Case Connections – STEM Education and Campus News

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 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.

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.

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.

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. Professor Saada addresses the audience at the dedication of the geotechnical engineering laboratories this past October.

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. Check out these exciting achievements — and many more — by exploring the Case School of Engineering 2015-16 Annual Report at engineering.case.edu/impact.

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.

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.