art sciCyrus C. Taylor, the Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics, recently completed hisfirst year as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. For almost two decades beforeassuming this post, he had served Case Western Reserve University as a researcher andteacher, a member (and often the chair) of multiple committees, an administrator, anda founder of innovative programs.

Dean Taylor earned his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A formerTruman Scholar, Lilly Foundation Teaching Fellow, and John Simon Guggenheim Fellow,he was named a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2003 in recognition of hisleadership of the Physics Entrepreneurship Program (PEP), which integrates a graduateeducation in physics with a business curriculum.

In a recent interview, Dean Taylor discussed the College’s educational mission, its relationship with the alumni, and its future.

/Thinking Across

BoundariesAN INTERVIEW WITH DEAN CYRUS C. TAYLOR

Photo by Vera Tobin

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES VOL. 4 / NO. 1 FALL 2007

YYou joined the faculty as an assistant professorof physics in 1988. What first attractedyou to the university?

Actually, one of the main attractions wasthe stellar quality of the students. Thiswas something I recognized when I camehere for my job talk in the spring of 1988.

At that time, string theorists were busydeveloping models of the early universe. And I knew of a paper done at this university, with careful numerical

simulations, casting doubt on one oftheir suggestions.

After I had given my talk and met thefaculty, I was walking down a hallwaywith Bob Brown, and I noticed a copyof this paper hanging on the wall in thephysics department. So I turned to Boband said, “Where are you hiding yourpostdocs?” You see, this was the kind ofwork typically done by postdoctoral stu-dents—but I hadn’t met any of them atmy talk. Then Bob pointed to the list of

authors and said, “Those are undergrad-uates.” It turned out that the paper hadbeen written entirely by undergraduates,doing state-of-the-art research in one ofthe sexiest fields there is.

These were great students, and this wasa great culture for fostering the students.I’d always resented how undergraduateswere treated at the other institutions Iwas associated with, so this was justincredibly refreshing.

Continued on page 6

2 a r t / sc i fa l l 2007

s t u d e n t n e w s

Shaan C. Gandhi, a chemistry and biochemistry majorwho became an active cancer researcher well before he grad-uated in May, was named a Rhodes Scholar for 2007 andhas now begun advanced studies in immunology at theUniversity of Oxford.

A Goldwater Scholar during his senior year, Gandhi studiedmechanisms of cancer cell development in the laboratory ofMichael A. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Departmentof Biochemistry in the School of Medicine. Earlier, he wasawarded internships and research grants by the NationalInstitutes of Health, Memorial Sloan-Kettering CancerCenter, and the Mayo Clinic.

The Rhodes Scholarships are the world’s oldest and best-known international fellowships. Approximately 85 RhodesScholars are selected each year and invited to pursueadvanced degrees at Oxford. Gandhi was one of 32Americans chosen in 2007; the other winners includedrecent graduates of Yale, Harvard, Duke, Stanford,Princeton, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

While an undergraduate, Gandhi was president of theModel United Nations Society and active in the GlobalMedical Initiative, which sends medical supplies to develop-ing countries, raises money for disaster relief efforts, andfosters awareness of global public health issues. He has been a medical volunteer in India, in Guyana, and at theVeterans Affairs Medical Center in his hometown of BattleCreek, Michigan.

Gandhi was featured in the latest issue of The Value ofResearch, an annual publication celebrating groundbreakingwork across the university. “I cannot think of a better placethan Case Western Reserve University for a student to par-ticipate in research,” Gandhi said. “As an undergraduate, Ihave been able to pursue my research interests with everyadvantage that a major research university has to offer,including the support of Case’s scientists and scholars, alleager to work with students.”

To receive a copy of The Value of Research, produced by theOffice of Research and Technology Management, please contactLinda Clark at (216) 368-1072. n

SHAAN GANDHI SELECTED AS RHODES SCHOLAR

Photo by Daniel Milner

n Arthur Evenchik, Sarah Fritsch and Karyn Newton –Co-editors

n Susan Zull – Contributor

n Academy Graphic Communication, Inc. – Layout, Design and Printing

art/sci is distributed to alumni, faculty, staff, and friendsof the College of Arts and Sciences at Case WesternReserve University.

Visit the College online at www.case.edu/artsci.

art sci/

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 3

BIOCHEMISTRY STUDENT NAMED GOLDWATER SCHOLARSheeba Joseph, a senior biochemistrymajor, is one of 317 undergraduatesawarded a prestigious Barry M.Goldwater Scholarship for 2007-08.The Goldwater Scholars are outstand-ing juniors and seniors who plan topursue advanced degrees and careers in mathematics, engineering, and thenatural sciences. Joseph and her fellowrecipients were chosen from among1,110 applicants nationwide.

Joseph entered the university knowingthat she wanted to become a doctorand an oncology researcher. During herfirst year, she approached NancyOleinick, professor of radiation

oncology at the School of Medicine,seeking a research opportunity.Eventually, she began working alongside

investigators in Oleinick’s lab, studyingthe processes by which photodynamictherapy destroys cancer cells.

Joseph came to Case Western Reserveas a National Merit Scholar and was a2004-05 semifinalist in the Siemens-Westinghouse International ScienceCompetition.

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarshipand Excellence in Education Foundationwas established by Congress in 1986.For many recipients, the Goldwateraward is a step toward other honors,such as a Rhodes or Marshall scholar-ship or a Fulbright fellowship. n

FOR THOMAS TEETS, A HERTZ FELLOWSHIPThomas Teets,who graduatedlast spring with adegree in chem-istry, was one of15 students thisyear to receive agraduate fellow-

ship from the Fannie and John HertzFoundation. He has now begun hisstudies at the Massachusetts Instituteof Technology.

