Vanishing Fireflies: The Making of a Cover

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AKA: Dresses, Preschoolers and Fireflies … Oh My!

CWSF2014cover

When you’re a photographer with a kid, pictures can go one of two ways. The first being that your child is so used to having photos taken, they act like a tiny model and keep trying to help. The second being they have had their picture made so often, that they run when the camera comes out.

Luckily, I have the former … most days. So when I asked my 4-year-old daughter if she wanted to wear one of her favorite dresses, stay up WAY past bedtime and catch fireflies, she was totally on board.

Night # 1

On went the dress and out came the Mason jar. The camera and lighting were ready; all we needed was a few fireflies.
So the three of us headed out. I named my husband, Mike, as Assistant Firefly Catcher. Our daughter, Savana, was obviously in charge because she would yell and point out every firefly that blinked while he ran around trying to grab them out of the air.
**Disclaimer** No fireflies were harmed during the making of this photo.
Mike and I had a “back in our day” moment when we realized just how few fireflies were available for catching, compared to when we were kids. So in the end we had about four fireflies in the jar. Of course, once they were in the jar, they wouldn’t blink for anything.


But Savana was a trooper and an extremely patient 4-year-old, and Mike was my helpful lighting assistant.
We tried multiple angles with Savana looking in the jar, different lighting exposures and even a few landscape long exposures (a full minute) of just the yard. With the yard exposures I was hoping to capture their little lights blinking in the distance, but there were just too few to make a difference. And we had a small window of time to work with them. Too early in the evening, it was still too bright so we couldn’t see them to catch them; too late and they were already gone, no blinking to be seen.
The next day I brought in the photos and discussed the options with the team in Creative Services. I received a lot of helpful guidance and decided to give it another go with better ideas in mind to really highlight our little blinking friends.



Night #2

Savana and I headed back out and again only caught about three fireflies. This time we added some field grass to the jar to give them a little playground while we worked. The first night, I was lighting Savana’s face but failing to light the fireflies well enough for photos. This time I had her sit on the ground and turned on a small battery-powered video light, which went under the fabric of her dress to slightly diffuse it, and she rested her jar on top of the light.
I started with some close-ups of our main subjects, and they were more than helpful this time around. The fireflies were much more active in the jar that night, crawling everywhere and even giving us a couple of blinks, although the longer the light was on, the less they blinked.
When I was just about done, I wanted to try a few with the light on Savana’s face as well. We unscrewed the lid, and she looked down into the jar.


Once the lid was gone, I had beautiful soft light on her face and the natural wonder that a 4-year-old brings to the table.
Once I had the shots down to the best ones, I headed into Photoshop to really make the fireflies stand out. There was one main firefly in perfect position and all he needed was a little oomph added to make him stand out. Other than that, this shot is pretty much straight from the camera. A little skill and a lot of luck went into this particular photo. Fireflies don’t take direction well.
This assignment was so much fun and a great way for me to try to think outside of the box, made even better by having the opportunity to include my family. It was such a wonderful learning experience for both my daughter and me and, as always, I’m definitely looking forward to the next challenge.


*CW-C1-fireflies

Clemson Memorial Stadium

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“Put about 10,000 seats behind the YMCA. That’s all you’ll ever need.”

