[{"id":959,"date":"2026-01-12T18:08:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T18:08:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=959"},"modified":"2026-01-12T19:05:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T19:05:32","slug":"8-tips-for-writing-effective-emails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2026\/01\/12\/8-tips-for-writing-effective-emails\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Tips for Writing Effective Emails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Author: Hailey Herzog- Leadership &amp; Mentoring Network UPIC Intern<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clear, professional email communication plays an important role in how you build credibility, making strong first impressions, and collaborating with others in the workplace. These eight tips offer practical guidance to help you communicate with clarity and confidence from interviews and early-career roles to professional settings beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:38px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Use A Short and Informative Subject Line<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Vague subject lines can easily be lost in a full inbox. When developing the subject line, be concise but specific regarding your email\u2019s overall topic and requested action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Example: \u201cInterview Follow-up; Project Management Summer Internship\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid: \u201cFollow up\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Include A Professional Greeting<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>How you open your email is important. When addressing the recipient, use a formal title (e.g. Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Professor) unless the recipient has indicated otherwise or your existing relationship accommodates an informal greeting. If in doubt, do some research to see if the company website provides more information, or ask colleagues for information. This is especially important on names that are unisex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Example: \u201cGood Morning, Mr. Smith\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid: \u201cHey John,\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to include a warm opening sentence, such as \u201cI hope your week is off to a good start.\u201d <strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Consider The Call to Action (CTA)<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Before sending any email, consider what you want the recipient to do. A clear call-to-action near the beginning of your message can provide context and help the recipient respond more accurately. There&#8217;s no greater time sink than reading a long email just to locate the action at the very bottom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, consider incorporating the call to action into the subject line as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ex: Review Requested: Project XYZ Abstract<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ex: Availability Requested: Meeting to Discussion City of Clemson Project.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If no response is needed include a brief note such as, \u201cFor your awareness only\u2014no response needed.\u201d This can help save time and prevent unnecessary back-and-forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>Structure The Email for Readability<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Try to stick to one main topic per email and use short paragraphs. If there are multiple sections, utilize bullet points or numbered sections to make information easy to scan. Consider structuring the email based on priority so that the important information is at the top. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Be Mindful of Attachments<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Large attachments can be difficult to download or open, making recipients less likely to review them. Additionally, many email servers like Outlook limit the size of files that can be emailed or will redirect larger items into Spam folders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider uploading large attachments to the cloud (e.g. OneDrive or Google Docs) and including them as links vs. attachments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Consider &#8216;CC&#8217; or &#8216;BCC&#8217;<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>If sending an email to multiple people, consider when it might be appropriate to use Carbon Copy (CC) and Blind Carbon Copies (BCC). CC-ing allows you to send an email to multiple recipients, where all email addresses are viewable. Use CC to help keep relevant parties informed when transparency is appropriate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Example: you are emailing a document to the project manager, but you would also like the project sponsor and your accounting department aware. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>BCC-ing allows you to send an email without revealing the list of email addresses to other recipients. Use BCC when emailing a large group that you don&#8217;t want to have access to other&#8217;s emails, or in instances where protecting privacy, or matters of record, are important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Example: you are emailing 50 stakeholders a flyer to share with their contacts. You would like to send one email, but you do not want others to access the email list. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Email Follow Up<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You are the recipient of the email:<\/strong> Follow up windows are important to the professional workplace. While windows can differ among workplace cultures, it is important to either acknowledge the receipt of an email or respond within 24-48 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You are the sender of the email<\/strong>: Emails can easily be lost in a full inbox, if 3-4 business days have passed consider sending a follow-up email. Remember to reference your original message and restate your purpose for emailing. Example: \u201cI\u2019m following up on my note from Monday regarding the budget proposal. I\u2019m happy to resend details if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Post Interview<\/strong>: When following up with an employer after an interview, be sure to email a thank you message within 24 hours of the interview, ideally during standard business hours. Briefly re-introduce yourself and make sure to reference specific topics of interest that may have been discussed in the interview. Be specific to show intentionality and interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Use A Professional Sign Off<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as a professional greeting sets the tone at the beginning of an email, a thoughtful sign-off helps reinforce clarity and credibility at the end. Using simple, professional closings such as <em>\u201cThank you,\u201d \u201cBest,\u201d<\/em> or <em>\u201cRegards\u201d<\/em> signals respect and professionalism without feeling overly formal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of your email signature as a digital business card; it should be helpful and informative while remaining brief. A strong signature typically includes your full name, title (or major if you are a student), organization (university or department for students), phone number, and a relevant link such as a company website or LinkedIn profile. Companies often have a pre-established signature template for you to utilize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:22px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.verywellmind.com%2Femail-etiquette-tips-and-best-practices-8621627%3Futm_source%3Dchatgpt.com&amp;data=05%7C02%7Chherzog%40clemson.edu%7C8a96954ed9d94fd08b8808de4ee17555%7C0c9bf8f6ccad4b87818d49026938aa97%7C0%7C0%7C639034927405140253%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=YJk4OZeHxjnThmmsqNlLudmQ%2B3jJ6h5t3IoQaFGYoLk%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Email Etiquette Tips and Best Practices<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digital.pitt.edu%2Fnews%2Fpantherbytes-blog%2Femail-101-9-tips-write-better-emails-pitt-and-beyond%3Futm_source%3Dchatgpt.com&amp;data=05%7C02%7Chherzog%40clemson.edu%7C8a96954ed9d94fd08b8808de4ee17555%7C0c9bf8f6ccad4b87818d49026938aa97%7C0%7C0%7C639034927405186317%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=wgEQ2E3OiQTAE8Ce%2FilUoKaJoSyF6LFVcsyfz2vXqIY%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Email 101: 9 Tips to Write Better Emails at Pitt (and Beyond) | Pitt Digital<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theanalystacademy.com%2Fprofessional-email-writingsthat-get-noticed%2F%3Futm_source%3Dchatgpt.com&amp;data=05%7C02%7Chherzog%40clemson.edu%7C8a96954ed9d94fd08b8808de4ee17555%7C0c9bf8f6ccad4b87818d49026938aa97%7C0%7C0%7C639034927405212226%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=uMO0R1HfJwjfkRjjuVbffBQsIETN9r%2FP30wSD2MC5Uc%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7 Professional Email Writing Tips: Clear, Effective Emails That Get Noticed | Analyst Academy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.indeed.com%2Fcareer-advice%2Fcareer-development%2Feffective-use-of-email%3Futm_source%3Dchatgpt.com&amp;data=05%7C02%7Chherzog%40clemson.edu%7C8a96954ed9d94fd08b8808de4ee17555%7C0c9bf8f6ccad4b87818d49026938aa97%7C0%7C0%7C639034927405232695%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=BwZ35l3rXeNS8ONYmFo%2BDw%2BICo9E3ZDCIyPHy4jtMJ8%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">13 Tips for Effective Use of Email in the Workplace | Indeed.