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Alumnus’ gift breathes new life into campus facility

Tucked away on the southwest corner of the Case Quad, Olin Hall doesn’t radiate power or suggest what’s happening inside is on the cutting edge. Opened for the 1961–62 school year, the building’s flat limestone facade and neatly aligned and recessed windows almost make it seem as if it were hiding.

Thanks, in part, to a $1.5 million gift from alumnus Kevin Kranzusch (CWR ‘90), Olin Hall has a considerably more noticeable future.

Cosmetic improvements to the entrance will set the stage for extensive upgrades to the building’s interior—inspiring and supporting the next generation of students in the recently established Department of Computer and Data Sciences.

First-phase renovations will be targeted toward student engagement and collaborative activities. A reimagined and more open two-story lobby will welcome guests, while the building’s third and fourth floors will be reconfigured to include student lounges, recitation and study spaces, and a research lab to showcase interdisciplinary research.

Vipin Chaudary, PhD, chair of the computer and data sciences department and the Kevin J. Kranzusch Professor, is excited for the collaborative opportunities that will be possible through this renovation: “With the recent surge in the number of computer and data sciences students on campus, we have not been able to create space for computer and data science-focused students, their student clubs, and academic recitation spaces,” he explained.

“This first phase of Olin Hall renovation is a great first step toward that.”

Venkataramanan “Ragu” Balakrishnan, PhD, the Charles H. Phipps Dean of the Case School of Engineering, sees the renovations as the beginning of another exciting era for the university.

"Advancements in computer and data sciences have spurred a technological revolution over the past decades, with yet more explosive growth to come,” Balakrishnan said. “By creating more spaces for hands-on learning, research, and collaboration, the renovations to Olin Hall will enhance our undergraduate and graduate student experience and allow us to continue providing a top tier education to the next generation of innovative leaders."

Originally published in the summer 2023 issue of Forward Thinking magazine