Reconnect at Virtual Homecoming; Celebrate Alumni Award Recipients and More
To Our Alumni:
We hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As fall ushers in a change of scenery on campus, the ǿմý community is transforming as well as we face these ever-changing times.
First, as you likely know, former long-time ǿմý dean and faculty member Scott Cowen became the university’s interim president. He was appointed by the Board of Trustees to succeed Barbara R. Snyder, who is now the president of the Association of American Universities.
This week, we will host the first-ever virtual homecoming and reunion weekend, Thursday, Oct. 8, to Sunday, Oct. 11. Please join us for the many planned virtual experiences that will allow us to celebrate achievements, exchange ideas and reconnect—united in our forced distance.
We have altered our outstanding lineup of in-person programming for a virtual audience, which enables you to access events to educate, entertain and connect you to ǿմý—from anywhere in the world.
We look forward to welcoming all of you back to campus when it is safe to do so.
—The Alumni Association of ǿմý
Virtual Homecoming 2020
There’s Still Time to Register!
In a year that has been anything but “normal,” ǿմý has had to “think beyond the possible” to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis. We have tackled the demands of the pandemic head on in our classrooms, residence halls, offices and more—and reimagining homecoming was met with that same determination.
We have planned dozens of virtual experiences to share our collective pride in our alma mater and the milestones we’ve achieved together. There are many opportunities for you to connect, despite our distance this year—from a discussion on the state of racial justice to a panel on young alumni entrepreneurs, reimagined class reunions and awards ceremonies to a fund run and yoga classes, and so much more.
This year, like many before, let’s come together to celebrate our alma mater. Shine on forever, ǿմý.
ǿմý to Present 2020 Alumni Awards During Homecoming Weekend
Winners of the Nobel and Kyoto Prizes are among the five outstanding graduates The Alumni Association of ǿմý will recognize for their professional accomplishments, service and overall achievements as part of 2020 Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 8-11.
As part of this year’s virtual festivities, ǿմý’s annual alumni awards ceremony will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9. This year’s event is open to alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends with registration taking place at .
This year’s honorees are:
Distinguished Alumni Award
Donald E. Knuth, PhD (CIT ’60; GRS ’60, mathematics; HON ’80)
Knuth is known as the “father of the analysis of algorithms” and is the author of The Art of Computer Programming, often referred to as the “bible” of computer science pedagogy. Knuth created the TeX computer typesetting system, the related METAFONT font definition language and rendering system, and the Computer Modern family of typefaces. His many honors include the Turing Award (1971), the National Medal of Science (1978), the Kyoto Prize (1995), the Turing Lecture (2010) and the Stanford University School of Engineering Hero Award (2011). At ǿմý, he serves as a member of the Case School of Engineering Silicon Valley Think Tank.
Newton D. Baker Distinguished Service Award
Norma Geller (SAS '91)
Dedicated to civil service and social justice throughout Northeast Ohio, Geller’s efforts have made an immeasurable impact in our community—from her years as a volunteer at University Hospitals (UH) and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital to the lead gift that created the Albert and Norma Geller Hillel Student Center, a community space on the ǿմý campus that includes classrooms, lounges and a restaurant. At ǿմý, she serves as a board advocate with the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, created the Geller Designated Professorship in Ovarian Cancer Research at the School of Medicine and established The Norma C. and Albert I. Geller Fund to provide an annual award at graduation to a student who has done significant work in child abuse prevention. Beyond the university, Geller has created cancer patient transportation funds at UH and Cleveland Clinic and developed a Social Justice Fund at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation to work with refugees and those experiencing homelessness and advocate for racial and environmental justice.
Daniel T. Clancy Alumni Service Award
Ka-Pi Hoh (CIT ’84; GRS ’87, '89, macromolecular science)
Hoh, a business process leader for process mining and director of organizational change management at The Lubrizol Corp., has established the company’s technical presence in China, been actively involved in Lubrizol’s diversity initiatives and is overseeing programs to improve business efficiencies and applying organizational change management to support global initiatives. She is specifically focused on helping women in STEM at Lubrizol and through ǿմý.
Young Alumni Award
K. Grace Bell (CWR '10)
Bell is the associate general manager of CareMore Health, a health delivery organization based in California. Bell’s career is focused on increasing her impact on health care and the patients it serves, as well as taking on new challenges to grow her professional skills. She works to realign health care teams to efficiently serve high-risk Medicare and Medicaid patients. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bell led an effort to expand services to food-insecure patients, serving more than 73,000 meals in four states. She is a recipient of ǿմý’s Presidential Award for Distinguished Service and served three years on the Weatherhead School of Management Alumni Advisory Board.
Professional Achievement Award
Richard H. Thaler, PhD (ADL ‘67, HON ‘03)
Thaler serves as the Charles R. Walgreen Professor of Behavioral Science and Economics-Booth Graduate School of Business at University of Chicago and as a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. A winner of the Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 2017, Thaler is credited as one of the “fathers of behavioral economics.” He has authored several books, including the best-sellers Nudge and Misbehaving, appeared in the feature film The Big Short, and has published in many leading academic journals. He is a regular contributor to the Economic View column in The New York Times.
