The Greenwood Club celebrated Greenwood Clemson Tiger Day with 250 alumni, friends and fans in uptown Greenwood around the Tiger Topiary. Four football players — Jim Brown, D.J. Reader, Bradley Pinion and Stephone Anthony — and Coach Mike Reed attended the event, as well as four cheerleaders and the Tiger. Greenwood’s own PGA golfer Ben Martin ’09 signed autographs and posed for photographs.
In October, the Young Alumni Council named their newest rising stars: the Roaring 10. These alumni have made an impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors, while exemplifying Clemson’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect.
Tripp James ’02, M ’04 has founded, operated and harvested several successful small businesses and currently serves as small-business programs manager for the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. A graduate of Leadership Greenville, he has heavily invested his time and talent in PULSE, Greenville’s organization for young professionals. A member of the College of Business and Behavioral Science Alumni Loyalty Board, he serves as a mentor for students.
Hannah Hopkins Pittman ’03, M ’13 is director of professional development for the S.C. Association of School Administrators. Treasurer of the Columbia Clemson Club since 2011, Pittman led efforts to fund a $25,000 scholarship endowment that revitalized the involvement of Richland County alumni. A member of Women’s Alumni Council, Pittman planned and coordinated this year’s “Bring Your Daughter to Clemson” weekend that raised approximately $8,000 for scholarships.
Steven Foushee ’05 is a project manager for Moss 7 Associates, a construction management firm in Greenville. He is the youngest of only seven registered Design-Build Institute of America professionals in the state. A volunteer with the U.S. Green Building Council’s South Carolina chapter, he was in charge of education and outreach for green building initiatives. He is a member of Clemson’s Construction Science Management Industry Advisory Board.
Tia Nicole Williams ’05 is owner and operator of the SERVPRO franchise in Cayce, West Columbia and Lexington. She also is owner and editor of the Lexington Anchor, a monthly online publication. Former secretary and current treasurer of the Columbia Clemson Club, Williams is communications chair of the state Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council and a company adviser for the state Chamber of Commerce Business Week, teaching high school students about business.
George Magrath II ’06 is completing a two-year ocular oncology fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. During his time at the Medical University of South Carolina, he was the first resident in South Carolina to perform laser-assisted cataract surgery. He developed web application algorithms for diagnosing complex eye diseases, melanoma and ocular inflammation, which were featured in Review of Ophthalmology and Ocular Surgery News.
Thomas Rhodes ’06 heads his family business, Rhodes Graduation Services, and is owner of Sumter Advertising Company and chief operating officer of Custom Bike Rings in Summerton. He designed the 2014 Clemson Orange Bowl Ring for Coach Dabo Swinney. Last year, he helped establish the Clemson Distinguished Athletes Award to honor former athletes who are making a difference in their communities through non-athletic endeavors.
Brian Ammons ’08 works in investor relations with Dow Chemical in Midland, Michigan. In 2012 he was one of six people to receive the company’s highest award in both sales and marketing. A board member of Give Us Names, a nonprofit organization formed by Clemson alumni, he spearheaded a partnership with a Chicago-based theater company founded by alumni to donate profits from a stage production to the charitable organization.
Mary Kathryn (MK) Dempsey ’08 is a senior fundraising consultant for Blackbaud in Charleston. A member of the Charleston Junior League and Clemson in the Lowcountry, she volunteers with the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center. Dempsey devoted a lot of time to the Young Alumni Council — as a representative, at-large member and president. She is vice chair of the Alumni Council Engagement Committee and serves on the Alumni Board of Directors.
Laneika K. Musalini M ’11 is director of grants at Tri-County Technical College and a grants writer and administrator for Community Colleges of Appalachia. She also is founder and CEO of Women’s Empowerment. The 2013 recipient of Clemson’s MLK Award for Excellence in Service-Community Member, she was awarded the Duke Energy/Clemson University Center for Workforce Development STEM Innovator Award in 2012.
Raven Magwood ’12 graduated from Clemson at the age of 19 with a 4.0 GPA. She published her first book at age 12 and followed that up with another during college, 7 Practices of Exceptional Student Athletes. Magwood has written a screenplay, “Switching Lanes,” scheduled to be released as a feature film later this year, and travels as a motivational speaker.
