Student-athlete Robert Gavlak Becomes New Wave Produce Manager
Case Western Reserve University's Robert "Bob" Gavlak doesn't worry about making weight, but he has been thinking a lot about fresh produce lately.
Gavlak, along with four other Case Western Reserve students, recently attended an Entrepreneurship Educational Consortium, a contest that challenged participants from area schools to come up with a business concept that would keep money in the local economy and grow to be profitable.
"We tossed around a few things before coming up with the virtual farmer's market idea, connecting local farmers with local restaurants," Gavlak, who won a University Athletic Association heavy weight championship in 2006, explained.
With Fresh Fork Market, the students have created a Web-based program to create an efficient localized distribution system. Read more.
PerceptIS to serve Case Western Reserve completely from Cleveland
The help desk is coming home.
Beginning today, the PerceptIS Cleveland Enterprise Center, which is located in The Flats, will handle all desktop support services for Case Western Reserve University.
Making good on a previous promise to create and retain jobs in Northeast Ohio, PerceptIS is investing $250,000 to transition its help desk services for the university from partially outsourced to completely homegrown.
"The transition should be seamless to students, faculty and staff," said Bill Bradfield, founder and chief executive officer of PerceptIS. "As before, you can call 368-HELP or stop by a campus walk-in center to get computer help. The biggest change is that the person assisting you on the other end of the phone will be a Clevelander."
PerceptIS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of information technology support services since its creation in 2004. With two offices -- one in Cleveland and one in Phoenix -- the company currently supports over 800,000 end users.
For questions or additional information about the transition, contact PerceptIS via e-mail.
Campus News
The University Health Service is offering influenza vaccines to all students, faculty and staff for $10, payable in cash or check. To schedule an appointment or for more information, call 368-4539.
Have an item for Case Daily? Use the online submission form, or e-mail the information at least 10 days prior to desired publication date. Also, be sure to post events on the Web event calendar.
For Faculty & Staff
The next session sponsored by the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE) will focus on "The Elements of a Good Course," from noon to 1 p.m., January 17 in the Herrick Room of the Allen Memorial Medical Library. Issues surrounding and tips to help improve courses will be discussed. RSVP to UCITE or register online.
For Students
As part of its weeklong celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Case Western Reserve University is hosting a special student retreat. The MLK Day Student Retreat will feature a keynote address by noted author and historian James Davidson, who has recently published a book about Ida B. Wells, a crusader against lynching. The special half-day program scheduled for Monday, January 21, in Thwing Center, starts with lunch in the ballroom at noon and will feature a conference-style format where students can select from a menu of activities. The free program ends at 4 p.m. Participants will receive a gift T-shirt and a certificate. All undergraduate, graduate and professional school students are eligible to participate, but attendance is limited. Students must register online by January 17.
The Writing Resource Center will reopen for spring semester on January 22. The center is no longer using the Tutor Trac software program. Students should make appointments online, or go the center's Web site and click on the "make an appointment link." For more information, contact the staff via e-mail.
Events
Subra Suresh, dean and Ford Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, continues his stay at Case School of Engineering today and tomorrow, as part of the Van Horn Distinguished Lecture Series. The free, public lectures take place at 4 p.m. January 16 and 17 in room 411 of the White Building. His lectures focus primarily on the use of nanoscale tools to study changes in human cells for research projects on infectious diseases like malaria and sickle cell anemia, certain types of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Read more.
Daniel Goldmark, assistant professor of music, will speak on the topic of "Sing Me a Love Song: Creating Popular Songs on Tin Pan Alley," beginning at noon, January 22 on the third floor of the Cleveland Public Library's main building, 325 Superior Ave. Free.
RSVP today to Christie St. Angelo if planning to attend the talk featuring alumnus Robert Gruetzmacher of DuPont, which begins at noon, January 23, Bingham Building Room 204. He will discuss the transformation of DuPont, its major technology/growth platforms, and how the company interacts with universities. Snacks will be served.
Refer to the Web event calendar for a list of events and activities on campus and in the community today and in the days ahead.
In Memoriam
John Carl Weaver, a former consultant and adjunct professor at Case Western Reserve University in the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, recently died at age 99. A memorial service will be held in the chapel of First Baptist Church in the spring.
