Clemson University Corporate and Foundation Relations

Avtec, the leading independent provider of pure Internet Protocol dispatch console solutions, has donated dispatching software, products, and services, valued at $428,000, to the Clemson Unified Command Post. In addition, Avtec has donated $75,000 cash to Clemson to strengthen academic, research, and public service programming related to emergency management in the Watt Family Innovation Center Center. This donation will support a variety of emergency management projects that will be conducted in the Avtec Emergency Response Center.

Alumni, Michael Branning (Clemson Class of ’86), Avtec Chief Executive Officer, and family members Donna Branning Thompson (’88) and Linda Branning Doherty (’92) were crucial in making the donation to Clemson University. “This gift is about ensuring the safety of the students and sports fans who visit the Clemson campus each year,” said Branning. “It also demonstrates our family’s appreciation for our alma mater.”

Avtec’s donation has already had a tremendous effect on Clemson’s campus. The software-based dispatching technology Avtec donated features the Scout Voice over Internet Protocol dispatch console and has already proven critical to Clemson dispatch services during home football games and other large campus events, and according to university Emergency Manager, Lynn Fischer Clemson’s public safety communications immediately improved with the implementation of the Avtec system.

“We are very appreciative of Avtec’s generous contribution to our operations center,” said Denny Lester, associate director of science and technology for the Watt Family Innovation Center. “The company’s contribution will be used to increase student and faculty involvement in cross-discipline academic research and homeland security – areas that align very well with national priorities as well as the university’s ClemsonForward strategic plan priorities.”

On September 22, Clemson announced the 2017-2018 recipient of the Bosch Endowed Fellowship in Automotive Engineering at an event at CU-ICAR. Bosch established this fellowship endowment in 2014 with a gift of $560,000.

Caroline Louis, who received her undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Clemson in May 2017, was announced as this year’s fellowship recipient. She was joined by the past three Bosch Fellows, Valerie Clements (2016), Lauren Mims (2015), and Vismita Sonagra (2014), along with Clemson leadership and several executives from Bosch, including Mike Mansuetti, President of Robert Bosch LLC and Kathleen Owsley, Executive Director of the Bosch Community Fund, and leadership from Bosch’s three South Carolina locations.

Guests at the fellowship event enjoyed hearing more about the accomplishments of all four Bosch Fellows to date, as well as Bosch’s passion for diversifying the STEM workforce, and particularly the automotive industry, which helped inspire the creation of this fellowship for underrepresented populations in automotive engineering.

Congratulations to Caroline and all of the Bosch Fellows, and thank you to Bosch for their investment in Clemson students and programs!

Clemson recently honored Michelin for their support of students, faculty, and programs, totaling close to $5M since 1977, at an engagement reception in the Hendrix Student Center.

Janet Krupka, Director of Recruiting, and Stacy Davis, Campus Recruiter at Michelin, joined students, faculty, and staff from several programs supported by Michelin, including:

– the Michelin Endowed Chair in Vehicle Electronic Systems Integration, held by Dr. Venkat Krovi;

– the Michelin Scholarships for International Programs, which support students in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences who are proficient in a foreign language;

– the Michelin Career Center in the Center for Career and Professional Development; and

– the “One SC 2 Sustain” collaborative sustainability Creative Inquiry course with the University of South Carolina.

Students attending the event enjoyed learning more about career, co-op, and internship opportunities at Michelin, as well as Michelin’s passion for supporting higher education and the next generation of talent in engineering.

Thank you, Michelin, for your 40 years of valued support of Clemson University!

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