Those were the words of Coach Jess Neely as he left for Rice after the 1939 season. Fortunately, Clemson didn’t follow his advice.
In 1941, the S.C. General Assembly authorized the issuance of $100,000 in bonds to build a stadium. The project was a mid-1900s version of a Creative Inquiry project: Civil engineering students did the preliminary surveying, Professor H.E. “Pop” Glenn and Carl Lee, a 1908 engineering alumnus, provided the design and construction drawings, and players cleared the hill- sides. Coach Frank Howard and returning football players laid the sod in the summer of 1941. Legend has it that Howard put a plug of tobacco into each corner of the stadium as the concrete was poured.
When all was said and done, it seated about 20,000 fans in 26 rows. The University’s trustees named it Memorial Stadium, commemorating all of the alumni, faculty and staff who had died in service to the country.
The first game of the season in 1942 was against Presbyterian College, as it had been since 1930, and Clemson rolled over them 32-13. PC head coach Lonnie MacMillan is credited with providing the stadium its nickname in 1951 after being defeated 53-6.
“It’s like going into Death Valley,” he said.
The name stuck and gained even more traction with the addition of Howard’s Rock in 1966, presented to Coach Frank Howard by an alumnus after a trip to California’s Death Valley. It was at the 1967 game against Wake Forest when rubbing The Rock became a tradition. Legend has it that Coach Howard challenged the team by saying, “If you’re going to give me 110 percent, you can rub that rock. If you’re not, keep your filthy hands off it.”
Another 17,500 seats were added in 1958 (overseen by Professor Glenn), and in 1957, the first Tigerama was held. In 1960, dressing rooms, restrooms and additional concession stands were added along with 6,000 more seats.
Had the original plans for Hartwell Lake gone forward, Memorial Stadium would have been flooded up to the 26th row. Lengthy negotiations and the addition of dikes ensured the stadium’s survival.
More seats have been added over the years, with current capacity at more than 80,000. And just this summer, Yahoo Sports ranked Clemson as having the most exciting entrance in college football, referencing its designation by sportscaster Brent Musburger as “the most exciting 25 seconds in college football.”

Ryan ’02 and Loran Rogers ’04 Kerrigan

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Encouraging Teens to Meet the Challenge

Teen gang member “James” arrived at Peak 7 Adventures with a criminal record — and a chip on his shoulder.

As part of a community service requirement, James was required to participate in the outdoor adventure rock-climbing program. He had no interest in climbing, only proving his toughness.

But James’ bravado turned to fear as he ascended a rock. He was afraid of heights, and his guides met those fears with assurance. By the end of the trip, his defenses came down. Three climbing trips later, the Peak 7 staff saw a new James, one who wanted a more positive life.

James’ story is repeated time and again at Peak 7, a Spokane, Washington-based organization founded by Ryan and Loran Rogers Kerrigan. [pullquote align=’right’ font=’oswald’ color=’#3A4958′]The program takes young people on kayaking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, backpacking and rafting trips to teach them about the outdoors — and life.[/pullquote]

While Peak 7 serves teens from various backgrounds, they focus on underprivileged and at-risk youth, partnering with treatment facilities, group homes, drop-in centers and other programs. The Kerrigans started the faith-based organization in 2006, serving 137 teens. By 2013, Peak 7 had served more than 13,000 youth. Since most of the teens cannot afford the cost, the organization relies on grants and donations for support.

“Many of our kids come from challenging circumstances,” Ryan says. “So when they do the work necessary to finish a trip, it gives them a glimpse of what they are capable of.”

The Kerrigans are graduates of the University’s parks, recreation and tourism management program — Ryan in travel and tourism, and Loran in therapeutic recreation. Loran worked full-time as a recreational therapist while Ryan worked sans salary to start Peak 7. Loran is now the organization’s sponsorship coordinator.

Clemson equipped them with the knowledge to start Peak 7, but it did even more, according to Ryan. “The national reputation of Clemson’s parks, recreation and tourism management program opened doors for us, and we grew as people and leaders at Clemson,” he says. “Professors took an interest and encouraged us.”

And now, the Kerrigans are encouraging James and thousands like him.

Mark J. Charney ’78

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Educate. Inspire. Connect.

Educate. Inspire. Connect. These are the perfect words to describe the career and dedication of Mark Charney.
It’s also the mission of the Actors Hall of Fame, which honored him for his work with the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Chair of Texas Tech University’s Department of Theatre & Dance, Charney also serves as national coordinator for the Kennedy Center’s Institute for Theatre Journalism and Advocacy and its Dramaturgy Initiative.
Charney is both a playwright and an administrator. He’s the associate chair of the National Critics Institute for the O’Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, Connecticut, conference planner for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and has served as secretary of the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC). [pullquote align=’right’ font=’oswald’ color=’#3A4958′]He has twice received the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion of Honor for his work advancing theater in colleges and universities around the U.S.[/pullquote]
As a playwright, Charney has won the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award for his play, “The Power Behind the Palette.” His “The Decameron Project” traveled to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, where it was featured for two weeks. His semi-autobiographical comedy, “37 Stones or the Man Who Was a Quarry,” played both off Broadway and in Washington, D.C., and his most recent play, “The Balloon Handler Makes Good,” was developed by ATHE in D.C., and performed in the New Works Festival in Santa Clarita, California, the Ten for TENN Play Festival in Tennessee, and the Warner International Playwrights Festival in Connecticut. For three years, Charney was co-artistic director of the playwrights lab, WordBRIDGE.
Charney earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Clemson, served as chair of the English department and as director of performing arts, where he worked in the Brooks Center of the Performing Arts, furthering the major and the playwriting program.

