From CWRU Board of Trustees Chair Julie Gerberding

To our alumni and friends:

This year is truly one to celebrate. As Case Western Reserve University marks its bicentennial with exciting events and nostalgic looks back over the past 200 years, we see the incredible contributions our students, faculty, staff and alumni have made in their fields, their communities and society as a whole.

This progress was made possible because of supporters like you—individuals and organizations so committed to the impact of education that you’ve propelled breakthroughs and inspired new beginnings.

Take, for example, the first gifts from the citizens of Hudson, Ohio: $7,150 in subscriptions—including a $2,000 pledge from David Hudson—to incorporate Western Reserve College in 1826.

Or the endowment from Leonard Case Jr., who left $1.25 million and 200 acres of land to establish the Case School of Applied Science in 1880.

Over the years, so many have come together to achieve remarkable impact. It’s a longstanding tradition that endures today.

Throughout this issue, you’ll learn about some of our most recent transformative gifts. You’ll also learn about the momentum that’s driving our future. 

At Case Western Reserve, we’re developing leaders—whether through the establishment of a university-wide leadership institute housed inside Weatherhead School of Management (p. 8) or an expansion of a nurse leadership academy (p. 12). We’re supporting faculty members’ teaching and research with endowed professorships (beginning on p. 19) and a dedicated hiring initiative (p. 24). Most importantly, we’re creating exceptional opportunities for students through scholarships that make a CWRU education possible (p. 17).

We have so much to celebrate about our history, including recent achievements such as being named a “New Ivy” by Forbes, ranking in the top 25 in the U.S. on the TIME magazine best universities list and being the #1 fastest-growing research university in the Association of American Universities. 

There’s even more in store. I hope you’ll join me in reading about the gifts supporters like you make possible—and that you’ll stay connected with Case Western Reserve to learn what’s on the horizon.

Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH 
(WRC ’77, MED ’81)
Chair, Board of Trustees
Case Western Reserve University