Awards

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science professor Harold Connamacher wins Wittke Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Harold Connamacher has been called a “master teacher” by one colleague, a professor with “lifelong impact” by another, and simply “the most approachable professor I…

The business world’s loss has been a significant gain for students at Case Western Reserve University and the School of Medicine. Monica Gerrek, assistant professor of bioethics, had taken a philosophy course as an undergraduate but opted for the ostensibly safer choice of pursuing a business…

When Brian Gran began his career in academia nearly 20 years ago, “collaboration” wasn’t as common a term or practice as it is today. But his areas of expertise—law and society, human rights and health policy—couldn’t fit into a single discipline if they were to be taught effectively, Gran…

Having never led a classroom before, Maggie Vinter moved to Japan in her early 20s to become a teacher of English as a second language to middle schoolers. “Seeing students go from not knowing to knowing—experiencing ideas as brand new—I found a love for teaching,” said Vinter, assistant…

Elina Gertsman knows what it’s like to feel lost as a graduate student. With a seemingly disinterested doctoral adviser and no mentoring program available to her, she sensed she would need to navigate her graduate school experience alone. That was until she took a leap of faith in pursuit of a…

Brian Cobb recalled the transforming effects of his first mentor. “When I was a sophomore at the University of Oklahoma (OU), I took a class in organic chemistry with Dr. Roland Lehr,” he said. “I went to his office with a question, and after answering it, he asked me my plans for a career. I…

In just over a week, Case Western Reserve University will hold its annual commencement ceremony, honoring the accomplishments of our newest graduates. But in addition to those earning their bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, the university will mark the occasion by bestowing honorary…

Medical invention for polyp retrieval wins $10K prize A team of students who developed a “Polyp Retrieval System” for medical procedures was the winner of a $10,000 prize in the 10th annual Saint-Gobain Student Design Competition at the Tinkham Veale University Center April 10. The winning team…

Senior Elizabeth Spila and junior Kimberly Osbern won first and third prize, respectively, in the College Division Competition sponsored by the Maison Française de Cleveland. Each Northeast Ohio college and university is invited to send two students to the annual competition, which recognizes…

The Case Western Reserve University Steel Bridge Team competed in the regional Student Steel Bridge Competition Saturday, April 13, finishing with a second place finish overall. The team designed and modeled the 22-foot-long bridge during the fall semester and fabricated it this spring using the…