Going Above and Abroad

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Kathleen Peek '15
Kathleen Peek '15

The benefits of studying abroad

Many people say that travel is the only thing money can buy that makes a person richer. While my empty pockets might not support this statement, I definitely agree after spending this past semester studying architecture in Italy and traveling to 10 other countries along the way.

That being said, studying abroad gave me much more than I bargained for. It gave me new eyes, a new way of seeing things. I left the states for the first time in my life back in January with what I thought was an open mind and a clear grip on the world in which we live. I couldn’t have been more blind. I had no idea just how big and wide and deep the world could be. I thought I was big and important, yet we as individuals are so small in comparison to the world around us.
Study Abroad3Traveling abroad was like hitting a “reset” button. Every new place pushed me out of my comfort zone. In day-to-day life it’s easy to fall into the routine of just getting by, but upon being forced out of my comfort zone, I could feel life pushing me closer and closer toward the role for which I was created. The opportunity to truly see — and not just look — presents itself in these moments. Therefore, travel, exploration and experiencing are necessary elements for human growth. Such experiences create new questions while answering old ones at the same time. Not only do we develop our own selves, we also contribute to the world when we take our new ways of seeing to our own homes and beyond.
Whether it was during the required independent travel or while visiting the beautiful Italian cities on a Tuesday field studies class, studying abroad brought many opportunities to encounter other cultures. Eating fresh focaccia and pesto pasta for lunch in Italy, discussing prices over tea in the Turkish market, being blessed by the Pope in Rome, visiting the La Sagrada Família in Barcelona, and every other adventure made this past semester diverse and rich in experiences.
Feeling fulfilled was easy when every day brought something new. Then something profound hit me. Whether in South Carolina or Italy, living is living. This might sound like an obvious point, but I remember when I first realized this while abroad. Traveling to new places is only learning new ways of living. It’s so easy to think of traveling as a vacation where we can relax and impose our own lifestyle on the places that we are visiting. In reality, it is us experiencing new cultures, peeking into the everyday lives of our own brothers and sisters.
Study Abroad2This past semester clearly taught me that experiencing is necessary for any education, but especially for an education in architecture. [pullquote align=’right’ font=’oswald’ color=’#685C53′]Seeing the Acropolis or the Coliseum was grander than any lesson, and visiting the ruins of Pompeii gave a glimpse into history better than any textbook ever could.[/pullquote] In studying architecture, one encounters much history, art, culture and an understanding of the way people live. Every piece of effective and historic architecture truly belongs to its own place, and studying them brought insight to those new places.
Study Abroad1Besides giving new eyes with each experience, studying abroad granted me a newfound sense of independence. It reinforced the skills gained when I walked out of my parents’ arms and made my first steps onto Clemson’s campus as a freshman three short years ago. I remember my high school self being just as intimidated by college as I was by any European form of public transportation in January. Living in a new place allowed me to live in the moment more, relying on my own devices. Without independence, one couldn’t survive a few days, much less a whole semester in a foreign country.
I learned this quickly when a group of us decided to go skiing in the Alps. After skiing across the border from Italy into Switzerland, I somehow got separated from my friends. I frantically searched around and began to panic. Where were my friends? Why did I lose them? How would I get home? I knew I had two options: cry or keep skiing. Maybe I did a little of both, but in the end I decided to keep skiing. As I made my way through the snowy mountains, I had this moment of self-empowerment where I threw up my ski poles and let a loud “WOOOHOOOO” escape from the inner depths of my emotions. No doubt the people around me thought I had lost it, and maybe I had, but it was in that moment that I felt completely independent. If I could do this — what I had thought to be impossible only moments earlier — what else could I accomplish in my life?
To say that this past semester was the best of my entire educational career is an understatement. These experiences will stay with me forever, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunities Clemson has given me. Studying abroad brought new eyes, new perspectives, independence and a realization of what’s important. Then again, these opportunities are there for the taking every day no matter where we are; we just have to remember to take them.
It’s safe to say that studying abroad was more than a good investment, and even with my empty pockets, I feel richer than ever.
Kathleen Peek is a senior architecture major from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

