Case Alumnus The Magazine of the Case Alumni Association since 1921 Winter 2021 ALUMNA BRINGS AI TO CATTLE COUNTRY | THE WIZARD OF NASA GLENN
SAVETHEDATE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! To learn more about your class committee and how to get involved with the planning, please kelly.hendricks@casealum.orgcontactHOMECOMING2021OCTOBER21-24 Find all Eweek events, updates and registration at ENGINEERScasealumni.org/e-weekWEEK2021FEBRUARY21-28 The pandemic changed our plans but did not chill our enthusiasm. The Case Engineers Council plans a fun, insightful, safe series of events to celebrate Engineers Week beginning Feb. 21— with a special focus on chemical engineering.
Much has changed over the past 100 years, but our mission remains the same. A century in the books, a bright future ahead
While the challenges of the past year have caused us to change the way we teach and learn, I can say with confidence that we continue to live our academic and research mission every day. Moreover, the hardships of this past year have proven the true value of this Case School of Engineering community. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni responded to these challenges with strength, commitment, in genuity and care for one another, and remained connected as a community in ways we never imagined.
Since that first edition in 1921, Case Alumnus has kept the alumni connected and engaged, shared news of innovation and change, highlighted the myriad accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff, and celebrated the ever-growing Case community.
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Much has changed over the past 100 years, but our mission remains the same: to educate the next generation of engineering leaders and to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems through groundbreaking research and commercialization of technology. Case engineers were doing so in 1921, and we look forward to continuing their legacy in 2021 and beyond.
Best Venkataramananregards, “Ragu” Balakrishnan Charles H. Phipps Dean, Case School of Engineering Message
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Case Alumnus, the magazine of the Case Alumni Association. To me, this anniversary signifies more than 100 years of a magazine. It stands for 100 years of community — a century of connection between Case alumni and the school’s faculty, staff and students.
Truly, our community has much to be proud of. I enter 2021 with a renewed sense of gratitude for the strength and resilience exhibited by the students, faculty and staff of the Case School of Engineering and with hope for the year ahead. I’d particularly like to thank our alumni for their support of and engagement in our Case community. I am deeply grateful. And finally, congratulations to the staff and contributors of the Case Alumnus on this centennial anniversary.
Dean’s
OFFICERS
Sunniva Collins, MS ’91, PhD ’94, President Ron Cass ’84, 1st Vice President Joe Fakult ’90, 2nd Vice President Brian Casselberry ’95, Treasurer Frank Merat ’72, MS ’75, PhD ’78, Assistant Treasurer Curtis Grant ’11, MEM ‘12, Secretary STAFF Stephen Zinram, Executive Director Thomas Conlon, Chief Financial Officer Emily Speer, Director of Gift Planning and Grants Compliance Robert Smith, Director of Communications Kelly Hendricks, Director of Alumni Relations
Lillian Messner, Manager of Digital Content and Design Pamela Burtonshaw, Database Manager Melissa Slager, Manager, Executive Office CASE ALUMNUS Robert L. Smith, Editor Lillian Messner, Art Director Steve Toth, Toth Creative Group, Layout and Design Duke Print & Mail Solutions PHOTO CREDITS Wetzler’s Photography Roadell Hickman Flaticon.com,PhotographyIcons
In this centennial edition, we present a sample of magazine covers from the last century. It’s fas cinating to me how every cover tells a story. They tell us what was once important and how we’ve changed. They also remind us that life doesn’t always change so much.
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. The Case Alumnus is a publication of the Case Alumni Association, Inc., a 501(c)3 public charity under the IRS code.
Caseys never do. We hope to keep telling your stories for as long and as well as we can.
The cover of the Fall 1997 issue featured Ha Jin Cho, a scholarship student who illustrated the growing importance of women and cultural diversity at the Case School of Engineering, which today is nearly 35 percent female and made up of students from around the world. One of my favorite covers shows a younger Professor Malcolm Cooke, PhD ’05, showing off a boxy new CNC machine that represented the state of the art in 1999. The device would soon be outdated, of course, but no matter. Case keptCookeinnovating.retired last year as the inaugural executive director of Sears think[box], the uni versity’s acclaimed innovation center, which he helped design andHebuild.never quit innovating.
The Case Alumnus is published quarterly for members and friends of the Case Alumni Association, which 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.
To help unite alumni on National Case Night in 1922, The Case Alum nus announced a concert by Case musical clubs that would be broadcast “by radio-phone” to Case Clubs around the country. I instantly thought of the Zoom conference calls that connect us in these pandemic times.
Wow, a centennial
Robert L. Smith
Robert.Smith@casealum.orgEditor
One hundred years. That’s a proud legacy for Case Alumnus, but also for the Case Alumni Association, as it symbolizes the importance and the impact of Case alumni through the decades.
Ryan Strine, Director of Annual Giving
casealumni.org2
Janna Greer, Manager of Donor Relations and Grants
Alumni who graced our cover over the decades include Frank Rudy ’50, inventor of the Nike Air Sole; computing genius Don Knuth, MS ’60, father of the algorithm; and Bob Herbold, MS ’66, PhD ’68, former chief operating officer of Microsoft.
The earnest students pictured on the cover in 1931, and 1999, do not look so different from students today — young and bright and self-assured.Thefounding editors shared that confidence. In the inaugural issue of October 1921, they promised to “tell you what the boys are doing, where they are and who they are.” They expected Case graduates to become people of achievement. They were right.
CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, INC. Tomlinson Hall, Room 109 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH casealum@casealum.org216-231-456744106-1712casealumni.org
Winter 2021 3 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 2021 VISIT WWW.CASEALUMNI.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, Instagram and YouTube. Please join our sites today for the latest news on alumni, students, faculty and innovative research and projects. 9 Early problem solvers STEM majors staff a “Free Store” to help struggling classmates resupply in trying times. 13 In demand As the inaugural chair of data science, Vipin Chaudhary has a popularity problem to solve. 14 Cowgirl Counting cattle is only the start for Shoshana Ginsburg, PhD ’15. She’s bringing AI to agriculture and maybe everywhere. 16 Curiously brilliant Bruce Banks ’64, the Wizard of NASA Glenn, is inducted into NASA’s Inventors Hall of Fame. Cover Story 18 Our Centennial Every picture tells a story and so does a magazine cover. A selection of Case Alumnus covers throughout the decades shows how we’ve changed. Alumni Adventures 26 Make-a-thon marvel Alumna Emily Szabo uses makea-thons to hone engineering skills and pursue a passion. Engineering+ 27 Pitching with confidence In a new feature, we offer tips and strategies for enhancing professional performance, starting with an alumni’s advice on delivering better presentations. 9 THE MAGAZINE OF THE CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SINCE 1921 1613DEPARTMENTS1 Dean’s Message 2 Editor’s column 4 Letters, posts and emails 6 Around the Quad 10 Alumni Newsmakers 22 News Bytes 24 Case Memories 28 Class Notes 34 In Memoriam 35 Tribute — Professor Don Schuele 36 Long We'll Remember 26 • CENTENNIAL EDITION • 1814
Best Regards, Kevin Stark, MS ’94, PhD ’97 Beachwood, kevin.erinn@gmail.comOhio be seeking employment. The great look backs and inspiring reports of faculty and students triggered many memories. The heavy course load kept our social lives to a minimum. In the days before the merger with WRU, the only way we could meet girls during the week was by going over a fence and eating lunch in the cafeteria of Flora Stone Mather.
Thanks, Ken Barker ’70 Allison Park, Kenneth.barker@case.eduPennsylvania
casealumni.org posts anD eMaiLs
In your latest issue, on page 13, Michael Diamant quotes the Case cheer as “S_C_I_E_N_C_E, Go Case.” It was actually, “S_C_I_E_N_C_E Hoi Rah Case!”
I could not resist writing to you about how much I enjoyed reading the latest Alumnus magazine. I found the Fall 2020 publication thoroughly engrossing. It must indeed be a difficult time for graduates to I was saddened to see Prof. Dov Hazony's passing in the Case Alumnus magazine I just received. I was a TA for his circuits for non-majors class for my first two semesters in graduate school at Case. He was a kind, encouraging person and a great advocate for my time at Case. Thank you for publishing a remembrance of his life and long tenure at Case.
Thanks! Lee Blazey Jr. ’60 Bratenahl, leonovitch@att.netOhio
Our Fall 2020 issue generated lots of mail, with many readers comment ing on Dean Tom Kicher’s cover story on Harry Fielding Reid and the Case tradition of the “Explorer scientist.” I just wanted to congratulate you on the latest issue of Case Alumnus GreatLovedjob! the article about Professor Reid. We’ve been to Glacier Bay twice, but it was overcast both times so we never saw the mountain tops (including Mt. Case.) Guess we’ll just have to go back.
George Baum ’54 Kent Lakes, New York
4 Letters,
The article on Professor Reid’s early exploration of Alaska’s Glacier Bay brought back memories of a trip my wife and I made going up the Inside Passage shortly after I retired in 1997. On a small passenger ship, leaving from Vancouver, we cruised several miles up the bay leading to the Mendenhall Glacier, which at Reid’s time was covered by the glacier. The captain sounded his horn in an acknowledged futile attempt to induce calving. The glacial moraine was devoid of ice, further evidence of global warming. The magazine ended with the In Memoriam section, which sadly recalled several of my classmates.
Winter 2021 5 passed away in 2003, I married my wife Jane and we have Association.CasePresidenthavemuch.retirementenjoyedveryIamproudtotwicebeenoftheAlumniThegood
Or
InHello,the Case Memories of the Spring 2020 edition of Case Alumnus is a photo captioned “Exam in Strosacker Auditori um, date unknown.” The young lady is Linda Murray, one of I noticed the photo of the “Launch of Cleveland Free Net” in 1986. I remember moving into Howe in 1988 as a freshman, and I did not have a computer. I rented one for my computer science project and returned to campus with a computer in the spring. Amazingly, Howe had fiber optic networking. The school provided students a network card and a fiber optic patch cable to connect. To this day, it is the only time I have had a I was pleasantly surprised after getting my Case Alumnus Fall magazine to see my first wife Marilyn and I on the Case Memories page. Yes, that picture was taken after commencement at Severance Hall. We were walking around the Art Museum lake. The original picture was used by the Development Department for a 40-page brochure and we were on page 39. I still have that book. As mentioned in the article, after graduation I started working for the East Ohio Gas Company as an en gineer in training. In 1995, after 38 years in management, I retired. After my wife
Laurel and I both graduated in 1964. I think Dorothy left Case after the first semester and Linda left after the second semester. Linda also had an uncle who was a professor at Case. I think his name was Bob Corell and I see that he’s one of the Profiles in Success on your website. According to Linda, he used to tell the classes he taught, “If my niece can solve this problem, you should be able to, also.”
the first four women to enter Case in the fall of 1960 when Case started allowing women to apply again. Since that was 65 years ago, the comments that follow may not be correct. I think the picture has been cropped. The original picture had two more women sitting next to Linda. I also think it was a calculus departmental since Linda, Dorothy and I (Christina Kay at the time) were all in the same calculus class taught by Paul Gunther. The fourth woman, Laurel Malinosky, may have been sitting elsewhere, since she was not in our calculus class. I do not remember Dorothy’s last name.
SUBMIT YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR
works of the asso ciation and particularly the scholarships awarded certainly help many students financially to be able to stay in school. Following my second term as president, I enjoyed serving for many years on the Scholarship Committee. Keep up the good work! John Schurr ’57 North Ridgeville, Ohio
Tina Tarbox ’64 Round Rock, tina@tarboxfamily.comTexas
Wish I could remember more, but perhaps the above will be of use to you.
