Jessica Wojtalik and Anycia Grady (SAS ’10) receive 2024 Innovator of the Year awards

Anycia Grady and Jessica Wojtalik hold their Innovator of the Year awards

Congratulations to Anycia Grady (SAS ’10), chief executive officer at Change Agents to Barriers of Equitable Living (C.A.B.E.L.), and Jessica Wojtalik, assistant professor, who received Alumni and Early Career Innovator of the Year awards, respectively. Learn more about them below.

Innovation Week brings together students, faculty, alumni and industry leaders to share ideas, showcase projects and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of the Case Western Reserve University community.

During Innovation Week, taking place Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, you can tour some of CWRU’s facilities that support innovation, entrepreneurship and discovery, participate in a hands-on Design Sprint workshop at think[box] or check out the Pitch Your Poster Contest. Faculty can attend the five-day Faculty Founder Workshop Series to learn about founding a startup and other commercialization entrepreneurship skills.

Monday through Thursday, lunchtime sessions—at which a free meal is provided—will feature captivating keynotes or panels as well as award presentations. The full week of events kicks off today with an opening luncheon, featuring a keynote address from James A. Kenyon, director of NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and presentation of the 2024 Faculty Distinguished Research Awards. 

This year’s Milestone awards will be presented across two lunchtime sessions: Wednesday’s ‘SEEK’ Contest and Awards and Thursday’s Industry Panel Discussion. The 2024 Innovator of the Year awards will be presented during Tuesday’s luncheon, which also features a keynote speech by Patrick Hanley, research and development director at Dow Inc.

These awards are intended to honor members of the Case Western Reserve University community who have demonstrated exceptional levels of innovation in specific areas. All members of the campus community are encouraged to attend the event to support the award recipients.

Registration is required to attend any of the events, including presentations, workshops, tours and pitch competitions.

View the full schedule and register for events today


Innovator of the Year: Alumni

Anycia Grady (SAS ’10)

Chief executive officer at C.A.B.E.L.

Change Agents to Barriers of Equitable Living (C.A.B.E.L.), a nonprofit founded by Anycia Grady (SAS ’10), aims to increase minority professionals in the community by removing barriers and challenges to excelling in their careers.

One such barrier for mental health providers was obtaining sufficient supervision hours to secure licensure. Through C.A.B.E.L., Grady created “Seeking Supervision,” a groundbreaking solution to the mental health provider shortages. The approach includes a web-based matching service for professionals, a BIPOC supervisor pipeline, and reduced waitlists to help provide access to 1.8 million Ohioans.

By increasing the number of credentialed professionals in fields such as healthcare, mental health, finance and others, C.A.B.E.L. and Grady are working to promote equitable access to resources for community members.

“Anycia Grady (SAS ’10) is a dedicated CWRU alumni innovator who has developed initiatives that leverage technology in two unique ways to address and truly impact a serious community problem,” said Nada DiFranco, executive director of alumni and donor relations at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.

Innovator of the Year: Early Career

Jessica A. Wojtalik

Assistant professor, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

Only a handful of social work scholars conduct research in serious mental illness (SMI), and even fewer are capable of conducting novel translational research connecting cognitive neuroscience and intervention data. Jessica Wojtalik is one of those few.

Blending neuroimaging with community-based mental health treatment research to better understand and improve outcomes for people with SMI, such as schizophrenia, Wojtalik’s efforts have led to a published study on measuring functional disability in SMI, and a seat on the Data Collection and Research Committee for Clubhouse International. 

“Dr. Wojtalik utilizes her unique lens as a social worker to conduct cutting-edge and highly innovative research,” her nominator wrote. “And she applies this research in real-world settings at her community partnership with Magnolia Clubhouse, a Cleveland-based community program supporting people with SMI.”

Wojtalik’s work is gaining international attention, earning her prestigious awards from the National Institute of Mental Health, as well as teaching awards within the Mandel School and a nomination for the CWRU John S. Diekhoff Award for Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring/Teaching last year.

Learn more about the other five Innovator of the Year award winners.