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author: Hailey Herzog- Leadership &amp; Mentoring Network UPIC Intern Clear, professional email communication plays an important role in how you build credibility, making strong first impressions, and collaborating with others in the workplace. These eight tips offer practical guidance to help you communicate with clarity and confidence from interviews and early-career roles to professional settings [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4269,"featured_media":960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44503],"class_list":["post-959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Tiger-Tech-Shop_240624_RH_0031-thumbnail-300x298.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=959"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":925,"date":"2026-01-08T15:03:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T15:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=925"},"modified":"2026-01-12T18:18:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T18:18:38","slug":"communication-styles-assessment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2026\/01\/08\/communication-styles-assessment\/","title":{"rendered":"Communication Styles Assessment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How we communicate impacts nearly every part of our lives; from how we establish and sustain relationships, to how we work with others, solve problems, and give feedback. Despite its broad influence, communication styles are rarely explored intentionally, particularly in academic and professional settings. Yet, becoming an effective communicator requires understanding both the interpersonal and intricate intrapersonal patterns that shape how we communicate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To support this exploration, we have partnered with the Office of Human Resources at Clemson University to share a <strong>Communication Styles Assessment<\/strong> and accompanying resources. While originally designed for the workplace, the assessment and related resources provide a common language for mentors and mentees to better understand one another\u2019s communication styles, and how those may create opportunities -or challenges- within team-based, mentoring, and everyday interactions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:45px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Take the Assessment<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Communication-Styles-Assessment.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of Communication Styles Assessment.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-27c83321-575d-4048-bae1-90161f30a7f5\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Communication-Styles-Assessment.pdf\">Communication Styles Assessment<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Communication-Styles-Assessment.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-27c83321-575d-4048-bae1-90161f30a7f5\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:45px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Learn About Your Style<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Communication-Styles-Training_SCEEES_EB_SH_10.22.25-abbreviated.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:620px\" aria-label=\"Embed of Communication Styles Training_SCEEES_EB_SH_10.22.25, abbreviated.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-1eaa3856-10fc-4e4a-84cf-18a67e55ece2\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Communication-Styles-Training_SCEEES_EB_SH_10.22.25-abbreviated.pdf\">Communication Styles Training_SCEEES_EB_SH_10.22.25, abbreviated<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Communication-Styles-Training_SCEEES_EB_SH_10.22.25-abbreviated.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-1eaa3856-10fc-4e4a-84cf-18a67e55ece2\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:45px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Using The Assessment as a Shared Reflection Tool<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than viewing the assessment as a label, it is most helpful as a conversation starter. You are encouraged to reflect on how your communication style shows up in different contexts such as working on a team, navigating disagreement, or supporting others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For mentees, the assessment can help answer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How do I typically engage in group settings?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What communication environments help me feel most effective?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do I react when expectations are unclear?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For mentors,<strong> <\/strong>it can provide insight into:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How others may experience my communication style<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How I tend to lead, support, or influence groups<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where adaptation may improve connection and understanding<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:45px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Assessment<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The Communication Styles Assessment and accompanying materials were developed by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/human-resources\/current-employees\/development\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/human-resources\/current-employees\/development\/\">Clemson University\u2019s Office of Human Resources<\/a><\/strong> as part of their efforts to enhance communication and collaboration. We appreciate their work and the opportunity to share this resource with the Leadership &amp; Mentoring Network community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For additional information or training opportunities, participants are encouraged to contact Clemson University HR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How we communicate impacts nearly every part of our lives; from how we establish and sustain relationships, to how we work with others, solve problems, and give feedback. Despite its broad influence, communication styles are rarely explored intentionally, particularly in academic and professional settings. Yet, becoming an effective communicator requires understanding both the interpersonal and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4269,"featured_media":934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44503],"class_list":["post-925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Communication-snip-for-article.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=925"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":928,"date":"2026-01-06T17:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T17:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=928"},"modified":"2026-01-07T18:32:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T18:32:31","slug":"announcing-recipients-of-the-5th-round-of-sercees-tiger-grants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2026\/01\/06\/announcing-recipients-of-the-5th-round-of-sercees-tiger-grants\/","title":{"rendered":"Announcing Recipients of the 5th Round of SERCEEES Tiger Grants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SCEEES) is pleased to announce the winners of the 5th round of the SERCEEES TIGER (Stimulating Exploratory Research in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Transformative Initiative for Generating Extramural Research) grant funds!<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This internal research competition celebrates innovative, interdisciplinary research proposals that have the potential to catalyze externally-funded research and elevate collaborative scholarship across SCEEES and Clemson University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After an engaging series of presentations and a rigorous review process, two teams stood out for the originality of their ideas and the promise of their research direction. These teams will receive SERCEEES TIGER funding to support exploratory research activities that will strengthen their ability to pursue competitive external proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2025 SERCEEES TIGER Grant Recipients<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>A Human-Centric Forward-Looking Planning Framework for Utility Levels of Service under Emerging Droughts in the Southeastern United States<\/em><\/strong><br><strong>Principal Investigator:<\/strong> Dr. <em>Chung-Yi Lin<\/em> (CE)<br><strong>Co-Investigators:<\/strong> C. Prakash Khedun (CAFLS), Choa Fan (CE), and Dawoon Jeong (CAFLS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project proposes a novel, human-centered framework to support planning for water utility service levels under future drought conditions. Its interdisciplinary approach aims to bridge engineering, environmental science, and community resilience in addressing water security challenges that are increasingly relevant across the southeastern United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>ReARM: Reducing Environmental and Agricultural Runoff via Mechanistic Solutions<\/em><\/strong><br><strong>Principal Investigator:<\/strong> <em>Ashish Manandhar<\/em><br><strong>Co-Investigators<\/strong>: Huan Chen (EEES), Debora Rodrigues (EEES), and Chung-Yi Lin (CE)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The overall goal of this project is to evaluate hydrothermal treatment as a manure management approach to mitigate antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in livestock manure and agroecosystems. This research holds promise for advancing sustainable land-water management practices, with implications for ecosystem health, water quality, and agricultural productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Lin, Dr. Manandhar, and their research teams for their outstanding proposals and commitment to advancing cross-disciplinary research at Clemson University and SCEEES. We would also like to thank the