I was one of the occupants of the new Yost Hall in the spring semester of 1952. The picture in the Case Alumnus reminded me of another use for the study lamp shown in the picture on page 27. The rule was that there was to be no cooking or heating appliances in the dorm.What a bummer! But one day I accidently dropped a ping pong ball onto the bulb in the study lamp. It didn’t burn with a flame, but it did make a large black spot on top of the bulb. Surprisingly, the bulb did not break and continued to work the rest of the semester. My roommate and I got the idea of buying cans of food and having hot meals in the room by resting the cans on the top of the blackened light bulb. It worked, and we periodically enjoyed hot spaghetti, chili and baked beans. It took about a half hour to heat the food through with occasional stirring; what a relief from cafeteria food.
The photos in our “Case Memories” section again triggered many memories and explanations. by mail to: Case Alumnus Tomlinson Hall, Room 109 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland OH 44106 Send by email to: Casealum@casealum.org
John Jenkins ’54 Adrian, Michigan • Johnemma54@gmail.com fiber connection all the way to a PC. Mark Myers ’93 Clayton, myers.webmail@gmail.comCalifornia
“I really think he’s going to bring a different approach to things,” said Collins, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the Case School
Eric W. Kaler’s CasewasaccomplishmentsaspresidentoftheUniversityofMinnesotahelpedconvinceuniversitytrusteeshethepersontoleadWesternReserve.But
Sunniva Collins, MS ’91, PhD ’95, is equally impressed with his technical skills. Collins, the president of the Case Alumni Association, likes that the incom ing president earned his bachelor’s degree at Cal Tech, attained a fistful of patents and did research as a chemical engineer.
Kaler, 64, led Minnesota’s flagship public university from 2011 to 2019 before stepping down to join the chemical engineering department. He told The Daily, CWRU’s online news source, that he never intended to leave Minnesota, but grew more and more intrigued with CWRU as he interacted with the search committee.
“There is a tremendous fit,” he said, noting his work in elevating research, collaborating with hospital systems and encouraging entrepreneurship. “Once I looked, I got more excited… [and thought] I’m really made for this job.”
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In recent months, Case saw three of its researchers elected to the 2020 class of the National Academy of Inventors, the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors.
Madabhushi, PhD, director of the uni versity's Center for Computational Imaging and Personalized Diagnostics, was named a fellow of the National Academy of Inven tors. His work with predictive analytics has expanded the scope and impact of medical imaging and precision med icine. One of the most prolific inventors at CWRU, he holds 60 patents and more are pending.
“This is really a testimony to the amazing work ongoing by our students, postdocs and scientists at the center,” he said upon receiving the honor. “We are pushing the boundaries of what artificial intelligence can do for precision medicine.” Bruder, PhD ’90, MD, was also named a fellow in the academy. He was previously part of the faculty at the CWRU School of Medicine and now runs his own consulting firm. The former chief medical and scientific officer for Stryker, Bruder earned his doctorate in biomedical engineering from Case Institute of Gurkan,Technology.PhD,wasnamed a senior member of the academy, a step below fellow. The honor recognizes his promise as an inventor. Five of Gurkan’s patents have been licensed or commercialized by four“Almostcompanies.every one of his patents has led to a big commercial play,” observed Joseph Jankowski, CWRU’s Chief Innova tion Officer. “When he makes something, it’s really cool.” The trio joins nine other academy members with CWRU connections, including three engineers: P. Hunter Peckham, MS ’68, PhD ’72, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of biomed ical engineering; Jeffrey Duerk, PhD ’87, former Dean of the Case School of Engineering; and incoming CWRU President Eric Kaler.
The honorees are Anant Madabhushi, the Donnell Institute Professor of Biomed ical Engineering, Scott Bruder, an adjunct professor of biomedi cal andengineering, GurkanUmut , an associ ate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.Theacademy recognized the trio as innovators whose work has made an impact on the quality of life, economic development and welfare of society.
An engineer will take the helm
Trustees pick Minnesota’s Eric Kaler to lead CWRU of Engineering. “Engineers, they’re basi cally asking, ‘What’s possible?’ Anything we can think of, we can build. I think he’s going to be good for the Case School of Engineering as well as the university.”
Kaler is scheduled to begin his new job July 1, replacing Barbara Snyder, who left CWRU in September after 13 impactful years to lead the Association of American Universities. He’ll assume command at a challeng ing time. CWRU, like other research universities, has seen a drop in interna tional enrollment — an important source of talent and tuition — while the pandemic has upended campus life and tightened budgets.
The National Academy of Inventors adds more Case talent
Innovators with impact
In addition to earning 10 patents, Kaler has published more than 200 peerreviewed papers and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He and his wife, Karen, have two adult sons — Charlie and Sam — and a 4-year-old granddaughter, Ophelia.
“The most important questions in neuroscience are so complex they require large teams of researchers with comple mentary expertise,” Joanne Tornow, NSF’s assistant director for biological sciences, said in a news release announcing the project in QuinnAugust.andChiel, longtime collabora tors, will bring special expertise to the quest.Quinn is the Arthur P. Arm ington Professor of Engineering in the Department of Mechani cal and Aerospace Engineering. He’s the founder and director of the Biorobotics Complex at the Case School of Engineering and a pioneer of biologically inspired robotics.
Balakrishnan, the Charles H. Phipps Dean of the Case School of Engineering, said the project will enhance Case’s reputation in an emerging field: “We’re the lead. This is something to be very, very proud of,” he said.
That’s the theory behind the Theory Girls, six young physicists — including a Case researcher and alumna — who want us to see physics in a whole new light. Their passion for physics radiates from their colorful website, theorygirls. com, which throws out mottos like, “Sci ence is for everyone!” And it pervades their podcasts, where they laugh along with experts as they ponder the origins of the universe, divulge their fondness for neutrinos and share strategies for succeeding in a guy’s domain.
“Right now we’re just doing this in our spare time,” she said. “But it would be nice to be able to keep it going and do it more often.”
To build robots that can walk and lift and react in life-like fashion, scientists believe we need to know more about how animals make decisions.
As a science, physics challenges some of the greatest minds. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be accessible, friendly and — dare they say it — fun.
Case researchers take lead role in national effort to breathe life into cyborgs
The pair will examine how the nervous system in animals coordinates and controls interactions with the environment. They call their project NeuroNex: Communica tion, Coordination and Control in Neuromechanical Systems (C3NS).
“As women in high-energy theoretical physics, we’re really in the minority,” said Laura Johnson, PhD ’20, who earned her doctorate in physics in the College of Arts and Sciences. “But we also want to build a friendlier community for everyone. This field is kind of known for being intimidating. We just want to Physics for all The Theory Girls want to welcome you to physics like you rarely see it create an environment where everyone feelsThewelcome.”Theory Girls began in June 2019, when five of the women — Johnson, Erin Blauvelt, Delilah Gates, Shruti Paranjape and Hazel Mak — met at the TASI physics conference in Colorado. All either hold doctorates in physics or are working towardJohnsonthem.shared the encounter with her Case colleague, Klaountia Pasmatsiou It did not take long for a mission to take shape, aided by the pair’s organizing skills. In 2017, Johnson and Pasmatsiou orga nized the Women’s March on Cleveland, which drew 15,000 people downtown. Pasmatsiou, an international student from Greece, is a graduate student in the Physics Department of CWRU. Johnson is doing post doctorate work at ETH Zurich in Switzerland, researching Einstein’s theory of gravity. The pandemic slowed the group’s activities, she said, but the Theory Girls have big plans for the new year. They hope
Chiel is a professor of biology, neuro sciences and biomedical engineering in the College of Arts and Sciences.
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Laura Johnson and Klaountia Pasmatsiou at the Women's March on Cleveland. to incorporate as a non-profit, which would allow them to raise money and begin to pay the people who maintain their website and produce their podcasts.
“Most roboticists try to solve problems with optimization, or with basic design solutions,” Quinn told The Daily, CWRU’s online news source. “But what I’ve wanted to know is: How do animals solve these problems? It’s a different way of approach ing the problem and there’s an animal that has solved just about every engineering problemVenkataramananever.”
The National Sci ence Foundation is relying upon Case roboticist Roger Quinn neuroscientistand Hillel Chiel to find researchersTheout.Casewill lead a five-year, $8 million NSF research project that will ex plore animal decision-making and apply those neural insights to building smarter cyborgs. It’s part of a $50 million, multi-university effort called NeuroNex Network, which aims to discern how brain power allows animals to interact with the world around them.
Building smarter robots
The Case School of Engineering is home to the nation’s first stand-alone polymer department, founded in 1963 by Distinguished University Professor Eric Baer. Baer also established CLiPS, the Center for Layered Polymeric Systems, which pioneered nanolayered films to build high-performance materials.
“We see tremendous oppor tunities for improving the per formance of protective systems and weapons,” he added. “Longer term, we are excited about the applications we have not even imagined.”
You might think we know all there is to know about concrete, the world’s most popular man-made building material, which has been around since the Roman Empire. Not a Researcherschance.continue to tinker with the recipe as they envision concrete that can float, bend and even mend its own cracks (thanks to micro-organisms Solid idea
Yu hopes to leverage the lab to form industry partnerships with companies with major concrete operations.
The Case School of Engineering is positioning itself to play a leading role in a new era of concrete research and innovation.
“Case Western Reserve University and PolymerPlus can continuously manufac ture complex combinations of materials into unique structures that are difficult to generate even with sophisticated labo ratory techniques,” Joseph Lenhart, chief of the Polymers Branch at the Army lab, said in a statement.
The first phase of the lab, which will include spaces for designing, mixing, curing and testing concrete, is scheduled to open in mid-March. Phase two will add classrooms and other en hancements. The entire new lab space was made possible through several grants and generous alumni support.
“The army thinks our process ing capabilities have great promise,” Wnek said. “We certainly have a tall order. There is a lot of pressure to deliver. But we intend to rise to the challenge.”
“Concrete is such an essential material,” he said. “This will be a major facility that will drive our research in an important domain.”
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U.S. Army turns to Case for lightweight, high-performance protection spinoff PolymerPlus, a Cleveland-area startup that specializes in advanced polymer processing.
The school broke ground in the fall on a $900,000 lab complex located on the first floor of the Bingham Building, next door to the Structures Lab. The twin labs will help Case train the next generation of building
“There’sengineers.alotof potential,” said department chair Xiong “Bill” Yu, PhD
“We think we can transform the manu facturing process for concrete.”
The team will collaborate with staff at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Com mand’s Army Research Laboratory in Ab erdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, which is looking to tap into a Case expertise.
With the support of the Case Alumni Association, the school is adding Ohio’s first universi ty-based concrete lab to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
With a new and unusual lab, Case hopes to become a leader in concrete innovations poured into the mix).
To shield its soldiers from bullets and shrapnel, the U.S. Army needs body armor that is strong, light and economical. That’s a materials science challenge — and that falls into Case’s sweet spot. This summer, the Army awarded millions to a five-year project led by the Case School of Engineering to research new manufacturing approaches for lightweight, high-performance materials. Its initial investment of $5.4 million could grow to $11 million if the promise of the technology pansTheout.project will be led by researchers in the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering and includes a trio of industry partners, including Case Polymer power
It’s that science that attracted the Army, which is looking for a cheaper alternative to materials such as Kevlar, according to department chair Gary Wnek, PhD, the Joseph F. Toot Jr. Professor of Engineering.
Plans call for researchers to manufac ture and test small runs of new polymer compositions in the Kent Hale Smith Building. They’ll then turn to PolymerPlus to scale up PolymerPlusmanufacturing.wasco-founded in 2010 by Baer and former students Michael Ponting, PhD ’10, and Deepak Langhe, PhD ’12. The company was recently acquired by Texas-based Peak Nanosystems, which is expanding local production capabilities. Army scientists are intrigued.