The Hertz Foundation’s mission is toidentify and cultivate talent in the appliedphysical, biological, and engineeringsciences. Hertz Fellows receive full,unrestricted support over five years,enabling them to pursue innovativeresearch at any one of more than 40leading universities. This year’s fellowswere selected from a field of 580candidates.

In a letter to art/sci, Teets described hisscientific work as an undergraduateand the evolution of his interests as hebegins his career at MIT:

“I did undergraduate research withThomas Gray, assistant professor ofchemistry. My research with Dr. Grayfocused on the preparation and charac-terization of transition metal complexesof tetraarylazadipyrromethenes; someof these compounds have potential usein photodynamic cancer therapy, alight-based cancer treatment. Thiswork has led to a publication inInorganic Chemistry, and a secondpaper is currently in the review process.

“I moved to Boston in early July tobegin work in the laboratory of DanielNocera at MIT. My work in Nocera’slab is geared towards the preparationand study of bimetallic light-driven

catalysts for the production of hydrogengas from inorganic acids. Our group,in collaboration with several other labsaround the country, aims to develop a means of hydrogen production thatwould lead to the use of hydrogen as a clean, sustainable fuel source. AfterLabor Day, I started coursework and a teaching assistantship at MIT, and in November I will officially join aresearch group for the duration of the Ph.D. program.”

Since 1963, the Hertz Foundation hasawarded more than 1,000 graduate fel-lowships, investing (in current dollars)more than $100 million. In addition tofinancial support, the foundation statesthat it provides mentoring, organizessymposia, and helps sustain a peer network through which fellows can“share ideas and explore opportunitiesthroughout their careers.” n

Photo by Susan Griffith

4 a r t / sc i fa l l 2007

A new Arts and Sciences initiative is enabling students to attendoverseas lectures and symposia, participate in seminars withpeers at foreign universities, and engage in other internationallearning experiences via webcast or videoconference.

Established with a three-year grant from the McGregorFund, A World-Wide Learning Environment (WLE)encourages Arts and Sciences facultymembers to develop courses that connectundergraduates with fellow studentsand with scholars around the globe.Grant monies may be used foradvance trips to establish or sustaininternational collaborations, for visitsby international scholars serving aslecturers or co-teachers, and for anarray of technology-based interactions.

One of the first faculty members toseize this opportunity was JohnGrabowski, Krieger-Mueller AssociateProfessor in Applied History anddirector of research at the WesternReserve Historical Society. WLEoffered Grabowski a new path towarda longtime goal: establishing academicand cultural exchanges between Case Western Reserve andBilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, where he has twiceserved as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer.

Last spring, Grabowski taught a shared seminar on thehistory of museums in Turkey and the United States. Twicea week, as he spoke to six students in a technology-enhancedclassroom in Crawford Hall, his lectures were broadcast liveto Bilkent. The technology also allowed students from bothsites to work together on research projects comparing thedevelopment and current operations of a Turkish and anAmerican museum or archive.

Eventually, class members from the two universities met inperson. Over spring break, with support from the Institutefor Turkish Studies in Washington, D.C., Grabowski andhis Case Western Reserve students traveled to Ankara. Then,in August, five of the Turkish students made a reciprocalvisit to Cleveland, thanks to a generous contribution fromLes and Alice Webster and additional funding from Bilkent

University and the Sage ClevelandFoundation.

Grabowski says that teaching the courseraised several intriguing questions. “Whatkinds of pedagogical techniques areeffective in a mixed-culture environment?What is the teacher’s role in a worldwhere so much information is soreadily available?” He also had to workthrough logistical and administrativechallenges, since, for example, thetwo universities operate on differentacademic calendars.

As a specialist in immigration history,Grabowski is committed to helpingstudents cross national and culturaldivides. “I want to provide students

who are open and receptive with a reality different from whatthey’ve learned,” he explains. “I want them to meet theirclassmates on the other side of the camera, and learn how tobuild bridges based on understanding and mutual respect.” n

Global Reach for UndergraduatesTHE COLLEGE CREATES A WORLD-WIDE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

John Grabowski and his students before the BlueMosque in Ankara, Turkey. Front row, from left: Adam Rupe, Katherine Disimoni, Ryan Kelley. Second row, from left: Mieon Han, John Grabowski,Alice Warner, and Ciera Herron.

The members of the WLE steering committee areassociate deans Molly Berger and Jill Korbin andchief information officer Thomas Knab. For moreinformation about WLE activities, please visitwww.case.edu/artsci/wle/.

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 5

Cheryl Toman isassistant professor ofFrench andFrancophone studiesin the department ofmodern languagesand literatures and a

member of the program faculty inWomen’s Studies and Ethnic Studies.She spent spring 2007 as a FulbrightScholar at Lebanese AmericanUniversity in Beirut.

What is your background? I was a first-generation college student,born and raised on Chicago’s segregatedsouth side. My family is of EasternEuropean origin; my grandparentscouldn’t read or write. Growing up in a working-class environment, Ilearned a lot about racism, sexismand intolerance, which may be why Iended up in the fields I have (Women’sStudies and African Studies). I did myundergraduate work at the Universityof Illinois-Chicago, with a year at theSorbonne in Paris. I earned an M.A.from the University of Chicago, andthen a Ph.D. in InterdisciplinaryFrench Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Considering your areas of expertise, Beirutseems a rather unusual destination foryour Fulbright. What was the focus ofyour work there? Actually, Lebanon was a more logicalchoice than one might think. Frenchis one of the languages spoken there,as Lebanon was a French mandateuntil 1943. As for women’s studies, Icame to Lebanese American University

to work with the Institute for Women’sStudies of the Arab World. Earlier, in2005, I had organized a teleconferencebetween the Institute and Case WesternReserve on “Women, War, Music, andIdentity.” The professional relationshipsI developed at the time led to thisexperience.

