New Emeritus Faculty Members Recognition
On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, the Emeritus College celebrated its 23rd Emeritus Day with a special ceremony and reception. President Robert Jones and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Cole Smith welcomed 32 new emeritus/a faculty members to the college (one posthumously) and 7 Affiliate Members to the college.
New Emeritus Faculty
Lisa Bodenheimer
Librarian Emerita of University Libraries
Johnell O. Brooks
Professor Emerita of Automotive Engineering
Brenda Burk
Librarian Emerita of University Libraries, Posthumous
Vernon Burton
The Judge Matthew J. Perry Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History
Edward Barry De Iulio
Principal Lecturer Emeritus of Business
Lawrence Fredendall
Burlington Chair Emeritus of Supply Chain Management
David L. Freedman
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Julia M. George
Associate Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences
Judson Robert Jahn
Principal Lecturer Emeritus of Legal Studies
Roy Irving Jones
Provost’s Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
Julie B. Lassiter
Senior Lecturer Emerita of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Nancy Ward Leininger
Senior Lecturer Emerita of Graphic Communications
Leslie A. Lewis
Lecturer Emerita of Educational and Organizational Leadership
Nora Arostegui Logue
Senior Lecturer Emerita of Languages
John Russell Madray
Senior Lecturer Emeritus of the School of Accountancy
Patricia Guerra Marcondes
Senior Lecturer Emerita of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Science
Jeff Marshall
Professor Emeritus of Teaching and Learning
Johnny McGregor
Professor Emeritus of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
Melva Marguerite Persico
Senior Lecturer Emerita of Spanish
June J. Pilcher
Alumni Distinguished Professor Emerita of Psychology
William Michael Pulley
Senior Lecturer Emeritus of English
Charles D. Rice
Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences
Harlan Russell
Associate Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Matthew J. Saltzman
Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
Sara Moir Sarasua
Associate Professor Emerita of the School of Nursing
Rajendra Singh
Houser Banks Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering
Mark Anthony Small
Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Director, Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life
John Robert Smith
Senior Lecturer Emeritus of World Cinema
David Lee Stegall
Principal Lecturer Emeritus of Philosophy and Religion
Elizabeth A. Stephan
Principal Lecturer Emerita of General Engineering
Ellen Vincent
Principal Lecturer Emerita of Plant and Environmental Sciences/Horticulture
Denise Woodward-Detrich
Senior Lecturer Emerita of Fine Arts and Director of Lee Gallery
New Affiliate Members
Michelle Marie Deem
Family Nurse Practitioner Clemson Rural Health, Retired
Daniel Michael Howard
Distinguished Extension Agent, Retired
Ralph Philip Landreth
Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Operations, Retired
Tina LeMay
Associate Creative Director, Marketing and Communications, Retired
Sandra Piazza
CCIT Systems Programmer, Retired
Della Annette Baker Sprowl
State Program Leader in Extension, Retired
Cairencross C. Withington
Director, Program Review and Effectiveness, The Graduate School, Retired
Pictured: New Emeritus and Affiliate Members, 2026
Keynote Speakers
Dr. Kathy Headley, Professor Emerita of Literacy and Chair of the Emeritus College Advisory Board, and Mr. Chip Egan, Professor Emeritus of Performing Arts Chair-Elect of the Advisory Board served as the keynote speakers this year delivering What a Year and What A Year to Come, respectively . Dr. Headley featured all the remarkable achievements accomplished throughout the past year while Mr. Egan promised more to come.
Dr. Robert Hogan, Professor Emeritus of Architecture who served as Associate Chair of the School of Architecture, Chair of the Emeritus College’s Award Committee, announced the annual award recipients.
The Kenelly-Voss Distinguished Emeritus Award was established by the late John Kenelly to recognize emeritus faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to the Emeritus College, Clemson University, the greater Clemson community, and to society. In addition to recognition by the Emeritus College, the award provides $500 toward a donation to a Clemson University program of interest to the awardee in the recipient’s name.
The 2026 Kenelly-Voss Distinguished Emeritus Award was presented to Dr. Joel Greenstein forhis outstanding contributions to the college. While Board Chair, Dr. Greenstein was able to encourage gifts to the Kenelly-Voss Endowment ensuring it was completely funded. He is currently the college’s liaison to the Association of Retired Organizations in Higher Education. He continues to serve on key committees and is a member of the Emeritus Coffee House musicians who meet monthly providing music for all emeritus faculty to enjoy.
