Category: Corporate Relations

Dominion Energy generously donated $150,000 to support the Emerging Scholars Program. The Program’s mission is to establish a college-going culture among students from South Carolina’s economically disadvantaged areas. For the 2022-2023 school year, 154 students across five counties are supported and provided with tools and resources for academic enrichment, developing leadership skills, and increasing college preparedness. Since 2012, 85% of Emerging Scholars have enrolled in a two or four-year institution, and 75% of those students matriculated in South Carolina with a majority enrolling at Clemson University.

Dominion Energy also donated $25,000 to support The Men of Color National Summit. The mission of this national conference is to close the opportunity gap for African American and Hispanic males. Bringing together approximately 2,400 high school and college students, business professionals, educators, government officials and community leaders from around the country, the Summit emphasizes the importance of education, best practices, and choices to increase high school and college graduation rates. Since 2018, the two-day Summit has impacted the lives of thousands of young men by providing inspirational guidance on career and professional development, entrepreneurship, masculinity and personal identity, graduation achievement and community engagement.

Corporate support plays a critical role in the success of these programs and Dominion Energy’s gift helps sustain their ability to serve students and families across the State of South Carolina.

Ford Motor Company generously donated more than $80,000 in February to establish scholarships and fellowships in Automotive Engineering. The Ford Motor Company Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students pursuing a Certificate/Minor in Automotive Engineering. Ford will help selected scholars gain industry insights and will participate in the annual CU-ICAR Awards Ceremony. This gift establishes Ford Motor Company as a sponsor in Clemson University’s AuE Certificate/Minor program.

In addition, the Ford Motor Company Fellowship in Automotive Engineering will be exclusively awarded to graduate students who have completed the Certificate/Minor program in Automotive Engineering and are now studying Automotive Engineering as a graduate student at Clemson University. This Fellowship will help support the professional development of students in AuE and will function as a recruitment tool to bring the best and brightest students to CU-ICAR.

The formation of these two programs will build on the relationship established with Ford as a significant recruiter of Clemson University graduates and through Ford’s sponsorship of Deep Orange 10 and URP projects (University Research Program).

Hitachi High Technologies originally established the Electron Microscopy Fellowship in 2014 and has recently committed to the continuation of the fellowship for five years.  The purpose of this gift is to provide an annual fellowship for one graduate student enrolled in the College of Science or the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. The 2018-2019 recipient, Kathryn Peruski focuses her studies on environmental, nuclear-site remediation research. Using microscopes available at Clemson’s Electron Microscopy Facility, Peruski has captured the miniscule fragmenting of neptunium, a radioactive byproduct of nuclear power generation that is stored underground. Through her research, Peruski hopes to better understand what causes neptunium to break so engineers can design effective storage methods for nuclear waste.

The Electron Microscope Facility has several state-of-the-art high resolution transmission electron microscopes (TEM), scanning electron microscopes (SEM) and a combined Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/SEM microscope. Housed at the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory in Anderson, the facility has steadily grown with Hitachi’s support. The multi-user facility attracts clients from the aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, textile, electronics, environmental and medical industries.

The ongoing partnership between Hitachi and Clemson University provides funding as well as innovative technology to the Microscopy Lab where Hitachi houses multiple cutting-edge microscopes used to promote research.

Sonoco CEO Jack Sanders and his Executive Committee visited Clemson and attended a reception with Clemson leadership. Sonoco executives spent time in the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics, and had the opportunity to hear about current research projects being conducted by the Sonoco Fellows in packaging design, digital production arts, and automotive materials. President Clements reflected on the successful relationship between Sonoco and Clemson during a reception at the Watt Family Innovation Center with other Clemson leaders, student representatives, and Sonoco Institute faculty. 

To view more pictures from the event, visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/clemsonuniversity/albums/72157673034375472

Representatives from the  Siemens Energy Management Division visited Clemson for a leadership retreat this week, and hosted a Q&A session with Clemson leadership, faculty, and students followed by a reception. The session covered potential areas of engagement between Siemens and Clemson, such as the automotive and aerospace sectors. Siemens also brought its Energy Management “On the Road” tour to Clemson, which offers an interactive overview of the entire Siemens Energy Management portfolio, including generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption. The tour incorporates both virtual and physical demos that demonstrate customer challenges.

Eastman recently announced an exciting new partnership with Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC), an interdisciplinary, student-directed, applied engineering program that integrates civic engagement to improve the quality of life and work in Haiti’s Central Plateau. Through donation of time, talents and resources, Eastman and CEDC will work together to advance the field of engineering and develop innovative solutions.

Eastman and CEDC have identified three projects focusing on improvements to the water infrastructure systems in Haiti that will enable residents in rural communities to access clean water. The projects include water system analysis, development of a prototype solar-powered refrigeration box to store and deliver vaccines to remote villages in Haiti, and development and implementation of a water system in Morne Michel Village of Haiti.

Eastman is also supporting the creation of a maker space where CEDC students will have the opportunity to simulate real-world situations, helping them to develop interdisciplinary skills and gain hands-on experience in an academic environment.

“We are pleased to launch this partnership with Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries,” said David A. Golden, senior vice president, chief legal & sustainability officer and corporate secretary. “The organization’s goals and projects are a perfect fit with Eastman’s corporate responsibility focus areas of education, empowerment, economic development, and environment. We want to invest in solutions that will enhance the quality of life and bring beneficial change to ensure long-term success for all.”

For more information, please visit: https://3blmedia.com/News/Eastman-Partners-Clemson-Engineers-Developing-Countries. 

Thank you, Eastman!

South Carolina’s Coalition of Math and Science (SCCMS), housed in Clemson’s College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences, creates alliances and partnerships that promote college, career, and citizenship opportunities through STEM education. In fiscal year 2016,  11 companies contributed over $385,000 to SCCMS programs and initiatives, including Duke Energy, Fluor, GE, Michelin, ScanSource, Comporium, BMW, Boeing, Bosch, O’Neal, and Lockheed Martin. 

SCCMS has three major initiatives: S²TEM Centers SC, a statewide network of STEM education specialists working with teachers and schools to improve classroom instruction and increase student achievement; the Upstate and Lowcountry STEM Collaboratives, business and industry-driven interest groups focused on engaging communities in STEM awareness; and the SC STEM Summit/Next Steps Institute, an annual STEM education networking opportunity for a variety of stakeholders throughout South Carolina.

Two of SCCMS’ most successful initiatives are the annual iMAGINE Upstate STEM festival, fueled by ScanSource, in Greenville, SC, and the Charleston STEM Festival in the lowcountry. These events draw thousands of participants and engage hundreds of volunteers (iMAGINE Upstate pictured above). 

During the 2015-2016 academic year, SCCMS delivered over 40,000 contact hours of programs and services to over 7,000 educators and others across the state. An estimated 30,000 families/students participated in STEM festivals hosted by SCCMS in SC. Tom Peters, Ed.D., Executive Director of SCCMS, was recently selected as one of the first six members of the STEMx Advisory Board, a coalition of more than 20 U.S. state STEM networks. Read more at http://newsstand.clemson.edu/?p=133434. 

The success of SCCMS is due in large part to support from engaged corporate partners working alongside educators and community leaders to improve STEM education in our state.