During my Fulbright semester, I taughta graduate seminar on sub-SaharanAfrican feminist literature, my primaryspecialization. I also edited a guestissue of Feminist Forum, a well-knownjournal in women’s studies, on thetopic of women and war. It was excitingto work with the Institute on thisproject, and also to invite contributionsfrom scholars worldwide who are currently working and thriving inconflict regions.

What was it like to live in Lebanon?When the average American thinks ofLebanon, I believe he or she thinks ofa desert or a war zone. But it is also abeautiful country on the MediterraneanSea, with mountains as a backdropand a sprawling, diverse city as itscapital. There is a mixture of religions,so you see churches and mosqueseverywhere; it’s beautiful to hear theMuslim call for prayer from themosques five times a day.

When you describe the experience to yourfaculty colleagues, what do you tell them?I advise them to consider applying fora Fulbright. Lebanon has 31 universities,and they enjoy wonderful intellectualexchanges. The possibilities are reallyendless. n

Our Fulbright Scholar inBeirutWLE-FUNDED PROJECTS

In addition to the Case WesternReserve/Bilkent seminar, four facultyproposals have been funded by AWorld-Wide Learning Environment:

Christopher Cullis (biology)Biotechnology Laboratory: Genes andGenetic EngineeringIn this fall 2007 course, undergraduatesare collaborating with South Africanstudents and scientists to develop newmolecular markers for underutilizedAfrican crops.

Brian Gran (sociology)Sociology of Children’s RightsIn spring 2008, students from CaseWestern Reserve will join studentsfrom Queen’s University Belfast tolearn about and debate the rights ofchildren and young people.

Laura Hengehold (philosophy)Gilbert Doho and Cheryl Toman(modern languages and literatures)Collaboration between Case WesternReserve and University of Buea,CameroonIn addition to electronically mediatedexchanges between students at thetwo universities, this project will bringliterary scholar Nalova Lyonga toCleveland and help prepare Arts andSciences undergraduates for a visit toBuea in spring 2008.

Mark Turner (cognitive science)Informal Undergraduate Interactionswith International PeersWith WLE support, the cognitivescience department has acquiredhardware and software enabling studentsto engage in high-quality, simultaneousvideoconferencing with internationalcontacts. n

Since then, you have worked with these “great students” as aclassroom teacher and as a lead researcher. How have yourideas about teaching evolved?

Let me tell you a story. I started out teaching a course innumerical methods and data analysis, and after a couple ofyears, I published a paper about integrating computer technologyinto the course. (Back then, this was still a novelty; the physicsbuilding was the only building on campus connected to whatwould later be called the Internet.) Unfortunately, there wasone lecture each year where I would lose 20 percent of thestudents. They would just decouple from the class—theireyes would roll, and they would either drop the class or fail.

Then I became a LillyTeaching Fellow, and webrought Karl Smith, anexpert in cooperativelearning, to visit campus.Frankly, the whole idea of “cooperative learning”sounded namby-pamby tome, but I’d heard someoneat a teaching conferencesay that it had changed her life. So, at one of oursessions, I told Karl mydilemma and asked how he would solve it. Karl told me what he would do:Stop lecturing, describe theproblem, divide the class into groups, and turn them loose.(That’s a bit of an abbreviated description.)

I went into class figuring, first, what have I got to lose, andsecond, if it fails the way I expect it to fail, I don’t have toworry about this cooperative learning stuff anymore. So Icould hear myself setting it up for failure as I was describingthe process. But when I circulated during the next class, Iwas dumbfounded. The amount of work the students haddone was an order of magnitude greater than anything Ihad asked them to do before or been able to get them todo. When I gave the test I’d given in the preceding twoyears, the tail of the distribution disappeared. And thebonds forged in this class carried across into other classesthese students were taking in the physics department.

The other faculty noticed. They had been noticing thechaos in my classroom and raising their eyebrows—butnow they noticed the impact. So we invited Karl back for aphysics colloquium, and brought cooperative learning intoseveral of our classes as a supporting strategy. And I think itwas part of a real revolution in the approach to teaching atthe university—a revolution that has continued with theCollege’s leadership of the SAGES program.

Today, students from your data analysis class are among theCollege’s 34,000 alumni. In your first year as dean, what haveyou learned from the alumni, and what have you tried to com-municate to them?

One of the pleasures ofbeing dean has been theopportunity to travel andmeet many of our alumniaround the country, in avariety of professions andwalks of life. It’s not justthat we have stellarstudents now; we’ve hadstellar students through-out our history. I wasimpressed before, and I have become moreimpressed with every trip.

The real manifestation of the university in the

world is the alumni. And Case Western Reserve should notjust be a place where the alumni were at an earlier stage intheir lives. It should be an ongoing resource for them.There should be an organizational network that meets theirneeds—and that enables them to weigh in on how we canmeet the needs of our current and future students.

I look forward to working with our alumni to build a better university. We want Case Western Reserve to have the samekind of impact on current and future students that it didon our alumni, in terms of shaping their future lives andcareers. Working with alumni is one of the most excitingways in which we can maintain the vitality of the institutionand strengthen its reputation.

6 a r t / sc i fa l l 2007

INTERVIEW WITH THE DEAN CONTINUED

In that context, what are your priorities as dean?

We are now embarking on a process to develop a strategicplan for the College. Though many of our departmentshave done effective planning on their own, there has neverbeen a self-study or strategic plan for the College as awhole. Let me mention a few areas that such a plan iscertain to address.

First of all, facilities. We have programs with passionate facultyand passionate students, but the facilities we provide forthem are a long way from where they should be. Considerperforming arts. Eldred Theater is a fine building, but ourtheater program doesn’t have the performance space that aprogram of its excellence should have. Similarly, the facilitiessupporting musical activities are woefully inadequate. Thefaculty involved have done an incredible job of making do,but I think our students deserve better. So this is going tobe a challenge.

