To Our Case Western Reserve University Faculty and Staff,
Please join me in celebrating the start of the 2023–24 academic year at Fall Convocation, which begins at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Maltz Performing Arts Center. Fall convocation is presented in partnership with Think Forum and will feature a keynote by the 2023 Elaine G. Hadden Distinguished Visiting Author Ruha Benjamin. Benjamin’s 2019 book, Race After Technology, is Case Western Reserve University’s 2023 Common Reading selection. She also is a recipient of the 2023 Stowe Prize for her 2022 book, Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want.
During the event, we also will celebrate our newest Distinguished University Professors—the university’s highest faculty honor that acknowledges contributions of full-time tenured faculty with exceptional records of research, scholarship, teaching and service. This year’s recipients are:
- Fabio Cominelli, professor in the Department of Medicine and Department of Pathology and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease at the School of Medicine, and a member of the Molecular Oncology Program at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center;
- Daniel J. Flannery, the Semi J. and Ruth W. Begun Professor and director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences; and
- Elina Gertsman, acting chair, professor of art history and the Archbishop Paul J. Hallinan Professor in Catholic Studies II in the Department of Art History and Art of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Faculty members who wish to participate in the academic procession must register online by Monday, Sept. 4. Please note: The deadline to order academic regalia is Friday, Aug. 18, and all regalia orders must be placed through the University Bookstore. For questions related to regalia, you may contact the bookstore by email, axr178@case.edu, or call 216.368.2650.
Members of the campus community who wish to attend convocation must complete the general admission registration.
In the meantime, you can learn more about Fall Convocation and address any questions to thinkforum@case.edu.
I look forward to seeing you at Fall Convocation and to the start of another successful academic year for our Case Western Reserve community.
Sincerely,
Eric W. Kaler
President