It's coincidence that so many of the clerks are STEM majors, Paxson laughed. She reached out to friends in engineering to help, and they did the same. Shortly before 1 p.m., a knock on the door brought in a quiet young man. He was early for his time slot but the volunteers beckoned him inside. To assure social distancing, students must schedule their visits via the website of Campus Groups. Once inside, they are allowed to choose five items, free.
And a lot of students who are trying to help. Donations to the Free Store can be made during store hours — 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday — at 11440 Uptown Avenue (next to Mitchell’s Ice Cream), or by appointment. Email cwruprc-exec@case.edu.
Paxson is co-chair of the store’s steering committee, along with Sharan Mehta, a third-year computer science major. They partner with campus groups, including the Center for Civic Engagement and Scholar ship, to recruit and train volunteers.
Students Olivia Paxson, Jasmine Haraburda and Johana Guci staff the Free Store in Uptown.
“A lot of students are in a position where school is much different than they expected,” said Olivia Paxson, a co-founder and manager of the store, which plans to resume operations for spring semester.
Paxson, a senior majoring in civil en gineering, leads a volunteer corps teeming with STEM majors — early problem solv ers. They could use a little alumni help. Demand for sweaters and jackets are high. The shop needs gently-used warm clothing, even spirit wear — yes, your old Case sweaters that no longer fit. “I think a lot of times students don’t realize how much they’re going to need” when they go away to college, Paxson observed. Others misjudged what it takes to furnish an off-campus apartment, which they were forced to find after Covid pre cautions bounced them from the dorms. Sophomores and juniors learned two weeks before fall semester began that they could not live on campus.
Looking across a small, hastilyarranged thrift shop on a wintry after noon, Paxson noted, “A lot of these things are expensive.” Second-hand shoes and boots were lined under a table stacked with sweaters and sweatshirts. Slacks and skirts hung from clothing racks, which even held some formal-wear for job interviews. Around the corner was a mini food Nearby,pantry.ready to help, stood Jasmine Haraburda, a fourth-year biology major, and Johana Guci, a first-year biochemistry major. Like Paxson, they are part of a confederacy of student groups that mustered to launch and run the shop. Since it opened September 19, hundreds of students have come through.
Pop-up solution
At the “Free Store,” Case students help struggling classmates resupply in trying times
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“A lot of them come looking for winter jackets, warm sweaters, hats and gloves,” Paxson said. “Some are stocking their own kitchen for the first time. We have a lot of students who are struggling to find things.”
Think of the many items you forgot to bring to college. Now imagine not being able to go home to get them. That’s a dilemma many students faced this past semester, with travel discouraged in the time of Covid. Meanwhile, a poor economy vanquished the part-time jobs that generated spending money. What’s a struggling college student to do? At Case Western Reserve University, they could drop into the Student Resource Center, better known as the “Free Store,” next door to Mitchell’s Ice Cream in the Uptown district. There, they found free clothing, kitchen supplies and volunteers eager to help them get through a school year like none other.
The Free Store is an initiative of Undergraduate Student Government, the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative, Student Activities & Leadership and the Office for Energy and Sustainability, which saw a way to foster a culture of reuse and sharing. The team includes the university’s Office of Real Estate, which provided the 1,300 square-foot storefront.
Her $90 million exit was one of the most successful in modern Cleveland business history. Five years later,co-founderCardioInsight Ramanathan,CharuMS ’00, PhD ’04, is back with an encore, a health care platform she calls Vitalxchange. With an app and web portal launched in January, Ramanathan hopes to empower patients by connecting them with people with insight. Once again, she plans to devel op the business in her adopted hometown. She came to Cleveland from India to earn her master’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering.“Imovedhere because it is the land of
With her debut film, alumna expands Hollywood’s view of Asian Americans
With the support of CWRU, the pair launched CardioInsight in 2005. Ramana than ran the company until 2015, when Medtronic purchased the operation for more than $90 million and kept the jobs in Cleveland.Whiledeveloping CardioInsight, Ramanathan said she saw a need for more transparency between patients and health care institutions. With Vitalxchange, she said, she hopes to shift decision-making power back to patients and their families by connecting them with people dealing with the same health issues, as well as withAsexperts.shedid with CardioInsight, she intends to grow the business in Cleveland, though she did scout locations in Silicon Valley, Boston and India.
“We lost two daughters to rare forms Community angels Fighting cancer became personal for alumnus T. Urling Walker and his wife of cancer,” Walker, the former mayor of Watertown, told the Watertown Daily Times “Those events brought forward this idea that we need to address that problem within thisThecommunity.”$16million, 17,000-square-foot
Entrepreneurial encore Alumna aims for a second healthcare success in her adopted hometown
’01 Definition Please explores the immigrant experience, tricky cultural expectations and the South Asian affinity for spelling bees. It also touches upon subjects deemed sensi tive in Day’s cultural community. The movie premiered in Oc tober at the Asian American Film Festival in New York City and is being credited with helping bring a more nuanced portrayal of Asian American life to the screen.
When the Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, New York, named its new cancer center in honor of T. Urling Walker ’51 and his wife, Mabel, it recognized the couple’s personal crusade against cancer.
“While Definition Please is a much-needed celebration of South Asian culture and traditions, Day wasn’t afraid to delve into serious issues, tackling the stigma of mental illness and the lasting effects of generational trauma head-on,” Elle maga zine told readers in its December issue. Day, the daughter of Indian immigrants,
Telling her story
Many international alumni might see some of their lives in the film written and directed by Sujata (DeChoudhury) Day
Walker Center for Cancer Care was dedicat ed in October 2019. It marked another in a series of contributions from the communi ty’s foremost problem solvers.
opportunity, that’s the value proposition of coming to the U.S., and I’ve earned every moment that I’ve lived in this country that I call my own,” she told The Land, an online news magazine in Cleveland. “I take a lot of pride in being an entrepreneur, having cre ated multiple jobs, economic development and life-saving devices.” She used her thesis to propose a non-in vasive technology to monitor heart activity, then built the device with fellow graduate student Ping Jia, MS ’98, PhD ’05. The pair designed a vest that renders a reading of the heart’s entire electrical activity in a single beat, offering new insight to specialists planning treatments.
“The final decision came down to brass tacks, which was the cost of living,” she said. “We thought we could stretch the dollar to create an environment that would help us build a cutting edge company here.”
Walker, a Pittsburgh native, took his Case degree in mechanical engineering to Watertown, a small city in far north ern New York, where he rose through the executive ranks at New York Air Brake and became a civic leader. He served two terms as mayor, was president of the school board and taught en gineering at Jefferson Community College. He and Mabel endured heartbreaking tragedy. They lost their daughter Wendy to cancer at age 16. Another daughter, Con stance Walker Monroe, died of cancer at age 37. Both are memorialized with scholar ships at Jefferson Community College, where the couple also created the Walker Family Engineering Scholarship. Mabel Walker died December 6 at age 93. She had already co-founded Hospice of Jefferson County.
casealumni.org10 aLuMni newsMakers ALUMNI newsmakers
Charnas, the director of innovation and technology at Sears think[box], joined the clinical trial of Moderna, a pharmaceuti cal maker that developed one of the first vaccines. He was one of 30,000 people in a phase III trial that found the vaccine to be safe and effective. He took the twin shots with lofty goals. By joining a vaccine study, he said, he thought he could help to find a cure. And by sharing his experience, maybe he could convince skeptics to take their medicine.
The video was posted to YouTube September 28 and viewed by more than 1,000 people in the first 48 hours. Charnas says he felt no ill effects from the vaccine, if he indeed received it (half of the volunteers got the placebo). He dedicated his video to healthcare workers, in hopes they will not have to continue to work so Oncehard.youhear from the survivors, Charnas said, “The message becomes really clear — get the vaccine!”
Taking a shot for science think[box] leader joined a vaccine trial and broadcast the experience, hoping to open closed minds
Definition Please, named for the mo ment in a spelling bee when a contestant asks for a word to be defined, is her first full-length film.
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“I thought, if I could make a video that shows the physical toll of this disease, I could make an impact on people’s emo tions and push people toward accepting a vaccine,” Charnas said. His seven-minute film introduces sev eral Covid-19 survivors who share dreadful ordeals. The former patients, many of them striking for their relative youth and fitness, describe splitting headaches, shortness of breath and lingering impact. One mid dle-aged man reveals, “Five months out, I get winded doing everyday activities.”
Chances are, you and your loved ones will be vaccinated this year against the coronavirus. Ian Charnas ’05 helped to make your potential immunity possible.
As manufacturing grows more complex, so does the challenge of finding skilled talent. That makes Adam Snyder ’02, MEM ’03, a key scout in Greater Cleveland’s advanced manufac turingSnydersector.leads a new workforce development initiative, called Workforce Connect Manufacturing, at MAGNET — the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network. Working with a counterpart at the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the region’s chamber of commerce, he and his team mates are examining the skills gap and finding solutions so that area companies can compete and grow.
“Where are great things happening that might be learned from or scaled or replicated?” he asks.
The result is a brisk, illuminating video that asks the question, “What’s it like to get a COVID vaccine?” (You can find it on YouTube at bitly.com/MyVaccineStory).
Talent scout Adam Snyder is trying to fill the skills gap in Northeast Ohio grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and filmed her movie there. The film follows a spelling bee champion (played by Day) who struggles with self-doubt, an ailing mother and her brother’s mental illness. Day said she wanted to present a broader version of the Asian American success“Thestory.Indian-American kids in my community were always pushed to do their best. Get into Ivy League schools, take AP classes, become doctors and law yers,” she explained to The Hindu, one of the largest English newspapers in India. “When we reached 9th or 10th grade, one of our friends ran away from home. We saw the stress and pressure he was under. There were many signs of mental illness in our community that weren’t talkedWhileabout.”the movie is not autobiograph ical, Day did win the local spelling bee. She excelled at math and science and came to Case to earn a degree in systems and control engineering. That was to please her parents. She used a consulting job with Accenture to follow her dream to Holly wood and begin auditions. Her career as an actress spans a decade now and includes roles in shows like HBO’s Insecure.
In a Q & A with Crain’s Cleveland Business, he described a problem of increasing magni tude: Many area manufacturers are hobbled by an inability to find or train skilled workers. “So the danger would be, if we as a community can't solve this problem, those manufacturers start to have to go to other places in order to capture the demand that they're seeing from their customers,” he told Crain’s. “The flip side of that is, from a business standpoint, Northeast Ohio wants to be attracting businesses. That talent gap is a big red flag for anybody who's looking to either increase their capacity or drop a new site Snyderhere.” hopes to apply some of his own hiring experience — as the former president of ArtWall and Incept — and bring together manufacturing executives to identify best practices.
How does a computer recognize the dif ference between a dog, a cat and a banana?
An immigrant from Germany, Schepelmann earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case and his doctorate in robotics from Carnegie Mellon. On Case Quad, he worked with Professor Roger Quinn in the Biologically Inspired Robotics Lab and was part of the team that created an awardwinning autonomous lawnmower. His master’s thesis focused on using comput er vision to identify grass and obstacles in a camera stream.
Alex Schepelmann ’10, MS ’09, PhD, has the answer and more. In a brisk, upbeat video posted to YouTube, he explains the basics of “probalistic image classification” — computer applications that help a camera find faces in an image or that train self-driving cars to see the white lines. He also explains to his 40,000 subscrib ers how they might use image classification technology to enhance their own inventions and innovations. That’s the big idea.
Schepelmann, a NASA engineer, is the creator and host of Super Make Something, a YouTube channel that shows amateurs how to create artificial intelligence projects using basic machine learning techniques. There’s some math in his instructions and algorithmic equations to fathom, but plenty of fun, too. He’s a robot wizard with the flare of an entertainer.
Now, he’s a Robotics Engineer in the Mechanisms and Tribology Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center, having made the leap from nearby ZIN Technol ogies. In his spare time, he creates content for his channel, which is based out of his home in Cleveland. Super Make Something started as a hob by. It’s grown to reach more than 2 million total views on videos that explain 3D printing, robotics and machine learning.
