Giving back and bringing Spartans together
Vin Tangpricha sees Alumni Association board service as a way to strengthen connections across the CWRU community
Pride in Case Western Reserve University, and a desire to help others experience that same connection, has shaped Vin Tangpricha’s service on the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
A proud alumnus and now the parent of a recent graduate, Tangpricha (CWR ‘92) sees board service as a meaningful way to give back to a university that shaped both his own path and, years later, his daughter’s.
Tangpricha, a professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipids at Emory University, first became involved after attending a homecoming weekend and later serving on a board committee. He said the experience introduced him to a network of alumni who shared both pride in the university and a desire to stay connected.
That spirit is central to the work of the 18-member Alumni Association Board of Directors, which helps strengthen ties between CWRU and its graduates through engagement, volunteer leadership and alumni-driven ideas and initiatives.
“I was looking for ways that I could contribute back to CWRU for my outstanding education,” Tangpricha said. “I first served on a committee and then met so many wonderful alums that I felt I could contribute even more as a board member.”
Today, Tangpricha co-chairs the Communications, Development and Engagement Committee, which focuses on ways to connect alumni to one another and to the university. He is especially passionate about local chapter events and summer send-offs, which he sees as uniquely effective because they bring together not just alumni, but families as well—parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, incoming students and recent graduates all in one place.
Those gatherings help build the kind of lasting connections Tangpricha values most. He pointed to one especially memorable Atlanta chapter event, when alumni had the chance to meet Peter Hargrave (GRS ‘18) before his performance as Scar in The Lion King at the Fox Theatre.
He also believes mentorship is one of the alumni association’s biggest opportunities for growth. Alumni, he said, are often eager to help current students and recent graduates, even if younger Spartans may hesitate to reach out.
At the heart of Tangpricha’s service is a simple conviction: CWRU deserves more recognition than it sometimes receives.
“I have absolutely no regrets about going to Case Western Reserve,” he said. “I think that’s what motivates a lot of us—to spread the word that it’s a great university that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves”
