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In fiscal year 2018, Fluor supported the following Clemson programs and initiatives:

Michelin Career Center

Fluor’s contribution to the Michelin Career center support a variety of programs that provide students with career opportunities and advice, including interest inventory assessments for students uncertain about their future career field, online job and internship resources, and programs for student veterans and other under-represented student populations.

Construction Science Management Partners Program (CSM)

Fluor’s support created opportunities for student field trips to construction projects, regional and national student team competitions, and continuing education workshops and seminars for Clemson Construction Science faculty.

Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention (PEER) and Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)

Fluor sponsored the Fluor Engineering and Science Study Hall managed by PEER and WISE. The Fluor Study Hall provides free drop-in tutoring services for a variety of subjects in the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences, and is staffed by undergraduate and graduate tutors whose salaries are paid through Fluor’s generosity.

Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC)

Support from Fluor will allow CEDC to expand student’s activities on campus and in the field through new projects geared toward helping local communities in the Central Plateau of Haiti develop sustainable solutions that will improve quality of life for its citizens.

National Society of Black Engineers

Fluor funds are used by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) to help fund scholarships for freshmen, and cover expenses connected with attending NSBE National and Regional Conventions and transportation to NSBE engineering summer camps and industry tours.

American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE)

Funds donated to ASCE help Clemson students participate in a variety of events and activities such as Adopt-A-Highway, Helping Hands, the National Concrete Canoe Competition, and the National Student Steel Bridge Competition.

Department of Mechanical Engineering Honors and Awards Banquet

The Mechanical Engineering Department serves approximately 1000 undergraduate students and 195 graduate students. Donations from Fluor are utilized to help sponsor the Department Banquet celebrating these student’s accomplishments throughout the year.

IEEE Southeastcon Design Competition Team

Funds from Fluor support the Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, one of the largest and most active departments at Clemson, participate in the IEEE Design Competition Team.

First-year, transfer, and graduate students, and university faculty and staff gathered in Littlejohn Coliseum on Monday, August 21 to officially start the new academic year with the annual Victor Hurst Convocation. Attendees heard from speakers Jay Allison, who co-edited this year’s Common Reading Program book, “This I Believe,” President Jim Clements, who shared advice with the students on how to be successful during their time at Clemson, and Brian O’Rourke, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations.

O’Rourke also recognized Clemson’s new Endowed Chair holders, including:

– Robert Fritz Baldwin, the Margaret H. Lloyd Endowed Chair in Urban Ecology and Restoration;

– Johan H. Enslin, the Duke Energy Endowed Chair in Smart Grid Technology, which was established by Duke Energy in 2013 to to lead the development and growth of research initiatives in emerging electric-grid technologies at the Duke Energy eGRID and SCE&G Energy Innovation; Center facilities located at the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston, SC;

– Venkat Narayan Krovi, the Michelin Endowed Chair in Vehicle Automation, which was established in 2004 to to establish and lead an internationally recognized research and education program at CU-ICAR in the areas of automotive electronics, autonomous vehicles, robotics, and connected vehicle systems;

– Laine Mears, the BMW Smart State Chair in Automotive Manufacturing, established in 2003 to advance CU-ICAR’s research capabilities in the manufacturing segment of the automotive market sector, as well as to improve the efficiency of manufacturing large, complex objects. The position also provides leadership to the Center for Manufacturing Innovation (CMI);

– and Zeki Simsek, the Lawrence M. Gressette Jr. Endowed Chair in Business Strategy and Planning, co-established by SCANA in 2000 to honor Lawrence M. Gressette, retired Chairman and CEO of SCANA, who passed away in 2013.

AFL, a global company that manufactures, engineers and installs the fiber optic products and equipment needed by communications providers, has recently invested in Clemson’s Charles H. Townes Scholars Program.

The Townes Scholars program is an undergraduate student research experience where students from diverse science and engineering focused programs come to Clemson for a 10-week summer program to work in state of the art laboratories in Clemson’s Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET). This program was named for the late Dr. Charles H. Townes, recipient of the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of the maser (the predecessor to the laser), who is an alumnus of Furman University (1935) and Clemson (honoris causa, 1963).

The 2017 Townes Scholars students recently enjoyed a tour of AFL’s cable manufacturing plant in Duncan, SC.

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), through its management and operating company Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, is funding scholarships for up to 18 Clemson University students through its University Scholars Program.

SRNL has invested $144,000 to establish the scholarship program, which will support qualified students in STEM majors with $4,000 scholarships, career mentoring opportunities, and leadership development training. Scholarship funds can be used for tuition, fees, books, room and board expenses.