David O. Prevatt M ’97, PhD ’98

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He follows where the wind blows

When tornadoes strike, David Prevatt gets his Wind Hazard Damage Assessment Team into action. He and his civil engineering graduate and undergraduate students rush to sites around the country to investigate tornado damage done to buildings and homes. Through a Faculty Early Career Development research grant from the National Science Foundation, the team is working to develop engineering solutions for tornado-resilient and sustainable housing communities.
Prevatt is an associate professor in the Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment in the department of civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida.
[pullquote align=’right’]You might have heard about him on NPR and NBC News.[/pullquote] Prevatt is a leading spokesman for improving construction and building guidelines. As a strong advocate for more federal funding to increase coordination and sustained research support in wind engineering, he testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Joint Hearing of Research and Technology Subcommittees and Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
The National Institute of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology in his home country of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, awarded Prevatt a silver medal in recognition of his research. Prior to his appointment to the UF faculty, Prevatt was an assistant professor and director of the Wind Load Test Facility at Clemson. He’s a director of the American Association for Wind Engineering and member of the U.K. Wind Engineering Society.

Valerie N. Pezzullo M ’14

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Graduating and Giving Back

Valerie Pezzullo had two things to celebrate this spring: She received her master’s degree in mechanical engineering and took first place in MTConnect Challenge 2, a contest to develop innovative and unique software applications for manufacturing.
Pezzullo’s software application detects vibrations in metal-cutting machines so that corrections can be made before parts are damaged. The application is expected to help manufacturers that rely on computer-controlled machines to make highly precise parts for a variety of industries, ranging from automotive to aerospace.
It could have an especially large impact on manufacturers that use high-value materials. Regenerative vibration, or “chatter,” can ruin parts that cost as much as $20,000 each in raw materials alone. By the time the vibrations are audible, it’s too late because the part already may be damaged.
“As a student, it was exciting to go through the design and see it through to the final product,” said Pezzullo, who is from Selden, a hamlet on New York’s Long Island. “The app is very practical and useful for industry.”
Pezzullo’s application was part of her thesis and an offshoot of previous research done by her adviser, Laine Mears, associate professor of automotive engineering.
“It will have a big impact on manufacturing, especially in the Upstate, because manufacturing is such a large part of the economy,” he said. “This is a great example of automatically generating information and using it to improve manufacturing quality and productivity.”
And the $100,000 prize? Pezzullo has said she will pay off her student loans and establish a scholarship for female students studying engineering.
Pezzullo did her research at the Clemson University-International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) and worked on machines provided by Okuma America Corp., a Charlotte subsidiary of Okuma Corporate. The contest was sponsored by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Defense-wide Manufacturing Science and Technology (DMS&T), AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Army Benét Labs.

Robin Lennon Bylenga M ’91

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Robin Lennon Bylenga M ’91

Getting Women Rolling

Robin Lennon Bylenga is getting women rolling.
Bylenga has always been conscious of physical fitness, but when she decided to take up cycling, she found the atmosphere of the typical bicycle shop intimidating and often geared toward male cyclists in products and shelf appeal. Bylenga decided to open a bicycle shop geared toward women cyclists.
In 2010, she founded Pedal Chic. The colorful Greenville store carries footwear, helmets, pads, sports apparel and clothing, as well as commuter, road and mountain bikes. [pullquote align=’left’]Operating on the premise that men and women shop differently, think differently and purchase for different reasons, this entrepreneur has gained national attention for her efforts and business.[/pullquote]
Pedal Chic was named “Best Bike Shop for Women” in 2012 and one of “America’s Best Bike Shops” in 2013 at Interbike, North America’s largest bicycle trade event. Bylenga and her shop have been featured in publications such as Garden & Gun, Money, Adventure Cyclist, Southern Living, Greenville Business Magazine, Momentum Magazine and The Boston Globe.
Bylenga, daughter of former Clemson president Max Lennon, received her master’s degree in human resource development from the University. She’s a board member of Bike/Walk Greenville and a motivational speaker for women’s cycling and exercise, and for entrepreneurial and empowerment opportunities.
Bylenga is passionate about what women can achieve.
For more information about Pedal Chic, go to www.pedalchic.com.