The viewers keep coming back, no doubt inspired by his optimistic sign-off: “Thanks again for watching, now go super make something!”
According to World Boxing News, Evan Holyfield has incorporated Reflexion’s neuro-fitness training system into his work out “Heregimen.isthe first professional fighter to utilize cognitive acceleration technology as Ringside seat Case-connected startup brings neuro-fitness training to the fight game
Reflexion looks to expand its involvement in boxing, martial arts and MMA,” the magazine reported. That’s welcome news to Campagna, who co-founded the company with two high school friends and developed its technology while studying computer engi neering at Case. With the support of the university’s startup ecosystem, including Sears think[box] and CWRU LaunchNet, the founders developed a large touch-screen device that syncs with software to read a person’s reaction times and hand-eye coordination. Initially, the Reflexion Edge was meant for concussion screening and monitoring. But athletes soon saw a tool to quicken response times, helping them per form faster and smarter in competition.
Super maker Sharing do-it-yourself AI marvels makes alumnus a YouTube star
The evening featured an interactive demonstration of the Reflexion sports cognition technology service for fighters and trainers, a group that represents an enticing market for the young company.
“Evan showed the type of reaction time and decision making in the ring that our technology is designed to strengthen,” Campagna told World Boxing News. “Boxing is one of the best examples of a speed-element sport where athletes can gain a competitive edge with cognitive training, and we’re obviously excited about Evan’s potential using the Reflexion system.” No doubt he’ll be attending more boxing bouts. Matt Campagna explains the Reflexion Edge at CES 2018.
casealumni.org12 aLuMni newsMakers ALUMNI newsmakers
“It’s a way to try to present intimidating topics about technology and programming and make them accessible to everyone,” Schepelmann said. “I like to teach. I like to explore new technology and share that knowledge. I found that the show is a great way to document my projects and things that I explore and share that with people and maybe get them interested, too.”
When Evan Holyfield squared off against his opponent December 12 in Atlanta, the 23-year-old boxer maybe enjoyed a couple of advantages that lead to his first-round TKO. He had his father, former four-time world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, cheering him on at ringside. And he had trained on the cognitive tracking device developed by Reflexion Interactive Technologies, a Case-connected startup whose CEO, Matt Campagna ’19, was also at the bout.
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By Robert L. Smith computer science and engineering at the University at Buffalo.
To achieve that vision, he’d like to grow the department’s faculty ranks from 16 to something closer to 50, which will be its own challenge in a booming industry. The cramped department is going to need more space, he adds, maybe a new building.
As the newly-arrived leader of the newest department at the Case School of Engineering, Vipin Chaudhary, PhD, faces an enticing predicament: Popularity. Students are flocking to courses in his Department of Computer and Data Scienc es, which is barely a year old. Meanwhile, schools and colleges across the university hope to collaborate, mindful of what data science can do for business, law and social sciences. So Chaudhary, who arrived in August, is planning for growth and the challenges that presents.
The new department was born in 2019, when computer science was peeled off from electrical engineering and coupled with data science. The new department was made possible by a $5 million gift from Kevin Kranzusch ’90, a software engineer and a vice president at NVIDIA, a Cali fornia gaming developer and technology company. Kranzusch said he felt his alma mater could excel in a rising industry and he wanted Case to seize the moment.
“I think all of that is tremendously exciting,” he said.
Kevin Kranzusch ’90 shares his thoughts on the new department in a video posted to its website: cwrudatascience.https://tinyurl.com/ J. Kranzusch what Vipin Chaudhary’s students can do, and that’s a (welcome) and data science are in high demand.
IN DEMAND Meet Vipin Chaudhary, phd TITLE: Kevin
He said he talks frequently with Kranzusch and shares his vision of col laborating across disciplines and with hospitals and industry to make Case a hub of high-performance computing. He’s especially interested in expanding into areas where the school is already strong, like advanced imaging, predictive analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
problem Students skilled at computer
Chaudhary, an entrepreneur with both academic and industry experience, was hired away from the National Science Foundation, where he was a program director in the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. He had been on leave as the Empire Innovation Professor of
“The pull from the other departments is tremendous,” he said “They all want to do machine learning. They all want to learn how to deal with big data — so they all want to take our courses.”
He says he was drawn to Case by the op portunity to create something special. The department’s marriage of data science and computer science is unusual and powerful, he said. So is the neighborhood’s collection of world-class hospitals.
“These are slow processes,” Chaudhary said. “That’s why I hope to get help from alumni. We’ll continue to be a smaller computer science department. But we want to be able to lead in some areas. We have exciting strengths. And we have our loca tion” — University Circle. “That’s why I’m excited to be here.”
Professor and inaugural Chair of the Department of Computer and Data Sciences at the Case School of Engineering FAMILY: wife Pernett, children Prerna, 22, and Sanjana, 19 LANDING COMMUNITY: Highland Heights HOMETOWN: Kharagpur, India TOP DEGREE: Doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin STARTUPS INVOLVED WITH: Corio, Cradle Technologies, Tata CRL, Scalable Informatics COOL AWARD: The 1986 President of India Gold Medal for ranking first among graduates of Indian Institutes of Technology FAVORITE PASTIME: Played competitive badminton at the national and international level Everyone wants
He offers what is by far the most pop ular major at the Case School of Engi neering — computer science. The number of computer science degrees awarded by CSE has more than tripled over the past decade, driven in part by a hot job market. With more than 450 students already in the program, finding room for more will be difficult. But Chaudhary is going to try.
Besides compiling detailed inventory reports of cattle, Quanterra is also
As a graduate student at the Case School of Engineering, Shoshana Ginsburg, PhD ’15, excelled in an emerging area of biomedical science called medical image analysis. She joined the fledgling Center for Computational Imaging and Personalized Diagnostics in 2012 and conducted significant research using machine learning to characterize tumor types in prostate cancer. Becoming the center’s first PhD grad uate in 2015, she had a thought: Why not pair the same image processing technology with drone technology to help industries analyze aerial images?
Bringing AI to agriculture
Counting cattle is only the beginning for Shoshana Ginsburg, PhD ’15. Her startup Quanterra put a smart eye in the sky.
just transfer it over to drone imaging,” she said in a video chat from her home in suburban Cleveland. “So far, by June we had counted almost 1 million cattle and our accuracy is 99 percent when ground conditions are normal.”
Shoshana Ginsburg on her home computer showing an aerial view of cattle.
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Ginsburg and her husband, Meir, in 2017 founded Quanterra Software, a Cleve land company that uses the technology to count cattle. The company has successfully automated cattle counting for feedlots around the world. “What I did for my company is take the medical imaging technology and By Harlan Spector
Quanterra’s CattleQuantsTM technology uses algorithms to extract information. It can identify cattle characteristics such as breed, the same way similar technology de tects tumor types and foretells how tumors will progress and respond to treatment.
The technology has vast potential in industry. Ginsburg envisions expanding aerial inspections to pipelines, rail lines, roofs and runways; tracking wildlife populations; and helping with search and rescue missions at sea.
The company landed a $225,000 Na tional Science Foundation Small Business Innovation and Research grant to complete the development of this technology. It’s awaiting word on a follow-on grant of $1 million to extend the technology to ranches and pastures.
Auditing cattle is a tedious, timeconsuming job, typically ordered by banks for loan collateral purposes. It usually requires boots on the ground to estimate heads of cattle that can number in the tens of thousands at large feedlots.
Finding sick cattle is typically done by visual inspection. “The problem is that by the time symptoms are strong enough, visible enough to be picked up, the cow has infected many others,” Ginsburg explained.
other opportunities, including three Ivy League universities, to study under him. He was impressed with her determination. In 2012, Madabhushi left Rutgers to become the first director of the Center for Computational Imaging and Personalized Diagnostics at the Case School of Engi neering. Ginsburg didn’t think twice about following him to Cleveland. Her lab work focused on prostate cancer, and she discovered that cancer in different parts of the organ have different appearances, attributes and properties. She developed models to identify the tumor type based on where it is located on the “Sheorgan.didextremely well at Case,” said Madabhushi, a professor of biomedical engineering. “She published high-impact papers in the prostate cancer space. Her papers have been gaining many citations.”
Shoshana Ginsburg was awarded her prize by Bob Pavey, left, and Jumpstart CEO Ray Leach at the 2018 Morgenthaler-Pavey Startup Competition. other factors affect aerial fever detection.
Consequently, antibiotics are often given to large numbers of healthy cattle to control bovine respiratory disease, the most common illness in cattle. The technology has potential to reduce use of antibiotics.“Antibiotics are pricey, but even more importantly, there is lots of talk about antibiotics in the food chain causing resis tance in humans, though that hasn’t been proven,” she Quanterrasaid.isconducting experiments with Texas A&M AgriLife Research to determine how altitude, time of day and Ginsburg envisions expanding aerial inspections to pipelines, rail lines, roofs and runways; tracking wildlife populations; and helping with search and rescue missions at sea. “ ”
After Ginsburg was awarded her doctorate in 2015, she pondered poten moment,’” she said. “I thought about other areas that could benefit from the wealth of literature coming out in medical image analysis. I thought I could solve a problem.” Her startup was lean, relying on about $45,000 in grants. In 2018, she pitched her concept to the Morgenthaler-Pavey Startup Competition. The competition, designed to boost startups with CWRU connections, had attracted 50 entries.
Quanterra was named a finalist and Ginsburg was handed an outsized $10,000 check. She was on her way. Madabhushi said he’s thrilled to see Ginsburg take her skills in a new direction to fulfill an unmet need. He urges student researchers to think boldly. “She’s having an impact in a new area,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see her evolve.”
Spector, a Cleveland freelance journalist, is a former award-winning reporter for The Plain Dealer. Comment on this story via casealum@casealum.org. who was a real star in this niche field,” she Sherecalled.found
Professor Anant Madabhushi at Rutgers University. She turned down tially new applications for image analysis technology. She had always been interested in agriculture.“Idon’tknow if there was a single ‘aha
SEEING A NEW IMAGE
Winter 2021 15 investigating the technology to detect bovine illness, using thermal sensors to capture body temperatures from the air.
Ginsburg never dreamed of doing this work when she began her studies. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, she was a math major pursuing a career as an actuary at the University of Col orado when she sort of stumbled into medicalDuringimaging.herlast semester, she took a class where students were tasked with solving medical imaging problems using different technologies. She was so taken with the work, she decided to pursue a master’s degree and became a research assistant for the radiation oncologist who taught the class. When Ginsburg decided to pursue her doctorate in biomedical engineering, she looked across the country for a program. “I wanted to work with someone
CURIOUSLY BRILLIANT
As he considered what in spires his inventions, Bruce Banks ’64 thought back to his first day at Rocky River High School and the old combination lock he was handed for his locker. It didn’t work. So he drilled a hole in the back to see what he could see. He discovered that, by reversing the locking mech anisms, he could get the lock to open with a combination of two numbers instead of three. It was a teenaged
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eureka moment.
If a curious mind led to a successful career, NASA enjoyed the brilliance. In 2020, Banks was inducted into NASA’s Inventors Hall of Fame, a tribute to his decades of groundbreaking work for the nation’s space agency. With 39 patents, the physicist from Olmsted Township, Ohio, is the most patented researcher in the history of the NASA Glenn Research Center. His innovations have accelerated space exploration, protected expensive space craft and saved the nation hundreds of millions of dollars, according to nominating information. In one example cited by the NASA Inventions and Contributions Board, Banks led a team of researchers that By Robert L. Smith How did Bruce Banks ’64 become the top patent producer at NASA Glenn? He started early. Bruce Banks holding a polyimide sample, used in experiments that simulate exposure to atomic oxygen. Courtesy of NASA.