members of the SCEEES Research Committee for their review and facilitation of the grant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to all participating teams for their thoughtful presentations and contributions to a vibrant culture of inquiry and collaboration within SCEEES. Each proposal exemplified the depth of scholarship and the innovation present within our school and departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To see a list of proposals visit this <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/11\/25\/six-interdisciplinary-research-teams-compete-for-serceees-tiger-grant-funds\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/11\/25\/six-interdisciplinary-research-teams-compete-for-serceees-tiger-grant-funds\/\">BLOG POST<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please note that <strong>the earliest date at which the 5th round of SERCEEES TIGER grant funds will be released to awardees is <em>July 1, 2026<\/em><\/strong>. This timeline aligns with internal university processes and ensures proper fiscal planning for supported research activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SCEEES) is pleased to announce the winners of the 5th round of the SERCEEES TIGER (Stimulating Exploratory Research in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Transformative Initiative for Generating Extramural Research) grant funds! This internal research competition celebrates innovative, interdisciplinary research proposals that have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4269,"featured_media":929,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44503],"class_list":["post-928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2026\/01\/Tiger-and-Cub-NAVC_042925_AJ_236-thumbnail.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=928"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":900,"date":"2026-01-06T15:37:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=900"},"modified":"2026-01-07T14:08:43","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T14:08:43","slug":"sceees-distinguished-lecture-series-dr-jacqueline-macdonald-gibson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2026\/01\/06\/sceees-distinguished-lecture-series-dr-jacqueline-macdonald-gibson\/","title":{"rendered":"SCEEES Distinguished Lecture Series &#8211; Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"267\" height=\"245\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Dr.J.MacDonaldGibson_16-e1767731503199.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-930\" style=\"width:228px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sup>Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, the Twisdale Family Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department Head at North Carolina State University.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SCEEES) is pleased to welcome <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ccee.ncsu.edu\/people\/jmacdon\/\">Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson<\/a><\/strong> as its fourteenth SCEEES Distinguished Lecture. Her lecture titled <em><strong>&#8220;Unequal Access to Safe and Reliable Drinking Water in North Carolina: Infrastructure Gaps, Health Impacts, and Paths Forward&#8221; <\/strong><\/em>will be held on March 6, 2026 at 11:15 a.m. at the Watt Family Innovation Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Gibson is the Twisdale Family Department Head of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at North Carolina State University. Dr. Gibson\u2019s career spans both academia and high-level public policy, uniquely positioning her to address the intersection of science, engineering, and governance. Before entering academia, she spent 13 years in influential policy roles, including serving as Associate Director of the U.S. National Research Council\u2019s Water Science and Technology Board and acting as a key liaison to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during her tenure with The RAND Corporation. Her interdisciplinary research addresses critical global challenges, ranging from optimizing water infrastructure to enhance public health in the United States to developing strategic frameworks for prioritizing environmental policy initiatives in the United Arab Emirates. Her research interest is in the quantification of risks due to environmental contamination and on the quantitative comparison policy options for controlling environmental risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, Dr. Gibson is the President of the Society for Risk Analysis and serves as an Associate Editor for Environmental Science &amp; Technology, one of the premier journals in environmental engineering and science. She holds dual PhDs in Engineering and Public Policy and in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an MS in Environmental Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a BA in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. Dr. Gibson\u2019s work continues to influence transformative policy decisions and pave the way for sustainable solutions to critical environmental challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lecture Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past century, the expansion of community water systems dramatically reduced waterborne disease in the United States. Yet many communities\u2014often shaped by historical racial and economic segregation\u2014were excluded from these investments and remain without access to safe, reliable drinking water. The extent to which these infrastructure gaps persist, and their implications for public health, are still not well understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This seminar synthesizes recent research examining drinking water access gaps across North Carolina and the associated health consequences. Findings document substantial and persistent inequities in water service, with affected communities experiencing elevated risks of waterborne illness and increased exposure to harmful contaminants, including lead. These risks are not evenly distributed and disproportionately burden low-income and marginalized populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The presentation also evaluates short- and long-term solutions to mitigate these harms. While point-of-use water filters can reduce certain chemical exposures in the near term, they do not fully address microbiological risks and may be difficult to sustain over time. Lasting improvements in public health will require targeted infrastructure investments, improved governance, and policies that explicitly address the legacy of exclusion from community water systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SCEEES) is pleased to welcome Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson as its fourteenth SCEEES Distinguished Lecture. Her lecture titled &#8220;Unequal Access to Safe and Reliable Drinking Water in North Carolina: Infrastructure Gaps, Health Impacts, and Paths Forward&#8221; will be held on March 6, 2026 at 11:15 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4034,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,44502],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44500],"class_list":["post-900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-department","category-lectures"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4034"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/900\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=900"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":921,"date":"2025-12-29T20:17:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:17:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=921"},"modified":"2025-12-29T20:18:34","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T20:18:34","slug":"communications-in-the-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/12\/29\/communications-in-the-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Communications in The Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Effective communication is one of the most cited workplace skills, and it is one of the least explicitly defined. In engineering environments, communication challenges rarely stem from a lack of technical ability. More often, they arise from differing assumptions about what \u201cgood communication\u201d looks like, misalignment with communication mediums, and a lack of adherence to unspoken workplace norms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strong communication isn\u2019t just about what is said, but how it fits within the systems, people, and processes that shape effective work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:34px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Communication Assumptions vs. Workplace Realities<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Many communication gaps arise not from what is said, but from differing expectations about how communication should work. Early-career professionals and experienced colleagues may define effective communication in different ways based on context and experience. Recognizing these differences is an important step toward clarity and avoiding miscommunications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-regular\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Early Career Assumptions<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Workplace Realities<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Credibility comes from having the right answer.<\/td><td>Credibility comes from clear reasoning and transparency.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Avoiding questions to appear capable.<\/td><td>Asking questions signals engagement and helps prevent costly misunderstandings.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Speaking less avoids mistakes.<\/td><td>Silence is often interpreted as understanding or agreement. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Technical language demonstrates expertise.