Month: March 2015

Dear Friends,

I had the honor of accompanying Executive Vice President and Provost Bob Jones, his wife Jeri, Charley and Rachelle Mickel and the executive officers of the Clemson Architecture Foundation to visit our design students in Barcelona and Genoa over spring break. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students and faculty to “show off” the academic excellence of our overseas Fluid Campus programs.

For Charley and Rachelle, it was their first visit to the Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies in Genoa. Charley’s father, Buck Mickel, was one of the guarantors of the Daniel Center’s creation, and he had the opportunity to help unveil a plaque on March 20 honoring his father and the founding guarantors.

Over the course of our visit, we had the opportunity to meet and travel with students, faculty and staff. Both Fluid Campus sites held celebrations in honor of our visit, and we are grateful to the hosts and their wonderful hospitality.

Our itinerary included guided historical tours of Barcelona, including the Montjuïc Castle, the Poblet Monastery in Catalonia, Genoa, Parma and Santa Margherita, Italy. It was an amazing trip that gave all of us a tremendous insight into our students’ studies and the cultural experiences they receive through Fluid Campus studies. You can find a nice visual overview of our visit here.

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This past week was the 8^th Annual Clemson Literary Festival and congratulations are due to the Creative Inquiry team of student leaders under the direction of Keith Morris and Juhn Pursley. There were more events than ever, another Pulitzer Prize winning author in attendance and record-breaking attendance. Bravo to all!

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Finally, a special note of congratulations to Norm Pulliam and Charley Mickel who received the Clemson Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award last week. Norm, class of ’64, helped establish the Master of Real Estate Development program. Charley, class of ’79, whose family helped establish the Daniel Center in Genoa (as you read above) was also instrumental in the establishment of CU-ICAR. This special recognition by the Alumni Association is a fitting tribute to two of Clemson’s special alumni.

It’s been a busy spring thus far and we look forward to the end-of-year festivities that accompany the completion of the school year.

With warm wishes from campus,

Rick

March 3, 2015

Dear Friends,

March is here and spring break is just around the corner! There is a noticeable bounce in everyone’s step, as we recently enjoyed our first 70-degree day on campus.

Valentine’s Day was especially sweet for many hopeful high school students as admission was offered to the Class of 2019. The “TigerTown Bound” campaign has quickly become a Clemson trademark and a great new tradition-in-the-making. Check out some of the images here.

Clemson received a record number of applications for the Class of 2019 with almost 22,000 applications received. I am thrilled to report that applications for admission to majors in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities are up 7%. When you think about Clemson’s traditional emphases on agriculture, science, technology and engineering disciplines, this is a remarkable statistic. In fact, empirical research indicates the growing need and job opportunities for college majors who have strong skills in creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. The College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities has the unique opportunity to provide these skills in an ever-changing job market and for a future in which lifelong learning and problem-solving skills are of critical importance.

I am saddened to share news that William F. (Bill) Steirer, Jr., professor emeritus of history, passed away in February. Bill retired from Clemson in 2006 after 40 years of service. Among his many accomplishments, he won the Prince Award for Innovative Teaching in1998 and was named an Alumni Master Teacher in 2000, two of Clemson’s most distinguished awards. Our condolences go to Bill’s wife, Ada Louise, and their family. The full memorial is available here.

In closing, I want to express my sincere gratitude to our loyal alumni, friends and donors. As I travel around the country, I am heartened by the strength of the Clemson brand and how highly a Clemson education is valued. The desire to give back to Clemson often translates to the strength of our fundraising efforts and especially the Will to Lead capital campaign. We are over 87% toward our $1,000,000,000 goal. I have no doubt we will meet and exceed that remarkable number. Private donations allow Clemson to provide extraordinary opportunities for our students, faculty and staff. We are grateful for your support.

Best wishes from campus and Go Tigers!

Rick