Dear Friends,
2017 graduation
I was contemplating the satisfying circle of academic life at last month’s graduation ceremony. As our students crossed the Littlejohn Coliseum stage to receive the congratulations from the president, provost and me, I couldn’t help but wonder about the future of each student with whom I shook hands: who was going to win a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar, the Pritzker Prize, an Emmy, a Grammy, Fulbright or Tony? In reality, the students were more likely considering their first job, moving or where their parents might be taking them for dinner!
I also had a sense of pride, not only in the accomplishments of our graduates, but also in the dedicated work of our faculty and staff. The journey to graduation is a shared experience among a student and their professors, advisors, departmental staff and others. From my vantage point, I can see the sense of excitement in the students’ faces as they cross the stage, while also noting, just off the side of the stage, the beaming and proud faces of our faculty as they cheer their students.
Although graduation marks the end of one cycle of the circle of academic life, many of our faculty are already preparing to teach their summer classes, focusing on their research agenda and/or planning some needed time off. That’s the beauty of life in the academy as our newly minted graduates move on and we begin anew.
The Clemson Singers perform at the Evangelische Dorfkirche Jühnsdorf, a village church outside Berlin. Conducting is Professor Anthony Bernarducci.
Graduation is a time for hope, for dreams and celebration. Heartfelt congratulations and well wishes go to each new alumnus/alumna. I hope you will keep in touch with us and remember your time at Clemson as some of the best years of your life where we gave you the tools to have a successful, satisfying and productive life and career.
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The Clemson University Singers recently returned from a successful concert tour of Germany and the Czech Republic. The students performed at some amazing venues, including the final resting place of J.S. Bach and at St. Nicholas Church in Prague. Congratulations to our students for being great Clemson ambassadors!
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With STEAM co-organizers Shannon Robert (professor of performing arts), Brad Putman, (associate dean of undergraduate studies in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Science) and Dean Anand Gramopadhye.
Congratulations are also due to our STEAM team who assembled an incredible collection of exhibits for the 2017 Artisphere Festival. Clemson’s focus on displaying and providing hands-on opportunities demonstrating our commitment to the merging of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math was on full display last month in downtown Greenville.
Attracting over 100,000 attendees and an estimated economic impact of more than $6 million, Artisphere is a Top-10 nationally ranked arts festival that attracted over 1,100 applications for participation in this year’s festival.
The College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities partners with the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Science each year in creating the big STEAM tent. A special thank you to all of our faculty and staff volunteers who worked so hard to make our STEAM event a success!
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Over the past few weeks several faculty members have been honored with national and international awards:
Professor Emeritus Yuji Kishimoto
Professor Emeritus Yuji Kishimoto has been awarded a national medal of distinction, the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays Medal by His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan in the ceremony at the Royal Palace in Tokyo. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recognized his longtime efforts to promote academic, cultural and economic relations between the U.S. and Japan.
Professor Cynthia Haynes
Cynthia Haynes, professor of English and director of first-year composition at Clemson, has won the Rhetoric Society of America’s annual book prize for the best new work in rhetorical study. “The Homesick Phone Book: Addressing Rhetorics in the Age of Perpetual Conflict” was published by Southern Illinois University Press in 2016. The book explores a subject close to Haynes — college composition instruction — by examining the rhetoric of present-day and historical acts of terrorism.
Professor Tharon Howard
Clemson professor of English Tharon Howard has won the 2017 Ken Rainey Award for Excellence in Research from the Society of Technical Communication. The award was presented in April at the organization’s annual summit meeting in Washington, D.C.
Congratulations for the end of another academic year and best wishes from campus for the beginning of summer.
Go Tigers!
Rick
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