“I could open my locker quicker, which in high school was important,” Banks said, chuckling softly. “I had curiosity. I have just always been curious about how things work and why. When ever I have to do something, I’m always thinking about how I could do it better.”
He credits Case for teaching him how to be a scientist and a problem solver.“It was demanding. It was a struggle. But I learned a lot,” he said. “I had some great professors and I bene fited from that.”
“This is probably the last big one I’ll get,” he said. “I’ve been here awhile.”
The Moon is expected to become a transfer station for missions into deep space. The voyages will require space ships with ion thrusters and solar arrays that will need to be protected from high-velocity propellent exhaust like neverThere’sbefore.still much to learn — “fright ening amounts,” Banks said. “It’s all interesting. We’ll configure experiments to look at how fast things erode.” And, well, he has a few ideas he’d like to try. To comment on this story email casealum@casealum.org.
Like many, he’s been working from home during the pandemic. He’s looking forward to getting back to the lab to dive into new research — this time on the coming Moon and Mars’ missions.
Banks helped develop the briefly, in 2007 after 41 years at the space agency. “I was retired for about half a day,” he said, before quickly realizing he wasn’t ready to quit. He joined Science Applications International Corporation, a Virginia-based NASA contractor, where he’s a senior physicist working from NASA Glenn. “Same desk, same phone, same colleagues,” Banks said. “I love my work. I love the people I work with. And Case gave me an excellent foundation.”
“I was retired for about half a day,” he said, before quickly realizing he wasn’t ready to quit.
Banks earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Case Institute of Technol ogy in 1964, added a master’s in physics at Missouri University of Science and Technology and joined NASA Glenn in 1966. He spent 22 years as chief of the electro-physics branch. He retired, A painting after being restored with the atomic oxygen technique developed by Bruce Banks. Courtesy of NASA.
Winter 2021 17 developed the thin glass coating that protects solar panels from the corro sive effects of atomic oxygen in Earth's orbit. That coating extended the life of solar arrays on the International Space Station, saving the project an estimated $15Banksbillion.also developed and patented a method that enabled ion thrusters to keep spacecraft (including DirecTV satellites) in their designated orbits around Earth as well as on their proper trajectories in Deep Space.
atomic oxygen treatment technique for removing soot and char from paintings. He’s a specialist in electric propulsion technology, thin-film coatings and atomic oxygen, a highly-reactive space gas found high in the earth’s atmosphere. He’s also a living legend at NASA Glenn, having mentored generations of researchers, many of them Case students and alumni, and won numerous agency awards.
Closer to home, his space technolo gies have helped launch companies and products ranging from surgical implants to scratch-resistant sunglasses. They have also led to new techniques for art restorations.
casealumni.org18 100YEARS
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Many of our 25,160 subscribers view an online edition of the magazine, but the majority — more than 17,000 — prefer to receive a print edition in the mail, as alumni did before them.
ase Alumnus celebrates a landmark birthday this year. We turn 100 years old, having published continuously since 1921. That’s a legacy that places the magazine in a small circle of university alumni publications nationally. America’s oldest alumni magazine, Yale’s, beat us by 31 years.
For a century, Case Alumnus has mapped the trajectory of Case, covering the students, professors, researchers and history-makers of a remarkable institution. We are proud to serve as the flagship publication of the Case Alumni Association, the oldest independent alumni association of engineering and applied science graduates in America.
To celebrate our centennial, art director Lillian Messner arranged a selection of Alumnus covers from across the decades; illustrations and images that speak to a time, a trend and often a moment in history.
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Testing well In his State of the University address in December, interim President Scott Cowen described a year of challenge, loss and disappointment. But he also cited a key success rate that has helped to keep school open. Testing found that less than 1.6% percent of CWRU students contracted the coronavirus during fall semester, a tribute to their adherence to masking and other pandemic protocols.
Bindel the builder
As a project executive for the Gilbane Building Company, Scott Bindel ’04, MEM ’05, has had quite an impact on the built environment in Greater Cleveland. His projects include Goodyear’s world headquarters, University Hospitals’ Seidman Cancer Center and the dazzling expansion of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
“I am proud of how our community readily accepted and affirmed our community commitment, a pledge to think for the good of their neighbor, their health and their community,” Cowen wrote.
In October, Diana Essock ’75 became president of ASM International, the world’s largest association of materials engineers and scientists. She’s only the third woman to serve as ASM president in 107 years, but pioneering status befits her. Essock, who runs the consultancy Metamark Inc., was the first woman to earn a bachelor’s degree from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Ahoy, engineer Remote learning was a handy option for many this past semester, but essential for Lt. Ciera McCrary. The master’s student in biomedical engineering was on a ship at sea when the pandemic struck. Despite limited and unstable Internet aboard the USS Howard, McCrary was able to continue her studies. She credits understanding and flexible Case professors, who helped smooth her sail into a new career. McCrary, a surface warfare officer, plans to become an engineer when she transitions to civilian life.
No wonder Crain’s Cleveland Business named the civil engineer to its 2020 list of “40 under 40” to watch.
Lifelong trailblazer
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McGuffin-Cawley thinks the innovation center shined during the coronavirus outbreak, as its staff designed new devices and manufacturing techniques for badly-needed medical equipment. Now he hopes to build upon that success, in part, by working more closely with industry partners to see concepts become products. Stay tuned.
A tech star is born Matt Crowley ’08 was welcomed into the 2020 class of TechStars Chicago, one of the nation’s leading startup accelerators. He’s working with Weatherhead alumnus Bill Wichert to build Signal Cortex, a company they hope will transform workplace communications, starting in airports.
James McGuffin-Cawley, PhD ’84, has held many titles at Case — professor, department chair, interim dean — but this year he assumed his most enterprising role yet. He’s the new faculty director of Sears think[box].
Computer engineer Peter Litwinowicz ’85 and his company, RE:Vision Effects, were honored at the Television Academy’s 72nd Engineering Emmy Awards, held online in October. His team received an Engineering Emmy for introducing optical flow-based postproduction video tools widely adopted in the television industry.
And the Emmy goes to…
Winter 2021 23
It’s not his first time in the spotlight. Litwinowicz, a leading developer of visual effects, won a Scientific and Technical Academy Award, an Oscar, in 2007.
Bonnie retired in January after 31 years at CWRU. Asked by The Daily what she’ll miss most, she said: “The parents that I have had the pleasure of telling, ‘You can feel comfortable leaving your child here at CWRU; I am the parent for your child being away from home.’”
Everybody’s mom One of the pleasures of dropping by the DELPP office off the lobby of Nord Hall was encountering depart ment assistant Bonnie Worthy, who always had a warm smile and earnest guidance for anyone who seemed to need it.
The pair entered the 13-week accelerator program in November. They’ll leave with $120,000 in pre-seed funding and a business plan to pitch to investors in the new year.
New thinkboxer
casealumni.org24 Case MeMories President Eisenhower meets with NASA's first administrator, Case President T. Keith Glennan, 1958. Case Engineers Council plans for Engineers WeekFun1997.on the Quad circa 1996. Here is another selection of images from our archives. If you know someone in a photo, or recall a memory from the era, please let us know: Casealum@casealum.org
Winter 2021 25 Basketball victory 1970.Dr. Alexander Troiano, head of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering, circa 1956. Students in the stands, 1980. Credit: Photos compiled by Emma Wyckoff ’21 and Sebastian Abisleiman ’21 Students at Camp Case 1953.
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passion from when I was young to work with veterans in some capacity,” she said. “I thought I might go into the military after high school. I just felt some kind of connection. I was constantly looking for different oppor tunities, more than just donating money or talking to someone on the phone. I was really looking for that personal connection.”Shewasa student at Case when she learned of Challenge America and signed up for her first make-a-thon in 2019. It turned out to be what she calls one of the best experiences of her life.
Szabo, who earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and her master’s in mechanical engineering, relishes the experiences.
Alumna finds that make-a-thons allow her to apply her engineering skills while pursuing a passion
By John Canale aLuMni aDventures
John Canale is a freelance writer in Greater Cleveland. To comment on this story, email casealum@casealum.org.
There are many ways to show your support for the troops, from bumper stickers to front porch flags to social media posts. Emily Szabo ’19, MS ’20, takes her patriotic support a step further by putting her engineering skills to work.
With that as inspiration, Team Chris came up with a cane-like device that Chris could use to walk comfortably. When he wanted to lower himself to the ground, it would deploy legs similar to a tripod. That innovation allowed him to get down on the ground and get back up Sinceagain.thatproject, Szabo has volun teered for four more make-a-thons. Most recently, she collaborated remotely with a Challenge America team trying to help first responders adjust to the pandemic.
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I was constantly looking for different opportunities, more than just donating money or talking to someone on the phone. I was really looking for that personal connection.
Six weeks before the make-a-thon, she and the five other engineers on her team were introduced to Chris, a U.S. Army veteran who had suffered nerve damage
Make-a-thon marvel
In the last year and a half, the recent graduate has participated in five make-athons sponsored by Challenge Amer ica Makers for Veterans, a non-profit organization that partners with local VA hospitals. At the challenges, engineers and makers come together to form teams, brainstorm ideas and design medical devices that could help veterans overcome injuries and live fuller lives.
get up and down from the ground very well. He wanted to be able to get down on the floor and play with his kid. He said, ‘I don’t want my child to have to adjust to me. I want to adjust to them.’”
“We call ourselves ‘Team Foggy Goggle’ and we worked on a way to keep eyewear from fogging, which has been a real problem for medical staff and care givers,” she said. From clearing foggy goggles to help ing a new dad play with his child, Szabo uses make-a-thons to share her skills. She also found that connection to veterans that she always sought.
“Whenoverseas.wemet Chris, his wife was pregnant with their first child,” Szabo said. “Because of his injury, he couldn’t
“ ”
“The make-a-thons are not only a great opportunity to get hands-on design experience, they’re a great opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and what it takes to get a product to the market,” she said. “You also learn things like, ‘How do we make this affordable for hospitals, for your average person to purchase and use in their homes?’” Szabo, who lives in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville, is a manufacturing engineer for Neuronoff, a Cleveland medical device developer. She’s also working toward her doctorate in mechanical engineering at Case. She’s found that make-a-thons allow her to polish her skills while fulfilling a mission.“Ihada
MAKING A BETTER PITCH
COMPETITION. How are your benefits superior to the alternative?
Tools and ideas to sharpen your game
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APPROACH. What’s your novel approach for filling that need?
NABC stands for Needs, Approach, Benefits and Competition. I applied it as part of my senior design class (EMAC 378), where my teammates and I were challenged to find a way to help the elderly liveWeindependently.startedoursearch for a solution with an in-depth needs analysis, using online literature, observations and interviews with residents of Ohio Living Breckenridge Village (OLBV) and conver He hated oral presentations, until he learned how to throw strikes By Alan Chen ’20 sations with experts at the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging. The analysis process is long, but can re veal dead ends and fruitful avenues. If you have an innovative idea, but no one is going to use it, what’s the point? My team’s initial idea was to design pots and pans with han dles that made them easier to lift and pour. However, this idea was not well received by the seniors we talked with and we strug gled to refine our design. Finally, we spied a more obvious need. Many of the seniors wore compression gloves to mitigate the effects of arthritis. We realized the materials used in the gloves were not breathable nor supportive, making them uncomfortable. So we set about designing a better glove. Designing the glove (the approach in NABC) was the fastest and easiest step in the NABC methodology. In fact, my team spent almost three times as much time and effort on the need and competition analysis than we did on developing the next-generation arthritic glove. For our approach, we consolidated our knowledge of polymer properties (CES Edupack) and modeling applications (SolidWorks) to ren der a computer-aided design of a breathable glove. We then supported our design by performing multiple simulations using arbitrary thermal and pressure gradients to represent different real-world conditions. We further strengthened our glove design through a benefits per cost analysis (the B in NABC), where we asked our users at OLBV and Western Reserve to compare our design with current compression gloves against a set of specific benefit and cost criteria. I would argue the benefits per cost element is the most critical of the four NABC steps. It’s the difference between an exciting design vs. a design that may be technically interesting but lacking impact. The word “benefits” is deliberate. Users determine the benefits of a product, whereas engineers design and deliver product features. Through the NABC methodology, I was able to find an easy and straight forward method to outline a compelling pitch with a meaningful, thought-out and impactful theme. This step-by-step process has only strengthened my confidence to deliver future pitches and presentations. Now, I look forward to pitching my ideas. Giving presentations has become fun and exciting for me, and I hope that can happen for you, too. Chen is a PhD student in the Depart ment of Biomedical Engineering at the Case School of Engineering. Learn more about the NABC method at https://c84.io/nabc.
