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Clemson Club News

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December and January were fun-filled months for all Clemson fans, but for alumni from Florida and Arizona, there was even more excitement as they welcomed alumni and fans from all over the country. The Florida Clemson Clubs, IPTAY and the Alumni Association joined together to host a welcome event for more than 600 members of the Clemson Family at Ferg’s Depot in Orlando the night before the ACC Championship game.
The next morning, Tigers from all over the country volunteered to make a difference in the local community and beyond by volunteering for a “Clean the World” event in Orlando. Volunteers sorted soap and personal hygiene products that would be distributed to homeless shelters nationwide and developing countries in an effort to prevent hygiene-related deaths.
Later in the day, more than 1,500 gathered at the alumni tailgate outside of the stadium before heading in to cheer on the Tigers over Virginia Tech.
For the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, the Arizona Clemson Club, IPTAY and the Clemson Alumni Association hosted a pre-game gathering in Glendale’s Westgate Entertainment District for more than 1,200 Clemson alumni and fans who were gearing up to cheer on the Tigers against Ohio State.
While in Arizona, 75 Clemson family members volunteered alongside Ohio State alumni and fans at St. Mary’s Food Bank as a service project to help make a difference in Arizona during the Fiesta Bowl festivities.
Volunteering in the community continued on through the national championship weekend. While in Tampa, the Clemson Alumni Association, Tampa Clemson Club and alumni, friends and fans from all over the country began the weekend by volunteering at Matthew 25 Saturday Hot Meal. At First Presbyterian Church of Tampa, more than 30 members of the Clemson family served hot meals provided by Metropolitan Ministries to the hungry and the homeless. Volunteers also worked in the Home Depot Clothing Closet distributing clothing items to those in need.
In addition to the service event, the Clemson Alumni Association hosted a pre-game tailgate for 2,600 fans outside Raymond James Stadium, in preparation for cheering the Tigers on to victory as 2016 National Champions.

Jason Puhlasky named honorary alumnus

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Jason Puhlasky, an honorary Clemson alumnusHis diploma might read “University of South Carolina,” but his heart bleeds orange. And in February during “Clemson Day at the Statehouse,” the Alumni Association made it official, naming Jason Puhlasky an honorary Clemson alumnus. A lobbyist with Parker Poe Consulting in Columbia, Puhlasky went to USC because he could work and pay his way through college.
As a student, he interned in the S.C. House of Representatives, where he discovered his love of politics. He moved on to the State Republican Party Headquarters and eventually on to the staff of U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond.
He returned to South Carolina where he landed a position with the S.C. State Senate. Since leaving that position he has run numerous political campaigns and advocated for various clients. Puhlasky currently serves as a member of Clemson’s Board of Visitors, and in that role and as a private citizen, works “tirelessly and selflessly on behalf of Clemson,” according to one of the letters written in support of his nomination.

Alumni Authors

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Clemson Tigers can be found in every profession, and many are published authors. Here is a short, but not exhaustive, list of alumni authors and some of their books that may pique your interest.
Border Child by Michel StoneMichel Smoak Stone ’91
Border Child: A Novel (Penguin Random House) tells the story of Héctor and Lilia and the brighter future they dreamed for their family in the United. States. Stone drops readers into the contemporary immigrant experience of a marriage at the breaking point, strained by the consequences of wanting more for the next generation. Stone’s first novel The Iguana Tree (Hub City Press), was the University’s Freshman Summer Reading Program selection in 2013. The novel examines the obstacles of pursuing a new life, set amid the perils of illegal border crossing. From publishing in her hometown of Spartanburg, Stone has gone on with her second novel to land a deal with Random House, working with the legendary Nan Talese. Read a Q&A with Stone about Border Child. 
 
