A major gift for Architecture, and new leadership in English
Dear Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends,
Dean Nicholas Vazsonyi speaks at the Poinsett Club, thanking Bill and Laura Pelham for their $3 million Cornerstone gift that will fund need-based scholarships for architecture students. Image Credit: Clemson University Relations
First and foremost, I am so pleased, proud and grateful to announce the $3 million Cornerstone gift from Bill and Laura Pelham. Thank you so much, Bill and Laura! A full article in this month’s newsletter tells the details of how their gift will serve our students, but I don’t know if it can convey what a gratifying end it made to such a tumultuous year!
The University held a memorable event to celebrate the gift at the Poinsett Club in Greenville. Our President was in attendance and shared a few thoughts, as did I. One of the comments I made was that it is remarkable to what extent this gift aligns perfectly with the strategic priorities we have been articulating for the College during the planning exercise we have been undertaking this past semester. The Pelhams’ generosity truly could not have come at a better time or in a better form.
A couple of additional announcements. Susanna Ashton will be stepping down as Chair of the English Department at the end of June. She has done an amazing job over the last four years, especially navigating her large and complex department through the pandemic. We will miss her energy, her panache, and her vibrant sense of humor. But we also wish her well as she goes off for a richly-earned sabbatical in the fall, followed by a spring to be spent as a Research Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. While at Harvard, Susanna will be continuing her work on John Andrew Jackson, an escaped slave from South Carolina who became an international speaker and author in the 19th century. Hats off to you, Susanna!
Succeeding Susanna as the incoming Chair of English is Will Stockton, Professor of English and a scholar of the early modern period including his namesake William Shakespeare, a lesser-known playwright who produced some pieces for performance at the Globe Theatre in London.
I was also hoping to be able to make two additional leadership announcements, one for the conclusion of our national search for a new full-time director of Pan African Studies, and one for our internal search for a new Director of the Humanities Hub to replace Lee Morrissey who will be stepping down at the end of the summer. An announcement for both is imminent, and we hope to be at liberty to give you the news in our August newsletter, if not sooner.
Last but not least, the Dean’s team has been hard at work these last weeks, preparing the College report to the Board of Trustees, my first since becoming Dean, which will be presented later this fall. The talent and hard work of our students, faculty, staff and alumni have given us a deep well of accomplishments from which to draw for our presentation.
With best wishes to all for the summer as we pull out of COVID at last…
“Go Tigers!”
Nicholas Vazsonyi, Dean
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities
A visit to our Charleston programs, where bridges are built
Dear Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends,
Students in the College’s Architecture + CommunityBUILD program are contributing to Charleston’s high quality of life. David Pastre discusses a structure created by those students. Image Credits: Nicholas Vazsonyi
As we end the first half of the Spring 2021 semester and hopefully enjoy a little bit of a break, I thought an update of College activities might be overdue.
The big project in the Dean’s office this semester is the refresh of our College strategic plan. The previous 5-year plan is set to expire this year, so we are due to engage in the process anyway. But with a new team in place at the Dean’s office and several new department chairs, it seems like good time to assess where we are currently and think about where we want to be in 5 years. Stay tuned for updates.
Earlier this month, at long last, I finally made it to Charleston to visit our facilities and programs there, and to meet the faculty and staff who are making it work. I was in town for a little over a day, which was not a lot, but nevertheless got a sense of the exciting things happening there.
Prof. Ray Huff showed me buildings in the Historic District downtown that Clemson owns, and I got a taste of the truly amazing facility that is the Cigar Factory on Bay Street. Prof. Jon Marcoux gave me an intense introduction to the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation.
David Pastre’s students are beautifying neighborhood parks and gardens in Charleston by designing and building architecturally interesting and innovative structures to provide seating, shelter and storage.
I also got to see the operations in North Charleston, meaning the Dominion Energy Innovation Center (with the world’s largest wind energy testing system), the Warren Lasch Conservation Center (which currently houses the H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink a ship in wartime) and the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center. While most of this complex, known as CURI (The Clemson University Restoration Institute) is the site of projects coming out of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences (CECAS), it is also the site of the Digital Production Arts program, which is a collaboration between CECAS and our Art Department.
My visit to Charleston ended with a tour of the Architecture + CommunityBUILD project, the brainchild of Prof. David Pastre, who is working with his students to beautify neighborhood parks and gardens by designing and building architecturally interesting and innovative structures to provide seating, shelter and storage. I so loved this project and its results. Architecture students get to plan projects and see them through to their completion. Neighborhoods in need get some love and attention. And we all learn that beauty doesn’t have to cost more. Sometimes it is just about imagination and effort. Once we are truly through with COVID-19, I hope our College can think of more ways to do something similar, also here in the Upstate.
Pastre’s students design and build figurative and literal bridges in Charleston.
Universities generally, not just Clemson, need to think of as many ways as possible to build bridges with the community: local, regional, national and global. This is especially true of comprehensive “Research 1” institutions, like Clemson: the elite of the elite in terms of higher education in the United States.
“Go Tigers!”
