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College of Arts and Sciences

Interdisciplinary research, collaboratives and achievements define the Case Western Reserve University College of Arts and Sciences’ community—across countless disciplines. From literary awards and scientific discoveries to stories of social impact and student innovation, the College of Arts and Sciences is where bold ideas become newsworthy moments.

Recent News

Physics faculty receive awards to continue research on expansion of universe
Assistant professors of physics Claudia de Rham and Andrew J. Tolley received awards to delve deep into black holes, dark energy and other phenomena tied to crucial events in the evolution of the universe. Tolley is one of a handful of physicists nationwide who won a $750,000 U.S. Department of…
CWRU, Cleveland Museum of Art announce collaboration for Institute for Art History
$15 million gift deepens and expands existing partnerships through support of joint doctoral program, scholarship and the museum’s Ingalls Library Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Museum of Art are launching a landmark initiative that capitalizes on their longtime collaborations as…
Renowned researcher, psychology professor Joseph Fagan passes away
Joseph F. Fagan III, the Leffingwell Professor of Psychology and a leading researcher on infant intelligence, died Aug. 10. He was 71. Fagan joined the faculty of Case Western Reserve University in 1968, after earning his bachelor’s degree in English and psychology in 1963 from University of…
Chemistry’s John Protasiewicz named American Chemical Society Fellow
John D. Protasiewicz, professor of chemistry, has been selected as a member of the 2013 class of American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellows. Protasiewicz’s areas of research interest include inorganic chemistry, materials and energy, organometallic chemistry, crystallography and more. His research…
Physics’ Robert Brown invited as eminent scholar to lecture in China
Robert W. Brown, Distinguished University Professor and Institute Professor in the Department of Physics, was invited as an "eminent foreign scholar" to visit Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, for the month of July. During his stay, Brown presented 18 lectures and seminars on the subject of…
David Ake named new chair of Department of Music
David Ake, professor of musicology and an accomplished jazz scholar and musician, was appointed chair of the Department of Music at Case Western Reserve University. Since 2011, Ake has served as director of the School of the Arts at the University of Nevada, Reno. A member of the university’s…
English faculty member Thrity Umrigar wins Lambda Literary Award
Thrity Umrigar, associate professor of English, won a Lambda Literary Award in the Lesbian General Fiction category for her novel, The World We Found. Umrigar's novel was published in early 2012 and received high acclaim from various major news outlets. It tells the story of four students in India…
Crespo wins NSF CAREER award to study DNA sensitizers
Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández, an assistant professor of chemistry, won a National Science Foundation CAREER award to investigate how compounds found in human cells and medicines trigger DNA mutations that can damage cells and lead to skin cancer when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Crespo,…
Five questions with… archaeology and art history buff Jenifer Neils
Jenifer Neils knew she wanted to be an archaeologist in the third grade after she read about field archaeology pioneer Heinrich Schliemann—a man whose work advocated the idea that Homer’s Iliad reflected actual historical events. She hasn’t looked back since. After graduating from Bryn Mawr, Neils…
CWRU researchers find half of those diagnosed with PTSD also suffer from depression
About one of every two people diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also suffer symptoms of depression, according to new research by Case Western Reserve University Department of Psychological Sciences. The analysis also concludes that both genders diagnosed with PTSD equally suffer…