BENEFIT. How will the stakeholders benefit?
NABC model
Growing up, I’ve always strug gled with oral presentations. I despised giving pitches. I found it both daunting and challeng ing. This all changed the spring semester of my third year at the Case School of Engineering. That’s when I was introduced to NABC method of the Stanford Research Institute by Professor Gary Wnek of the Department of Macromolecular Science andTwoEngineering.yearslater, having obtained my undergraduate degree, I enjoy and look forward to developing pitches and am way more comfortable delivering them. In fact, this NABC framework has been so drilled into my head that it has transformed into a subconscious template that I use in almost every presentation. Let me explain how it works.
ENGINEERING +
NEED. What do your users or customers need?
Claire Lohr ’68 Reston, Virginia Claire was a speaker at STAR West Expo 2020 in October, where she shared her expertise in software improvementprocessand testing. Claire is the president of Lohr Systems, a consulting service for government and commercial cli ents. She is a Lloyd’s Register trained ISO 9000 Lead Auditor and has been active in IEEE for more than 50 years. Claire earned her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at Case Institute of Technology.
1970s Stephen Becker, MS ’74, PhD Los Alamos, New Mexico Steve, an astrophysicist, is president of the Pa jarito Astronomy Club in Los Alamos and has presented shows at the local planetarium on a variety of astronomical topics. He is a Scientist Level 5 and a Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he has worked for 37 years. A private pilot, Steve’s hobbies include flying aerobatic planes. Tom Tribone ’74 Arlington, Virginia Tom is the founder and CEO of Franklin Park, a developer of power infrastructures that is working to help Hawaii achieve its goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. His uncom mon career was profiled in the November 2020 issue of The Chemical Engineer. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case Institute of Technolo gy and went to work for BP before earning law and business degrees and pioneering the independent power industry. In 2013, he received the Gold Medal award from the Case Alumni Association.
1960s
ofHe’sleadingSocietyAmericanrecognizedrecentlybytheCeramicasoneofitsvolunteers.deanoftheCollegeEngineeringand Information Technology and Constellation Professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Keith joined UMBC in 2017 from San Francisco State University, where he served as dean of the College of Science and Engineering. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in material science at Case. Send your updates, including photos, about job promotions, professional development and personal milestones casealum@casealum.org.to
Antony E. Champ, PhD ’63 Crozet, Virginia Antony was named the 2020 GraduateDistinguishedAlumnus of the Year by the College of Arts and Sciences at CWRU. He and his wife, Edie, run White Hall Vineyards in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Antony earned his doctorate in chemistry from Case Institute of Tech nology and enjoyed a successful career in the chemical industry as a scientist and entrepreneur. Upon retirement, he became a vintner. An emeritus trustee of CWRU, he established a graduate fellowship fund in memory of Professor J. Reid Shelton, his doctoral advisor and a leading rubber chemistry researcher. Bruce Banks ’64 Olmsted Township, Ohio Bruce, the most patented researcher in the history of the NASA Glenn Research Center, was inducted into the 2020 class of NASA’s Inventors Hall of Fame. He has developed and patented numerous innovations in electric propul sion technology, including a method of hydroforming ion optics that enabled ion thrusters to be used to keep commercial telecommunications spacecraft in their orbits. Bruce earned his bachelor’s degree in physics at Case Institute of Technology and began inventing for NASA in 1966. Today, he’s a senior physicist for NASA contractor Science Applications Interna tional Corporation.
Robert Weiler ’76 Medina, Ohio
Robert received the 2021 Honored Service Members Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers. He recently retired as the North America sales manager and product line manager for nonhalogen flame retardants at Amfine Chemical Corp. Robert earned his bach elor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case Institute of Technology. 1980s Lawrence S. Olanoff, PhD ’80, MD Johns Island, South Carolina Larry has joined the board of directors of Ichnos Sciences, a New York biotech startup, where he’ll share his in sights as a leader in the pharmaceutical indus try for more than 30 years. He serves on numerous boards and has authored more than 40 scientific publications. Larry is the special advisor to the president for cor porate relations at the Medical University of South Carolina. He earned his doctorate in biomedical engineering at Case Institute of Technology and his medical degree at CWRU School of Medicine. Keith Bowman ’81, MS ’83, PhD Baltimore, Maryland Keith was
casealumni.org28 CLass notes
Jeffrey Wilcox ’86 Mclean, Virginia Jeff is the vice president for transformationdigital at Lockheed Martin. He shared insight into leveraging emerging digital technologies in a recent online presentation sponsored by the Veale Center for Entrepreneurship at Sears think[box]. Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Institute of Technology. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Christine Wolak ’87 Dublin, California Chris, a intorevolutionAgileisarchitectsoftwareforOracle,embracingtheandDevOpsbydivingcontainerization of microservices. “I’ve moved around geographically in my professional career but one thing has remained constant — it’s always been for enterprise scale software development.” Her adventure began with a bachelor’s degree in com puter engineering from Case Institute of Technology.
John Peppler ’84 Cleveland Heights, Ohio John in 2021 will celebrate his 15th year as education lab manager at ASM International, the world’s largest organization of materials scientists and engineers. He leads training classes emanating from ASM’s headquarters in Geauga County. (Find information on courses at Instituteelor’slearning/courses).www.asminternational.org/JohnearnedhisbachdegreeinmetallurgyfromCaseofTechnology.
Aarti Chanda MS ’88 Atherton, California Aarti was a featured speaker in October in an investing seminar sponsored by the Veale Institute for Entre preneurship at Sears think[box]. Her topic, “Investing in Entrepreneurial Ideas with an Impact Focus” offered insight from her position as a board member and partner in the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund. Hang Loi ’88 Woodbury, Minnesota Hang was honored by the Society of Women Engineers at the WE20 Virtual Conference in November for two patents she attained for a primer layer for multilayer optical films. The innovation protected by these patents are found in LCD mobile phones and TVs, making them brighter and smaller. Hang is the global supplier relationship manager for 3M’s consumer electronics business. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case Institute of Tech nology while earning a bachelor’s degree in music (piano) from CWRU. Mark Zettler, PhD ’88 Indianapolis, Indiana Mark joined the board of directors for Cultiva LLC, a provider of food-grade biofilms used in dentmarkets.agriculturalHeispresiofAgroAdvisors
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International and a principal consultant with NGT BioPharma Consultants. Mark earned his doctorate in chemistry from Case Institute of Technology. Randall Dearth, MS ’89 Concord, Massachusetts Randy has become senior director at SK Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on specialty materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the chemicals industry, most recently as the president and CEO of GCP Applied Technologies. Previously, he was president and CEO of Calgon Carbon in Pittsburgh. Randy earned his master’s degree in polymer science and engineering from Case. 1990s Linda Rae, MS ’90 Shaker Heights, Ohio Linda has joined GE Digital in Cleveland as general manager of its Power Generation and Oil & Gas Business Unit. Previously, she was president of quality and before that commercial president at Tektronix. Linda earned her master’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Institute of Technology and her MBA from the Weatherhead School. Soon after, she joined Keithley Instruments, where she rose to become president and led Keithley through the acquisition by Tektronix. She’s a member of the board of directors of the Great Lakes Science Center. Wayne Liu, MS ’94, PhD Atlanta, Georgia Wayne spoke about “Retail’s New Look” at CES 2021, the consumer electronics show typ ically held in Las Vegas each January but this year beamed online. He’s senior Vice President and General Manager of Perfect Corp., a company that has brought technology and AI to the personal beauty industry. Wayne earned his master’s degree in materials science at Case and his doctorate at USC.
casealumni.org30 CLass notes
Entrepreneurship at CWRU. He’s the vice chancellor of the University of Johannes burg and a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Institute. Tshilidzi earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case and his doctorate specializing in artificial intelligence and engineering from the University of Cambridge. Feno Monaco ’95, MD Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Feno is a pain man agement physician at Keystone Pain Consul tants in Pittsburgh. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineeringcomputeratCase and later earned his medical degree at CWRU School of Medicine. David Hinkle ’96, MD New Orleans, Louisiana David, an ophthal mologist, has joined the faculty of the Tulane University School of Medi cine and assumed the newly-created Dabezies Endowed Chair in Ophthal mology. Previously he was an associate professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine. David earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engi neering from Case. Sandra Oh Lin ’97 Sunnyvale, California Sandra, the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, in September was featured in How I Built It, the popular NPR podcast that ex plores entrepreneurs and their motivations. She described how Kiwi Crate, a subscription service that delivers science and art kits to kids, scrambled to meet demand during the pandemic. Sandra earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Case and went into the ecommerce business with companies like PayPal. Her company, launched in 2011, was inspired by her efforts to find enriching projects for her children. Vanessa Maier ’97, MD Shaker Heights, Ohio Vanessa, a family doctor and the medical director of the careerProgram,SchoolMetroHealthHealthbeganherwithamechan ical engineering degree from the Case School of Engineering. She was featured Nov. 6 in the Women of Wonder series sponsored by the Alumni Association of CWRU and the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women.
Rohit joined MiMedx Group, a company focused on advanced wound care and emerging biological therapies, as executive vice president and chief commercial officer. He has more than 20 years' experience in the medical device sector. Rohit earned his master’s and doc torate degrees in biomedical engineering from the Case School of Engineering. Tshilidzi Marwala ’95, PhD Johannesburg, South Africa Tshilidzi theOpenomiestransitioningtheentrepreneurshipdiscussedandstartupcultureineconaspartoftheClassseriesofVealeInstituteof
2000s Sujata (Dechoudhury) Day ’01 Studio City, California Sujata made her full-length film directorial debut with PleaseDefinition , a movie about a spelling bee champion whose life didn’t unfold as expected. The film won the Narrative Award at San Francisco’s Center for Asian American Media Fest 2020. Sujata, an actress and screenwriter, earned her bachelor’s degree in Systems & Control Engineering from Case. She worked briefly for Accenture before following her heart to Hollywood. Jason Bradshaw ’02 Kirtland, Ohio Jason is the direc tor of design and engineering at Sears think[box], the innovation center at CWRU, where he helps students to build innovations and realize their maker dreams. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the Case School of Engineering. Marcie Finney, MS ’02 Westlake, Ohio Marcie, the executive director of the Cleve land Cord Blood Center, has been elected to the board of directors of the Cord Blood Asso ciation, one of the industry’s foremost organizations. She has helped lead the industry conversation on topics such as driving cord blood usage through research and development, to cord blood banking in the era of Covid-19. Marcie earned her master’s degree in chemistry at Case. Send your updates, including photos, about job promotions, professional development and personal milestones
casealum@casealum.org.to
Rohit Kashyap, MS ’95, PhD ’00 San Antonio, Texas
Scott Bindel ’04, MEM ’05 Northfield, Ohio Scott was named to the 2020 class of “40 under 40” business leaders by Crain’s Cleveland Business. He’s a project executive at the Gilbane Building Company in Cleveland, where he has led many impact ful building projects, including Goodyear’s world headquarters and the expansion of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Scott earned his bachelor’s degree in civil en gineering and his master’s in engineering management at Case. Steve Cerveny ’04, MS ’08 Raleigh, North Carolina Steve was named to the 2020 class of “40 Under 40” business leaders in the RaleighDurham region by the Triangle Business Jour nal. He’s the founder and CEO of Kaleido, a blockchain service provider. Previously, he spent 14 years at IBM, where he left as the program director for blockchain. Steve earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer engi neering at Case.