Adam R. McFarlane ’03, PhD ’14

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Take Note

Adam McFarlane has worked behind the camera and performed notably in front of it. He’s taken on some of the biggest stages in America (Conan O’Brien’s, for one), and he recently collected his Ph.D. in educational leadership from Clemson’s stage. His career and talents have carried him from the West Coast to the East Coast to overseas, for months and even years at a time.
But McFarlane’s dream realized has not meant commanding a national audience. It has been coming home to Clemson and earning an opportunity to help other young learners pursue their educational aspirations.
A native of Greenville, his musical training began in elementary school when he mimicked, by ear, his older sister’s piano playing. Later, he took lessons but mostly honed his talent by playing along with the radio.
[pullquote align=’right’]By the time he arrived at Clemson in 1999 through Clemson’s STEP program (Science and Technology Entrance Program, now the Early Success Program), he realized music was a great way to meet new people and relax.[/pullquote]
McFarlane quickly earned a reputation as a keyboard player while he earned his bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in sport management. A couple of years overseas as a videographer for NFL Europe was followed by a master’s degree in human relations from the University of Oklahoma. He moved to the West Coast working with athletic video by day and exploring the Seattle music scene at night.
McFarlane had moved back to Clemson to pursue his Ph.D. when he and comedian Rory Scovel (in the cast of the TBS comedy series, “Ground Floor”) reconnected. Years earlier, when the two Greenville natives were living in Seattle, they performed a musical-comedy act to much acclaim.
Scovel was already scheduled for the spot on “Conan.” He asked if he could bring McFarlane along, wear tuxedos, use a Liberace-style grand piano and create a comedy experience that was kind of classy and truly unique.
The show agreed, and the result was, in a word, hilarious.
For all the experiences music has made possible, it’s not McFarlane’s professional ambition. He’s seeking out a career in higher ed, working with young athletes and coaches to help college students find success, academically and socially.
“I don’t want to be a full-time musician,” McFarlane says. “That to some degree would take the fun out of it. I’ll always play because of the joy it brings me, but for my career, I want to make an impact on students’ lives. I’m excited about what comes next.”
See the “Conan” video at www.teamcoco.com/video/rory-scovel-stand-up-09-03-13.

Lifelong Tigers

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Yandle named Honorary Alumnus

 

Bruce Yandle, dean emeritus of the College of Business and Behavioral Science and Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of economics, was named an Honorary Alumnus in May by the Alumni Association.

Bruce Yandle, dean emeritus of the College of Business and Behavioral Science and Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of economics, was named an Honorary Alumnus in May by the Alumni Association.


Bruce Yandle, dean emeritus of the College of Business and Behavioral Science and Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of economics, was named an Honorary Alumnus in May by the Alumni Association.
“I join the ranks of my favorite people: my former students and others who came to Clemson,” he said. “Having the opportunity — the privilege — of being in the classroom at Clemson is the high point in my professional life.”
An economics professor from 1969 until his retirement in 2000, Yandle returned as dean of CBBS from 2004 to 2007. Honorary alumni are selected by the Alumni Council for outstanding service, lifelong devotion and loyalty to the University or the Alumni Association.

Clemson Day at the Statehouse

Clemson Day at StatehouseClemson at the State HouseClemson boards, alumni, students and supporters turned Columbia orange May 13. Events included an update on current legislation and the impact of state funding on Clemson, as well as the impact Clemson has on the state of South Carolina. Attendees heard an update on the state of Clemson from President Clements, then walked over to the statehouse where the Smith-Lever Act (which authorized the Cooperative Extension Service) was read and the Lever family was recognized. The Senate and House both declared May 13, 2014, as Clemson Day in South Carolina.
At the evening social, Trustee David Wilkins and President Clements addressed the group and thanked them for making “a significant statement” with their attendance.