Second, there are areas where we can improve delivery toour students. One of the questions that we’ll be asking allof the departments is, “Are our curricular offerings the rightones for the first quarter of the twenty-first century?” Inmany universities, curricula have become ossified. Thephysics curriculum hasn’t changed a great deal in fifty years.As a college, we have already begun to address this issuethrough SAGES. But SAGES is just the first step in whatneeds to be a continuing process of reevaluating everythingwe do.

Finally, with respect to research, we have areas that are alreadyvery strong, and other areas, such as cognitive science, wherewe are developing world-class programs. Out of the strate-gic planning process, I expect a renewed resolution to investin areas of strength as well as in new initiatives offeringgreat promise. We have extraordinary opportunities forpartnerships, both within University Circle and with programsinternationally. I’ve been meeting with heads of UniversityCircle institutions to talk about coordinating our efforts,and I’m challenging people to think across boundaries andinstitutions as we look for ways to be truly distinctive.We’re at the point now where I expect a lot of ideas to becoming forth. n

Are our curricular offerings the right ones for

the first quarter of the twenty-first century?

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 7

On June 2, the board of trustees approved the adoptionof a new logo for Case Western Reserve University. Thedesign, a modernized representation of the traditionalsun that appears in the historical crests of WesternReserve University and Case Institute of Technology, waschosen through a review process that solicited opinionsfrom thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, andfriends of the university.

One impetus for the creation of the logo was a reportissued in February by the Branding Task Group,appointed by interim president Gregory L. Eastwood.Noting that “the rich history and traditions of bothCase Institute of Technology and Western ReserveUniversity were equally significant in the decision 40years ago to create Case Western Reserve Universityand in the development of that new institution in thesucceeding decades,” the report called on the universityto identify itself in a fashion that acknowledged “WesternReserve University as an equal partner with Case.”

Developed in-house by the marketing and communicationsoffice, the logo features the university’s full name andthe year (1826) in which the first of its predecessorinstitutions, Western Reserve College, was established.At the far left, a stylized sun, viewed as if from space,rises over the Earth. Although light is a universalemblem of knowledge, this sun has a more specific significance as well; its eight rays represent the university’seight schools and colleges. The upper right-hand cornerof the boxed design has been left open, as a symbol oflimitless potential.

Cyrus C. Taylor, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences,welcomed the adoption of the new logo, noting that itsselection involved “an unprecedented level of input from,and interaction with, the university community.” Headded, “My hope is that this logo captures both thehistory and the collective aspirations of all the university’sstakeholders, and especially of the alumni.” n

A TRADITION RESTORED

a l u m n i n e w s

8 ar t /sc i fa l l 2007

A Great and Enduring Legacy

Over the next several years, researchers in the College ofArts and Sciences will be seeking new ways to repair tissuedamage in the human body—to regenerate the heartmuscle of cardiac patients, for instance, and restore cartilage in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis.Undergraduates preparing for research careers will studyintroductory and advancedbiology in upgraded labs,complete with the latestscientific equipment andinstructional technology. Thedepartment of physics willrecruit new faculty, certain thatit can cover the startup costsfor their research. And theCollege will have additionalresources to support facultyparticipation in SAGES, theuniversity’s undergraduateseminar program.

All of these activities will be made possible through the generosity of L. DavidBaldwin (CIT ’49), who recently donated $1.6 million tothe College through the Case Alumni Association. A long-time benefactor, Baldwin has given the university nearly$4.5 million over the past decade to support both scientificresearch and undergraduate education. Commenting onBaldwin’s latest gift, Cyrus C. Taylor, Dean of the Collegeof Arts and Sciences, remarked, “David’s impact on, andlegacy within, the university is great and enduring.”

A major portion of this legacy will be the new L. Davidand E. Virginia Baldwin Program for Cell-Based Therapy,housed in the biology department’s Center for SkeletalResearch. Directed by Arnold I. Caplan, the Center hasdone pioneering work investigating mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs). MSCs are adult stem cells, produced by the body’s

bone marrow, that can differ-entiate into the cell types thatmake up virtually all of thebody’s skeletal and connectivetissues. Whether they becomebone, cartilage, muscle, fat,tendon or ligament—andthese are just some of thepossibilities—depends on theenvironmental stimulationthey receive.

When Caplan and hiscolleagues began their researchon MSCs twenty years ago,their first challenge was tofigure out how to isolate thecells, harvested from human

donors, and grow them in culture. Then, in the early1990s, they learned to manipulate the culture environmentand thus induce the cells to differentiate into specific typesof tissue. More recently, they have developed methods toprompt the formation of skeletal tissue by MSCs implantedin experimental animals. This research raises an excitingpossibility: that MSCs could be used to regenerate humantissue destroyed by injury or disease.

L. DAVID BALDWIN DONATES $1.6 MILLION FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

L. David and E. Virginia Baldwin

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 9

income students would have earned if they had taken ordinarysummer jobs instead.

As part of the new initiative, the political science departmentwill name one of its faculty members as internship coordinatorand begin creating lists of internship programs. “We areparticularly interested in working with local governmentsand policy-oriented organizations, and with alumni around thecountry, to craft internships, paid or unpaid, for our students,”says Joseph White, professor and chair of political science.

White notes that prospective students and their parents oftenask about internship opportunities. They realize that potentialemployers and graduate programs are looking for workexperience as well as academic achievement. Beyond this, Whitebelieves that experiential learning is critical in “roundingout” an undergraduate education in political science. “Ithink we do pretty well in the classroom,” he says. “But I’mreally glad that we’ll be able to help on the experiential side,thanks to Ms. Hill’s generosity.” n

Alumna Endows Political Science InternshipsFor students majoring in political science, a summer internshipwith a government agency, a Washington think tank, or anadvocacy organization can provide direct exposure to therealities of policymaking and the political process. It canalso give students an advantage in competing for jobs oradmission to graduate school.