Danny Gregg has lived in a number of places since graduating from Clemson in 1971 — from Columbia to Charleston to Washington, D.C., to New Jersey — but he always knew he would find his way back to Clemson.
As a student, Gregg was very active as a cheerleader, a member of student government — he was elected vice president of the student body — and a member of Tiger Brotherhood and Blue Key honor society. He was also a member of the Numeral Society, which became Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity during his junior year. As an alumnus, he has remained just as active and engaged.
Throughout all his moves, he found ways to be connected to Clemson through local Clemson clubs, but once he moved back to Clemson at age 45, he was able to get involved with the University at a higher level.
After chairing several committees for the Alumni Association board of directors, Gregg was chosen as president-elect in 2012, with his two-year presidential term starting in 2014.
Gregg’s involvement doesn’t end with the Alumni Association. He is a member and past president of the Fort Hill Clemson Club, served as an adviser for his fraternity and has recently begun serving as a mentor for Clemson’s FIRST Program, which offers special resources for first-generation college students.
Like many of his fellow alumni, Gregg describes himself as “dedicated and loyal” and says that he got a lot more out of his Clemson experience than his bachelor’s degree.
“Maybe I should have spent more time in the library and less time doing other activities, like student government and cheerleading, but I’m not sorry at all for the way I did it,” he said. “The relationships that I built outside of the classroom have lasted me a lifetime, and I’m thankful for them.”
At the end of the first quarter of the Syracuse football game, the Alumni Association honored Bryn Smith ’02 with the Volunteer of the Year Award, the highest and greatest expression of appreciation extended to an individual by the Alumni Association staff for outstanding service and volunteerism.
After graduating in 2002, Smith moved to New York, where she worked to build a network of Clemson alumni and chartered the New York/Tri-State Clemson Club. She has played a pivotal role in assisting alumni as well as students in her area, helping them to relocate, find internships and expand their careers.
The Houston and Greater Austin Clemson Clubs held a joint meeting prior to the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans game on September 28.
The D.C./Baltimore Club had two major events with President Clements last fall. In September, more than 200 guests gathered for “A Night with Clemson on Capitol Hill,” featuring remarks from Ambassador David Wilkins, President Clements and the chair of the regional board, David Rochester ’68. Members of the Board of Visitors attended after spending a day on Capitol Hill.
In October, more than 100 members of the club, as well as President and Mrs. Clements, were guests at a reception at the Belgian ambassador’s private residence in Washington, D.C. Ambassador Johan Verbeke was appointed in January 2014, and his social secretary is Gwenda De Moor, a member of the Regional Board of Directors and parent to Clemson alumnus Vinny Brown ’11, M ’14. The reception featured authentic Belgian cuisine and beer, and the program focused on educational, cultural and professional connections between Belgium and Clemson.
BostonMore than 600 alumni and fans gathered in Boston for the Paws on the Claws event at Top of the Hub Restaurant in October. The group enjoyed fun and food as they prepared to take on the Boston College Eagles the next day in an exciting showdown on the gridiron. President Clements addressed the group and gave updates on the state of the University and Clemson’s strong alumni presence and athletic success in Boston.
The Greenwood Club celebrated Greenwood Clemson Tiger Day with 250 alumni, friends and fans in uptown Greenwood around the Tiger Topiary. Four football players — Jim Brown, D.J. Reader, Bradley Pinion and Stephone Anthony — and Coach Mike Reed attended the event, as well as four cheerleaders and the Tiger. Greenwood’s own PGA golfer Ben Martin ’09 signed autographs and posed for photographs.
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.
Clemson 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.
Pictured, front: Sandy Edge, Ron Taylor. Back: Josh Bell, Bud Hicklin, Mark Derrick.
Clemson Club of Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Class of 1964
Ralph Boys (standing) and Tee Senn (right), with Alumni Association president Ann Hunter.
J. Russell Madray ’86, M ’88
Clemson University Rowing Association (CURA) Alumni Association
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.