<\/td><td>Clarity of concept and relevance to the audience matter more than the volume of information.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Non-engineers need all the details.<\/td><td>Non-engineers need plain language implications, risks, and project outcomes. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Professionalism means formality.<\/td><td>Professionalism means intent, follow-through, and respect for the established relationship (both informal and formal).<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:34px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Role of Medium<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In the workplace, communication effectiveness is shaped not only by <em><strong>what<\/strong><\/em> is said, but by <em><strong>how<\/strong><\/em> and <em><strong>where<\/strong><\/em> it is delivered. Different communication mediums serve different operational purposes, and using the wrong medium can unintentionally signal confusion, urgency, or disengagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Medium<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Best Used For<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Common Pitfalls to Avoid<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Email<\/td><td>Documentation, decisions, project summaries, tasks with less urgency<\/td><td>Overly long messages, unclear asks, delayed responses\/waiting to reply until the answer is fully formed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Chat\/Messaging<\/td><td>Quick responses, clarification, urgent response windows<\/td><td>Treating chats as permanent records, messaging outside of office hours, and using chats for complex or sensitive topics. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Meetings<\/td><td>Discussions, decisions, clarifying ambiguity among a group<\/td><td>Using meetings to deliver information only. Talking at an audience the entire time. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Presentations<\/td><td>Alignment, recommendations, project outcomes<\/td><td>Overloading slides with technical detail or excessive information <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:34px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Considering Workplace Norms<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to selecting the right communication medium, effective workplace communication requires an awareness of workplace norms. These norms influence how information is shared, how quickly responses are expected, and which channels are considered appropriate for different types of messages. For example, some clients or teams may prefer that all formal communication runs through email, while others are comfortable using tools like Teams or Slack for ongoing discussion and quick updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Misconception <\/strong><\/td><td><strong>What is Often True Instead<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>My preferred tool is the best tool.<\/td><td>Effective communication depends on audience expectations. A supervisor or the team&#8217;s norms often take priority over personal preference. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Informal platforms are always casual.<\/td><td>Some teams treat chat tools as official records. Be intentional with tone and responses. <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Everyone interprets responsiveness the same way.<\/td><td>Response expectations vary by role, workplace culture, and generational preference. Clarify expectations early by asking questions.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Communication preferences remain the same throughout the life of the project. <\/td><td>Preferences may change as project requirements, stakeholders, or team composition shift. Flexibility is often more effective than sticking to a past method.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Signals to pay attention to within workplace norms include:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How leaders communicate and follow up,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which channels are used for decisions versus discussions,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Typical response times of peers and leadership,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Level of formality and detail in written communications,<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does the company have brand or communications guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Effective communication is one of the most cited workplace skills, and it is one of the least explicitly defined. In engineering environments, communication challenges rarely stem from a lack of technical ability. More often, they arise from differing assumptions about what \u201cgood communication\u201d looks like, misalignment with communication mediums, and a lack of adherence to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4269,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44503],"class_list":["post-921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=921"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":914,"date":"2025-12-29T17:06:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-29T17:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=914"},"modified":"2026-01-02T14:52:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T14:52:00","slug":"nominations-now-open-sceees-directors-exceptional-staff-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/12\/29\/nominations-now-open-sceees-directors-exceptional-staff-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Nominations Now Open: SCEEES Director&#8217;s Exceptional Staff Award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile\"><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SCEEES) is pleased to open nominations for the second annual Director\u2019s Exceptional Staff Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This award recognizes a SCEEES staff member whose contributions meaningfully exceed the expectations of their role and positively impact their department and the School\u2019s mission, operations, and community. Whether through sustained excellence, initiative, professional growth, or contributions that support school-, college, and\/or university-level priorities. <\/p>\n<\/div><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-1-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-916 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-1-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-1-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-1-50x50.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Building on the inaugural year, this year\u2019s award process includes updated guidelines and a structured review rubric designed to promote clarity, consistency, and fairness in the evaluation of nominations. Nominations will be reviewed by the SCEEES Awards and Scholarships Committee using a standardized rubric that considers the scope, impact, and sustainability of a nominee\u2019s contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nominations may be submitted by SCEEES faculty, staff, students, or postdoctoral scholars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We encourage you to take this opportunity to recognize a colleague whose dedication and efforts make a meaningful difference within SCEEES.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nominations close:<\/strong> February 27, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cognitoforms.com\/CECAS2\/SCEEESDirectorsExceptionalStaffAwardNominationForm\" style=\"background-color:#f56600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Submit A Nomination<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:33px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Directors-Exceptional-Staff-Award-2026-Guidelines-1.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of SCEEES Director&apos;s Exceptional Staff Award, 2026 Guidelines.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-deffaafb-b829-4174-a76d-169c61f350bb\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Directors-Exceptional-Staff-Award-2026-Guidelines-1.pdf\">SCEEES Director&#8217;s Exceptional Staff Award, 2026 Guidelines<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Directors-Exceptional-Staff-Award-2026-Guidelines-1.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-deffaafb-b829-4174-a76d-169c61f350bb\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SCEEES) is pleased to open nominations for the second annual Director\u2019s Exceptional Staff Award. This award recognizes a SCEEES staff member whose contributions meaningfully exceed the expectations of their role and positively impact their department and the School\u2019s mission, operations, and community. Whether through sustained [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4269,"featured_media":918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[44506],"coauthors":[44503],"class_list":["post-914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department","tag-awards"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/SCEEES-Exceptional-Staff-Award-Announcement-thumbnail.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=914"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":898,"date":"2025-12-18T18:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T18:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=898"},"modified":"2025-12-30T14:34:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T14:34:30","slug":"congratulations-fall-25-sceees-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/12\/18\/congratulations-fall-25-sceees-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"Congratulations Fall &#8217;25 SCEEES Graduates!