Andrew Stewart ’04 Huntington Woods, Michigan Andrew has been installed as an equity partner at Exchange Capital Management in Ann Arbor, where he serves as the firm’s chief investment officer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from Case. Hillary Emer ’07, MSE ’07 Cary, North Carolina Hillary acceptedhasthe po sition of senior director of business systems at Intelerad Medical Systems, a Montreal-based medical imaging software provider. Previously, she was director of strategic programs, business analytics and systems at Relias Learning. Hillary earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Case Alumni Association. Bryony Dupont ’08, PhD Corvallis, Oregon Bryony led a discussion, “ The Role of Engineering Design in Offshore Renewable Energy,” on Dec. 1 for the Penn State College of Engineering. Her remote presentation tapped her expertise in green technology and design auto mation. She’s an associate professor of mechanical engineering and the Boeing Professor of Engineering Design at Ore gon State University. Bryony earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineer ing at Case and her master’s and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon.
Matthew Iorio ’08, MS ’12 University Heights, Ohio Matt is the manager of clinical affairs at Neuros Medical, a Cleveland startup working to develop an implantable med ical device for treat ing chronic pain. Previously he served as a science and technology researcher at NineSigma and worked for CWRU’s Technology Transfer Office. A cham pion of Cleveland’s entrepreneurial community, Matt earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering. Eric Diller ’09, MS ’10, PhD Toronto, Canada Eric is the Dean’s Catalyst Profes sor of Toronto,theEngineeringMechanicalatUniversityofwherehe is developing wire less micro-scale robots to be used in human surgery. His work was featured in a recent episode of Robohub, a podcast exploring robotics research.
Andrew, a specialist in intellectual property law, earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Case. Send your updates, including photos, about job promotions, professional development and personal milestones casealum@casealum.org.to
Eric earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering at Case, where he was president of Sigma Nu fraternity. Andrew Freyer ’09 Denver, Colorado Andrew, an associate in the Denver law offices of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, has joined the board of directors of the Clyfford Still Museum. The Denver museum is focused on the legacy of American painter Clyfford Still.
Winter 2021 31
Kathryn (Bauer) Kamp ’02 Dayton, Ohio Kathryn has been named the North American environ mental director — Air Programs for Cargill. She joined the agribusi ness giant in 2016 as an environmental advisor after positions at DuPont and Dow Chemical. Kathryn earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case.
Kyle was awarded tenure in Septem ber and promoted to associate professor of mechanical engineer ing in the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University. He earned three degrees at Case, including a doctorate in mechanical engineering.
Sarah Corwin ’13, PhD Atchison, Kansas Sarah has been named principal scientist at MGP Ingredients, a leading producer of distilled spirits and specialty wheat pro teins and starches in Kansas. She has taught courses on food product and presented at national and international symposia on agricultural biological engineering. Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree in biology at Case and her doctorate at Purdue.
Kyle Niemeyer ’09, MS ’10, PhD ’14 Corvallis, Oregon
Brandon Wenning ’10, PhD San Diego, California Brandon started a new role as a senior scientist at Roswell sciencesnologies,Biotech-alife-startup that is developing molecular electronic chips to read and sequence DNA. Previously, he was a senior chemist for the Dow Chemical Company in Massachusetts. He earned degrees in engineering and chemistry at Case, where he was a member of the Case Symphonic Winds. Erin (Hollinger) Gdaniec ’12 Twinsburg, Ohio Erin, a manufac turing engineer for Parker forassistantvolunteersHannifin,asancoachthevarsity women’s basketball team at CWRU. She has much to share. Erin was an Academic All-American for the Lady Spartans while earning her bachelor’s degree in macromolecular science and engineering. Deepak Langhe, PhD ’12 Houston, Texas Deepak is now a director at Aegle, a Houston startup that specializes in andrespiratorsmasks.It was founded by Silicon Valley social impact investors to respond to the pandem ic. Previously, he was the senior vice president of research at PolymerPlus, a Cleveland company he co-founded while a student at the Case School of Engineering and which was recently acquired by Peak Nanosystems.
casealumni.org32 CLass notes
For the past decade, she has assist ed the university in its outreach to prospective students as an Alumni Admission Ambassador. She also serves on the board of directors of the Alumni Association of CWRU.
2010s Aishwarya Arjunan ’10 Chicago, Illinois Aishwarya was named the SciencesCollegeofYoungDistinguished2020AlumnatheyearbytheofArtsandatCWRU.
Aishwarya, a genetics specialist, is a faculty member in the Northwest ern University Genetic Counseling Program. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Michael Ponting, PhD ’10 Broadview Heights, Ohio Mike is president of PolymerPlus, a company engineeringdegreeearningco-foundedhewhilehisdoctorateinchemicalandmac romolecular science at Case. He recently added the title of chief science officer at Peak Nanosystems, which acquired PolymerPlus and announced expanded operations in Cleveland.
Joel Carr, PhD ’13 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Joel, a scientist,polymeristhe U.S. product team leader for Braskem America, a major polypropyl ene producer. Plastics News named him a Rising Star for developing new poly propylene copolymers. Joel earned his doctorate in macromolecular science and engineering at Case, where he was a PhD student of Professor Eric Baer and a Charles Reed Fellow.
Kate Hart ’14 Cleveland, Ohio Kate is a singer/song writer who performs in the Cleveland area and a systems engineer for Echogen Power Systems. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where she was a member of Engineers Without Borders and the Swing Club. Her folk album, 2018, resulted from her effort to write one song every week in 2018. Send your updates, including photos, about job promotions, professional development and personal milestones casealum@casealum.org.to
2020s Edward Kerekes ’20 Cleveland, Ohio Eddie is a sys tems engineer for RoviSys, a global provider of process automation solu tions and services. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case, where he was executive editor of The Observer. Emily Long ’20 Washington, D.C. Emily has started a new position as a biomed ical engineer at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Previously, she was an Edison En gineering Intern at GE Healthcare. Emily earned her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Case, where she was active in the Global Health Design Collaborative.
Phoebe Huang ’19, MEM ’20 MassachusettsNorwood, Phoebe joined Sie mens OperationsHealthineers’Leadership Development Program this summer after completing the Masters in Engineering Management program at Case. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineer ing, with a concentration in environmental engineering. Phoebe was a member of the Case Engineers Council and president of the Asian American Alliance at CWRU.
Marques Manta ’20 Baltimore, Maryland Marques joined the medical device com pany Sonavex as an operations and product development associate as a member of the 2020 class of Ven ture for America, which recruits college grads to work for emerging startups and early-stage companies in about a dozen U.S. cities. Marques earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Case, where he played varsity soccer and was active in Camp Kesem as a counselor and Teen Coordinator.
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Valencia Williams ’14 Alexandria, Virginia Valencia joined the board of directors of the Case tureingmanagementAssociation.AlumniShe’saconsultmanageratAccenFederalServices, where she started as a technical analyst in 2014. Valencia earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Case and was chapter president of the National Society of Black Engineers. Derek Slovenec, MS ’16, PhD ’19 Hinckley, Ohio Derek is a senior engineer at the Equity Engineering Group, where he’s a member of the Mechanical & Structural Engineering Team. On October 15, 2020, he delivered an online presenta tion on earthquake engineering for EEG that addressed how to mitigate risk for buildings and other structures subject to seismic events. Derek earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in civil engineering from Case. Nihar H. Chhatiawala ’17, MS ’18 Santa Monica, California Nihar started a PhD program in Policy Analysis with the RAND Corporation at the Pardee RAND Graduate School in California. Previously, he was a technical solutions engineer for Epic, which he joined soon after earning his master’s degree in physics and entre preneurship. He was a ThinkEnergy Fellow at the Case School of Engineering. Deepa Chhetri, MS ’18 Seattle, Washington Deepa is a degreeearnedneerdevelopmentsoftwareengiforAmazon.Shehermaster’sincomputer and information sciences at Case, where she was a graduate teaching assistant. Kara Hageman ’18 Lawrence, Kansas Kara is pursuing a doctorate degree in bioengineering at the University of Kan sas. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, where her research explored drug delivery with synthetic platelets. She went on to earn masters’ degrees in public health and in bioethics and biomedical humanities from CWRU. As a member of the women’s var sity basketball team, Kara was a President’s Council Scholar-Athlete. Corey Kopchak ’18 Rochester, New York Corey joined the design engineering team of Abtex LLC, which designs and produces abrasive filament deburring brushes. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case. Sarah Deng ’19 Liverpool, New York Sarah is an electrical engineer for Lockheed Martin in Syracuse. She earned her bachelor’s degree in whereengineeringelectricalatCase,shewasa member of the Case Amateur Radio Club–KE8IKD.