Tigers from all over the country converged on South Florida for the Orange Bowl. And the South Florida Clemson Club was in the midst of all the activity — organizing, helping, hosting and welcoming alumni and friends.
Showing that it’s possible to work together in the midst of a heated competition, Clemson and Ohio State alums teamed up to fight hunger, packing boxes of food for “Feeding South Florida.”
More than 100 alumni and friends were in South Beach Thursday night at the Clevelander, where the landscape was purple and orange, and a Tiger Paw was projected on the side of the building and in the hotel’s swimming pool. At Bokamper’s in Fort Lauderdale, more than 75 joined up to celebrate the Tigers and meet up with old and new friends.
The morning of the Orange Bowl began with an alumni brunch at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach with more than 300 in attendance. James Clements addressed the Clemson Family for the first time as University president. He thanked the Barkers for their many contributions to Clemson and shared the significance behind Clemson’s rise in the national rankings.
More than 2,000 Clemson Family members gathered at the One Clemson tailgate inside the Sun Life Stadium prior to the game. The Clemson band, cheerleaders and the Tiger made appearances, and President Clements welcomed guests as they prepared to cheer the Tigers on to a 40-35 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Two student bloggers, Savannah Mozingo and De Anne Anthony, traveled to South Florida to capture and share the excitement of Orange Bowl week on their blog, TigressTales. Access their blog and hear President Clements’ remarks at clemson.edu/clemsonworld/orangebowl.
Clemson in the Lowcountry at the University’s Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility in North Charleston.
More than 300 people gathered for dinner and a meeting where Nick Rigas, director of the SCE&G Energy Innovation Center and executive director of the Clemson Restoration Institute, spoke at the University’s Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility in North Charleston. The meeting attendance on Jan. 23 doubled the Clemson in the Lowcountry Club’s normal attendance rate. Eddie Gordon is president of the club.
More than 350 turned out for the Greenville Club’s Blue Chips and Bluegrass event, a recruiting recap and oyster roast held Feb. 7 at the Crescent in downtown Greenville. Club president Rick Ammons and club member and event organizer Chris McCameron presented IPTAY with a $2,500 check for the Glenn Brackin Memorial Scholarship. The event featured Mickey Plyler from 104.9 Talk Sports, who spoke about recruiting, and The Drovers Old Time Medicine Show entertained the crowd with bluegrass music.
The Aiken County Club held their Recruiting Wrap-Up event Feb. 6 at the Aiken Municipal Building, where more than 50 people heard Larry Williams from Tigerillustrated.com speak about recruiting. Tripp Bryan serves as Aiken County club president, and Bryan Young is vice president.
Want to get more involved at Clemson? Looking for a place to share your experience and love for Clemson? Go to clemson.edu/alumni and click on “Volunteer Opportunity Guide” to learn how you can get involved
John Seketa named honorary alumnus
The Alumni Association wants to ensure we have accurate contact information for all alumni so that we can keep everyone informed about all things Clemson, all the time. And to do that, we need your help.
Simply go to clemson.edu/alumni and click the “Update Your Information” button. Then post on your social media outlets that you updated your contact information with Clemson, and use the hashtag #TigerRollCall in your post.
A monthly drawing will take place during May, June and July for everyone who submits an update. Additionally, each person who shares on social media using the hashtag #TigerRollCall will receive an additional entry (maximum two entries per person). At the end of the campaign, a final drawing will take place with a grand prize of two Alumni box seats to the Clemson vs. North Carolina football game on Sept. 27.
Young Alumni Roaring Ten
Ables (center) with Brasington and Hunter
During Homecoming weekend, the Alumni Association honored Sonya Ables ’79 (center) as the 2013 Volunteer of the Year, the highest recognition and greatest expression of appreciation extended to an individual by the Alumni Association staff for outstanding service and volunteerism. A member of the Alumni Association board of directors and an IPTAY life member, Ables has served as president of the Women’s Council, where she created the annual Bring Your Daughter to Clemson program, which allows girls ages 6 to 18 to learn about academics, campus life and student activities. She also has been an at-large member of the Clemson Alumni Council and a member of the Alumni National Council. She is pictured with Wil Brasington, senior director of the Alumni Association, and Alumni Association president Ann Hunter.
