CFR Updates

Siemens, Bridgestone, Bosch, ZF, Draexlmaier, CooperStandard, Plum Creek, Sumitomo Forestry Research, Lend Lease, Veritiv, Nilpeter, Esko, GE, Hitachi, TD Bank, Fluor, Haworth, Comporium, Michelin, RaceTrac, CCC Group, Yeargin Potter Smith Construction, Allegro Industries, Dell, Adobe, Philips Lighting, and Philips Healthcare visited with CFR Development Officers and Development and campus partners in the past month to broaden strategic partnerships and find new avenues of engagement with Clemson.

The Annexstad Family Foundation‘s Al and Cathy Annexstad visited the Clemson University campus on September 30 to meet with President James P. Clements, Vice President for Advancement A. Neill Cameron, Jr., and other key staff members, and to have lunch with a group of students who have overcome extenuating circumstances in order to pursue an undergraduate degree at Clemson. Clemson hopes to be selected as a university partner in The Annexstad Family Foundation scholarship program entitled “Leaders for Tomorrow,” which seeks to play a role in developing “future leaders from the ranks of deserving young people who have come from humble and challenging beginnings.”

Michelin executives joined partners from the College of Engineering and Science and Development to honor the three student recipients of the Michelin Annual Scholarship for International Programs. Michelin representatives enjoyed learning about the students’ international experiences and the initiatives within CES to expand students’ opportunities to form a global perpective.

Hitachi High Technologies representatives visited campus to award the $20,000 Hitachi High Technologies America Electron Microscopy Annual Fellowship to Mr. Zhaoxi Chen. Chen is pursuing a Ph.D. in materials science and uses super-magnifying electron microscopes in his research.

In the Headlines

Wells Fargo has contributed $350,000 to support Clemson’s Call Me MISTER and Emerging Scholars programs. The gift will provide scholarships for young men in the MISTER program and will also fund six students throughout their Emerging Scholars experience. Read more about Wells Fargo’s support of these important Clemson programs.

Events

Adobe brought over 15 executives from locations around the country to Clemson on October 16-17 to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Adobe Digital Studio in Cooper Library. Adobe’s partnership with Clemson has allowed departments across campus to integrate its Creative Cloud software tools to inspire creativity and collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. Read more about the Adobe Digital Studio and the Adobe-Clemson partnership.

One area on campus that has greatly benefited from the Adobe-Clemson partnership is Athletics. Athletic Communications at Clemson has received national acclaim for its revamped approach to digital marketing, social media, and creative content. To view a recap of the Adobe weekend shot by three Athletic Communications student interns, check out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GopPlmCAwCw&feature=youtu.be

Fluor executives visited campus on October 15 to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the Freeman Hall Expansion. Freeman Hall houses the industrial engineering program, and was funded by an online Masters of Engineering program in supply chain & logistics led by Dr. Bill Ferrell with support from Fluor Corporation. Read more on the Freeman Hall expansion.

CFR Updates

Ford Motor Company, Hubbell Lighting, Toyobo, Canfor (Wood Products),Sonoco Packaging, Bosch Community Fund, Möllertech, Dräxlmaier, ZF,JTEKT, Dell, Siemens, SunTrust, Brocade Communications, Cisco, and Amazon visited with CFR Development Officers and other development and campus partners in the past month to broaden strategic partnerships and find new avenues of engagement with Clemson.

Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc., based in Liberty, SC and one of the world’s largest producers of automatic fire sprinklers and sprinkler system control equipment, has supported numerous Clemson building initiatives with gift-in-kind donations since 2011, including Lee Hall, CU-ICAR, the Memorial Stadium renovation, the Core Campus Project, the Solar Decathlon, and the Watt Family Innovation Center. The Fee Family has been instrumental in securing this substantial support for Clemson, which includes over $400,000 in total contributions. In addition to being generous supporters of Clemson’s building initiatives, the Fee Family is also a strong supporter of Clemson Athletics.

The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation has awarded $73,000 to Clemson University’s School of Nursing to support undergraduate scholarships in the 2015-2016 academic year. The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation has consistently supported Clemson’s nursing students through scholarships since 1994, with $714,000 in total contributions. Chartered in 1946, the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation is dedicated to the support of Christian women in financial need in nine southeastern states. Nearly 11,000 women from more than 200 educational institutions receive financial assistance each year in individual amounts determined by the recipient’s institution.

GM’s sponsorship of the Deep Orange 5 concept vehicle was highlighted during the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI, which highlights current topics in the automotive industry and was attended by Anne Barr.

In the Headlines

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has donated an HP Indigo 5000 Digital Press valued at more than $500,000 to Clemson University’s graphic communications program as part of a new academic collaboration to develop the pipeline of capable talent needed by the growing digital printing industry. Yishai Amir, vice president and general manager of HP’s Americas Graphics Solutions Business, said, “Clemson University is training today’s students to become tomorrow’s digitally savvy innovators in the graphics communications and packaging industries. HP and Dscoop are pleased to collaborate with Clemson to provide students a hands-on educational experience.”

CFR Updates

Microsoft, TTI, Dell, Cisco, Fluor, Duke Energy, Siemens, Eastman Chemical, SunTrust, Walgreens, Fujifilm, Race Trac, Arby’s, Ford Motor, Aisin, Sonoco Protective Packaging, Toyobo, and Dow Chemical visited with CFR Development Officers and other Development and campus partners in the past month to broaden strategic partnerships and find new avenues of engagement with Clemson.

Spirit Communications has donated broadband services to Clemson valued at $1.42 million. These services will provide South Carolina’s three premier research universities, MUSC, USC, and Clemson, with a state-of-the-art fiber optic backbone through the South Carolina LightRail (SCLR).