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Tiger-with-Signs_062-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-901\" style=\"width:250px;height:auto\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences celebrates our graduates from various programs within the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering and the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. The doctoral hooding ceremony took place on Wednesday, December 17 at 3 p.m. in Littlejohn Coliseum.&nbsp; Congratulations to the following graduates for earning their Doctor of Philosophy degrees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Muzan Williams Ijeoma \u2013 Ph.D. Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Thinh Tan Nguyen \u2013 Ph.D. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Jiayun Shen \u2013 Ph.D. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-af6af2542f9ce4fcd5ed41c47616cfa5\"><strong><em>Jiusi Wang &#8211; Ph.D. Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The graduate ceremonies for the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences were held at Littlejohn Coliseum on Thursday, December 18th at 6 p.m. Congratulations to the following students for earning their Master of Science degrees!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c0232fa16e6a66b08c57c9454dc6c2dc\"><strong><em><strong><em>Ryan Michael Bakken \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-33964baaa645d62871fab5442d83a757\"><strong><em>Aidan Barrett Barker \u2013 M.S. Environmental Engineering and Science<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1ffdac0bc176c929434c2d4e54a7093\"><strong><em>Rajeev Bhandari \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e5a11619c9b5e3f5b13113640acc896b\"><strong><em><strong><em>Nelson Essien \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-90327275233e526a31e7eca809ce2b21\"><strong><em><strong><em>Katie Lynne Hardison \u2013 M.S. Environmental Engineering and Science<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5e807f7ccd1a5a492cb64c6acc12c0ef\"><strong><em><strong><em>Shreedhar K C \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-edc68153150acf2e563f131003167fa0\"><strong><em><strong><em>Liam Hassan Khaleghi \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8c71db90f0c21fa28a2e02392728adee\"><strong><em><strong><em>Colin Russell Kosek \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-87453b9bae2e014a124c46a95f3133d2\"><strong><em><strong><em>Maggie Elise McKenney \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8d42361599d4a60e0d20729fb340ff6d\"><strong><em>Morgan Anderson Norris II \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d0157daa10b995884c2b36807e832b82\"><strong><em><strong><em>Ronald Ochieng \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1cd4cd6a72c179b4a4dc9646e11c87a6\"><strong><em>Naukaben<\/em><\/strong> <strong><em>Pradipkumar Patel \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8da0b00cacd891ce985bc981690291ac\"><strong><em><strong><em>Pratiksha Paudel \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-171c6d080a9a93be0a5024777515b4a9\"><strong><em><strong><em>Saylen Sofia Paz Patino \u2013 M.S. Environmental Engineering and Science<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-362df932ac68b5cda9da98e142f5c291\"><strong><em>Jenna B. Scarboro \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-93c742eaae84e93322e35ffd560d5d0b\"><strong><em>Ryan Gregory Semler \u2013 M.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The undergraduate ceremonies for the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences were also held at Littlejohn Coliseum on Thursday, December 18th at 6 p.m. Congratulations to the following students for earning their Bachelor of Science degrees!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Ahmad Nidal Abunijem \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Waleed Nasser Alquza \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Charles Arthur Baughman \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>William Howard Bishop \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>John Daniel Bowen \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Samuel Christopher Bradley \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em><strong><em>Camille LauRette Bryant \u2013 B.S. Geology<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Nicholas Carr Cansler \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>David Chacon \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Millie Anamile Chavez-Cruz \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Luke Oren <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Conneff<\/em><\/strong><strong><em> \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Ryan Daniel Cox \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Matthew <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Euzebio<\/em><\/strong><strong><em> Da Rocha <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Lucas Charles Doland <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Benjamin Howard Filston \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Daniel Alberto Flores Hernandez <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Dylan Ellis <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Florschutz<\/em><\/strong><strong><em> <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Jacob Bruce Hall <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Caroline Catherine Hansen <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Biosystems Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Marisa Nicole Hess <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Caleb Andrew Kern <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Danielle Evelyn Lauria <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Josue Ivan <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Mantufar<\/em><\/strong><strong><em> Moreno <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>James Zachary Martin \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>John Richard McConnell <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Lorenzo Rye <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Miodus<\/em><\/strong><strong><em>-Santini <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Nathan Andrew Nadeau <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Biosystems Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Trevor Steven Norris <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Brenna Logan Nunn <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Environmental Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Jesus Olayo-Olvera \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Connor Evan Orosz \u2013 B.S. Biosystems Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Braden Thomas Pritchard <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Ryan Patrick Redd <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Aidan Relyea-Girgrah <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Jonathan Daniel Rogers <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Mitchell A. Rokosz \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Chloe Lynne Rottinghaus \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Ethan Tyler Shepherd \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Kyle Anson Smith <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Christopher Austin Sparks <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Cooper Michael Todt <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>\u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Gunnar Stanley Valentine \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>William Bradley Ware \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Braiden Ashleigh Warner \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><em>Nickolas Alexander Whitman \u2013 B.S. Civil Engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Congratulations to all of our new School of CEEES grads!&nbsp; Go Tigers!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences celebrates our graduates from various programs within the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering and the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. The doctoral hooding ceremony took place on Wednesday, December 17 at 3 p.m. in Littlejohn Coliseum.&nbsp; Congratulations to the following graduates for earning [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4034,"featured_media":923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44500],"class_list":["post-898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Graduation-6-pm_181225_SL_0031-thumbnail.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4034"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=898"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":893,"date":"2025-12-09T14:23:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T14:23:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=893"},"modified":"2025-12-09T14:24:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T14:24:29","slug":"charting-your-course-a-career-mapping-activity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/12\/09\/charting-your-course-a-career-mapping-activity\/","title":{"rendered":"Charting Your Course; A Career Mapping Activity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Career paths in nearly every profession rarely unfold in a straight line. They\u2019re shaped by choices, opportunities, challenges, and unexpected turns that mold us as professionals and help reveal what matters to us over time. Charting these \u201cpivot points\u201d can help mentors and student mentees understand the experiences that influence decision-making and clarify priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This activity invites mentoring pairs to step back and reflect on their individual journeys, both professional and academic. Together, explore how these moments helped to shaped your trajectory, informed your goals, influenced your values, and ultimately guided your career pathways or aspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What You&#8217;ll Need<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A blank piece of paper or whiteboard space<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pens\/markers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>20 &#8211; 30 minutes of dedicated conversation time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Instructions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Step 1: Draw your timeline across the page. <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Create a horizontal line across your page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mentors<\/strong>: Label the left end &#8220;Graduation\/Early Career&#8221; and the right end &#8220;Today.