Guarding of the Rings
You probably know about the Ring Ceremony, which was begun in 2000 and provides a memorable way for seniors to receive their Clemson rings. Held twice a year, the ceremony includes a lesson on the history, heritage and symbolism of the Clemson class ring from University historian Jerry Reel. You might not know what happens the 24 hours before that event.
Preceding the ceremony, the rings are displayed in Memorial Park near the Scroll of Honor. Members of Clemson Corps stand guard over the rings throughout the day (and the night) before the ceremony and then process, carrying the rings to Littlejohn Coliseum for the ceremony.
If you’ve lost your ring, never purchased one or you’d like to honor your son or daughter with a ring for their graduation, go online to clemson.edu/ring. There’s also a line of related jewelry available.
— Contributed by Margaret Smith ’09
There are clubs across the country to provide you with ties to the Clemson Family. Go to clemson.edu/alumni to find a club near you.
Greek Isles
Clemson Alumni Association is your ticket to the world’s cultures, sights and sounds. We handle the arrangements and work with high-quality providers so that you can relax, explore and immerse yourself in dream destinations.
We offer special trips providing unequaled access, educational value and Clemson experts to enrich your experience. Upcoming trips include Normandy, the Greek Isles, Oxford, Europe and Alaska. Contact Randy Boatwright at brandol@clemson.edu.
Orlando Club Banner
If you live in the Orlando area, you’ve probably noticed the amazing job that the Orlando Clemson Club does with their email blasts. The club president, Matt Alexander ’09, works hard to capture and engage local alumni by pulling in photos of their events in every email blast.
Members of the New York/Tri-State and New England Clemson clubs gathered with representatives of IPTAY, the Alumni Association and Clemson Fund on Friday, Oct. 4, at the Blue Tusk in Syracuse, New York to celebrate Clemson in Syracuse.
If you were watching ESPN this fall, you may have seen the Clemson alumni flag crop up at some odd locations. The Alumni Association reached out to alumni in areas that hosted ESPN College GameDay and provided them with a Clemson Alumni flag to wave during the show. Pictured here are David Pawlowski ‘01 and Tara Young at the Northwestern game.
Alfred G. Wheeler Jr. and Alumni President Ann Hunter
The Alumni Association has named entomologist Alfred G. Wheeler Jr. an honorary Clemson alumnus. Wheeler, pictured here with Alumni Association President Ann Hunter, retired to Clemson as an adjunct member of the entomology program after 25 years with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. In his 17 years at Clemson, he published more than 115 research papers, served on 16 graduate student advisory committees, mentored several Creative Inquiry undergraduate research projects, volunteered to coordinate the entomology seminar series for six years and worked as editor of South Carolina Biota for more than a decade. Wheeler also established a $100,000 endowment to support research expeditions for entomology graduate students.
Honorary alumni are selected by the honors and awards committee for outstanding service, lifelong devotion and loyalty to the University or the Alumni Association. To see past honorary alumni or to view the award guidelines, go to clemson.edu/alumni and click on “Honorary Alumnus.”
Introducing Tigers on the MoveEver want an easy way to find out what an old classmate is doing now? Or a quick way to send a message to the Clemson Family about your newest job, impending nuptials or move to a new location?
“Tigers on the Move,” a new interactive Web portal, will allow you to do just that. A complement to the alumni news found in Clemson World magazine, this site will allow for real-time, immediate updates and searchability.
Check it out at TigersOnTheMove.com and submit your latest Tiger news today!
Getting (more) socialAre you a ring-wearing Clemson alum? We have recently launched a Twitter feed and Instagram page dedicated to the Clemson Ring. Share pictures of you and your ring, indicating your class year and location by tweeting @ClemsonRing and tagging ClemsonRing on Instagram.
Bodine is professor emeritus/visiting professor in the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.
Bodine’s research has been on the biochemistry and immunology of archaic vertebrates, in particular, sharks, rays and skates. Since 2006 an interdisciplinary Creative Inquiry team mentored by Bodine has been researching an anti-tumor protein from the bonnethead shark that has great potential for use in anti-cancer treatments.