(Pictured left to right: Dr. Kathy Headley, Chair, Advisory Board, Dr. Joel Greenstein, Kenelly Voss Distinguished Emeriti of the Year, Dr. Debbie Jackson, Director, Emeritus College)
The I.D.E. Emeritus College Fellows designation was created to honor emeritus faculty members each year who steadily render valuable service to the Emeritus College and to Clemson University without compensation. It is named in honor of I. Dwaine Eubanks, a former Executive Director of the Emeritus College. The 2026 Class of IDE Fellows:
Dr. Karen Kemper, Associate Professor Emerita in the Department of Public Health Sciences.
In service to the Emeritus College, Karen has served as the Emeritus College representative to the University Faculty Senate. She has also been an active member of the Well Being Committee and has provided multiple presentations for the Emeritus College focusing on fitness and balance. Karen is actively engaged in a grant funded program to assess and improve balance. She is mentoring two junior faculty members while working with them on a Balance Camp course for seniors, including members of the Emeritus College.
(Pictured Class of 2026 Emeritus College Faculty Awards left to right: Kenelly Voss Emeritus of the Year, Dr. Joel Greenstein; IDE College Fellows Dr. Karen Kemper, Ms. Donna Reiss, Dr. Bonnie Stevens, Dr. William Stringer)
Donna Reiss, Associate Professor Emerita of English
In service to the Emeritus College, Donna has been an integral part of the Creative Works Committee for several years. She is unsurpassed in her participation and commitment to the committee’s goals. She is a strong advocate for enhancing recognition of creative works by Clemson’s retired faculty. In addition to her efforts with the Creative Works Committee, Donna has participated with the Memoirs Writing group and designed the artwork for one of the books. A quiet force, Donna brings added value to the work of the Creative Works Committee and to the Memoirs Writing Group.
Dr. Bonnie Stevens, Senior Lecturer Emerita of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
In service to the Emeritus College, Bonnie has served on the Advisory Board as a board member. She has also served as an officer on the Advisory Board, including Chair Elect, Chair, and Past Chair. While serving as the Chair, she was instrumental in working with a local vendor to get college members access to Emeritus College swag. These hats, shirts, and vests have helped promote our college across campus to many that did not know of our existence. She was also an original member of the Promotions Committee. Bonnie continues to serve the Emeritus College as a member of the Revenue Task Force and the Creative Works Committee.
Dr. Bill Stringer, Associate Professor Emeritus of Agronomy and Soils
In service to the Emeritus College, Bill served on the Emeritus College Advisory Board between 2018-2022. In that time, he served as the Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past Chair. As Chair of the Community Outreach Committee, Bill initiated the Speaker’s Bureau website and grew the participation in this program. He has provided many informative presentations related to World War II and plant life in the Carolinas to members of the college, and he continually supports programming at the Emeritus College.
_______
Emeritus College Scholars Scholarship Program
Each year the Emeritus College awards one or more deserving undergraduate students a scholarship. Each recipient is named an Emeritus Scholar and introduced at our annual Emeritus Day event. The scholarship is awarded to the student with the highest GPA without other scholarships. The generous donations of the emeritus faculty support the awards each year for undergraduate students. This past spring, Dr. Elaine Richardson, Professor Emerita of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and past Director, Academic Success Center, initiated an endowed Emeritus College scholarship fund to ensure that in the future many more Clemson University undergraduate students receive a scholarship.
Emeritus Scholar, 2026
(Pictured left to right: Dr. Debbie Jackson, Director Emeritus College, Carson N. Johnson, Sophomore in Accounting, Dr. Kathy Headley, Chair Advisory Board)
Our Emeritus Scholars scholarship recipient this year is Carson Johnson who is a sophomore from Belton, South Carolina, majoring in accounting with a minor in biology. Carson was inspired by his mom, a CPA, who sparked a passion in him when he was very young to attend Clemson and follow in her footsteps. He is actively involved in the Clemson University FCA Athletics Leadership group. On this team Carson organizes events for athletes on campus. He is also a member of the Clemson Cheer Team which participates in football and basketball games and, at the end of the season, competes at the national level. Carson shared that these experiences have strengthened his leadership, teamwork, and time management skills. Looking ahead, he strives to become a leader within a public accounting firm where he can make a meaningful impact through his expertise as well as his strong leadership. In his free time, Carson enjoys stunt cheering, working out, and spending time with his friends.
