{"id":3833,"date":"2023-03-14T09:42:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T13:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/?p=3833"},"modified":"2023-03-17T12:06:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T16:06:32","slug":"grabbing-the-string","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/2023\/grabbing-the-string\/","title":{"rendered":"ALUMNI AND DONOR NEWS"},"content":{"rendered":"

PULLING THE STRING<\/h2>\n

Norm Henderson<\/b>, PhD (GRS \u201960, \u201961, psychology), says serendipity played a critical role in taking him from a modest life in Queens, New York, to a successful academic career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"old

Marjorie and Norm Henderson at the Oberlin commencement that marked the start of his retirement. Photo courtesy of Norm Henderson<\/p><\/div>\n

The chance to test into a more rigorous high school empowered him to become a first-generation college graduate; mentorship in psychology at what\u2019s now Case Western Reserve University led to research on the genetic influences on behavior and teaching\u2014both of which would become career-long passions. And a temporary faculty opening at Oberlin College turned into a 45-year career there.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes opportunities present themselves and you can\u2019t let them slide by,\u201d said Henderson, now an emeritus professor of psychology at Oberlin. \u201cCase [Western Reserve] opened so many doors for me\u2014through education, but especially through faculty members who nudged me toward new experiences. Chance comes in a lot, and it\u2019s a question of whether you want to grab the string or not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, through an unrestricted commitment of $1.2 million, Henderson is handing the strings of opportunity to <\/span>Joy K. Ward<\/b>, PhD, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAn unrestricted fund is an invaluable asset,\u201d Ward said. \u201cIt gives us the freedom to dream big. The fund will allow us to support our faculty members in a variety of ways that will also benefit students, from catalyzing research and innovation in the classroom, to providing opportunities for travel and interdisciplinary networking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Henderson Family Fund pays tribute to another life-changing chance: Henderson crossing paths with the woman who became his wife, <\/span>Marjorie Henderson<\/b> (FSM \u201960), through their respective work-study jobs on campus. They married 18 months later and have two daughters and four grandchildren, including <\/span>Anna Cryan<\/b> (CWR \u201922), now in a CWRU master\u2019s degree program in bioethics and medical humanities.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI like the idea that [the endowed fund] can go on,\u201d Henderson. \u201cIt can continue to make an impact in 50 years, just as my education has done for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a saying that, to perform well, you need to have ability, motivation and opportunity. So many CWRU students have the ability and motivation and are just waiting for an opportunity. That\u2019s what I want to provide.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/span>Norm Henderson<\/b><\/p>\n

\n

HONORING FIVE ALUMNI FOR THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS<\/span><\/h2>\n

The College of Arts and Sciences recognized outstanding alumni for their contributions to their fields and to the lives of others during the 2022 Homecoming celebration in October.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Older

James \u201cGreat Neck\u201d Richman<\/p><\/div>\n

Distinguished Undergraduate Alumnus<\/b><\/h2>\n

James \u201cGreat Neck\u201d Richman<\/b> (ADL \u201972) is a CEO who expanded the family textile business into the global market; an activist who contributes to voter education and Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate; and a guitar-playing philanthropist whose gifts to Case Western Reserve University include a $1 million donation to the Center for Popular Music Studies that he gave with his wife, Elissa, and their family foundation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always tried to do good in the world,\u201d said Richman, a CWRU trustee who also is on the boards of other organizations, including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As an undergraduate, Richman\u2014a native of Great Neck, New York\u2014earned a psychology degree that gave him a better understanding of people and motivations, and the nickname \u201cGreat Neck,\u201d which is how he\u2019s still known from the U.S. Capitol to national and New York nonprofits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Richman joined his family\u2019s Richloom Fabrics soon after graduating. As the company grew, it put more profits into the family foundation, which donates to a range of educational institutions, Jewish organizations, New York charities and others. \u201cI like helping people,\u201d Richman said.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Distinguished Graduate Alumnus<\/b><\/h2>\n

Kent Cartwright, PhD (GRS \u201979, English), is such a preeminent Shakespearean scholar that he was selected to produce the annotated 2017 edition of the playwright\u2019s <\/span>The Comedy of Errors <\/span><\/i>for the internationally acclaimed Arden Shakespeare series.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kent Cartwright Photo by Pamela Cartwright<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cIt was an honor,\u201d said Cartwright, who still marvels over the play in ways that underscore both Shakespeare\u2019s artistry and his own boundless enthusiasm. \u201cIt never ceases to give me a physical thrill,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cartwright spent 35 years teaching at University of Maryland\u2019s main campus, where he is an emeritus professor after a career that included chairing the Department of English. He helped increase support for faculty research, improve conditions for graduate students, launch a center for literary studies and boost the department\u2019s student ranks and curriculum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cartwright\u2019s driving scholarly interest? How literature moves readers and audiences. He has written several books, most recently, <\/span>Shakespeare and the Comedy of Enchantment <\/span><\/i>(Oxford University Press). He also has served as a trustee of the Shakespeare Association of America and president of the Association of Departments of English, which represents about 700 college and university departments in the United States and Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

Distinguished Service Award<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"Black