Otha H. “Skeet” Vaughan Jr. ’51, M ’59
There is Something in the Air: Clemson University Aviation and Space Heritage (Vaughan Publishing) compiles the early history of the Clemson Aero Club and Clemson’s aviation and space heritage from 1927 thru 2006.
Claude Cooper ’67
Finding Strong (CreateSpace) details a powerful, inspirational true story of the life of a survivor, elite athlete, coach, teacher, mentor and victim’s advocate.
What's Done in the Dark by D. Charles WilliamsD. Charles Williams ’74
 What’s Done in the Dark: Affair-Proofing and Recovery from Infidelity — A self-help guide for couples (BookLogix) details 28 reasons why infidelity occurs and provides a common-sense, four-stage path to helping couples establish healthy marital boundaries.
Jerry Whittle ’79
Clemson in the Sixties: Seeking Manhood in Troubled Times (Amazon Digital Services) chronicles the author’s experiences of growing up in a small college town.
Kelly Durham ’80
Berlin Calling (Lake Union Publishing) takes place in pre-war Germany in 1938. As an American abroad, Maggie O’Dea finds herself falling in love with a soldier and with a job in the propaganda ministry.
Succeeding in the Project Management Jungle, by Doug RussellDoug Russell ’80
Succeeding in the Project Management Jungle; How to Manage the People Side of Projects (AMACOM) shows how to invest in and manage your most important resource — your people.
J. Claude Huguley ’81
Transforming Fear with Love: Trusting the Gift of Grace (Amazon Digital Services) offers readers a path for spiritual recovery and authentic living.
Dana Crowe Bodney ’82
The Red Leaves of Autumn (CreateSpace) offers the changing season to bring promise of new beginnings for some and mystery and mayhem for others in this mystery set on the vibrant Southern coast.
Tomorrow is Never Promised: Aaron's story, by Dennis BrownDennis Brown ’83
Tomorrow is Never Promised: Aaron’s Story (Fulton Books) tells the story of the journey to hope and healing after losing a child in an automobile accident.
George Davis ’83, M ’86
Food and Nutrition Economics: Fundamentals for Health Sciences (Oxford University Press) is a resource for non-economists to understand basic economic principles that govern food and nutritional systems.
Michael L. Puldy ’84
The Millennial’s Guide to Business Travel: Lessons for the Next Generation of Road Warriors (CreateSpace) gives tips learned by experienced business travelers.
Sam Blackman ’85, M ’87, M ’06; Tim Bourret, assistant athletic director of football communications.
If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Clemson Tigers Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box (Triumph Books) goes behind the scenes for die-hard fans and history buffs.
Hemingway's Brain by Andrew FarahB. Andrew Farah ’86
Hemingway’s Brain (University of South Carolina Press) is the first forensic psychiatric examination of the Nobel Prize-winning author with new conclusions about what led to his suicide. Rocke Crowe ’87 Grow Me, Guard Me, Guide Me (Warren Publishing) combines scripture and prose for a perfect first children’s book.
J. Drew Lanham ’88, M ’90, Ph.D. ’97
The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature (Milkweed Editions) is a rare and original story, one that speaks to the larger landscape of American identity. Watch a video from Lanham to learn more about his story.
Claretha Hughes ’91
Diversity Intelligence (Palgrave Macmillan) takes on the concept of valuing the differences in employees without attempting to make everyone alike.
Win by Not Losing by Dean HarmanDean Harman ’92
Win by Not Losing (Emerald Book Company) uncovers the fallacies and flaws in Wall Street-style investing.
Kimberly Anderson Massey ’98
A Girl’s Guide to Abstinence (CreateSpace) is the latest of five books by Massey. In this, she uses her biology teacher background to provide informed answers.
Ashes to Fire by Emily B. MartinEmily Benson Martin ’10, M ’12
Ashes to Fire (HarperVoyager Impulse) follows up Queen Mona’s journey from Martin’s first novel, Woodwalker. Queen Mona must struggle to reshape her view of the world and face truths for herself and her country.
David Hueber ’12
In the Rough: The Business Game of Golf (TCU Press) takes the reader through the author’s professional career on and off the golf course revealing the golf industry at its most awkward and best.
 
If you’re a published author, send us a high-resolution image of your book cover so we can include you in next spring’s “Alumni Authors.” Send to Julia Sellers at jdselle@clemson.edu or 114 Daniel Dr., Clemson, S.C. 29631.

Extension agent Katie Shaw honored for public service

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Clemson alumna Kathryn “Katie” Berry ShawAlumna Kathryn “Katie” Berry Shaw received the Alumni Award for Cooperative Extension Distinguished Public Service at the December general faculty meeting. An Extension 4-H agent in Laurens County since 2006, Shaw received the honor in recognition of creating innovative, hands-on educational programs that empower youth to become active members of their communities. In addition to her role as a 4-H youth development agent, Shaw currently serves as assistant of the S.C. 4-H horse program, which has led 4-H students to national equestrian awards the past two years. She is president-elect of the South Carolina Association of 4-H Extension Agents, an organization in which she has held numerous leadership positions, as well as president of the 4-H Agent Association.
An Orangeburg native, Shaw participated in 4-H and was S.C. 4-H Presidential Tray Winner, S.C. Future Farmers of America Equine Proficiency Award Winner and two-time Paso Fino Horse Association National Youth Champion in Equitation and Fino. She received her bachelor’s degree (2009) and master’s degree (2011) in agriculture education. “After growing up in 4-H and it playing a major part in my success, I decided to become a 4-H agent. I wanted to make an impact in the lives of young people just like the 4-H agents I had growing up did in my life,” Shaw said. [pullquote]“Being a 4-H agent means that I am constantly learning from co-workers, volunteers and the 4-H members. It is exciting be a part of something that is always changing and growing.”[/pullquote]
Shaw and her husband, Jimmie Lee Shaw ’07, received the S.C. Farm Bureau Achievement Award this year. They also won the S.C. Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Discussion Meet contest in 2015 and were awarded the South Carolina Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Excellence in Agriculture Award in 2009. They live in Newberry with their two daughters.