Now, thanks to an endowment gift from Elizabeth MichelleHill ’97, political science majors in the College will haveenhanced opportunities to become interns. Each summer,four to five students will receive grants of up to $4,000 fromthe Wellman Hill Political Science Internship Program. Theprogram is named for the donor’s grandfather, who devotedhis life to government service. Ms. Hill herself graduatedfrom Case Western Reserve with a bachelor’s and a master’sdegree in political science.

The Wellman Hill grants will pay for travel, accommodations,and other costs associated with internships. And, since mostinternships are unpaid, the grants will help make up for the

To illustrate, Caplan gives the example of a patient whosecardiac tissue has been damaged by a heart attack. Becausethe quantity of MSCs that humans produce diminisheswith age, the patient may not have enough of these cells torepair the damage. But suppose that doctors could introduceculture-grown MSCs from another person into the patient’sbloodstream. The MSCs, Caplan says, would “home to sites of tissue injury and initiate self-repair activities.”

Researchers have identified another therapeutically valuableproperty of MSCs: they produce macromolecules that cansuppress the immune system, especially at sites of injury,disease, or inflammation. For patients with autoimmunediseases such as rheumatoid arthritis—that is, diseases in

which the immune system attacks the body’s own cells—such suppression could help prevent or limit tissue damage.Moreover, the macromolecules offer the further benefit ofhelping to stimulate the process of tissue regeneration.

“I felt Arnold Caplan’s research was very promising,”Baldwin says. “I wanted my gift to make a difference, andhis research has shown its potential to have applications inseveral diseases.” For example, MSC therapies for Crohn’sdisease and heart disease are currently the subject of clinicaltrials, and the Baldwin Program for Cell-Based Therapy willpursue research that could lead to treatments for asthma aswell as for rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions. n

10 a r t / sc i fa l l 2007

SETTING THE STAGE FOR

Little more than a decade ago, the College’s theater departmentjoined with The Cleveland Play House to create what hasbecome one of the nation’s preeminent graduate programsin professional acting. Students in the three-year programearn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree while acquiring thetraining and experience necessary for successful theatrical careers.

Now, the program is celebrating thegenerosity of Walter and Jean Kalberer,whose leadership gift helped the MFAprogram raise $1 million to supportthe Class of 2010. Walt (ADL ’55) isa trustee of The Cleveland Play Houseand chair of its development committee;

Jean (FSM ’55, LAW ’81) is also a trustee and chair of theeducation committee. Meanwhile, the university and TheCleveland Play House have embarked on a $10 millionendowment campaign to secure the future of what programdirector Ron Wilson calls “the newest jewel in the crown ofselect MFA acting programs.”

AN IMMERSION EXPERIENCEWilson, who chairs the department of theater and dance,calls the program an “immersion experience.” Studentsreceive professional training in acting, voice, and movement,as well as onstage experience in MFA ensemble performancesand mainstage Play House productions. According to associateprogram director Mark Alan Gordon, they also learn “common-sense strategies for surviving in the world of castingagents, directors, and publicists.” A final showcase auditionallows students to demonstrate their talents before NewYork agents and managers. As an added benefit, they earnan Actors’ Equity card along with their diplomas.

“The industry here in New York is finding these studentswell trained and ready to work,” says casting director PaulFouquet, who coaches the MFA students for the auditions.“One hundred percent of the last graduating class foundrepresentation by an agent at last year’s showcase. That’shuge for a new program. These kids are booking jobs andannihilating the competition.”

Such success has contributed to the program’s visibility,prestige, and attractiveness to prospective students. In2005, the program received 1,400 applications and held500 auditions, as compared with 100 applications and 50auditions in its first year. When Wilson made offers to thetop eight students from the 2005 pool, all of them acceptedand said that the program had been their first choice.

THE BENEFITS OF THE ARTSBecause they receive tuition waivers and annual stipends,the young actors can devote themselves entirely to the theaterduring their years of study. The Kalberers say that this featuresets the program apart from its rivals and enables it toattract the best students.

“We are delighted with the work Ron and Mark Alan dofor the MFA program,” the Kalberers add. “They are talentedactors and great teachers, and they have a remarkable effecton the students. We’ve seen them interact over time, as eachnew class becomes a family. Their enthusiasm is contagious!”

Named“Philanthropistsof the Year” for2006 by theClevelandchapter of theAssociation ofFundraisingProfessionals,the Kalberersaffirm the importance of supporting theater and the arts ingeneral: “The current funding focus is somewhat slantedtoward science and health care. This isn’t necessarily bad,but we need to more fully realize the benefits of the arts.Creative people contribute to the greater good on manylevels, and we support efforts that encourage creativity.”

For details about the MFA program’s endowment campaign,please contact Harriet Wadsworth in the College’s developmentoffice at (216) 368-6243. n

Acting Program’s Future

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 11

FRIENDS OF ART BECOMES THE COLLEGE’S NEWEST AFFINITY GROUPFriends of Art is a new volunteer organization that promotesand supports the department of art history and art throughadvocacy and educational activities. The group offers itsmembers and guests opportunities to attend lectures,exhibitions, and gallery tours, and to interact with art historians and others interested in the visual arts.

The department of art history and art at Case Western ReserveUniversity is a major center of teaching and research, closelyconnected to one of the world’s finest art museums. Since1968, the department and the Cleveland Museum of Art haveoffered joint graduate degrees in art history and in art historyand museum studies. The department’s art education andstudio programs are housed in a newly renovated space thatallows students to interact with Cleveland’s community of practicing artists. The art education division, whichrecently celebrated its centenary, is allied with The Cleveland Institute of Art.

Founding members of Friends of Art are Sally Smith (president), Sally Rub, and Lee Warshawsky. For information about membership and a calendar of events, contact Natalie Samples at (216) 368-0096 or natalie.samples@case.edu. n

F R I E N D S O F A R T

Inaugural reception for the Friends of Art at the home of Sally Smith.From left: Harvey Buchanan, professor emeritus of art history; Lee Warshawsky, a founder of the Friends of Art; Penelope Buchanan;David Warshawsky; associate provost Kathryn Karipides; and HenryAdams, professor of art history.

