Couple cements a lifelong commitment to CWRU with scholarship for engaged students

For Chuck and Judy Brandman, Case Western Reserve University was never simply the place where they earned their degrees. It was where they learned to think, to serve and, eventually, to build a life together.

Judy (WRC ’73) arrived in Cleveland from Bethesda, Md., encouraged by an aunt and uncle who lived in town and believed the University Circle campus was the right fit. With plans to become a teacher, she quickly discovered what for many has long set the university apart—an education that goes beyond mere memorization. “My experience was more than just book learning,” she said. “It was learning how to think, how to reason.”

Chuck (CIT ’73), from Findlay, Ohio, chose Case Western Reserve over Purdue after hearing advice he never forgot. A family friend told him, “You can go to Purdue, and they’ll teach you how to be a hammer mechanic. Or you can go to Case [Western Reserve], and they’ll teach you how to think.” That idea resonated deeply—and still does. For both Chuck and Judy, the Case experience prepared students not just for a first job, but for a lifetime of adapting, contributing and leading.

Their own story began on campus as sophomores during orientation leader training. Though life pulled them in different directions for a time, they reconnected as seniors. The rest, as they say, is history.

That spirit of engagement has defined their relationship with the university ever since. Over the years, the Brandmans have volunteered in countless ways, from remaining active within the alumni community to representing Case Western Reserve at college fairs in the Houston area, where they have seen awareness of the university grow steadily through countless interactions with prospective students.

Chuck, who once served as editor of the Case Tech student newspaper and later took on several alumni leadership roles, jokes that he “doesn’t know how to say no” when asked to help. Judy has the same instinct for service across several organizations. Together, they have consistently given their time because they believe in what the university provided them.

Now, they are giving back in another lasting way.

The Brandmans recently established a scholarship to support undergraduate students across the university, regardless of their area of study. The openness of the scholarship is not by accident. The couple wanted it to reflect their different academic paths and their shared belief that a CWRU education can shape students of every discipline. 
 

​​“We want to support students who don’t just go to class, but are actively contributing in a meaningful way to the campus community,” Judy explained.

For Chuck and Judy Brandman, this scholarship is both a sign of gratitude and an invitation. It is a way to honor the university that shaped them, and to encourage a new generation of students to make the most of all that Case Western Reserve has to offer.