Cyrus C. Taylor

The past five years have been a period of extraordinarily rapid progress for Case Western Reserve University. The pace and extent of the changes are all the more remarkable when you consider the background environment—an environment far more challenging than anyone could have anticipated.

In 2008, only months after the university and the College of Arts and Sciences released ambitious strategic plans, we found ourselves in the midst of a global financial crisis. We faced—and continue to face—uncertainty about government funding for higher education, particularly with respect to research and student aid. We recognize that our future depends on our ability to respond creatively to technological, economic and social developments that are reshaping both our institution and the world around us.

I am extremely proud of our success in addressing such challenges. And I hope that every member of the college community shares my excitement about our achievements thus far.

Consider the ongoing improvements to our physical campus and its surroundings. During Homecoming Weekend last fall, we celebrated the opening of Uptown, a development that has transformed a barren stretch of Euclid Avenue into a lively urban neighborhood. At the heart of campus, the Tinkham Veale University Center is under construction and scheduled to open next year. We are currently refining architectural plans for the Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center at The Temple – Tifereth Israel, a magnificent and long-awaited home for our outstanding programs in theater, music and dance.

During the past five years, we have made significant faculty hires throughout the college, even as other research universities were canceling searches. The exceptional scholars and researchers who have joined our faculty have enabled us to strengthen existing programs and establish new ones in areas ranging from chemical biology to popular music.

We have been equally fortunate in obtaining support from government sources, private foundations and individual donors. In this issue of art/sci, for example, you will read about exciting initiatives made possible by donors including the Ohio Third Frontier Program, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and alumnae of Flora Stone Mather College.

It is especially gratifying to note that Case Western Reserve has become nationally competitive in attracting top students to its undergraduate programs. Our first-year class is the largest in the university’s history; just as important, it is the most diverse and academically accomplished. This influx of talented and dedicated students has created a more dynamic social environment and a richer network of opportunities for interaction.

With the lessons of the past five years in mind, the university and the college have now embarked on a new strategic planning process. One of our tasks is to articulate a vision for Case Western Reserve as it approaches its bicentennial in 2026. We have many reasons to contemplate the future with confidence, and I look forward to working with all of you to realize our hopes for this special place.

Cyrus C. Taylor

Dean and Albert A. Michelson Professor in Physics