGEPAIDOHIOPERMITNO.2120 REVISIT YOUR CAMPUS EXPERIENCE Save the date! HOMECOMING AND REUNION WEEKEND 2017 OCT. 5-8, 2017 Join us for a whole weekend of recreation, reminiscing and reconnecting to campus Dean’s Coffee & Chat – Innovation ShowCASE – Case Alumni Awards Presentation Deans’ Brunch & Parade Watch – Sears think[box] tours Grand Classes Luncheon – Class of 1967 50th Reunion
