Dean Joy K. Ward
BThomasHart Photography

Last November, I was lucky enough to be in the audience when the Roe Green Theatre at the Maltz Performing Arts Center hosted its inaugural production. As you will see in the cover story for this issue of art/sci, it was a truly memorable event. The Roe Green Theatre is at the heart of the Maltz Center’s new east wing, a superbly designed space that fulfills the dreams of our generous donors, the students and faculty in our Department of Theater, and the larger university community. The center stands as a symbol of Case Western Reserve’s comprehensive excellence, demonstrating that we value the arts and humanities as highly as we value the sciences. No wonder the performance attracted a full house of spectators, many of whom were enjoying live theater for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

As I watched the production, I had trouble believing the actors had been confined to Zoom for the past two years, unable to appear onstage and communicate directly with an audience. Their artistry and vitality, both as individuals and as an ensemble, made it seem as if they’d never been away. The cast included both theater alumni and current students, and I know the quality of their performances owed much to their experience learning from and collaborating with members of our faculty.

I also know that students across the college benefit tremendously from the connections they forge with their professors. We are blessed with faculty members whose devotion to research, scholarship and creative projects is matched only by their commitment to cultivating the next generation of leaders and innovators. The results of their exemplary teaching, advising and mentoring aren’t always as publicly visible as a theater production. But their impact on their students, and thus on the future of our society, is immeasurable.

Working with and serving our faculty is the greatest honor of my career. My position as dean has given me a comprehensive view of their extraordinary accomplishments, their collaborative spirit and the sacrifices they make to advance knowledge and support their students. I admire them all the more when I reflect on their responses to the challenges of the pandemic—adapting to new teaching modalities even as they were striving to keep their research and other endeavors on track.

Just look at this issue, and you will see how our faculty prevailed over adversity. In a list we call art/sci, etc. (see the College News section), you will find a rush of good news that arrived shortly before we went to press—awards, grants, important publications. It’s impossible for any single magazine to do justice to such an abundance of achievements.

Ever since I assumed my duties as dean in 2020, I have been seeking new ways to support and reward our faculty. Last year, for example, the college launched the Expanding Horizons Initiative, which provides seed funding for projects involving interdisciplinary collaboration and student participation. I am delighted to say that Eric W. Kaler, our new university president, and Ben Vinson III, our provost and executive vice president, share my commitment to such efforts and are working with the college on other faculty support initiatives, to be announced in the coming months.

A portion of the honor we pay to our faculty in this issue is extended to two beloved professors we lost last year: Wojbor Woyczyński and Jim Sheeler. Nothing could be as moving to me as their students’ reminiscences and expressions of gratitude. We will always remember them, emulate them and be grateful for the years they were in our midst.

Joy K. Ward
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Professor, Department of Biology