CLEVELAND — Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland has announced a new major investment in its Experimental Humanities program.
On Tuesday, CWRU announced that it has received $1.5 million from the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, which will go toward its program aimed at integrating the humanities with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. The program was first established last spring following a $2 million grant from the Mandel Foundation.
“It’s vital that we prepare young people to lead in a world that continues to grow more complex as technology rapidly advances,” Mandel Foundation President and CEO Jehuda Reinharz said in a statement. “We are deeply committed to the expansion of humanities education in the STEM fields, knowing that the exploration of art, literature and philosophy lead to a more compassionate and democratic society."
Added Case Western Reserve University President Eric W. Kaler: “The Mandel Foundation has been a longtime leader in support for innovative programs at the university. This additional grant to the Experimental Humanities initiative will help to advance the next generation of interdisciplinary research and experiential learning needed to solve the world’s greatest challenges.”
Nine first-year undergraduate students comprise the inaugural cohort of Mandel Fellows in Experimental Humanities. The program is an extension of CWRU's Expanding Horizons Initiative, which first launched in 2021, aiming to "provide faculty members with seed funding to pursue novel research while offering students hands-on learning opportunities and mentorship."
This grant from the Mandel Foundation marks the latest in its philanthropic relationship with the university, which spans more than four decades and exceeds $68 million in total support.