From the President: A year and an institution for the ages
From the President
If this bicentennial year had been scripted for Case Western Reserve University, we simply could not have asked for a better one.
In 2026, we shared several achievements and recognitions—each is a point of pride, and together they reflect a commitment to excellence by our faculty, staff and students. TIME included CWRU as a Top 25 U.S. university on its list of World’s Top Universities of 2026. Forbes named us among its “New Ivies” and gave us an A+ grade in its report, “America’s College Financial Grades.” But most significantly, CWRU is now the #1 fastest-growing research university in the Association of American Universities. And that growth will be fueled by the Roger E. Susi Interdisciplinary Research Building, which opened in October and signals the arrival of our next era of life-changing innovation, discovery and talent. This new building was made possible by the very generous gift of Roger Susi (CIT ’77) and his family, together with considerable gifts and pledges from many other alumni, foundations and friends.
In fact, this year, the generosity of our donor community has been truly extraordinary. In April, we announced the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation’s historic gift of $125 million. That gift will establish the Mandel Humanities Building; will expand the Experimental Humanities Program and continue supporting its Mandel Fellows; will more than double the scholarship endowment capacity at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences through the establishment of the Mandel Dean’s Scholarships; and has created the Morton L. Mandel Presidential Chair, which I am honored to hold. That gift was the largest-ever received by CWRU, the largest-ever given by the Foundation and is believed to be the largest-ever given to higher education in the state of Ohio. Thanks to additional gifts of all sizes, we finished the 2026 Fiscal Year with a new fundraising record of $335 million. We are humbled by this remarkable level of support.
Likewise, an opportunity that aligned our strengths as a research institution and community partner came together with impressive results. NEO-SMART, an unprecedented coalition of more than 70 regional partners convened and led by CWRU, was one of 12 in the country to be awarded up to $160 million in funding over the next decade through the National Science Foundation Engines program. The coalition—which includes partners from industry, higher education, civic groups, government and philanthropy—seeks to make Northeast Ohio a national leader in materials and advanced manufacturing. This award underscores the critical role research universities like CWRU serve in driving economies and workforce development.
Our bicentennial has been exceptional indeed. Though these recent accolades, gifts and grants are tremendously validating, we continue to be driven by our mission and priorities: to improve lives through education, research and community engagement. And at a time of uncertainty within the landscape of higher education, it is also important to recognize the strength of our community, near and far, and its massive contribution to our sustainability. Together, we have made this year—and this institution—ones for the ages.
Illustration by Anje Jager