IBM has recently contributed $30,000 to support the research of Dr. Shen, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and $40,000 to support the Extreme Orange Creative Inquiry project, which allows Clemson students to pursue solutions to real-world problems related to Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and big data analysis, among other topics.

The Eppley Foundation for Scientific Research has awarded Dr. Terri Bruce, Academic Program Director and Manager of the Clemson Light Imaging Facility (CAFLS) and adjunct faculty member of bioengineering, a grant of $24,820 to support her research on how cells package, transport, release and uptake small, signal-packed droplets used for cell-to-cell communication, called exosomes. By developing a stronger understanding of cell communication, Dr. Bruce’s work has the potential to shed light on critical issues, such as disease transmission and progression as well as cancer metastasis.

BMW has donated $25,000 to support the South Carolina Coalition for Math and Science (SCCMS) under the leadership of Dr. Tom Peters.

In the Headlines

Big Switch Networks has contributed a $1.23 million gift-in-kind of networking technology, which will make Clemson’s complex computer network more manageable. Big Switch Networks, of Santa Clara, CA, is a leader in developing software-defined networking technology, with roots in the original Stanford research team that invented Software Defined Networking (SDN). The company is widely considered to be one of the original pioneers of SDN. The software will make the network another programmable part of Clemson’s high-bandwidth computing infrastructure. It will enable engineers to easily automate and adjust network traffic to meet changing demands.

Stewardship

Clemson recently welcomed Wells Fargo to campus for the annual Wells Fargo Day, which celebrates their support of Clemson programs Call Me MISTER and Emerging Scholars since 2006. The 2015 Wells Fargo Day began with a “Scattergories” type activity which allowed Emerging Scholars students to discuss financial planning and wealth management topics with Wells Fargo executives in an informal, fun atmosphere. Following the activity, Clemson guests joined Wells Fargo, Emerging Scholars, and Call Me MISTERS for a luncheon and program, which included a song performed by several MISTERS and poetry reading by two Emerging Scholars. Guests also heard from Wells Fargo Regional President for South Carolina Kathy Heffley.

2015 marks the 5-year anniversary of the Corporate and Foundation Relations team at Clemson. The highlights below give a snapshot of some of our biggest activity from this fiscal year.

CFR Updates

Harris Corporation came to campus in early June for its third meeting with University stakeholders across campus, including the Watt Family Innovation Center, PEER, WISE, Creative Inquiry, and the College of Engineering and Science.

President Clements met with Eric Spiegel, President & CEO of Siemens Corporation, in Washington DC the first week of June. CFR collaborated with partners across the University to develop a strategy for a strong partnership with Siemens in the areas of recruiting, research, software, and economic development.

Hubbell Lighting visited with University partners to discuss a strategy for expanding its reach at Clemson through internships, co-ops, and other forms of student engagement.

Last month, the Joseph F. Sullivan Center received a grant of $10,000 from the BlueCross BlueShield Foundation to support the Sullivan Center’s participation in the South Carolina Free Clinic Association to provide healthcare services for the uninsured or underinsured residents of South Carolina. The BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation has supported the South Carolina Free Clinic Association and Free Clinics since its inception in 2003. The Foundation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

Graphic Cow, a graphic design company that creates custom t-shirts and is owned by two Clemson University graphic communications alumni, is working with Brandon Cochran to identify ways to partner with Clemson. Brandon is identifying and meeting with companies that are founded by Clemson alumni entrepreneurs.

In the Headlines

Toyota executives visited CU-ICAR for a design review session with the Deep Orange 6 student team and faculty leaders. The Deep Orange 6 concept vehicle is an innovative concept developed by the students targeting a youth-oriented market. The Automotive Engineering graduate students have participated in the only systems integration program of its type in the world. The project is funded by a grant from Toyota and will be unveiled at the SAE World Congress in Detroit in spring 2016.

The Corporate and Foundation Relations team within Development is dedicated to establishing and maintaining long-term partnerships with corporations and foundations that result in philanthropic support for Clemson University. This monthly e-newsletter will share updates and highlights from CFR activities.

CFR Updates

SCANA, GE, Fluor, Hitachi, Phillips Lighting, Mary Kay, Comporium, Duke Energy, Sonoco, Harris Corporation, Texas Instruments, HP, Aisin, SCG, and Simpson Strong Tie visited with CFR Development Officers, including Ann Marie Alexander, Betsy Mudge, and other Development partners, through campus visits and other meetings with our academic partners.

The unveiling of the Deep Orange 5 concept vehicle took place in April at the GM headquarters in Detroit. Anne Barr, Director of Development for CFR, participated in the unveiling and joined the team at the Toyota North America Headquarters in Ann Arbor for the Deep Orange 6 concept vehicle review.

The PNC Foundation has awarded a grant to Dr. Sandra M. Linder, Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Mathematics Education in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education. Devon Stein, Director of Foundation Relations, collaborated with Dr. Linder on this proposal.

We welcome Brandon Cochran as he joins the team as Associate Director of Development for CFR.  He has already visited companies in Texas.

The CFR team is now composed of 8 members, including 5 development officers.

In the Headlines

Clemson hosted GE on May 18 for a series of meetings focused on research, engagement, and recruiting. GE executives and University officials, including President Clements, also enjoyed an evening reception to celebrate GE’s support of Clemson programs and students.

Clemson recently celebrated a $1.625 million gift-in-kind from Moldex3D to support education and research for the automotive engineering program at CU-ICAR. Moldex3D is the industry-leading producer of injection molding software, which will support the research of Dr. Srikanth Pilla, associate professor.