“Through this agreement, the board of directors of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions is making a significant investment in the future of the region’s workforce. Not only does this program financially support STEM students, it also connects them with the scientists and technologists at Savannah River National Laboratory that can help them build challenging and rewarding careers right here in our region,” said Dr. Terry A. Michalske, Laboratory Director, SRNL.

This is the latest partnership between SRNL and Clemson. The two organizations have a history of collaboration on projects ranging from nuclear environmental engineering to developing alternative fuels. In addition, many SRNL researchers are Clemson adjunct faculty and scientists from each institution have served on the other’s scientific committees.

In 2016, the university and SRNL signed an agreement for Clemson to create, manage and support an external review committee to create a strategy for “development and deployment of technologies to clean up the environmental legacy of the nation’s nuclear programs.”

Thank you, SRNL, for your investment in Clemson students!

Since 2006, Wells Fargo has been transforming the lives of students and families across South Carolina through its support of Clemson programs Emerging Scholars and Call Me MISTER.

Emerging Scholars seeks to establish a college-going culture among students from the state’s economically disadvantages areas. Call Me MISTER seeks to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader, more diverse background, particularly among South Carolina’s lowest performing elementary schools.

On July 26, Wells Fargo executives joined staff and student representatives from the two programs and Clemson administrators, faculty, and staff for an luncheon to celebrate this partnership. Guests enjoyed a video featuring Kendrick Brown, Program Advisor for Emerging Scholars, Damian Williams, Call Me MISTER graduate, and Susan Bankson, representing South Carolina Community Relations for Wells Fargo. The lunch program also featured remarks from Wintson Holton, Field Director for Call Me MISTER, Amber Lange, Program Director for Emerging Scholars, and Kathy Heffley, Regional President of South Carolina for Wells Fargo. The event concluded with songs from two Call Me MISTER representatives, Mister Malek McDuffie, a student at Anderson University, and Mister Aaron Cokley, a 2012 Clemson graduate and current elementary school teacher in Atlanta, GA.

This special event showcased the great impact that Wells Fargo’s support has made not only on students who participate in these two programs, but on the lives of countless students and families across South Carolina and beyond.

Thank you, Wells Fargo, for your investment in Clemson University and your commitment to changing lives in our state!

View more photos from the event >>

Fluor Corporation hosted its 28th annual Golf for Greenville charity golf tournament in May 2017, raising $601,000 for Upstate charities. One of the beneficiaries of this year’s Golf for Greenville tournament was Clemson’s Science on the Move mobile program, which provides education resources designed to increase students’ exposure and interest in STEM. Science on the Move follows students ages 5-19, giving them the skills to further their training after graduation and prepare them for careers in the sciences. This program intends to help coach students to become the prepared workforce that South Carolina needs to interest new businesses and encourage economic growth.

Since the event began in 1990, Fluor has raised over $5 million for local charities. Thank you, Fluor, for being one of the upstate’s and Clemson’s most committed community partners!

Beginning in February 2017, Siemens supported a three-year Creative Inquiry in the College of Business that seeks to determine the best way to mitigate the brain drain that occurs when a generation of experience leaves the workforce. Companies like Siemens are devoting time and resources to determine how they can maintain an informed and knowledgeable employee base during this generational transition.

Siemens is tapping Clemson marketing students to develop best practices for transferring knowledge from those leaving the workforce to those entering it. The Creative Inquiry is led by associate professor Jennifer Siemens and assistant professor Anastasia Thyroff.

“Siemens is getting the perspective of young people about to enter the workforce to look into an issue that companies everywhere are dealing with. Engaging the next-generation workforce to find answers on how to transfer knowledge within an organization makes sense,” Jennifer Siemens said.

Students in Siemens’ and Thyroff’s marketing Creative Inquiry class gathered information on the generational issue and conducted interviews and focus groups during the spring semester. Students on the project, managed through the Watt Family Innovation Center, will present their recommendations to Siemens officials in Atlanta this fall on how institutional knowledge can be transferred to less experienced employees.

For more information on this partnership, visit: http://newsstand.clemson.edu/siemens-looks-to-marketing-millennials-for-brain-drain-answers

Duke Energy continued its support for two Clemson University programs in 2017 with an $85,000 grant. Both Project WISE, which brings middle schools to campus for a one-week STEM summer camp, and PEER/WISE Experience, which gives 50 incoming freshmen a head start on academics and campus life, are aimed at increasing diversity in the pipeline that carries talent from the classroom to the workplace.

About 60 middle school girls attended Project WISE earlier this summer. This year’s program targeted Title I schools in the Pee Dee, a region where Duke Energy is working to have great impact. Girls attended mini-courses in a range of topics from electrical engineering to computer science, taught by Clemson faculty and staff. Ten undergraduate Clemson students lived in residence halls with the Project WISE girls.