Bodine has received the Godley-Snell Outstanding Agricultural Research Award, the Class of ’39 Faculty Award for Excellence, the Gamma Sigma Delta Outstanding Teacher Award, the National Scholars Program Award of Distinction and the Outstanding Teacher Award from the National Association for Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture.
The Alumni Master Teacher Award for outstanding undergraduate classroom instruction is presented to a faculty member nominated by the student body and selected by the Student Alumni Council.
Class of ’63 celebrates golden anniversaryThis year marked the Golden Tiger Reunion for the Class of 1963. Bobby Kemp ’63 drove the same car to reunion that he drove off campus on graduation day. The car even had its original Clemson College parking decal. See page 46 for news on the Class of 1963’s reunion gift.
More than 450 attendees returned to campus for Reunion Weekend, and alums from the Classes of 1939
through 1963 gathered to reminisce and reconnect with the Clemson Family.
The Clemson Alumni Association Board of Directors has elected four new members to take office July 1.
Gary E. Clary ’70 of Central, a retired circuit judge and certified mediator and arbitrator, will serve a two-year term. An IPTAY representative emeritus, he has served as a member of the Alumni Association National Council and is a past president of the Cherokee County Clemson Club and now a member of the Fort Hill Clemson Club.
Mike Dowling ’93 of Greenville, chief financial officer of Southern First Bancshares will serve a three-year term. He served on the Student Alumni Council and is a past-president of the Clemson University Young Alumni Council. He has also served as an Alumni National Council representative and Board of Visitors representative.
Patsy Siebert DuPre ’80 of Hendersonville, N.C., will serve a three-year term. An independent contractor in Washington, D.C., she was on the board of the Washington-Baltimore Clemson Club before moving to N.C. Members of the President’s Leadership Circle, she and her husband have a son at Clemson.
Heather Simmons Jones ’97, M ’12 of Columbia, founder and CEO of Opus 3, a firm specializing in economic development, human resources and labor relations, was re-elected to a two-year term. She was a charter member and officer for both the Coosawhatchie and Anderson Area Clemson clubs and is a board member of the Columbia Clemson Club.
The alumni board has 23 members and is the governing body for the Alumni Association. Primary responsibilities include general oversight of programs and initiatives of the Alumni Association, financial audit and review, creation of governing policies and strategic planning.
Marching into historyThis spring, members of the Clemson Senior Platoon once again gathered on campus to celebrate their Clemson history. The first drill team ever established at Clemson, the platoon was founded in 1930 by Gator Farr as a way to reward senior cadets for three years of hard work. The group remained active from 1930 through 1960, when Clemson became a civilian school.
The platoon has performed at home football games, bowl games and even once at Yankee Stadium. Through the years, the Clemson Senior Platoon has contributed more than $25 million back to Clemson, making it one of the most generous groups in the University’s history. Under the leadership of Sanford Smith ’55, the platoon still performs at events such as the First Friday Parade and Military Appreciation Day.
For the fifth year in a row, alumni clubs and groups celebrated a National Week of Service. The first week of April, 20 alumni groups, from Montana to New England, joined together in community service projects that ranged from packaging, cooking or delivering meals to working with Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits.
This year, the event was coordinated with the annual University week of service, and through Clemson Sweep and the Unity Project, students participated in on- and off-campus service projects.
Become a Clemson advocate!The Enterprise Act, a bill that would allow Clemson to operate some of its non-academic functions more like a business, was passed by the S.C. Senate this spring, but didn’t make it through the House before the legislative session ended. The bill would give the University’s Board of Trustees the authority to move such functions as athletics, research and economic development into a new “enterprise division” that would be able to do such things as buy and sell property without going through the process required for state agencies.
It’s needed, Clemson officials say, because the bureaucracy of state government frequently inhibits the institution’s ability to undertake projects with private business and industry in a timely manner to respond to market conditions. You can be an advocate for Clemson at the state level. For more information, or to sign up, go to clemson.edu/governmentalaffairs.