Class Notes
1940s
Richard Garwin '47
Scarsdale, New York
Dick, who has served as a high-level national security adviser since the Eisenhower administration, recently co-authored an article in Physics Today on the dangers of nuclear weapons and the need to reduce their threat. Find the story at https://tinyurl.com/physicstoday-boom. Dick was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016 and inspired the book True Genius: The Life and Work of Richard Garwin, the Most Influential Scientist You’ve Never Heard of.
1950's
Jack Mowry ‘54
Bay Village, Ohio
Jack, the founder and publisher of Sound & Vibration, ceased publication with the December 2017 issue, ending a remarkable 51-year run for the magazine that covered noise and vibration technology. He and his wife, Lois, plan to enjoy some well-deserved time off. “We built a media platform to present the outstanding work of thousands of authors and dozens of editors to a well-defined audience,” Jack wrote in a farewell column. “I think we all deserve a heartfelt pat on the back. It has been a great ride!”S&V reported a circulation of 19,000 at its zenith in 1985; 4,700 at its end. If you wish to obtain back issues, or wish Jack well, email him at sv@mindspring.com.
1960s
Michael R. Smith, PhD '65
Pasadena, California
Michael has written a book about his experience as a member of the engineering design staff for 17 years at LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, at the California Institute of Technology. To Catch a Black Hole from the Bottom of the Pond, a Memoir is available at Amazon.com and via the author’s Facebook page.
James J. Genova, PhD '68
Whitsett, NC
Since retiring from the Naval Research Laboratory in 2012, Jim has kept busy teaching at a local university, doing astro-photography, and authoring two books: If Jesus is the Answer, What is the Question? and Electronic Warfare Signal Processing.
1970s
Myra Dria '76, PhD
Houston, TX
Myra was named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Energy by Oil and Gas Investor. She is the CEO and founder of Pearl Resources, an oil exploration and production company in West Texas. It is the third oil and gas producing company she has founded since earning her degree in polymer engineering from the Case Institute of Technology. Myra, who serves on the visiting committee of the Case School of Engineering, received the Meritorious Service Award from the Case Alumni Association in 2016.
1990s
Rich Pancost '92
Bristol, England
Rich, who earned his BS in geology from Case Western Reserve, was recently named head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Since 2013, he has been Director of the interdisciplinary University of Bristol Cabot Institute, which explores how we depend on and shape our planet.
Nicholas Barendt '95, MS'97
Cleveland, Ohio
Nick, the treasurer of the Case Alumni Association, has been named executive director of CWRU’s Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems, or ISSACS. He’ll lead efforts to leverage the university’s strengths in sensors and electronics to excel in the Internet of Things, which many see as the next powerful phase of the Internet. An adjunct senior instructor in the School of Engineering, Nick has been the lead consultant for the new Internet of Things Collaborative (IOTC), in which CWRU is working with Cleveland State University to make Cleveland a national leader in IoT technology.
Ed Cordiano '97
Cleveland, Ohio
Ed recently opened a CMIT Solutions office providing IT services to small and medium-sized businesses in the Cleveland area. (cmitsolutions.com/Cleveland-east-southwest/)
Ed, who earned his mechanical engineering degree from the Case School of Engineering, volunteers with the Case Alumni Association as a member of the Scholarship Committee.
2000s
Mark Lorkowski '12
Reno, Nevada
Mark, the co-founder and CEO of sensor developer SimpleSense, left in March on a lengthy visit to Dubai to pursue business ties with the United Arab Emirates. He said the opportunity sprang from CES 2017 in Las Vegas, where he met an advisor to a UEA prince on “Case Row” and was later invited to pitch his services to UEA’s government. The Case Alumni Association and CWRU LaunchNet that year helped to send 10 CWRU teams to the consumer electronics show, including Mark’s e-paper startup, BluBoard.
2010s
Chioma J. Onukwuire '17
Cleveland, Ohio
Chioma, the founder of the African-inspired fashion line Chimu, was selected by RAW Artists Cleveland to showcase her clothing at their ENVISION artist showcase in March at The House of Blues in downtown Cleveland. A polymer science and engineering major, Chimoa started her fashion line as a student by making clothing using machines at Sears think[box].
Shivank Dokania MEM ‘17
Bay Village, Ohio
Shivank is a Technical Consultant in the Global Healthcare Division of Hyland Software, which hired him out of graduate school. He’s customizing the company’s software products for hospital systems. He said it’s the kind of job he was hoping for when he came from Mumbai, India, to earn his Masters of Engineering and Management degree, so he is very thankful for his CWRU education.