The PEER and WISE Experience began its inaugural three-week run on July 9.  It is based on two previous summer “bridge” programs aimed at helping ease students’ transition to college. Students are studying college calculus, physics and chemistry and learning about research, graduate school and success strategies, such as time management.

They live in the residence halls and have a chance to build relationships that can help carry them through college. The program gives students a chance to begin finding their way around Clemson’s 17,000-acre main campus. Students also meet alumni, providing them role models to emulate.

Duke Energy has helped fund this program for the past 20 years, along with Clemson’s Emerging Scholars program and the National Science Foundation’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation.

For more information, visit: http://newsstand.clemson.edu/mediarelations/duke-energy-gives-85000-to-stem-summer-programs.

Clemson’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute (WU+D) has gained two new corporate Founding Partners, The LendLease Corp. and Simpson Strong-Tie. Both companies have invested in the Institute to support the advancement of the wood products building industry.

The Lendlease Corp. and Simpson Strong-Tie each donated $50,000 to help fund the Institute, which brings together foresters, architects, engineers, constructors and building industry stakeholders to design advances in wood-based products through education and training, product research and development, as well as development of technical and design solutions.

Lendlease and Simpson Strong-Tie join an impressive cohort of founding partners for the institute, including Huber Engineered Wood Products; Collum’s Lumber Products LLC; SmartLam; Mac Rhodes, a South Carolina timberland owner; and Weyerhaeuser Co.

The forest industry has an $21 billion impact on the South Carolina economy. More than two thirds of land in South Carolina — 12.9 million acres — is forested. The Clemson University Wood Utilization + Design Institute is strategically positioned to drive the development, demand and utilization of wood products, as well as address industry’s needs for the next generation of talent.

For more information on these corporate partners and WU+D, visit: http://newsstand.clemson.edu/mediarelations/100000-donated-to-clemsons-wood-utilization-design-institute

In 2017, BMW has continued its support of innovative research and engaging programs at Clemson. Highlighted contributions include:

Men of Color National Summit – BMW was a corporate sponsor for Clemson’s first annual Men of Color National Summit in Greenville, SC April 27-28, 2017. The goal of the Men of Color National Summit is to open up educational and career opportunities for young men of color, most of whom will be first-generation college students who often face an unusually challenging path to higher education. The first annual Summit brought together approximately 2,000 high school and college students, business professionals, educators, government officials and community leaders from around the country, emphasizing the importance of education, best practices, and choices to increase high school and college graduation rates. The Summit also serves as a kick-off to Clemson’s new Tiger Alliance program, a partnership with Greenville County Schools, Anderson District 5, and schools from South Carolina’s I-95 corridor. Through the program, Clemson University will mentor a special cohort of 400 African-American and Hispanic male 9th-11th graders through a revolving, multi-year initiative.

German Language Program – BMW has supported the German Language Program at Clemson since 2002, allowing the program to expand its activities and offerings for students. BMW’s contributions to the program have helped Clemson host an annual conference for German in the professions for the past five years; supported professional development opportunities for students in the German program, including networking events with BMW representatives and other international employers; and provided BMW Senior Lecturer of German Lee Ferrell with support for his outreach efforts to German programs at area high schools.

Call Me MISTER Program – The Call Me MISTER program seeks to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader more diverse background particularly among South Carolina’s lowest performing elementary schools. BMW has supported Call Me MISTER since 2002, playing an important role in helping the program expand to 13 institutions across six states. Since 2004, 100 percent of the more than 150 students that have completed the Call Me MISTER have remained in the education profession in South Carolina.

South Carolina’s Coalition for Math & Science – South Carolina’s Coalition of Math and Science (SCCMS), and related initiatives the Upstate STEM Collaborative and the Lowcountry STEM Collaborative, is an alliance of partnering organizations and initiatives, each reaching the education and business communities in different ways, with a central focus on promoting economic development through improving K-12 education. BMW has supported SCCMS since 2004, helping the organization bring together partners from industry, education, government, and the community to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.

“Text Analysis and Natural Language Understanding” Project Support – BMW has supported this project, led by Dr. Alex Herzog, Professor of Practice in the School of Computing, which focuses on intelligent mining of customer data for feedback analysis. Herzog and his team will compare different techniques to determine semantic information that will provide BMW with cutting-edge algorithms; explore visualization techniques that will enable researchers and business analysts to draw insights from semantic word embeddings; investigate how existing methods can be adapted to solve problems; and apply these methods to extract knowledge from streaming data, such as Twitter feeds.