Category: Faculty Juncture

ENGLISH — Professor Susanna Ashton published “Capturing the Civil War” in JSTOR Daily in a collection review on archived stationery during the Civil War from Grand Valley State University’s Civil War and Slavery Collection. Her upcoming book, “A Plausible Man: The True Story of the Escaped Slave Who Inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” is available for pre-order ahead of its release date on August 6.

HISTORY — Professor of History Vernon Burton moderated a session at Clemson University’s Upstate Symposium on April 4. That afternoon, he and Professor J. Brent Morris participated in a program on Clemson history and the politics of the South for the inaugural spring symposium of the student-published “The Aurantiaco,” Clemson’s journal for the humanities and social sciences. 

On April 7, Burton and writer Fergus Bordewich did a Zoom session on Reconstruction in South Carolina for the Modjeska Simkins School. That same day, Burton and Morris spoke about the latter’s book, “Dismal Freedom.” Burton and Harvard Law Professor Kenneth Mack were guests on NPR’s “Throughline” podcast that aired on April 11. On April 15, Burton was one of four historians who filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court defending the existence of a private right of action. 

Burton participated in three panels throughout the state about voting on April 17 (Clemson), April 18 (Orangeburg) and April 25 (Aiken). On April 20, Burton spoke about Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation as the keynote speaker for the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era’s conference titled, “Breathing Democracy into Spaces: First South Carolina Volunteers of African Descent,” at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort.

LANGUAGES — Assistant Professor of American Sign Language Jody Cripps and his Creative Inquiry students — Brie Moose, Cassie Fisher, Stacy Lawrence, Allsion Rambo and Tariq Copeland — were interviewed by MV Signs Then and Now producer Lynn Thorp. The video, “MV Signs Then and Now: What’s Happening on Martha’s Vineyard Now?” talks about what Cripps and his students have done to support the Martha’s Vineyard community on and off the island.

ENGLISH — In Spring 2024, Assistant Professor Maziyar Faridi received a National Endowment for the Humanities Faculty Fellowship (2024-2025). In January, he participated in the invited roundtable “Comparative Modernisms in West Asia” at the Modern Language Association annual meeting in Philadelphia. Faridi also presented an article titled “Crip Rhythms: Bodies in Pain and the Crises of Colonial Modernity in the Middle East” at the American Comparative Literature Association in Montréal in March. His research was awarded a Clemson Faculty SUCCEEDS grant in April. And in May, Faridi was a recipient of the Clemson University Research, Scholarship, and Artistic Achievement Award (URSAAA).

PERFORMING ARTS — Brooks Center Director Emerita Lillian Utsey Harder, artistic director of the Utsey Chamber Music Series,was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina State House Rep. Jerry Carter (R-Pickens). This is the highest civilian honor in the state.

She also secured three broadcasts on American Public Media’s “Performance Today” broadcast on April 8 of Escher String Quartet’s performance of Haydn’s String Quarter in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4, from their concert on September 14, 2021; a broadcast on April 16 of Brahms’ Clarinet in A-minor, Op. 114, by pianist Anna Polonsky, clarinetist David Shifrin and cellist Peter Wiley from their concert on November 4, 2019; and a broadcast on April 22 of Sphinx Virtuosi’s performance of Beethoven’s Sonata No. 9 in A-major, arranged by Ruben Rengel, from their concert on March 30, 2023.

ENGLISH — Disability Rhetorics Assistant Professor Clare Mullaney had two publications this month: “Cripistemologies of Memory: Dementia, Disappearance and Mourning” in the Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies and; a short piece for a Post-45 clustered on contemporary literature from the classroom called “Bodies’ Return to Physical Books: Teaching through and alongside BookTok and Bookstagram.”

LANGUAGES — Professor of Spanish Salvador A. Oropesa read the paper, “Definición del género miniseries en España: ‘Antidisturbios (2020)’ de Rodrigo Sorogoyen,” at the XX Congreso de novela y cine negro: El largo adios.” Universidad de Salamanca, Spain, on May 14.

ENGLISH — Associate Professor Elizabeth Rivlin presented a paper titled “The Book-of-the-Month Club’s Shakespeare Editions: Readability, Prestige, and the Creation of Value” in the “Early Modern Book History: The State of the Field” seminar at the Shakespeare Association of America Annual Meeting, held April 10-13 in Portland, OR.

ART – The Bascom Center for Visual Arts in Highlands, N.C. has chosen BFA student in Sculpture Zrai Aiken and Assistant Professor of Art in Sculpture Alex Schechter for the juried exhibition titled “Emergence: A Survey of Southeastern Studio Programs” at the Bunzl Gallery. This exhibition aims to celebrate the crucial role of teaching and mentoring in the development of artists by showcasing the collaborative works of faculty and student pairs. Running from January 20th to April 27th, 2024, “Emergence” features 35 pairs of artists representing 23 higher education institutions from the Southeast. This exhibition serves as a celebration of artistic collaboration and an exceptional experiential learning opportunity for students creating contemporary art. The diverse range of artworks reflects various approaches to subject matter, innovative use of materials, and a mastery of traditional mediums taught and practiced in contemporary studio programs.

ART – Lecturer in Ceramics and Foundations John Cummings attended a two-week Red Lodge Clay Center residency during Clemson University’s 2023 winter break. The Center, known for its national and international recognition, supports ceramic artists, fostering creativity and providing a platform for new work. The residency, partly funded by the South Carolina Arts Commission and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund, highlights the importance of art in everyday life.

ARCHITECTURE – Gunnin Architecture Library librarian Ann Holderfield and Assistant Professor Berrin Terim curated the exhibition “Between the II Mirrors” with student work from ARCH 8600: “The Emergence of Modern Architecture.” The project emphasizes the critical role of representation in the history of architecture.

ARCHITECTURE + HEALTH — Professor Anjali Joseph, Assistant Research Professor Sahar Mihandoust and doctoral candidate Swati Goel, all with the Center for Health Facilities Design & Testing (CHFDT), coauthored an article published in the Health Environments Research & Design Journal titled, “Design of Pediatric Outpatient Procedure Environments: A Pilot Study to Understand the Perceptions of Patients and Their Parents.” The study found that children undergoing surgery enjoyed murals, double chairs, patient beds, wall color, and access to a television. They disliked medical equipment and lack of child-friendly furniture. Most parents accompanying the children liked the murals, access to a television, and nature photos, while disliking the lack of privacy, lack of toys in waiting areas and lack of child-friendly furniture.

ARCHITECTURE – Associate Professors Andreea Mihalache and David Franco won a $40,000 grant from the LS3P Foundation for the project titled “Addressing Climate Change and Tourism on Southeastern Barrier Islands.” This is the inaugural grant cycle of the LS3P Foundation that will support “leading design thinkers in advancing research, strategies, and technologies which promote transformative change, improve human and planetary well-being, increase economic mobility, and advance issues of health and social equity across the Southeast.”