Alumni Association names new board members

Pictured, front: Sandy Edge, Ron Taylor. Back: Josh Bell, Bud Hicklin, Mark Derrick.

Pictured, front: Sandy Edge, Ron Taylor. Back: Josh Bell, Bud Hicklin, Mark Derrick.


The Alumni Association board of directors elected five new members who took office July 1:
JOSH BELL ’08 of Charleston is executive director of Teach for America-South Carolina. He has been a member of the Clemson Alumni National Council (as student government representative), the Alumni Association Council and the committee to restructure the alumni board and council. At Clemson, he was student body president, Sigma Nu fraternity president and treasurer, vice president of Blue Key Honor Society and Tiger Brotherhood.
MARY KATHRYN DEMPSEY ’08 (not pictured) of Charleston is a fundraising consultant for Blackbaud. She is a former president of the Clemson Young Alumni Council and helped establish the inaugural Roaring 10 award in 2012. At Clemson, she was the Student Alumni Council vice president, secretary of the Blue Key Honor Society and a member of the Mortar Board Order of Athena.
MARK DERRICK ’91 of Gaithersburg, Md., is the regional director, government and transportation sector, at Xerox. As a founding member of the D.C./Baltimore regional campaign, Derrick helped raise $15.3 million for Clemson. He also has hosted the annual Crab Feast of the Clemson Club of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and served as a member of the Clemson Alumni Council since 2008.
SANDY EDGE ’72 (president-elect) of Clemson is a retired Air Force colonel and director of the College of Business and Behavioral Science Advising Center. He has served as president of both the Clemson Rotary Club and the Clemson Corps and as a member of the Clemson Alumni Council. As a student, Edge was a member of the Air Force ROTC, Arnold Air Society and Alpha Zeta Honorary Society.
BUD HICKLIN III ’85 of Clemson is a radiologist at Mountainview Medical Imaging. He has been president and vice president of the Oconee County Medical Association, a member of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and a member of the Clemson Alumni National Council. At Clemson, he was a member of the Clemson Escort Service and Tiger Brotherhood.
RON TAYLOR ’65 of Midland, Mich., is the former director of marketing and sales for Dow Chemical, where he spearheaded an initiative to raise funds from employees and retirees to benefit students and faculty in the Clemson College of Engineering and Science. He created two endowments: the Dow Chemical Engineering Alumni Endowment, which has surpassed $250,000 in value, and the Dow Chemical Alumni Endowment, which is approaching $100,000 in value. As a student, he was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honor society.
With 23 members, the board of directors is the governing body for the Alumni Association. Primary responsibilities include general oversight of the programs and initiatives of the association, financial audit and review, creation of governing policies and strategic planning.
Call for nominations
We need your help in selecting outstanding alumni for the Alumni Association board of directors. We’re looking for candidates with exceptional judgment, a strong work ethic, leadership qualities and the vision to advance the goals and objectives of the Alumni Association. Deadline for nominations is Dec. 1. To nominate a candidate, go to cualumni.clemson.edu/boardnominations.
 

D.C./Baltimore Club Holds Six Degrees of Clemson event

Clemson Club of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Clemson Club of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.


