Case Grad and Dow Chemical Vice President Donates $400,000 to Case School of Engineering For Faculty Development
Kurt W. Swogger's gift will have significant impact; continues Case's long-standing relationship with Dow
March 2, 2006
CLEVELAND - Kurt W. Swogger, a 1972 graduate of the Case Institute of Technology and vice president of Plastics R&D for The Dow Chemical Company, has donated $400,000 to Case Western Reserve University to recruit and retain faculty and to support faculty development activities at the Case School of Engineering.
The Kurt W. Swogger Endowed Fund for Faculty Development will support individuals who demonstrate eminent leadership in their respective fields of study and contribute to having a notable positive effect on the university and the national arena.
Income from the fund also will be used to support and invest in new and existing faculty laboratories within the school.
"As an alumnus of the chemical engineering program at the Case School of Engineering, Kurt Swogger is a wonderful example of the kind of person that is attracted to and has benefited by Case's interdisciplinary approach," said Robert F. Savinell, dean and George S. Dively Professor of Engineering. "In setting up this endowment, he is recognizing the importance of bringing new faculty members into the engineering school and how critical it is to be able to improve the laboratories at Case. In addition, the fund appropriately recognizes his well-documented and long-standing allegiance to Case and our community. We are grateful for the support of thoughtful and compassionate alumni donors like Kurt Swogger."
The gift comes to Case at a time when the university is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Case School of Applied Science, the distinguished predecessor of the Case Institute of Technology and Case School of Engineering. From Swogger to former CEO C. Benson Branch and many other Case alumni - the university's long-standing relationship with Dow continues. In fact, founder Herbert Henry Dow was an alumnus of the Case School of Applied Science graduating from the School in 1888.
Since joining Dow in 1972, Swogger has gained expertise across many businesses and functions, and today, is responsible for 1,300 employees worldwide in research and development, technical service and intellectual property who serve Dow's $15 billion plastics business. At Dow, he is considered a respected leader and visionary in driving new product innovation, development and commercialization.
In November 2005, Swogger received a prestigious "R&D Metrics" MVP Award at the Management Roundtable's 10th Annual Conference in Chicago. The First Annual Product Development and R&D Metrics MVP Award winner also is a member of several associations and boards, and was the 2002 winner of the American Chemistry Society's Earle B. Barnes Award for Leadership in Chemical Research Management.
According to Dow, Swogger's patented speed-based R&D approach is a highly integrated philosophy and practice that links technology to both market needs and new opportunities. Operating elements include talent alignment and motivation, flexible allocation of resources, predictive modeling, parallel work processes, early customer involvement and a focus on results. Swogger has also led the development and leveraging of Dow's INSITE Technology, which in the 10 years since its launch, has delivered over $1 billion in net sales of new, differentiated products that in aggregate, continue to grow more than 20 percent per year. He also has led Dow's Plastics R&D to develop and commercialize at least one new differentiated product per year for the past eight years.
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
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