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Student Mentees<\/strong>: Label the left end &#8220;Start of College,&#8221; the middle &#8220;Today,&#8221; and the right end &#8220;Graduation\/Early Career.&#8221; <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"494\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-Step-1-timeline-1024x494.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-895\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-Step-1-timeline-1024x494.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-Step-1-timeline-300x145.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-Step-1-timeline-768x371.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-Step-1-timeline-1536x741.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-Step-1-timeline.jpg 1660w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Mark Points Along the Timeline<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Add points along the timeline to populate your map. Identify meaningful inflection or decision points from among those listed. Aim to identify 3-7 inflection points. These may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Finishing a degree or certification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Joining a club on campus or professional organization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Taking a meaningful or defining class<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Landing (or losing) a job or internship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Completing a Co-Op rotation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selecting\/Changing majors, roles, or jobs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A major life shift (family, health, relocation, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A discovery, experience, or insight that changed your direction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Label each point with a short phrase and identify why that moment was significant to you. Be sure to elaborate on what values, goals, or skills (if any) were influencing this decision at the time and the outcome\/learning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your map may look different from the one below. Some pathways will have more turns; others will be more linear. The goal is to accurately reflect your path, not a &#8216;typical&#8217; one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"416\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-mentor-map-1024x416.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-896\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-mentor-map-1024x416.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-mentor-map-300x122.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-mentor-map-768x312.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-mentor-map-1536x624.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/12\/Just-the-mentor-map.jpg 1675w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Identify Themes, Patterns, or Skills<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Look across the timeline and highlight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Unplanned<\/strong> events that became key turning points.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decisions<\/strong> that opened new doors (whether expected or unexpected).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recurring motivations<\/strong> that drove your choices (Service, Creativity, Solving Problems, Collaborating, Stability, etc.).\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Did these motivations strengthen or fade over time?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Skills<\/strong> that appear across multiple stages of your timeline, even unrelated ones.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Were there specific skills that you realized you needed after a pivot point? <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Responses to setbacks,<\/strong> rejections, and unforeseen changes. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moments when you began to see yourself or your motivation differently as a leader, a parent, an engineering, a professional, a teammate, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Times you took a risk or embraced the unknown.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moments of achievement that mattered <em>beyond<\/em> the resume.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Add notes or symbols to your timeline to visualize these patters or themes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: Discuss with Your Mentoring Pair<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the visual timeline to guide your conversation. Helpful questions include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What decisions felt intentional and which took you by surprise?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How did your motivations or priorities shift at different points?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What did you learn from moments that <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> go as planned?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What patterns do you see that may guide future decisions?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What experiences do you feel most proud of or shaped by?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Connect the Insights to the Future<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Work together to identify meaningful next steps or takeaways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mentors:<\/strong> Use the mentee\u2019s timeline to help identify potential next experiences \u2014 internships, electives, clubs, professional affiliations, or projects. Share what you wish you had known earlier, what skills were most critical to your path, and any key learnings from your experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mentees:<\/strong> Reflect on which values and interests feel most important now, and which steps could help you align your future with those patterns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Career paths in nearly every profession rarely unfold in a straight line. They\u2019re shaped by choices, opportunities, challenges, and unexpected turns that mold us as professionals and help reveal what matters to us over time. Charting these \u201cpivot points\u201d can help mentors and student mentees understand the experiences that influence decision-making and clarify priorities. This [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4269,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44503],"class_list":["post-893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/893","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=893"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/893\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=893"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=893"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=893"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=893"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":877,"date":"2025-11-25T20:23:26","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T20:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=877"},"modified":"2025-11-25T20:35:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T20:35:39","slug":"six-interdisciplinary-research-teams-compete-for-serceees-tiger-grant-funds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/11\/25\/six-interdisciplinary-research-teams-compete-for-serceees-tiger-grant-funds\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Interdisciplinary Research Teams Compete for SERCEEES TIGER Grant Funds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>11\/21\/2025<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"834\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/11\/processed-B3B23560-7C98-435B-9600-08222C106C39-e1764100992713.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-888\" style=\"width:181px;height:auto\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Chao Fan at the SERCEEES TIGER grant presentations on 11\/21\/2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Last week, six interdisciplinary research teams competed for Stimulating Exploratory Research in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SERCEEES) TIGER grant research funds awarded annually by the School of CEEES. The SERCEEES <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cecas\/research\/proposal-development\/tiger-grants\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.clemson.edu\/cecas\/research\/proposal-development\/tiger-grants\/\">Transformative Initiative for Generating Extramural Research (TIGER) grant <\/a>is funded by the College of Computing, Engineering, and Applied Sciences at Clemson University. A total of $50K has been allocated for these grants to promote collaborative research teams in CE and EEES. Funding of up to $25K is available per team and awarded to a maximum of two teams comprised of at least one PI or Co-PI from either the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering or the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams gave oral presentations on Friday, November 21st at the L. G. Rich Lab auditorium to an audience of graduate students, faculty, and staff. The fifth round team participants and their research proposal titles are listed below. Good luck to all of the proposal teams!!! Awarded teams will be announced during the first week of December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. <strong>\u201cEnhancing Organizational Decision-Making for Rural Infrastructure Restoration after Natural Disasters through AI-Driven Digital Twin\u201d<\/strong>; <em>Chao Fan (PI-CE), Kalyan Piratla (CE), Marissa Shuffler-Porter (Psychology)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2.