Nicholas Vazsonyi, Dean
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities
Professor Emeritus John Jacques, left, and Dean Richard Goodstein met with Seattle-area alumni this week.
Dear Friends,
The calendar says this is fall semester; however, with warm and humid weather over the past month, we are truly looking forward to the golden lights, crisp nights and the promise of daytime temperatures that will soon begin to fall along with the leaves.
It’s been an extraordinary month, as I write from Victoria, British Columbia, having spent the past several days in Seattle at the International Conference of Fine Arts Deans and hosting a Clemson alumni reception on Saturday evening.
I want to recognize several outstanding College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities students who have recently impressed us with their creativity and original thinking.
Dean Richard Goodstein and Carrie Bull stand beside her award-winning art from the NextUp exhibition.
On Oct. 2, we celebrated student artists who contributed works to the “NextUp Invitational” exhibition, now in its third year within the dean’s suite. Our staff looks forward to seeing the skills and creativity our BFA students demonstrate each semester, as established in their Art Foundations classes. The show is installed by student interns, who learn many aspects of what it takes to create and curate an exhibition as part of their education in the Department of Art
I was thrilled to have a great turnout for the reception, and honored to meet several parents who traveled to Clemson to attend. A best of show award was presented to Carrie Bull of Lexington, South Carolina, for her work “Anchored With (Faulty) Intention.”
All of us who work in Strode Tower will continue to enjoy the art in the NextUp exhibition each day until the show comes down in January. We hope that at some point in the semester, you might stop by between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to enjoy it, too.
Duckenfield Scholars
October began with a presentation by the 2018 Duckenfield Scholars. The Honors College program, which is named for Christopher J. Duckenfield, allows two Clemson students to attend summer school at Oxford each year.
2018 Duckenfield Scholars Jessica Harris, left, and Hannah Jane Pearson are shown with Dr. Ken Addison of Oxford University.
This year we were proud that both of the scholars who were selected had majors in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. Jessica Harris is a double major in Philosophy and Economics. Hannah Jane Pearson is majoring in English and Languages: American Sign Language, which are both degree programs within CAAH.
Both students received high praise for their outstanding work in England over the summer. Hannah completed a critical analysis of Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park.” She had the opportunity to visit Jane Austen’s house and see the writing table where Austen penned “Pride and Prejudice.” Jessica did a deep dive into climate change, examining the benefits of advanced interventions from both an economic and human perspective.
Those who were able to attend their Duckenfield presentation were not only impressed with their research, but their enthusiasm and sense of fun.
I encourage our honors students to learn more about the Duckenfield program and consider applying for 2019.
A new season
As the seasons change, there too are significant changes in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. I am pleased to announce these recent appointments and new roles; Please join me in congratulating all of them:
Constancio Nakuma, CAAH senior associate dean of academic affairs, has been appointed acting associate provost for academic affairs in the Office of the Provost. Among his duties, Constancio is responsible for supporting teaching and learning excellence at Clemson University, as well as the stewardship of education policies, accreditation and faculty scholarship. For more than a decade, Constancio has served our College as a professor of French, chair of the Department of Languages, associate dean and, most recently, senior associate dean. We wish him well as he contributes his considerable skills at the University level.
Lee Morrissey has been appointed interim associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, after assuming the role in an acting capacity in mid-August. He is a professor of English, past chair of the department and is the founding director of the Humanities Hub.
Brian McGrath, a professor of English, has been appointed interim associate director of the Humanities Hub. Brian will assist with bringing humanities programming to Clemson and also raising awareness of the humanities during Lee’s interim service to the College.
Cari Brooks has been appointed the new director of CAAH Student Services. Brooks has served as the interim director since the departure of Jessica Martin. She will lead our student services team, which is responsible for recruitment, advising and global engagement in our College. Cari has served as Student Services coordinator since 2017. She also helped launch the CAAH On Deck mentoring program. We look forward to her leadership of Student Services.
Margaret Owens has served on the Clemson University development team since 2012. In her role as an executive director of development, she will now play a greater part in connecting alumni, friends and supporters of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities with the ways they can support the needs of our students and foster the excellence of our faculty.
Silvia!
We were fortunate to have Silva Siboldi Carroll, her husband Mark and son David with us for several days in September.
Executive Director of the Clemson Alumni Association Wil Brasington, left, and Alumni Board member Brandt Gilbert flank honorary alumna Silvia Carroll.
Over the years, Silvia has become the spirit and heart of our Fluid Campus program in Genoa as its administrative director. Students and alumni of architecture tell us their time studying at the Charles E. Daniel Center for Building, Research and Urban Studies – or the “Villa” – has been both life-changing and life-affirming. We know their fondness for Genoa and the Villa is no small part due to the warmth and vitality with which Silvia approaches a wide range of duties, from ordering food to making sure our students are surrounded with exceptional teachers and staff.
Silvia was on South Carolina soil – in towering heels, of course – to be recognized by the Clemson University Alumni Association at a dinner in her honor. Silvia is now an honorary alumna of Clemson, and has a ring to prove it!
I am proud that her loyalty, devotion and service to Clemson has been officially recognized. Of all of our exceptional alumni, I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this honor.
