5questions

Bill Schiemann, professor of general medical sciences, has devoted years to studying breast cancer—specifically, metastasis, or cancer’s spread to other parts of the body, which is the cause of more than 90 percent of cancer deaths. Since joining Case Western Reserve University in 2009, Schiemann’s ...

After completing his undergraduate degree in English and Classics at Harvard University, Peter Knox was ready to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an attorney. But before he headed off to law school, Knox learned he’d been awarded a fellowship—one he hadn’t even applied for—to study for a ...

Thirty years ago, Gene Matthews completed his associate’s degree at Lorain Community College, while working as assistant director of facilities at Oberlin College. The Monday after his graduation, his boss gave him an ultimatum: complete his bachelor’s degree in the next two years or lose his job. ...

Chanelle Brown first showed up for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP) camp at Case Western Reserve in 2004—and she keeps coming back, year after year. Brown has been involved with the program for 11 years—first as a camper, then as a volunteer and now as a staff member. “She’s just an all-ar...

Mary Barkley isn’t afraid of change. In fact, she’s often the one inciting it—especially when it comes to advancing the status of women in academia, and in the sciences in particular. Barkley’s achievements in the area of inclusion—both for women and minorities—earned her the American Chemical Socie...

As think[ box ] manager, Ian Charnas (CWR '05) is as much a fixture at Case Western Reserve University’s innovation center as one of the 3-D printers or laser cutters anyone is free to create and tinker with there. He’s also deeply involved in the center’s upcoming move and expansion from snug base...

Pete Zimmerman knows first-hand the value of research and impact it can have on the world. Throughout his career, the professor of international health, biology and genetics has worked toward the prevention of malaria in Papua New Guinea and Madagascar. Zimmerman’s work aims to understand the epide...

Sunday is a big day for Tom Bondra. Not only is it Easter, but it’s also his 72nd birthday. But before he can celebrate the two holidays, he has to make it through an even more special Good Friday: After 38 years in Campus Planning and Facilities Management, Bondra retires today. Bondra’s time at ...

Senior Imani Scruggs is a product of alchemy. No, not the medieval chemical science. Rather Alchemy Inc., a mentoring program for adolescent black males in Akron. The program, founded by Scruggs’ father, Kwame, provides positive role models for young men and uses mythological storytelling in combin...

Early in life, senior Stephanie Hippo’s parents gave her sound advice: “You can complain about something, but until you do something about it, you’re just part of the problem.” Two years ago, Hippo encountered a problem—the lack of women in computer science—and decided to do something about it. Ori...