From Alberto Rey’s Cuban Portrait Series:Hilda, Agramonte, Cuba (oils on plaster)

EXHIBITIONS HIGHLIGHT LATIN AMERICAN AND ITALIAN AMERICAN ARTThis fall, the Program in Art Studio andArt Education will present four exhibi-tions on identity and diversity in LatinAmerican and Italian American art. Allare curated by Lynette Bosch, professor

of art history at the State University ofNew York at Geneseo and a visitingSAGES Fellow this semester.

LATIN AMERICAN ART FROM TWOPRIVATE CLEVELAND COLLECTIONS.September 30–October 11. Openingreception on Sunday, September 30, 2–4 pm, with a lecture by the curator.

THE ITALIAN AMERICAN FAMILY ALBUM:INSTALLATION BY TOM MACPHERSON.October 14–October 25. Opening recep-tion on Sunday, October 14, 2–4 pm, witha gallery tour by the artist and the curator.

ALBERTO REY: CUBAN-AMERICAN ARTIST.October 28–November 16. Openingreception on Sunday, October 28, 2–4 pm, with a lecture by the artist. Inaddition, a symposium devoted to Rey’s

work will take place on Friday,November 2, 2–4 pm.

TRES AMIGOS: ELADIO GONZÁLEZ,BARUJ SALINAS, RAFAEL SORIANO.November 11–16. Opening receptionSunday, November 11, 2–4 pm, with a gallery tour by the curator.

All events will be held at the Art StudioFacility (the “Greenhouse”) at theintersection of Murray Hill and AdelbertRoads. They are made possible throughthe generous sponsorship of the College’sdepartment of art history and art, TheCleveland Institute of Art, St. LawrenceUniversity, State University of New York atBuffalo (SUNY), the College of the HolyCross, the Geneseo Foundation, and theFriends of Art at Case Western ReserveUniversity. n

12 a r t / sc i fa l l 2007

When AnneHelmreich, associateprofessor of art history, joined theArts and Sciencesfaculty in 2004, sheparticipated in aweekly seminarexploring the topicof homelands andsecurity. Her colleagues includedother faculty members as well asvisiting artists,

community leaders, and two guest scholars who presentedpublic lectures and exhibitions that fall. The experienceintroduced Helmreich to the Baker-Nord Center for theHumanities, which had organized the seminar to serve itstwofold mission: fostering humanities scholarship and artisticpursuits at Case Western Reserve University, and sparkinginterest in these endeavors in the larger Cleveland community.

Now, as the Baker-Nord Center enters its twelfth year,Helmreich has become its director. She succeeds TimothyK. Beal, Florence Harkness Professor of Religion, who hadserved in the post since 2003. A scholar of Western Europeanart from the mid-eighteenth through the early twentiethcenturies, Helmreich also pursues several interdisciplinaryinterests, including the history of photography, gender studies,and museum studies. She was the Baker-Nord Center’s associatedirector in 2006-07.

EXPANDED PROGRAMMINGThe Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities was establishedin 1996 with an endowment gift from Jane Baker Nord(GRS ’76) and Eric J. Nord (CIT ’39). Over the past threeyears, it has received additional support in the form ofPresidential Initiative Funds provided to the university byThe Cleveland Foundation. This support enabled the Centerto create the annual Baker-Nord Seminar that Helmreichjoined during her first year in the College. Every fall, a new

cohort of seminar participants gathers on campus to examinea general theme—such as “Childhood,” “Information,” or“Medical Humanities”—from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Then in the spring, the Center sponsors HumanitiesWeek, a series of public lectures and discussions, films, exhibitions, and performances devoted to that same theme.

The Presidential Initiative Funds allowed the Center toexpand its support for arts and humanities scholarship inseveral other ways as well. For instance, the Center hasawarded up to ten travel grants each year to faculty membersconducting research abroad, as well as dissertation completionfellowships to outstanding doctoral students. Additionalprograms and activities have been funded by the Center’sendowment. These include pre-dissertation research grants,monthly Work-in-Progress colloquia in which faculty memberspresent their research, and a recently launched panel discussionseries that provides faculty and students with practical adviceon such topics as “Getting Published” and “Getting Funded.”

Finally, the Baker-Nord Center has expanded its collaborationswith other College programs, with University Circle institutions,and with local foundations and arts organizations. For threeyears now, for instance, the Center has joined with TheCleveland Foundation and with SAGES to sponsor theAnisfield-Wolf/SAGES Lecture, a public event held in SeveranceHall in connection with the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards.

CITYSCAPESThe Center’s connections to the community will be enhancedthis fall as the Baker-Nord Seminar takes up the theme of“Cityscapes.” As Helmreich explains in this year’s Baker-Nordpreview book, “The seminar aims to explore the city as acrucible of creative change, investigating its roles in humancultures in the past and envisioning possible futures. Thelatter is especially significant for our historic moment whenmany cities, particularly older cities like Cleveland, face profoundshifts in population, infrastructure, politics, and self-identity,among other issues.”

Nine College faculty members will join the seminar, alongwith participants from the Mandel School of Applied Social

The Public Face of the Arts and Humanities THE BAKER-NORD CENTER WELCOMES A NEW DIRECTOR

Photo by Vera Tobin

CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 13

Sciences, the College of Architecture and EnvironmentalDesign at Kent State University, and The ClevelandInstitute of Art. In addition, the Center has appointed threevisiting fellows who will participate in the seminar and givepublic lectures this fall. They are Robert Bruegmann, professorof art history, architecture, and urban planning at theUniversity of Chicago at Illinois; Thomas Sugrue, EdmundJ. and Louise W. Kahn Professor of History and Sociology atthe University of Pennsylvania; and Carl Pope, a conceptualartist whose installations have been exhibited at the Museumof Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, andthe Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago.