<strong>\u201cProspecting Regolith for Water Extraction Assisted by Machine Learning and Magnetic Induction Heating\u201d<\/strong>; <em>Qiushi Chen (PI-CE), Laura Redmond (CE), Ming Yang (Chemical &amp; Bimolecular Engineering)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.<strong>\u201cReARM: Reducing Antimicrobial Resistance in Agroecosystems through Manure Management Innovation\u201d<\/strong>; <em>Ashish Manandhar (PI-EEES), Debora Rodrigues (EEES), Huan Chen (EEES), Chung-Yi Lin\u00a0 (CE)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4.<strong>\u201cA Human-Centric Forward-Looking Planning Framework for Utility Levels of Service under Emerging Droughts in the Southeastern United States\u201d<\/strong>; <em>Chung-Yi Lin (PI-CE), C. Prakash Khedun, Dawoon Jeong, Chao Fan (CE)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5.<strong>\u201cEstablishing a Sampling Site in the Clemson Experimental Forest to Study Ecosystem Interactions to Enhance Department of Energy\u2019s Focus on the Southeast U.S.\u201d<\/strong>; <em>Andrew Metcalf (PI-EEES), Thomas O\u2019Halloran (FEC), Robert Baldwin (CEF), Wayne Phillips (CEF), Chongai Kuang (Brookhaven National Laboratory)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6.<strong>\u201cDistributed Artificial Intelligence based Digital Twins for Wildfire Early Forecasting\u201d<\/strong>; <em>G. Kumar Venayagamoorthy (PI\u2013ECE), M.Z. Naser (CE)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8cf370e7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Previous teams awarded SERCEEES TIGER grant funds include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a3bc44570f7d62983dd8e8df42a0fc09\">1. <em><strong>&#8220;Making Buildings Safer by Improving Indoor Air Quality&#8221;<\/strong><\/em>; Andrew Metcalf (PI), Nigel Kaye, Mik Carbajales-Dale, Vincent Blouin, Ehsan Mousavi; 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. <strong><em>&#8220;Understanding the non-linear hydromechanical effects of extreme events to improve performance and reduce costs of infrastructure foundations<\/em>&#8220;<\/strong>; Ravi Ravichandran (PI) and Larry Murdoch; 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3. <strong>&#8220;Laying down roots:&nbsp; Mimicking root architecture to develop innovative cost-effective foundations for tall wind turbines&#8221;<\/strong>; Brady Flinchum (PI) and Ravi Ravichandran; 2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. <em><strong>&#8220;Decarbonization of cement production through process improvements and ecological carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies&#8221;<\/strong><\/em>; Prasad Rangaraju (PI) and Caye Drapcho; 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5. <strong>&#8220;Improving Environmental Justice through A Collaborative and Trustworthy System for Hyperlocal Air Quality&#8221;<\/strong>; Chao Fan (PI), Andrew Metcalf, Kapil Madathil, Ashok Mishra; 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>6. <em><strong>&#8220;Networking the Future of SCEEES: Understanding Professional Networks to Support Inclusion and Professional Development&#8221;<\/strong><\/em>; Kelly Lazar (PI), Jennifer Ogle, Andrew Metcalf, Alexander Pullen, Pam Murray-Tuite; 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>7. <em><strong>&#8220;The Evolution of Waste and Byproduct Material as Reinforcement of Asphalt Mixtures&#8221;<\/strong><\/em>; Fabricio Leiva (PI) and Mik Carbajales-Dale; 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>8. <em><strong>&#8220;Exploration of Mycelium as Sustainable Panelized Construction Material from Traditional Waste Materials&#8221;<\/strong><\/em>; Michael Stoner (PI), Jennifer Ogle, Mik Carbajales-Dale, M.Z. Naser, Julia Kerrigan, Kent Nilsson; 2024<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/08\/2025-SERCEEES-Seed-Grant-Call-for-Proposals-dlg2.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of 2025 SERCEEES Seed Grant Call for Proposals -- dlg2.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-69ec55ff-2d18-4f4a-aa01-5a7672f8a058\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/08\/2025-SERCEEES-Seed-Grant-Call-for-Proposals-dlg2.pdf\">2025 SERCEEES Seed Grant Call for Proposals &#8212; dlg2<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/08\/2025-SERCEEES-Seed-Grant-Call-for-Proposals-dlg2.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-69ec55ff-2d18-4f4a-aa01-5a7672f8a058\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Six interdisciplinary research teams competed for Stimulating Exploratory Research in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (SERCEEES) TIGER grant research funds awarded annually by the School of CEEES.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4034,"featured_media":888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44500],"class_list":["post-877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-department"],"fimg_url":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/files\/2025\/11\/processed-B3B23560-7C98-435B-9600-08222C106C39-e1764100970241-300x250.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/877","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4034"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=877"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/877\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=877"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=877"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=877"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=877"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":868,"date":"2025-11-17T17:03:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T17:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/?p=868"},"modified":"2025-11-17T17:05:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T17:05:07","slug":"setting-intentional-goals-using-woop-and-hard-frameworks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/2025\/11\/17\/setting-intentional-goals-using-woop-and-hard-frameworks\/","title":{"rendered":"Setting Intentional Goals: Using WOOP and HARD Frameworks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Goal setting is a powerful tool in mentoring. When mentors and student mentees take time to name what they hope to achieve together, you create clarity, shared purpose, and momentum. Within the Leadership &amp; Mentoring Network (LMN), goal setting is not only about completing tasks; it\u2019s about personal and professional development, confidence building, and cultivating leadership pathways throughout your months together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While many are familiar with the <strong>SMART<\/strong> goal framework [a goal setting tool often valued for its structure and measurability] it doesn\u2019t always capture the reflective, values-driven nature of mentoring. Other frameworks, such as <strong>WOOP<\/strong> and <strong>HARD<\/strong>, offer more dynamic ways for student mentees and mentors to set goals aligned with their roles and aspirations early in their mentoring journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below, we explore how <strong>WOOP<\/strong> can help student mentees develop focused, resilient, and self-aware goals, while <strong>HARD<\/strong> can support mentors in framing their own intentions for guiding, challenging, and supporting mentees within the Leadership &amp; Mentoring Network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:11px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d9b356bbcb0911a4f071e05b357c0765\" style=\"color:#522d80\"><strong>WOOP: A Framework for Student Mentee Goal Setting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>WOOP<\/strong> framework [<strong>W<\/strong>ish, <strong>O<\/strong>utcome, <strong>O<\/strong>bstacle, <strong>P<\/strong>lan] developed by psychologist Gabriele Oettingen, is particularly well-suited for student mentees. WOOP presents a unique idea: our wishes can help us to realize our paths; and the obstacles that we think impede us the most, can actually help us to realize those goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This framework encourages reflection, visualization, and an honest assessment of internal barriers. These qualities make WOOP ideal for students who are learning to navigate uncertainty, build confidence, and define the next steps in their academic or professional journey. All topics that are sure to emerge within your initial mentoring conversations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is WOOP?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Wish<\/strong>: The student mentee identifies something meaningful that they hope to accomplish during their tenure in LMN. Wishes should be challenging but realistic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Outcome<\/strong>: The student mentee visualizes the best possible result. What achieving this goal would look and feel like.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Obstacle<\/strong>: The student mentee identifies the internal obstacle most likely to get in the way of fulfilling that wish (lack of skills, limited networks, self-doubt, procrastination, fear of asking questions, limited experience with internships, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Plan<\/strong>: The mentoring pair creates an \u201cif-then\u201d plan to address that obstacle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Example 1: Building a Professional Network<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Wish:<\/strong> <em>I want to expand my professional network in civil engineering so I can learn from industry professionals and better understand various career paths.