Supporters call new building essential to university’s future
Inventor. Investor. CTO. Innovation chief. The individuals among the first to support the university’s largest-ever research structure hail from multiple professions, yet share one singular perspective: Case Western Reserve’s future as a leading national university requires a new, state-of-the-art space specifically designed to encourage collaboration.
Announced in June, the five-story Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) will offer researchers and visitors alike welcoming façades and open, airy interiors. In addition to labs behind movable glass walls and other areas designed for quiet conversation, the building will include a ground-level café where people might serendipitously meet and eat—or even hold a group discussion.
Roger Susi, a 1977 biomedical engineering graduate who went on to found two highly successful companies, knows firsthand that providing opportunities to collaborate is critical to learning—and to achieving goals.
Four years ago, Susi and his wife, Kayoko, made a $2 million gift to catalyze more hands-on educational experiences for first-year engineering students. Even before designs for a 5,000-square-foot learning space were complete, faculty had already developed and launched a full-year introductory course.
“It really worked much faster than I expected,” said Roger Susi, who later endowed a professorship for a faculty member leading the initiative. “That was exceedingly positive.”
So positive, in fact, that when President Eric W. Kaler approached the couple about supporting an ambitious new research structure on campus, they committed $25 million to the effort.
Their gift, and others for the ISEB, will be matched by a $150 million century bond—a security with a 100-year maturity timeline—doubling the impact.
“Having people in one area, coming from a lot of disciplines, exchanging ideas,” said Susi. “… this is important to elevate the university to the next level.”
For Board of Trustees Chair Fred DiSanto (WRC ’86, MGT ’86) and his wife, Brittan, the ISEB reflects a substantial step toward realizing a top institutional priority: expanding the university’s research portfolio.
“The ISEB is crucial for the university’s ability to drive discovery and contribute to our region’s economy,” said DiSanto who, with his wife, committed $7 million to the project (which the university will match with funds from the century bond). “Brittan and I consider our investment in the building a wise contribution to the future of a university that holds great significance for us and the wider Cleveland community.”
As the board’s chair, DiSanto also led the search committee that selected Kaler as Case Western Reserve’s next president in 2021. Known for growing research accomplishments in previous leadership roles—including as president of the University of Minnesota—Kaler quickly identified outdated facilities and inadequate space as obstacles to increasing research productivity.
“Eric’s swift identification of urgent issues, coupled with his recommended solutions, impressed and motivated the board,” DiSanto said.
Upon hearing about the project and its promise, the board of the Case Alumni Association (CAA) was similarly moved—so much so that members agreed to a $5 million commitment. The amount—which the university will match with funds from its century bond—represents the CAA’s most sizable gift in its nearly 140-year history.
“It’s unusual for us to make such a large donation,” said Joe Fakult (CWR ’90), president of the CAA’s board. “But when we looked at our mission, and considered this once-in-a-generation capital investment, it quickly earned broad support from the alumni and past presidents of our organization.”
The CAA represents roughly 20,000 alumni of the former Case Institute of Technology, which includes graduates from engineering, science and math disciplines.
“The message our board is sending with this commitment is that they’re behind President Kaler and our deans [of the Case School of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences],” said Steve Zinram, executive director of Case Alumni Association, “and believe, through this project, they can take research to a whole new level.”
Also committing $5 million—which the university will match—are Aarti Chandna (GRS ’88, computer science) and Asheem Chandna (CIT ’86; GRS ’88, computer engineering), co-chairs of the campaign cabinet for the ISEB project. After graduation, Aarti worked for several technology companies—including Oracle, Hitachi and Autodesk. In each of them, open workspaces encouraged collaboration (with private rooms available for efforts requiring concentration).
Now a social impact and angel investor, Aarti assesses organizations in part based on whether they include people with different skills and areas of expertise.
“The way I look at it—any successful company has to be a place where different disciplines can work together well,” said Aarti Chandna, also a university trustee. “No single discipline can exist on its own.”
As the couple learned details about the building—including its emphasis on encouraging interdisciplinary research—they increasingly considered it a critical piece of the institution’s future.
“If this university wants to rise even higher,” Aarti Chandna said, “we need to provide our researchers not only with the funding and latest tools needed but also the space.”
Larry Enterline’s (CIT ’74) career exemplifies the importance of interdisciplinary skills.
An electrical engineering major as an undergraduate, he went on to hold professional roles ranging from manufacturing to marketing, sales, engineering—and, ultimately, CEO.
