Mike Shafarenko (CWR '05)

Just last year, this St. Louis native secured a $3 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to create the Civic Commons—an online conversation space dedicated to hyper-local news, social media experimentation and—of course—civic engagement. Today, as president of Civic Commons, Shafarenko is a master community builder. In 2010 he was named one of Crain's Cleveland Business' 40 Under 40.
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Five 2011 Cleveland Arts Prizes Awarded to CWRU Alums
Winners to be Honored at CMA's Gartner Auditorium on June 28

Marcie Goodman (WRC ’77), Marsha Dobrzynski (SAS ’96), Natalie Epstein (FSM ’49, GRS ’74), Tom Hinson (GRS ’76) and A. Grace Lee Mims (LYS ’53) will be recognized for their contributions to the arts at the 51st annual Cleveland Arts Prize event on June 28. Created in 1960, The Cleveland Arts Prize is the oldest award of its kind in the U.S.

Goodman, executive director of the Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), will be awarded with the Robert P. Bergman Prize, which recognizes leaders whose lives and work are devoted to creating a democratic vision of the arts. Dobrzynski, Epstein, Hinson and Mims will all be awarded the Martha Joseph Prize for Distinguished Service to the Arts, which is awarded annually to individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to the vitality and stature of the arts in the area in a variety of ways. Read more.

Join Us for Alumni Weekend 2011—
Registration Opens July 1

With more than 60 unique events to choose from, Alumni Weekend 2011 is shaping up to be an absolutely must-attend event! New for 2011 are THINK Forums—including a tour of the future Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at the Temple-Tifereth Israel, a panel of experts taking your questions about the student experience of tomorrow and an alumni version of alumnus Bernard Jim’s popular SAGES course, Puzzled. In addition to this exciting new series, you won't want to miss the All Alumni Luncheon, honoring our Grand Class alumni on Friday, October 14 at 11:30 a.m. Join us as we announce the 2011 Alumni Association Award winners and hear President Barbara R. Snyder deliver the State of the University. Check out the full schedule today and get ready to register!

College of Arts and Sciences

New Research Shows Plenty of Water in the Moon’s Interior

James Van Orman, professor of geological sciences, and researchers from Carnegie Institution for Science and Brown University recently released their findings that there is more water in the moon’s interior than previously measured—up to 100 times more. The findings come from tiny melt inclusions discovered within samples brought back by Apollo 17. Van Orman noted that "these samples provide the best window we have to the amount of water in the interior of the moon" and that "the interior seems to be pretty similar to the interior of the Earth." Read more.

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Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

FPB Names Mary E. Kerr as New Dean

Case Western Reserve University President Barbara R. Snyder announced that Mary E. Kerr will become the new dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, effective July 18.

Kerr comes to FPB after five and a half years as deputy director of the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health. She will also be the inaugural holder of the May L. Wykle Endowed Professorship in Nursing. Read more.

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Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences

National Organization of Forensic Social Work Names Award for MSASS Grad

Judge Sol Gothard (SAS '57) was honored by The National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW) with the introduction of The Sol Gothard Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual conference in May. The award's first recipient was its namesake.

"As a social worker and judge, Sol has been at the forefront of bringing social workers into the legal system so that they may better serve their clients. He has worked tirelessly to win recognition for the role of social workers in the legal process and to encourage social workers to participate in the legal system," said Paul Brady, executive director of NOFSW. From this point on, the award will be given annually to someone whose lifetime of service as a social worker epitomizes the advancement of practice and education in forensic social work. Read more.

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School of Dental Medicine

Another Wonderful Reunion Weekend
Tom Van Dyke, DDS (DEN '73), is Distinguished Alumnus of the Year

Thank you for attending Reunion Weekend 2011!

We had 250 people attend Friday evening's reception, to mingle with classmates, friends and faculty. Saturday's gala dinner, in honor of 2011 Distinguished Alumnus, Tom VanDyke, DDS (DEN '73), welcomed nearly 100 people to celebrate his achievements. Van Dyke is one of the nation's top researchers and is now conducting studies that could revolutionize the way dental professionals treat periodontitis and inflammation-induced bone destruction.

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School of Law

Law School Hires Several New
Legal Scholars

The School of Law is extremely pleased to report several faculty appointments and hires. Our newest additions to the faculty include distinguished legal scholars: Juscelino Colares, Avi Cover, Charlie Korsmo and Ruqaiijah Yearby. Andrew Pollis, a current professor in the law clinic, has also received an appointment as assistant professor of law on the tenure track and Richard Gordon has received an appointment as professor of law with tenure. Read more.

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School of Medicine

Damaged Hearts Pump Better When Fueled With Fats
Research Holds Promise for Heart Failure Patients

Contrary to what we’ve been told, eliminating or severely limiting fats from the diet may not be beneficial to cardiac function in patients suffering from heart failure, a study at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine reports. Results from biological model studies conducted by assistant professor of physiology and biophysics Margaret Chandler, PhD, and other researchers, demonstrate that a high-fat diet improved overall mechanical function—in other words, the heart’s ability to pump—and was accompanied by cardiac insulin resistance.

The research, published in American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, suggests that for a damaged heart, a balanced diet that includes mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and which replaces simple sugars (sucrose and fructose) with complex carbohydrates, may be beneficial. Read more.

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Weatherhead School of Management

Weatherhead Celebrates Legacy of Char and Chuck Fowler

Like philanthropists Char and Chuck Fowler, business and sustainability are happily married at the Weatherhead School of Management. Noteworthy speakers, including university President Barbara R. Snyder, addressed students, faculty, staff, and members of the community, at a May 9 celebration of the Fowlers and their $7.5 million gift to establish the Fowler Center for Sustainable Value.

In his opening remarks, Roger Saillant, PhD, executive director of the Fowler Center, praised the Fowlers’ commitment to the triple bottom line: “We need more people like Chuck in business. We need more people like Char in philanthropy.” Dean N. Mohan Reddy, PhD, and Albert J. Weatherhead III, professor of management and professor of marketing and policy studies, announced that—fittingly—a tree would be planted at Weatherhead in living honor of the Fowlers’ legacy. Learn more about the Fowler Center.

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Management news

Case School of Engineering

S-DLE Center to Boost Durability, Lifetime of Solar Power Plants

Engineers at the Case School of Engineering are teaming up with industry to dramatically improve the productive lifetime of solar energy technologies, energy-efficient lighting, roofing, building exteriors and more. The effort received a boost from the state this week, when the Ohio Third Frontier Commission recommended a $2.88 million grant to help fund the Solar-Durability and Lifetime Extension Center at Case Western Reserve. Awarded under the Third Frontier Wright Projects Program, the S-DLE Center will include new labs and a sun farm on campus.

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Financial Spotlight

Tell the World

Did you know that the percentage of undergraduate alumni who give to the university has a direct impact on its ranking in U.S. News & World Report? By making a gift, you're telling the world what you already know—that Case Western Reserve University is among the very best in the nation. Learn more.