Forward Thinking: Winter 2025
From the board chair
To our alumni and friends:
At °Ç¸çºÚÁÏ, visionary projects have long served as catalysts for progress—both within our campus community and beyond. The Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB), already taking shape along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, is the latest and largest manifestation of that tradition.
Thanks to your remarkable support, we surpassed the $100 million fundraising milestone for the ISEB ahead of schedule. Your contributions are not only helping construct a world-class facility but also inspiring further philanthropy, laying the foundation for transformative discoveries that will benefit society for decades to come.
While the ISEB represents a bold step forward in infrastructure, this issue of Forward Thinking also highlights an equally transformative endeavor: the Faculty 100 initiative—an ambitious effort to recruit 100 new tenure-track faculty members by 2028. These scholars are driving innovation across strategic areas, including sustainable energy, biomedical diagnostics and human-robot interaction. They are also the mentors who will help shape and guide our students as they prepare to make an impact in their communities.
Of course, the Faculty 100 initiative and the ISEB are just two examples of the extraordinary ways philanthropy is shaping Case Western Reserve. Donor support continues to open doors through scholarships, experiential learning opportunities and meaningful community partnerships.
Whether it’s uncovering new scientific frontiers, mentoring the next generation of leaders or addressing pressing societal needs, your generosity drives the progress we celebrate in this magazine. Thank you for making all of this— and so much more—possible.
Fred DiSanto
Chair, Board of Trustees
°Ç¸çºÚÁÏ
Features
Faculty forward (cover story)
With a goal of 100 new faculty hires by 2028, the university is advancing strategic research clusters in areas of emerging global importance.
Resilience and hope
Endowed scholarship honors Jeffrey Mills, DDS, and aims to make a lasting impact for aspiring dentists.
Investing in ideas
Transformative donor support brings Case Western Reserve's Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building into focus.
A 'creative approach'
Leadership at CWRU School of Medicine redefines education, blending hands-on learning with compassionate care.
The intersection of technology and patient care
Alumna's estate plans mark gratitude for the degree that set her on a trailblazing path 25 years ago.
Scholarship and student experience
Engineering success
Endowed fellowship brings graduate studies within reach.
Research
Focused on transformative discoveries
Three endowed professorships bolster support for pathology research.
Professorships
Accelerating breakthroughs
A family's commitment bolsters faculty and fuels research
Community
Restored and reimagined
A home in Cleveland’s Magnolia-Wade Park Historic District sat vacant for nearly a decade. But with a formal ribbon-cutting in October, the restored property was reintroduced to the neighborhood as the Wade Park Community Engagement Center.
Strategic giving
Supporting the Faculty 100 initiative
The university’s Faculty 100 initiative is designed to help ensure CWRU can continue to attract the best educators to inspire and guide our students.
Student profile
Bridging the gap
James Miller and Brian Ibanez started their CWRU journeys more than five decades apart, but they share two critical connections: a passion for engineering and gratitude for life-changing scholarship support.