Continually ranked among America's best colleges, Case Western Reserve University has a habit of breaking new ground. Our faculty, staff, students and alumni innovate. They inspire. They test the limits of what's possible. It's who we are.

To the Case Western Reserve Community:

Ask someone how to fix a scratch on a car and the answer usually involves some combination of sanding and painting.

Who would have thought simply shining a light on the spot could make the damage disappear?

Engineering professor Stuart Rowan and his team—that’s who.

“Think Beyond the Possible” is more than a catchy tagline on our campus. It actually describes what we do here. In the pages that follow, you’ll see how people throughout the university brought those words to life throughout the 2010-2011 academic year. Our law students won a million-dollar verdict. Our chemistry faculty discovered that gold nanoparticles could accelerate cancer treatment. And a medical student found that eating foods labeled “trans-fat free” still can set you over the recommended daily limit.

Who would have thought?

Our community is full of people passionate about finding answers and deepening understanding. They stretch boundaries, create breakthroughs and help us see what appears invisible to others. How? They query, they clarify and, most of all, they demonstrate extraordinary ingenuity and insight. All of that happens here?

Absolutely.

Who would have thought?

We did. And do. Every day.

Take a look. And take pride in all that can happen when a community comes together in pursuit of a common mission.

Barbara R. Snyder, president