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Outcome:<\/strong> <em>If I achieve this, I\u2019ll feel more confident navigating career decisions, and I\u2019ll have a broader support system of professionals who can offer guidance, recommendations, or advice.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Obstacle:<\/strong> <em>I often feel unsure about how to approach professionals, and I tend to hesitate before reaching out or attending networking events.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plan:<\/strong> <em>In networking situations, if I feel unsure, then I will use a prepared introduction. To grow my network, I commit to speaking with at least three employers of interest at the Spring Career Fair. I\u2019ll also ask my mentor to role-play introductory conversations, so I feel more comfortable. I&#8217;ll work with my mentor to identify <em>another LMN mentor within the civil engineering field<\/em> and set up an introductory meeting so that I can practice and learn more about their role(s). Additionally, I will aim to send a follow-up email and\/or a LinkedIn connection request to professionals that I connect with during these experiences.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Example 2: Securing a Summer Internship<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Wish:<\/strong> <em>I want to secure a meaningful summer internship that aligns with my interests in environmental engineering and helps build my technical and professional skills.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Outcome:<\/strong> <em>If I accomplish this, I\u2019ll gain hands-on experience, build my r\u00e9sum\u00e9, and return to the fall semester with increased confidence and direction.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Obstacle:<\/strong> <em>I\u2019m unsure where to start my search, and I often feel overwhelmed by the number of internship postings at the Career Center and competing application timelines.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Plan:<\/strong> <em>If I begin to feel overwhelmed, then I will break the process into manageable steps: identify three companies to research each month, draft one application or r\u00e9sum\u00e9 update each Friday, and meet with my mentor monthly to review progress. I\u2019ll also use Clemson\u2019s career resources and ask my mentor for feedback on my application materials.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0d1fbe2894add2c08b1b6aaf95a92fc0\" style=\"color:#522d80\"><strong>HARD Goals: A Values-Driven Framework for Mentors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as student mentees benefit from WOOP, mentors can gain clarity from the <strong>HARD<\/strong> goal framework: <strong>H<\/strong>eartfelt,<strong> A<\/strong>nimated<strong>, R<\/strong>equired<strong>, D<\/strong>ifficult. This model encourages mentors to reflect on what they feel called to contribute, visualize their impact, and commit to meaningful but challenging intentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is especially valuable for mentors in the Leadership &amp; Mentoring Network who seek to create lasting influence, support student growth, and model leadership in ways aligned with your own values and the aspirations of Clemson University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are HARD goals?<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Heartfelt<\/strong>: This is where passion meets purpose. You identify a goal that genuinely resonates with your values or experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Animated<\/strong>: Goals are vivid and easy to imagine. Think through what success would look like; how your support would help the student mentee or the broader community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Required<\/strong>: Consider why this goal is essential, not optional, for your role as a mentor and the student mentee&#8217;s growth. What do you need to do make this a reality?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Difficult<\/strong>: When it comes to difficulty, there\u2019s a definite sweet spot to aim. The goal should not be too difficult, but it should involve stretching your skills, learning, or stepping into discomfort. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Example 1: Support Students\u2019 Transition to Industry<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Heartfelt:<\/strong> <em>I want to help students feel more confident and prepared as they transition from the classroom to the workforce because I benefited from mentors early in my own career, and I want to pay that forward.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Animated:<\/strong><em> <\/em><em>I can picture my mentee speaking clearly about their interests in an interview, presenting themselves with confidence, and understanding what employers expect. I imagine the satisfaction of seeing them land an internship or full-time role knowing I supported that journey.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Required:<\/strong><em> This goal is necessary because students rely on mentors to help bridge the gap between academic preparation and professional expectations; if I don\u2019t provide clear insight and structured support, my mentee may feel uncertain or unprepared.<\/em> <em>To make this happen, I need to offer structured opportunities for real-world practice such as reviewing r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, supporting mock interviews, sharing industry insights, and setting aside time to discuss professional workplace expectations. I should also help them identify gaps in preparation and build a plan for strengthening those areas.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Difficult:<\/strong> <em>It will require consistency and time on my part\u2014especially balancing mentoring with my workload. It will also push me to reflect on my own experiences and communicate advice in a clear and constructive way, even when topics are nuanced or uncertain.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Example 2: Becoming a More Effective and Confident Mentor<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Heartfelt:<\/strong> <em>I want to become a more effective and confident mentor because mentoring is an important part of my professional identity and a skill I want to continue strengthening throughout my career.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Animated:<\/strong> <em>I imagine feeling more assured in how I structure mentoring conversations, ask meaningful questions, and support students without taking over their decision-making. I can see myself navigating challenging conversations more smoothly and feeling genuinely proud of the impact I&#8217;m able to make.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Required:<\/strong><em> This goal is essential because my effectiveness as a mentor directly shapes the experience and growth of every student I work with; if I do not continue to develop these skills, I risk providing unclear guidance or unintentionally limiting my mentee\u2019s progress. To meet this goal, I need to be intentional about preparing for meetings, reflecting on what went well and what could improve, and seeking out resources\u2014such as mentorship articles, professional development webinars, or guidance from experienced mentors. I should also set aside time after each meeting to jot down observations and ideas for improving future sessions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Difficult:<\/strong> <em>This will require honesty, consistency, and stepping outside my comfort zone. I may need to adjust long-standing communication habits, practice active listening more deliberately, and be open to feedback from my mentee or peers. Balancing this with work demands may also be challenging\u2014but worthwhile.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:28px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c0b9ea3f33be4c40281033edf7ebc9c0\" style=\"color:#522d80\">Bringing WOOP and HARD into Your LMN Meetings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few tips to help mentoring pairs put these frameworks into action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Begin with a conversation about what each person hopes to gain from the relationship.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Student mentees &#8211; Use WOOP to help you articulate your primary goals for the semester.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mentors set one HARD goal for yourself as supporters and mentors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Revisit each framework periodically to update the Wish, adjust the Plan, or reflect on progress.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use SMART Goals in combination with WOOP and HARD goals for concrete steps and setting external milestones. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Goal setting is a powerful tool in mentoring. When mentors and student mentees take time to name what they hope to achieve together, you create clarity, shared purpose, and momentum. Within the Leadership &amp; Mentoring Network (LMN), goal setting is not only about completing tasks; it\u2019s about personal and professional development, confidence building, and cultivating [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4269,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"coauthors":[44503],"class_list":["post-868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4269"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/868\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=868"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.clemson.edu\/ceees\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]