As he and his life partner, Kathy Richards, became more familiar with the university’s plans for the ISEB, they became increasingly convinced that the project held promise not only for the university, but also the broader community.
“These types of investments in Case Western Reserve’s research capabilities not only lead to important scientific advancements,” Enterline said, “but launch careers—and I’m proof of that.
Enterline and Richards serve as vice chairs of the ISEB Campaign Cabinet and together have committed $2.5 million to the project.
“It’s a competitive world,” Richards added. “And as the university seeks to attract the best students, faculty and staff—creating world-class labs and facilities—we’re excited to be a part of that effort.”
An early interest in engineering drew Tom Seitz (CIT ’70) to the campus of what is now Case Western Reserve. Here, he began to learn the importance of collaboration, innovation and empowering teams to work together toward a common goal.
The interdisciplinary skills he learned and the undergraduate research opportunities available to him on campus propelled him into a long and successful career at Sherwin-Williams, where he eventually retired as senior vice president responsible for global innovation and operational excellence.
Seeing an opportunity to similarly inspire today’s students, Seitz and his wife, Nancy, have committed $1 million to the ISEB.
“Despite best efforts, renovating the interiors of these buildings to make them functional with the current needs is very tough,” Seitz said. “You're always playing catch up and behind the power curve. The ISEB is a chance for us to take a giant step forward and get out in front of the process with a world-class facility that attracts world-class faculty and creates fabulous opportunities for undergrad research as well.”
The interdisciplinary skills Frank Linsalata (CIT ’63) acquired studying mechanical engineering at CWRU, and later as an MBA student at Harvard, prepared him for a successful career at the Cleveland-based manufacturing conglomerate Midland-Ross.
Linsalata went on to become the company’s vice president of finance at 31 and eventually left to start his own company, Linsalata Capital Partners.
As the product of a multifaceted education, and as someone acutely aware of the competitive advantage a state-of the-art research facility will create for the university, Frank Linsalata and his wife, Jocelyne, have committed $1 million to the ISEB—to be matched through the century bond.
Together and individually, the Linsalatas have provided leadership and financial support to key initiatives and priorities at the university for more than 40 years—including scholarships, presidential strategic initiatives and the Linsalata Alumni Center.
“My education has been a part of my success, and I want to see the university succeed as well,” said Linsalata, who also served as chair of the university’s capital campaign. “To do that, we need collaboration in all areas—including engineering, medicine, biomed and more—in our quest to be a leader in research. That is why this project is so vitally important, and why Jocelyne and I are pleased to support it.”
The son of a Case Western Reserve professor, Miguel Zubizarreta (CWR ’90) feels a deep connection to the university. He and his family have supported student robotics and rocket teams, student travel and even projects at the Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box] designed to help during the pandemic.
The resources for such generosity stem from a collaborative effort begun not long after he graduated with a degree in computer engineering. The combination of John “Packy” Hyland’s business savvy and Zubizarreta’s technological acumen led to the creation of an enterprise content management platform that propelled a fledgling startup to become a global company with more than 14,000 customers.
Along the way, Zubizarreta filled roles involving technical support, quality assurance and global cloud services, ultimately rising to become Hyland’s chief technology officer and executive vice president. For him, the breadth of experiences underscored the importance of ensuring CWRU researchers can easily engage colleagues with complementary expertise.
“We believe the ISEB will help propel Case Western Reserve into the next century, where most things of value will be interdisciplinary,” said Zubizarreta. “I want to give Northeast Ohio a chance to compete in that future. The practical side of research doesn’t happen in one-dimensional silos.“
Serving as a university trustee for over two decades, including several years as chair, Charles J. “Bud” Koch held a front row seat for some of the most transformative advancements in the university’s history.
While research on campus during his service has led to groundbreaking discoveries and fueled regional economic growth, university leadership has long recognized the need to modernize facilities to attract and retain talented students, faculty and staff.
Seeking to remove that barrier, expand the university’s research footprint and capitalize on Northeast Ohio’s strategic advantages, Koch and his family have committed $1.25 million to the ISEB—which will be matched by the university through proceeds from its century bond.
“One of the reasons I wanted to be on the board was to enhance Cleveland’s strategic strength as a major research center,” said Koch, the former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Charter One Financial Inc. “To the extent that we can do better research, ISEB will be great for Case Western Reserve and our city.”
Originally published in the winter 2024 issue of Forward Thinking magazine. Architectural renderings courtesy of HGA.