Case Western Reserve University President Eric W. Kaler and Provost Joy K. Ward announced that Christian A. Zorman, senior associate dean and the F. Alex Nason Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering, will serve as interim dean of Case Western Reserve University’s Case School of Engineering, effective July 1.
His appointment follows the earlier announcement that after seven years as dean of the school Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan chose to step down from his role last month. He plans to join the engineering faculty following a six-month sabbatical.
A highly productive researcher, popular teacher and mentor, Zorman earned both his master’s degree and PhD at Case Western Reserve before becoming a researcher here in 1994 and then joining the faculty in 2002. He assumed school-wide leadership in 2017 when he was named associate dean of research, with a more recent appointment as senior associate dean bringing oversight to both the research and the academic mission of the Case School of Engineering.
“I first came to know CWRU’s rigorous and exceptional academic and research community as a graduate student. My transition from graduate work in Physics to the faculty of what is now Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering reflects the spirit of interdisciplinarity and innovation that defines this institution,” Zorman said. “That spirit—like the Case School of Engineering itself—has only grown stronger under Dean Balakrishnan’s leadership. I’m deeply grateful for all he has done, and I am honored by the opportunity to continue serving my alma mater in this new role.”
Zorman’s research specializes in the development of emerging materials and nonconventional processing/fabrication techniques for micro and nanosystems, with a focus on applications in aerospace and human health. He has authored over 300 publications in areas related to micro- and nanotechnology and is named on 13 patents. A popular undergraduate lecturer and advisor, in 2009 Zorman received the university’s John S. Diekhoff Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring.
The university is conducting a nationwide search for the school’s next dean.