High above the Washington, D.C., skyline with stunning views of the Washington Monument, Capitol Dome and Ellipse, members of the Clemson Club of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., enjoyed mingling at Six Degrees of Clemson, the professional networking series designed by the club to bring alumni, parents and students together. Held in the spring and fall each year, the series promotes opportunities for guests to meet with top-level industry leaders, network with fellow Tigers and strengthen their skill sets for navigating the professional world.
Hosted by Stephen Burch ’06 at his PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC office in downtown D.C., the May event highlighted four alumni: Brian Sykes ’99, Michael Newman ’78, Stephen Burch ’06 and Angie Howard ’69; and two parents: Glenn Roland and Gregg Blanchard. According to Elizabeth Jackson ’06, the “Six Degrees of Clemson” refers to the degrees of the six speakers as well as the “small world” feel in D.C. when fellow Tigers gather.
More than 30 members of the club’s regional board of directors also met in May for their spring meeting, hosted by Stephen ’06 and Kristin David ’06 Burch. IPTAY CEO Davis Babb highlighted current athletic initiatives and funding opportunities to shape the future of Clemson athletics. Board members John Lynn ’85 and Todd Ray ’90 shared their vision for a brand-new Clemson/ D.C. Internship and Housing Opportunities Program, a two-part initiative with an immediate focus on matching alumni and parents with students seeking internships and a long-term goal of establishing a central building in D.C. to serve as Clemson’s hub for intern housing, classroom and event space.
Visit clemsonclub.org to learn about D.C. and Baltimore regional events.

Tigers celebrate Reunion Weekend

Class of 1964

Class of 1964


The Class of 1964 celebrated their 50th anniversary reunion, and 64 members of the class were inducted as Golden Tigers during Reunion Weekend in May. The class also presented a gift of $1.046 million to the University, bringing the total of gifts by class members over the last 50 years to almost $16 million.
Two members of the Class of 1939, Ralph Boys (standing) and Tee Senn (pictured at right), were presented with Diamond Tiger medallions by Alumni Association president Ann Hunter.

Ralph Boys (standing) and Tee Senn  (right), with Alumni Association president Ann Hunter.


The reunion gift will be divided between an endowment for scholarships and support for the Class of 1956 Academic Success Center. According to Class of 1964 Golden Anniversary Project committee chair Walter Cox, “The Class of 1964 wanted to make a difference in student lives.”
During the weekend, reunion guests heard Professor Jerry Reel speak about life in 1964 and enjoyed entertainment by the Jungaleers. Individual classes gathered for reunion dinners Friday night.
Two members of the Class of 1939, Ralph Boys (standing) and Tee Senn (pictured at right), were presented with Diamond Tiger medallions by Alumni Association president Ann Hunter.

Students choose Madray as Alumni Master Teacher

Students chose accounting senior lecturer J. Russell Madray ’86, M ’88 as this year’s Alumni Master Teacher

J. Russell Madray ’86, M ’88


Students chose accounting senior lecturer J. Russell Madray ’86, M ’88 as this year’s Alumni Master Teacher for outstanding undergraduate classroom instruction. The annual award is presented to a faculty member nominated by the student body and selected by the Student Alumni Council.
In addition to teaching intermediate accounting, Madray is president of The Madray Group Inc. and is scholar-in-residence at Elliott Davis in Greenville.
 

Clemson Crew alumni celebrate 25 years

Clemson University Rowing Association (CURA) at the boathouse on Hartwell Lake for the annual Clemson Sprints Regatta.

Clemson University Rowing Association (CURA) Alumni Association


Past and present members of the Clemson University Rowing Association (CURA) gathered April 5 at the boathouse on Hartwell Lake for the annual Clemson Sprints Regatta, at which the organization hosted 30 other junior and collegiate clubs. It was an especially momentous event for the club as it celebrated the 25-year anniversary of the club’s establishment in 1989. More than 60 members of the CURA’s Alumni Association (CURAA) were in attendance, traveling from as far as Oklahoma, Colorado and California. Nine members of the 1992 team, some who had not rowed since graduating, even hopped back into one of their original boats for a race and earned a gold medal in their heat, proving they still have what it takes to row with the best. Gathering downtown afterward, it was time for fun, drinks and swapping stories of Clemson Crew.

13_williams

Williams receives Modern-Day Technology Leader Award

Willie J. “W.J.” Williams Jr. ’04 (COMPSC) of Alexandria, Va., received the Modern-Day Technology Leader Award at the 28th Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards STEM Global Competitiveness Conference. The conference recognizes successful black inventors, technical innovators, gifted scientists, budding engineers, and high-level managers and executives. He’s a senior lead software engineer for BAE Systems, a defense, security and aerospace company and supplier to the U.S. Department of Defense. Williams is pictured receiving the award from Robin N. Coger, dean of the College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University, and Kendall T. Harris, dean of engineering at Prairie View A&M University.