Gerald Hrastar ’61; Strasburg, VA; 12-14-19
Donald V. Kellermeyer ’61; Pompano, FL; 11-3-20
Thomas G. Zogakis PhD ’68; Richardson, TX; 6-23-19
Raam G. Arjunan MEM ’19; Cleveland, OH; 7-26-20
Diane E. Herr ’78, MS ’79; Aurora, IL; 8-16-20
William J. Wallich ’80; Schenectady, NY; 6-30-20
Charles J. Folger ’42; Tulsa, OK; 5-1-19 Donald G. Micklewright ’42; Canton, OH; 8-19-20 Harvey J. Harris ’44; Washington, D.C.; 9-18-16 Wallace A. Snow ’48; Houston, TX; 11-19-20 Walter J. Grombka ’49; Cincinnati, OH; 8-1-11 James D. King ’49; Richardson, TX; 6-19-20
Theodore K. Moore ’59; Chesterfield, VA; Date unknown Gary J. Marmer ’60; Phoenix, AZ; 11-8-20
James M. Trzop ’70; Kimbolton, OH; 9-30-20
Donald A. Southam ’51, MS ’54; Willoughby, OH; 8-9-20 Joseph Gaynor MS ’52, PhD ’55; Sherman Oaks, CA; 6-28-20 John R. Smith ’52; Sequim, WA; 5-16-20 Jack W. Walters ’52; Blacksburg, VA; 12-8-19 James H. Krieger ’53, Washington, D.C.; 8-23-20 Lawrence W. Thomas ’53; Findlay, OH; 11-13-20 Harvey J. Schwartz ’54; Westlake, OH; 12-1-19 Harold W. Ullman ’54; Brunswick, OH; 12-4-20 Carmelo M. Lipari ’55; Copley, OH; 8-23-20 Thomas Samar ’55; Cleveland, OH; 8-27-20 Sam A. Scalione ’55; Streetsboro, OH; 9-17-20 Robert Schubach ’55; Beachwood, OH; 11-12-20
Sanford E. Ostroy PhD ’66; Brookline, MA; 4-4-17
LeRoy G. Jackopin, PhD ’69; Wickliffe, OH; 11-1-20
Duane Heyman ’63; Toledo, OH; 7-10-20
David F. Kopperl ’69; Eden Prairie, MN; 5-26-20
James C. Hook ’62, MS ’64; Columbia, SC; 7-14-18
Richard A. Krajcik MS ’68, PhD ’70; Los Alamos, NM; 3-5-20
Donald E. Schuele PhD ’63; Willoughby, OH; 12-19-20
Shunji Kumazawa MS ’66; Japan; 9-23-19
Thomas A. Kuczmarski ’67; Madison, WI; 11-29-20
Paul S. Roys ’68, MS ’71; Missoula, MT; 7-3-20
Domenic A. Romonto ’49; Chesterland, OH; 11-24-20 John S. Mosser ’50; Akron, OH; 12-1-20
Robert W. Van Orsdel ’50; Norwalk, CT; 7-27-20 Eugene A. Alger ’51; Oakland, CA; 9-11-20
James M. Roe MS ’70, PhD ’73; Midland, MI; 7-1-20
Alexander A. Zavaras PhD ’75; Pittsburgh, PA; 10-28-19
Tito T. Serafini ’55; MS ’57, PhD ’60; Strongsville, OH; 11-17-17 Stephen R. Drazich ’56; Winterville, OH; 7-22-20 Karl N. Gutzke ’56; Euless, TX; 11-3-20 Milan J. Ondrasik ’56; Brookeville, PA; 1-30-12 Charles E. Plymale ’58; Whitehouse, OH; 12-12-19 Max A. Schmaeler ’58; Medford, NY; 12-13-20
John F. Kline, Jr. ’69; McConnelsville, OH; 12-2-20
Charles A. Anderson ’62; Dublin, CA; 6-16-19
Alan F. Mandel ’69; Pittsburgh, PA; 11-4-29
Peter R. Domagala ’80; Sneads Ferry, NC; 5-2018
Robert J. Bacigalupi MS ’64; Delray Beach, FL; 10-22-20
Philip C. Boggs, Jr. ’83, MS ’86; Rochester, MI; 7-28-20
Howard S. Tsai MS ’83; Atlanta, GA; 9-1-10
Jeffrey T. Stringer ’86; Pittsburgh, PA; 8-13-20
William A. Donze ’67; N. Ridgeville, OH; 8-20-20
David T. Milasky ’62; Avon, OH; 11-27-20
Stephen T. Decatur ’80; Akron, OH; 8-8-18
Joseph R. Asik ’59; Las Vegas, NV; 7-17-20 Thomas M. Franklin ’59; San Antonio, TX; 8-1-20 Malcolm E. Geinke ’59; Hartford, WI; 9-10-20
Michael J. Puhala, Jr. ’72; Danellen, NJ; 7-28-20
casealumni.org34 in MeMoriaM
Glenn M. Kaltenbaugh ’62; Belle Chase, LA; 8-18-19
Stuart J. Newman ’69; Columbia, MD; 9-4-20
Clayton L. Kittinger ’51; Hilton Head, SC; 7-29-20 Michael D. Morley ’51; Sayre, PA; 8-11-20
Richard C. Larson ’61; Kong City, MO; 10-22-20
Alfred R. Feldner ’64; Whippany, NJ; 4-5-20
A Columbus native, Schuele came to CIT from the faculty of John Carroll University in 1959 to earn his doctorate in physics. Over the next 40 years, he served the school in an array of leadership roles, including department chair, vice dean and two tours as dean.
TRIBUTE Don Schuele
Despite his success as an administrator, Schuele most enjoyed his time as a classroom professor.
“Don was a passionate believer in the centrality of students in everything that we do — and of teaching well,” said Taylor, who succeeded Schuele as the Albert Michel son Professor of Physics. “That experiment always generat ed questions, so he went down into the machine shop and built the Schuelereplica.”diedDecember 19, 2020, at age 86 from complications of Covid-19. “I lost a friend and mentor,” Taylor said. “I think the university has lost one of our great servants.”
He also served the Case Alumni Association as its president, from 2003-2004, and received its Meritorious Service Award in 2019.
Contact Emily Speer, Director of Gift Planning and Grants Compliance at emily.speer@casealum.org or 216.368.2044 for more information.
Winter 2021 35
For the centennial of the Michelson-Morley Experi ment in 1987, Don Schuele, PhD ’63, crafted a lifesize model of the famous experiment. After a day of teaching, he would don overalls and go to work building the exhibit case and piecing together the apparatus that professors Albert Michelson and Edward Morley used to measure the speed of light in 1887. His intent was not only to honor the bold researchers, but also to explain to students how they did it, Schuele said in an interview with Case Alumnus in 2019. So he built a replica that stands today in the lobby of Schmitt Auditorium off Case CyrusQuad.Taylor, PhD, is not surprised.
“He was a staunch supporter of the school” and a prolific fundraiser when Case badly needed one, said former Dean Tom Kicher ’59, MS ’62, PhD ’65. “He was personally responsible for raising millions of dollars for scholarships.”
“Students at Case were always very good,” he told Case Alumnus. “To interact with these students was fun.” He helped to make it so. A lifelong sports fan, Schuele plucked examples from the sporting world to teach the laws of physics, explaining why a batter could hit a curveball farther than a fastball — thanks to fluid dynamics.
At a university renowned for its physicists, Schuele stood tall. He served Case Institute of Technology — and later Case Western Reserve University — as a teacher, researcher, administrator and dean. He became an expert in the physics of sports and helped U.S. Olympic teams to sharpen their game. He taught and mentored generations of students with boundless energy and a twinkle in his eye.
In the 1980s, he helped bring physics to U.S. Olympic teams that were losing to Eastern European rivals with their sleeker bobsleds and faster luges. Schuele became a leading member of the Sports Equipment Technology Committee of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Meanwhile, he and Clare, his wife of 63 years, raised six daughters and came to enjoy the affection of 13 grand children. Clare Schuele, a public health nurse trained at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, preceded him in death by just a few months. Though he retired in 2005, Schuele main tained a lab on campus and continued working with graduate students, exploring physical mysteries well into his 80s. He was still publishing research in 2017, Taylor noted. And that exhibit he built? In 2005 it was named an Historic Physics Site by the American Physical Society, the first and only one in Ohio. If you would like to support the legacy of Dr. Schuele, please make a gift to the Donald E. Schuele PhD ’63 Endowment Fund at casealumni.org/schuele-fund/.
June 16, 1934 to December 19, 2020
The brothers of Phi Kappa Theta used the pandemic to reunite — virtually and meaningfully By Connie DeLetis
• How has the virus impacted you and your family?
W hat can you do if you’re a group of fraternity brothers who haven’t seen or interacted with each other for 50-60 years? Well, let us tell you. There was a group of four Phi Kaps who had been in sporadic contact with each other over the years. One of the four, Dave Ehlke, sent an email to the other three in early June and suggested that they initiate a Zoom call. This was welcomed, as everyone had been sequestered for weeks by theThepandemic.groupquickly grew to 11, weekly Zoom calls and a prioritized list of topics. And so it began. It’s interesting that each member enthusiastically attends these Zoom calls. The weekly meetings started with discussions of:
• How did you meet your wife?
ZOOMING BACK TOGETHER
casealumni.org
• What are the favorite places that you’ve visited? In addition, a permanent record of everyone’s life after graduation, lovingly called the “Geezer Report,” is being created. Each person is contributing a short review of their jobs, family and what they are now doing for John Lozan to edit. So, what have we learned from these sessions? Well, as you see from the map, the brothers are scattered across the country. How did they get there? We found that the careers of the group members are more varied than you might expect from a group of engineering graduates. Tom Prioreschi is a real estate developer. Gerry Pasterick owns a winery and vineyard. Con DeLetis, Dave Ehlke, Maynard Isabell, Al Muren, John Lozan and Frank Stilwagner were business executives. Joe Crawford and Don Macko became doctors. Dave Schrady was a college professor and provost. Many of us have advanced degrees and one brother (Joe Crawford) has five degrees. Only one member, Dave Schrady, actually followed and used his degree in Operations Research. Three became entrepreneurs with their own businesses: Dave Ehlke, John Lozan and Tom Priores chi. The group members have been married an average of 51 years. Besides the usual hobbies of golf, hiking, travel and cruising, there were some unusual hobbies, including car racing, credit card collecting, photography, Ham radio and oil painting. They are giving back by advocating for criminal justice reforms, supporting food banks and home less projects, and getting involved in civic affairs and non-profits. While each brother took a different path in life, each has agreed there was real value in the bonds formed during those years at Case and in the fraternity. There were many things that the college/fraternity life prepared us for by instilling the importance of family, the value of education and a life wellInlived.addition, all of us continue to be in relatively good health (for octogenarians). It’s been a fascinating and positive reunion. Connie is the former president of Phi Kappa Theta. You can reach him via cdeletis@gmail.com.Doyouhave a Case memory to share? Let’s hear it. robert.smith@casealum.orgEmail
“LONG WE’LL REMEMBER…”
• What are your favorite fraternity Somememories?ofthe other planned discussion topics include:
• What are you most proud of in your life since graduation?
• What types of investments have you made?
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But did you know that you can ensure that your support of your passions continues even after your lifetime while also receiving tax benefits for yourself? It’s simple for you to do this - with a planned gift.
• Transfer appreciated stock to the Case Alumni Foundation.
• Name the Case Alumni Foundation as a beneficiary of your retirement account.
Popular Gift Planning Ideas:
Need Help Making Your Gift Plan?
There are many ways you can ensure your support for the Case Alumni Foundation continues well into the future. Contact Stephen Zinram at 216.368.8841 or stephen.zinram@casealum.org today to learn more about gift planning, or for help finding the perfect gift for you. You can support your passion for Case well into the future.
Everyone has something they are passionate about. You may be passionate about a place that holds an important spot in your heart, like the Case campus; a cause that’s near and dear to you, like student scholarships; or even a charitable organization, like the Case Alumni Foundation.
o Your benefits: You qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction based on the current fair market value of the securities and are exempt from paying capital gains tax on any increase in their value.
o Your benefits: Depending on the type of gift you choose, you can receive stable income for life or for a period of up to 20 years. You may also qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction in the year you make the gift.
PLANNING THE PERFECT GIFT
GivinG Corner
o Your benefits: Retain control of your assets and have the flexibility to change your mind at any time.
• Create a life income gift.
Disclosure Statement: The information in this publication is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results.
o Your benefit: These assets pass to us tax-free, allowing us to use the entire amount to support students, faculty and campus experiences. If passed to your loved ones, they would have to pay income tax when distributions are made from the account.
• Include a gift to the Case Alumni Foundation in your will or living trust.
CASE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Tomlinson Hall, Room 109 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1712 CLEVELAND,ORGANIZATIONNON-PROFITU.S.POSTAGEPAIDOHIOPERMITNO.2120 Created for working professionals, the entirely online degrees at Case Western Reserve University bring a world-class research institution and its core faculty to you. Our master’s degrees in engineering span four concentration areas: Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems and Control Engineering, and Engineering Innovation, Management and Leadership. 1. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from usnews.com/best-colleges/case-western-reserve-university-3024/overall-rankings 2. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/case-western-reserve-university-201645/overall-rankings Receive a scholarship worth over $19,000.* "Easy" Won’t Make an Impact Redesign your career with our online graduate degrees. graduate4engineeringdegreeoptionsNationally#42RankedUniversity1 Best#52EngineeringGraduateSchool2 research270+andindustrypartnerships Explore the program online-engineering.case.edu/alumniat Scholarship funds are not payable directly to recipient. $19,170 of the scholarship will be applied in a prorated manner over the duration of the student's program of study. The remaining scholarship amount corresponds to a charge of $0 for taking and passing the last required course in the curriculum and will be applied after the final drop/add period for this concluding course. If a student receives other forms of financial assistance, then the student's financial assistance may require modification to account for the scholarship by preventing any 'over-award,' such that the total financial assistance received does not exceed the cost of attendance, as defined and determined by the Office of Financial Aid of Case Western Reserve University. Recipients of the scholarship must remain continuously enrolled in the program through completion. Exceptions may be granted for students who obtain a university-approved leave of absence. Students receiving the scholarship must maintain satisfactory academic progress at all times for the scholarship to remain in effect. This scholarship offer may be revised, rescinded or terminated at any time. All admissions and scholarship decisions of Case Western Reserve University are final. *