During his Baker-Nordresidency, Pope will be atwork on “The Mind ofCleveland,” a project that elicits and displaysClevelanders’ thoughtsabout their city. Popedescribes the project as “a public conversation inbillboard and poster form,a conceptual town meetingwhere everyone has theopportunity to be heardpublicly.” In addition,Pope will present anexhibition in the Reinberger Galleries of The ClevelandInstitute of Art in March 2008.

The Center’s exploration of cityscapes will culminate in anational conference, conducted jointly with The ClevelandInstitute of Art, during next spring’s Humanities Week.Conference panelists will discuss what the arts and humanitiescan contribute to our understanding of the city and explorecontemporary issues in urbanism.

Helmreich says that by bringing visiting scholars to campusfor such events, the Center gives the College’s faculty andstudents “the opportunity to exchange ideas with peoplewho are shaping their fields.” At the same time, these visits

enhance the College’s reputation: “Everyone who comes herehas been so impressed with our faculty. I think they’veenjoyed the fact that it’s a very congenial atmosphere, butalso serious and hard-working.”

DIGITAL HUMANITIESFor a new “Contemporary Thinkers” series, the Center hasbegun taping the Baker-Nord Visiting Fellows’ public lecturesand interviewing them about their research interests. “Thevisiting scholars have been wonderfully forthcoming inexplaining how they became interested in a topic and why itis important to them,” Helmreich says. The lectures and

interviews are nowavailable on the Baker-Nord website (www.bakernord.org), for bothteaching and referencepurposes.

In another Internetinitiative, the Center issponsoring virtual work-shops (informally knownas “wikshops”) that engageCollege faculty memberswith colleagues from otherinstitutions. Participantscommunicate via an inter-

active website called a Wiki. Working with Thomas Knab,the College’s chief information officer, the Center is creating,hosting, and maintaining the wikshops and will fundoccasional face-to-face meetings of their members.

Helmreich does not seem daunted by the prospect of overseeingsuch a broad range of activities. “The biggest challenge,” sheacknowledges, “is to continue the quality programming, andthe scope of programming we’ve had, in a constricted fundingenvironment.” To this task, she brings a simply stated beliefin the Center’s importance: “I think of the Baker-NordCenter as the public face of the arts and humanities at thisuniversity.” n

Clark Hall, the home of the Baker-Nord Center, was renovated in 1999 with agift from Eric and Jane Nord. Photo by Susan Griffith.

14 a r t / sc i fa l l 2007

With its combination of festive and scholarly events, Alumni Weekend andHomecoming offers you the chance to renew relationships, celebrate yourCase Western Reserve University experience, and enjoy an exciting weekendin the heart of University Circle in Cleveland.

Highlights of the weekend include:

• A Grand Classes Luncheon with University Update by President Barbara R. Snyder

• Grand Opening and Dedication of The Alumni House

• Taste of Cleveland Celebration at The House of Blues

• Flora Stone Mather Alumnae Reunion Tea and Campus Tour

• 2nd Annual GospelFest Celebration

To see a full list of events or to register, please visit

www.case.edu/alumni/weekend or call (800) 866.6280.

We hope you can join us!

This year, the College of Arts and Sciences has planned a special series of lectures, luncheons, and receptions for itsalumni:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5Lecture by Gladys Haddad, Adjunct Professor of American StudiesFlora Stone Mather: Daughter of Cleveland’s Euclid Avenueand Ohio’s Western Reserve3:00–5:00 pmGuilford House

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Breakfast and Update with Dean Cyrus Taylor9:00–10:30 amAlumni House

Class Lecture with Mary E. Davis, Professor of MusicBackstage Pass: The Rock Hall at Case Western ReserveUniversity10:30 am–12:00 noonClark 309

Adelbert Class of 1957 Luncheon12:00 noonTable 45, InterContinental Hotel

Wine and Cheese Reception7:00 pmSAGES Central, first floor of Crawford Hall

Alumni Weekend and HomecomingOCTOBER 4 – OCTOBER 7, 2007

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F A L L 2 0 0 7 CalendarOctoberTHURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 4:00 PMMusic & Culture Lecture SeriesMichael Marissen, Swarthmore CollegeAnti-Jewish Sentiment in Baroque MusicClark 206

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 12:30 PMLectureDavid K. Shipler, author of The Working Poor:Invisible in America, the 2007 Common Readingfor First-Year StudentsAmasa Stone Chapel

OCTOBER 5-6 AND 11-13, 8:00 PM

OCTOBER 7 AND 14, 2:30 PMEldred Undergraduate Theater SeriesWhat the Butler Saw, by Joe Orton, directed byJohn JensenTickets available from Eldred Theater Box Officeat (216) 368-6262 or at the door. Prices: $10(regular admission), $7 (seniors 60+ andfaculty/staff ), and $5 (students with ID)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 8:00 PMCollegium Musicum ConcertGilles Binchois and His World, featuring visitingartist Scott MetcalfeHarkness Chapel

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 11:45 AM-1:00 PMCase Conversations on Children in Research andPolicy, sponsored by the Child Policy Initiative,Schubert Center for Child StudiesClaudia Coulton, Lillian F. Harris Professor,Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, andMolly Irwin, director, Child Policy InitiativeChildren’s Participation in Out-of-School Activities:The Impact of Family and Neighborhood1914 Lounge, Thwing Center

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 7:30 PMCase Western Reserve Choral ShowcaseHarkness Chapel

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 4:00 PMWind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, and GuestBand (TBA) ConcertSeverance HallTickets available from Severance Hall Box Officeat (216) 231-1111. $15 (general admission) and$25 (box seating)

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15, 7:30 PMCase Baroque Orchestra Fall Concert #1Harkness Chapel

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 6:00 PMThird Annual Distinguished Alumni Lecture inArt HistoryRoger Mandle, President, Rhode Island Schoolof DesignInamori International Center for Ethics andExcellence, Crawford Hall

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 4:00 PMMusic & Culture Lecture SeriesClaudia Gorbman, University of Washington, TacomaSongs and Meaning in the MoviesClark 206

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 4:30 PMBaker-Nord Seminar Visiting Fellow LectureThomas J. Sugrue, University of PennsylvaniaJim Crow’s Last Stand: The Struggle for Civil Rightsin the Suburban NorthWolstein Research Building Auditorium

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 7:30 PMChapel, Court and CountrysideThe King’s Noyse – Renaissance Violin BandThe Golden Age of the Violin Band: TheEntertainment of KingsHarkness ChapelTickets available from the Department of Musicor at the door. $27 (general public), $23 (seniorsand members of early music societies). Freeadmission to students from Case Western Reserve,Cleveland Institute of Music, and ClevelandSchool of the Arts; $10 for all other students.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 3:00 PMJoan Terr Ronis RecitalWinners of the Joan Terr Ronis Recital Prize performHarkness Chapel, with reception in Guilford Parlor

OCTOBER 24-26, OCTOBER 31, AND NOVEMBER 1-2, 7:30 PM

OCTOBER 27 AND NOVEMBER 3, 4:00 PM AND 7:30 PM

OCTOBER 28, 2:00 PMCase/CPH MFA Acting EnsembleBrooks Theatre, The Cleveland Play HouseAs You Like It, by William Shakespeare. directedby Edward Morgan (Guest Artist)Tickets available from The Cleveland Play HouseBox Office at (216) 795-7000

31THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 4:00 PMACES Advanced Distinguished LectureTheda Skocpol, Harvard UniversityPrimary lecture for the conference “Toward aComparative Politics of Gender: Advancing theDiscipline along Interdisciplinary Boundaries”Ford Auditorium, Allen Memorial Medical Library

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 4:15 PMWork-in-Progress ColloquiumSandra Barnes (Sociology)Priestly and Prophetic Influences on Black ChurchSocial ServicesClark 206

MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 7:30 PMLecture and RecitalCheryl Moore, doctoral candidate, Departmentof MusicThe Life and Works of Luigi RossiHarkness Chapel

November THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 6:00 PMRichard N. Campen Lecture in Architecture and SculptureJane Weinzapfel, FAIA, founding partner, Leers Weinzapfel AssociatesThwing Ballroom

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 4:30 PMLectureMarjorie Agosin, award-winning poet andauthor, Luella LeMer Slaner Professor atWellesley CollegeClark Hall, Room 309Refreshments starting at 4:00 pm

NOVEMBER 9-10 AND 15-17, 8:00 PM

NOVEMBER 11 AND 18, 2:30 PMEldred Undergraduate Theater SeriesThe Shadow of a Gunman, by Sean O’Casey,directed by Mark Alan GordonTickets available from Eldred Theater Box Officeat (216) 368-6262 or at the door. Prices: $10(regular admission), $7 (seniors 60+ andfaculty/staff ), and $5 (students with ID)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 7:30 PMCase Percussion Ensemble ConcertHarkness Chapel

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 8 PMAmerican Music Masters Series, 12th Annual Tribute Concert“Whole Lotta Shakin’: The Life and Music of Jerry Lee Lewis,” hosted by Kris KristoffersonState Theatre, Playhouse Square

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 11:45 AM-1:00 PMCase Conversations on Children in Research andPolicy, sponsored by the Child Policy Initiative,Schubert Center for Child StudiesDavid B. Miller, Mandel School of AppliedSocial SciencesThe Impact of Urban Hassles as Chronic Stressorson Adolescent Mental HealthSpartan Room, Thwing Center

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 4:15 PMWork-in-Progress ColloquiumMartin Helzle (Classics)Clark 206

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 7:30 PMCase Western Reserve Concert ChoirHarkness Chapel

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2007, 2:30 PMWind Ensemble ConcertHarkness Chapel

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2007, 7:30 PMCollegium Musicum Harkness Chapel

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19Guest lecture sponsored by the Schubert Centerfor Child Studies and the Center on UrbanPoverty and Community DevelopmentThomas S. Weisner, UCLANew Hope for Working Poor Families and Their ChildrenTime and location TBA

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 7:30 PMCase Baroque Orchestra Fall Concert #2Harkness Chapel

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 4:30 PMBaker-Nord Seminar Visiting Fellow LectureCarl PopeRecent Public Projects and “The Mind of Cleveland” Art ProjectWolstein Research Building Auditorium

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 7:30 PMWindi and Jazzi XIX – Annual SymphonicWinds and Jazz Ensemble ConcertThwing BallroomTickets available from the Department of Musicat (216) 368-2400. $8 each, or $56 for a table of 8.

DecemberSATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 7:30 PMWindi and Jazzi XIX – Annual SymphonicWinds and Jazz Ensemble ConcertThwing BallroomTickets available from the Department of Music at(216) 368-2400. $8 each, or $56 for a table of 8.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2:00 PMCase Western Reserve Concert Choir in HolidayCircleFest ConcertChurch of the Covenant, 11205 Euclid Avenue

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2, 3:00 PMCase Camerata and University Singers ConcertHarkness Chapel

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 7:30 PMCleveland Youth Wind Symphonies I and IIConcertSeverance Hall. Tickets available from theSeverance Hall Box Office, (216) 231-1111. $15 (general admission), $25 (box seating).

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 4:15 PMWork-in-Progress ColloquiumCatherine Albers (Theater and Dance)Clark 206

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 5 PMMusic & Culture Lecture SeriesByron Adams, University of California RiversideThe Far Country: Elgar, Proust & Constructions of Memory in the Fin-de-SiècleHarkness Chapel

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