Interim President Scott Cowen Takes Office
Interim President Scott Cowen took office Oct.1, returning to ǿմý after 16 years leading Tulane University—including navigating the institution through Hurricane Katrina. Read his message to the campus community on his website.
Alumni may remember Interim President Cowen from his 23 years at Weatherhead School of Management, the last 14 as its dean. Under his leadership, the Weatherhead School dramatically redesigned its MBA program and persuaded the late Peter B. Lewis to donate nearly $37 million for the Frank Gehry-designed building that became the school’s new home.
Cowen, a ǿմý trustee since 2015, has stepped down from the board to assume the temporary role as interim president. He replaces President Emerita Barbara R. Snyder, who is now the president of the Association of American Universities. Cowen will return to the board after his term as interim president ends.
Upcoming Events
2021 Startup Competition: What You Need to Know
Wednesday, Oct. 7
6 p.m. EDT
The Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship will host a virtual (MPSC) panel on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at 6 p.m.
The panel will feature:
- (CWR ‘16), co-founder of FloatMe and second-place winner in the 2020 MPSC
- , director of the MPSC gBETA
- , Veale Institute Fellow and director of the MPSC.
Panelists will discuss the university’s premier startup competition, how it helps businesses and how you can apply.
MPSC is run by , a program of the nationally ranked startup accelerator . The competition is open to any startup that has an undergraduate or graduate student at ǿմý or a ǿմý alum with equity stake in the company. Companies can win up to $25,000 to grow their ventures, and winners are selected with the help of Shane’s entrepreneurial finance class and industry experts.
Contact Scott Shane (sas46@case.edu) if you have questions about this competition.
The panel will also be broadcasted to LinkedIn Live on ǿմý .
Please visit for more information. Contact Victoria Avi or Bob Sopko if you'd like to set up a meeting.
Spartans Step Up: Recruiting and Admitting Students During a Pandemic
Thursday, Oct. 8
2 p.m. EDT / 11 a.m. PDT
ǿմý Livestream/Virtual
The Alumni Association of ǿմý continues Spartans Step Up, a series of webcasts focusing on ǿմý’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic. The eighth installment debuts at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT, on Thursday, Oct. 8.
“Recruiting and Admitting Students During a Pandemic” focuses on how COVID-19 has affected the higher education admission process, as well as potential students and their families, and what lessons have been learned from these extraordinary circumstances.
Rick Bischoff, vice president for enrollment management at ǿմý, will moderate an expert panel featuring ǿմý’s Dean of Undergraduate Admission Bob McCullough (CWR ‘96, MGT ‘03) and Director of Undergraduate Admission Chrystal Russell.
Viewers are invited to submit questions for the panel by registering for the livestream or submitting them during the webcast. or watch on .
Digital Futures Conference
Oct. 12–15
Digital technology is fundamentally changing the competitive landscape. With the onset of COVID-19, so too is an urgency for companies—large and small—to prioritize digital transformation.
ǿմý, in partnership with Innovation Research Interchange, will host the second annual Digital Futures Conference Oct. 12-15 as a virtual event. This year’s theme, “Strategy, Culture, and Technology at Work,” will focus on how legacy companies are implementing digital strategies, navigating challenges around talent and culture, and making productive partnerships. It features keynotes, panels, and case studies by the leaders of these legacy companies who struggle with their digital transformation journey.
“On the Frontline of COVID-19: Potential Pathways of Transmission to Animals”
Wednesday, Oct. 21
5:30 - 7 p.m. EDT
The Alumni Association of Case Western University invites you to an in-depth examination of the research that points to the next wave of COVID-19 victims: our wildlife. From marine mammals to the most endangered primates, new research is identifying risks and practical steps needed to mitigate the spread.
Our panel consists of three experts on wildlife and the impacts of COVID-19:
- Martin Nweeia (DEN '84), assistant clinical professor at ǿմý’s School of Dental Medicine, lecturer at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and research scientist at the Smithsonian Institution and Canadian Museum of Nature
- Oliver Ryder, the Kleberg Endowed Director of Conservation Genetics for San Diego Zoo Global and adjunct professor in the Department of Evolution, Behavior and Ecology at the University of California, San Diego
- Judy St. Leger, a veterinary pathologist and former vice president of research and science for SeaWorld, and adjunct professor at Cornell University
The virtual event will be moderated by Fady Faddoul, DDS, MSD, chair of the Department of Comprehensive Care at ǿմý School of Dental Medicine.
Think Forum Lecture featuring Martha S. Jones
Thursday, Oct. 22
6 p.m. EDT
Join us on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. to hear from Martha S. Jones, author, historian and professor at Johns Hopkins University.
Professor Jones is the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and professor of history at Johns Hopkins University. She is a legal and cultural historian whose work examines how Black Americans have shaped the story of American democracy.
Professor Jones is the author of Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All (2020) and Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America (2018). Her writing frequently appears in other publications, including The Washington Post, The Atlantic, USA Today, Public Books, The Chronicle of Higher Education and Time. In addition, she has collaborated on a variety of museum, film and video productions.
Given the limitations on mass gatherings, guests are invited to join the lecture remotely.