Laurence \u201cLaurie\u201d Rubinow<\/p><\/div>\n

As chairman of the SBM Charitable Foundation in Manchester, Connecticut, for more than 20 years, <\/span>Laurence \u201cLaurie\u201d Rubinow<\/b>, JD (ADL \u201966), has played a key role in initiatives to improve the health and well- being of residents\u2014particularly children\u2014across a large swath of the state.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up with the mantra that it is one\u2019s obligation to give back,\u201d said Rubinow, a Manchester native.<\/span><\/p>\n

His father was a well-respected judge; his mother was the first woman on several community boards. A lawyer, Rubinow has served on public, private and nonprofit boards. He also was chairman of The Savings Bank of Manchester and its parent, which formed the SBM Charitable Foundation in 2000.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the bank negotiated a merger in 2003, Rubinow and his colleagues insisted the foundation remain independent \u201cas our legacy to the community.\u201d Today, it makes annual grants of more than $2 million dollars for health, human services, education, housing and the arts.<\/span><\/p>\n

What gives him the most philanthropic joy? The foundation\u2019s annual scholarships for students to attend colleges and graduate schools, he said, \u201cbecause education is the key that unlocks any door.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

Distinguished Young Alumna<\/b><\/h2>\n

Astronomer <\/span>Yvette Cendes<\/b>, PhD (CWR \u201909; GRS \u201911, physics), reached two milestones in 2021 that reflect her twin passions for discovery and broadly sharing her knowledge: She and colleagues discovered a black hole that, she said, acted in a way never seen before; and she also became an astronomy consultant for the <\/span>Guinness Book of World Records <\/span><\/i>at an editor\u2019s request, reviewing and suggesting records for the 2023 edition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"smiling

Yvette Cendes<\/p><\/div>\n

She called the first, \u201cthe greatest discovery of my life,\u201d and the second, \u201ca really neat way to introduce a lot of people to astronomy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Cendes is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian\u2014a collaboration between the two institutions. And she\u2019s an avid writer for publications including <\/span>Scientific American<\/span><\/i> and on social media, where her clear, explanatory \u201cAstronomer here!\u201d posts are read around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2021 discovery involved a black hole that emitted a fast-traveling jet of material a full two years after shredding a star. \u201cIt\u2019s really exciting not just because it\u2019s the first like this,\u201d Cendes said. \u201cIt [also] allows us a new way to test the physics of black holes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

Distinguished Young Alumna<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"Young

Tina Saw<\/p><\/div>\n

As an undergraduate at Case Western Res<\/span>erve, <\/span>Tina Saw <\/b>(CWR \u201910) met a campus dental professor who exposed her to a career that became her passion. \u201cI realized this is the kind of profession I want to be in,\u201d she said. \u201cI found myself, my voice and how to help people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Saw, DDS, and her husband, Thanh Luu, DDS, have a practice, Elevated Smiles, in Carlsbad, California, and co-founded two dental-product companies to benefit patients and providers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their first start-up, Light Solutions Co., is focused on producing cost-effective headlights and eyeglass magnifiers for dental professionals. Their company Oral Genome is developing a technology to quickly analyze saliva to help patients prevent dental diseases.<\/span><\/p>\n

Saw also is passionate about community service and has helped a man who was homeless and known for his good deeds get a smile makeover that included needed extractions and new teeth. The story was told on the local CBS affiliate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I change a patient\u2019s smile and oral health,\u201d Saw said, \u201cI boost their confidence and help them drive positive changes in their lives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

DEVELOPMENTS<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cDevelopments\u201d highlights recent philanthropic support for the College of Arts and Sciences from alumni, friends, corporations and other constituents.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Peter Armentrout<\/b> (CIT \u201975), PhD, the Henry Eyring Presidential Endowed Chair of Chemistry at the University of Utah, created the <\/span>Dunbar\/Armentrout Chemistry Travel Fellowship Fund<\/b> with a commitment of $100,000. The fund honors the late <\/span>Robert Dunbar,<\/b> PhD, who was Armentrout\u2019s chemistry preceptor at Case Western Reserve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shirley McKernan created the <\/span>Gertrude Mann Visiting Writers Fund<\/b> with a gift of $150,000. Known as \u201cGert,\u201d Mann (FSM \u201951; GRS \u201972, education) developed and taught workshops in many venues on memoir writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Philip Taylor,<\/b> PhD, the Perkins Professor Emeritus of Physics, and his wife, Sarah Taylor, created the <\/span>Philip and Sarah Taylor Graduate Fellowship Award in Physics<\/b>, which will support a graduate student for the next four years. Philip Taylor, who also is a Distinguished University Professor Emeritus, mentored more than 50 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows and received the university\u2019s Frank and Dorothy Humel Hovorka Prize in recognition of his exceptional achievements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kimberly Mae Wiefling<\/b> (GRS \u201986, physics) and her husband, Douglas Edward McIntyre, created the <\/span>Kimberly M. Wiefling Endowed Scholarship Fund<\/b> to support undergraduate and graduate students, primarily women, studying science.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information on these funds or to make your own gift, contact <\/span><\/i>collegesupport@cwru.edu<\/a><\/i><\/b> or <\/span><\/i>216.368.0097<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PULLING THE STRING
\nNorm Henderson<\/b>, PhD (GRS \u201960, \u201961, psychology), says serendipity played a critical role in taking him from a modest life in Queens, New York, to a successful academic career.\u00a0 …Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artscimedia.case.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/147\/2023\/03\/14152255\/P26-NormHenderson.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3833"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3958,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3833\/revisions\/3958"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}