Download PDF of thisUnprecedented Opportunities
A Message from the Dean
Dean Cyrus Taylor (left) and Harold McRae, founder of the “Doc”
Kelker Scholarship FundPhoto: Mike Sands
The College of Arts and Sciences recently welcomed six new assistant professors, adding to our strengths in art history, chemistry, English, history, mathematics and music. During the next few months, we will be moving ahead with faculty searches in a number of departments.
If you have been following the news in higher education, this may surprise you. Many universities, contending with drastically reduced endowments and cuts in public funding, have imposed hiring freezes. As a result, the academic job market across disciplines has contracted significantly.
Case Western Reserve University hasn't been immune to the effects of the global recession. Nonetheless, our comparative position is strong, and we find ourselves with an unprecedented opportunity to compete for the very best researchers and scholars. We all recognize that this is no time for complacency — or hubris. The economic recovery may be slow and uneven, and we must proceed with care. Still, I am convinced that with the support of our alumni and friends, the university is poised to become the institution we all believe it can and should be.
This fall, we celebrated the arrival not only of our newest faculty members, but also of an outstanding entering class: 982 undergraduates from 41 states and 13 foreign countries. These students brought records of achievement that would be commendable for people twice their age. They have demonstrated excellence not only in their academic pursuits, but also in their research activities, creative endeavors and service to their communities.
Many of these students are able to attend Case Western Reserve thanks to scholarships established and supported by our alumni. And many will benefit from experiential learning opportunities that would be unattainable if not for our donors' generosity. In this issue of art/sci, we honor both kinds of philanthropy. I invite you to read about the "Doc" Kelker Scholarship Fund, endowed by Harold McRae, and the Wellman Hill Political Science Internship Program, endowed by Elizabeth Hill. Please celebrate with us what one student called the "life-defining" experiences made possible by benefactors of the university and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Cyrus C. Taylor
Dean and Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics