Category: Announcements

Book Description

SAVE THE DATES! Please mark your calendars for two special programs in March and April featuring Adam Gussow and Sir Rod and the Blues Doctors!

March 27 at 10:00 am – 11:30 am – Book Talk ONLINE ONLY – Contact vmushef@clemson.edu for Zoom link.

April 12 at 11:00 am Sir Rod & The Blues Doctors will perform at the Emeritus College. Registration is required due to limited capacity. REGISTER HERE

March 27, 2025, (Thursday), 10:00 am – 11:30 am, PRESENTATION IS ZOOM ONLY, Adam Gussow leads a discussion on his book My Family and I: A Mississippi Memoir. Brief Bio

Contact vmushef@clemson.edu for the Zoom link

“An inspiring memoir about the author’s lifelong quest for racial reconciliation, the love that sustains his interracial family in contemporary Mississippi, and the ‘Yes we can!’ hope for American renewal that fades after the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and the despair-driven rise of Black Lives Matter.”

“What has happened to the dream of beloved community embraced by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement of the early 1960s—the vision of a just, humane, and colorblind America, a nation of “black and white together” animated by the spirit of mutual respect and strengthened by the bonds of brotherly love? As Adam Gussow shows in this urgently needed new book, the dream, although pressured on every front, remains alive. My Family and I gifts the reader with hope for a future beyond America’s seemingly insoluble racial dilemmas.”

Adam Gussow, Professor of English and Southern Studies at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) and a noted blues scholar, is the author of seven books, including Whose Blues? Facing Up to Race and the Future of the Music.

You can purchase your copy of My Family & I on Amazon and bring it on April 12^th to be signed by Adam when he performs at the Emeritus College – See details below:

April 12, 2025, (Saturday), 11:00 am, In Person, Seminar Room* at the Emeritus College. We are proud to announce the return of the band Sir Rod and the Blues Doctors to the Emeritus College, featuring R & B dancing and singing of Sir Rod, the harmonica and foot-drums of Adam Gussow, and guitar licks by Alan Gross.  There will be a limited numbers of the book My Family & I available as well as Blues Doctors CDs.

*Due to room capacity, registration is required to attend the musical performance on April 12, 2025.

REGISTER HERE

Lake Hartwell Pontoon Birding Adventure

Date:  February 5, 2025*

Where: Kyle and Loni Anderson’s place – 6514 Dobbins Bridge Rd. in Anderson, SC

Time: 9:45 am

Address:  6514 Dobbins Bridge Rd. in Anderson, SC

Lunch: Potluck – A Honey Baked ham provided, please bring a side dish for 8.

*Rain Reschedule is the next day, February 6, 2025

Register Here

We have set the date of February 5th for the Emeritus College’s latest trip to Kyle and Loni Anderson’s Lake Hartwell home for a morning of birding on the water. This time of year, wintering gulls, herons, kingfishers, loons, and perhaps an eagle may be viewed from Kyle’s pontoon boat. Meet at Kyle’s home at 6514 Dobbins Bridge Rd. in Anderson, SC at 9:45 AM. The boat leaves at 10 AM. Use an online mapping service to plan your route. From Clemson it is about 20 miles and should take about 30 minutes to drive. The house is not visible from the road, so drive down the driveway and park. The location is not hard to find. If the weather is bad, we will plan to do the boat trip the next day, February 6th, same time, and location. Dress appropriately for the weather. 

Exciting Emeritus College Charleston Outing

The Emeritus College is planning a two-night trip to Charleston, SC March 11-13, 2025 (Tuesday-Thursday). 

Our last outing to Charleston was a wonderful event. For 2025, the plans are for a more flexible trip with one day spent in the downtown Charleston area. More details will follow on the specific activities for those who register for the trip. Thursday, we will plan a visit to the Avian Conservation Center and lunch at SeeWee in Awendaw (just down the road from Mount Pleasant).

Travel to and from Charleston is up to individuals who choose to attend, as is the cost of the rooms (more details below), meals, and incidentals.

We have a block of rooms at the Indigo Inn. Currently, we are limited to 16 people*, so please be sure to complete the Emeritus College trip registration form by January 31^st (link below). The cost of the room at Indigo Inn is $299 + tax/night. A link to register for a room at the Indigo Inn will be provided by email to those who complete the form linked below:

Click here to REGISTER: Deadline to register is January 31, 2025.

*Note: If the interest is greater than 16 people, we can arrange for additional rooms or keep a wait list in case someone drops out.

If you are unfamiliar with the Indigo Inn, it is located at 1 Maiden Lane in downtown Charleston. The hotel provides an afternoon cheese and wine reception (5PM), continental breakfast (7-10AM), milk and cookies (8PM), and wireless internet. Self-parking is $25/night for cars.

In addition, we do plan to make reservations for dinner on both Wednesday and Thursday evenings, so that we can come together as a group and enjoy each other’s company. I do want to thank Drs. Imtiaz and Mary Haque who are helping to organize the trip and these wonderful activities. 

Tuesday, MARCH 11

Arrival and Check-in, 3PM

5PM: Afternoon wine and cheese (provided by the hotel)

At the wine and cheese, we will meet and walk to dinner as a group.

Dinner: 6PM Location TBD

Wednesday, MARCH 12

To Be Determined based on the responses from those signing up.

Thursday, MARCH 13

 At 9:30AM leave the Hotel for the Avian Conservation Center in Awendaw

10:00AM arrive Avian Conservation Center (4719 N Hwy 17, Awendaw, SC 29429)

The Center provides an interesting and important world of raptors through an outdoor program, flight demonstrations and a guided tour. Through natural history discussion and observation of flight techniques and avian hunting styles, visitors come to a better understanding of these majestic creatures and the significant role they play as apex avian predators.

12:30 PM—Lunch SeeWee Restaurant (Just up the road from the Avian Conservation Center). 4808 N Hwy 17, Awendaw, SC 29429

SeeWee has been a neighborhood staple for over two decades, focusing on southern home cooking made with love. Everything is locally sourced to give back to the community.

Clemson University

SC Prison Education Interest Group Hosts Tours of JUMPSTART and SOTERIA CDC

Date: March 20, 2025, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

You are invited to join the Emeritus College SC Prison Education Interest Group on a visit to two highly successful re-entry programs for Incarcerated men and women to support their transition back into society. Formerly incarcerated men founded each of these faith-based programs.

JUMPSTART, Wellford, SC, has three programs: an Inside Program with Mentors prepares the prisoners for the residential Transitional Program. Upon successful completion, men and women move into the Workforce Development Initiative. JUMPSTART’s second-chance employer partnerships extend to over 40 companies in the Spartanburg area. Lunch will be provided by JUMPSTART’s Culinary Arts students. A donation is suggested for lunch.

SOTERIA CDC, our second stop (afternoon) is in Greenville, SC. SOTERIA CDC provides individuals with housing, education, employment, affirmation, and advocacy. We will tour their newest transitional house for women as well as the recently rebuilt woodshop. The shop turns out beautiful custom furniture and other items.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED This outing is limited to 25 participants.

1. JUMPSTART: Arrive at 11:00 am – depart at 1:15 pm, includes lunch provided by JUMPSTART’s Culinary Arts students (donation suggested for lunch)
2. SOTERIA CDC: Arrive at 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Tour Contact: Victoria Musheff vmushef@clemson.edu 864-656-3990

Details related to transportation provided after registration

• Dr. Rosanne Pruitt, Emeritus College Representative on the University-wide Well-Being Council, Advisory Board Member, and Co-Chair of the Emeritus College’s Well-Being Committee, is pictured with 30 Clemson employees who recently completed two-day adversity training.
• OurClemson article
• See EC’s new webpage for Well-Being & Engaged Aging resources (under construction

When:  February 20, 2025

Time:  12:00pm – 1:00pm

In-Person Attendance: Emeritus College (CAT Building)

In Person Attendance ONLY: Register Here for Lunch

Virtual Attendance: Do not register – contact vmushef@clemson.edu for the Zoom link

Hybrid Panel Lunch

Retirement

Thinking about retiring? Please join the Emeritus College for an informal session with a panel of emeritus faculty and representatives from Clemson’s Office of Human Resources and SC PEBA. 

You may have questions about the process of retirement, selecting the right time to retire, related decisions, and retirement paperwork. Or you may be wondering what happens after you retire – what do you do after breakfast that first morning?

Learn about the advantages of participation in the Emeritus College and the support available for emeritus faculty. Emeritus faculty will be available to answer questions you have about what to expect when retiring and opportunities post-retirement!

PANEL PARTICIPANTS

Moderator

Dr. Debra Jackson

Director and Professor Emerita of Nursing

864-656-3990 | dbj@clemson.edu

PEBA (SC Retirement Systems and State Health Plan)

George M. Hazin

Employer Services

(o) 803.737.6882 | GHazin@peba.sc.gov | www.peba.sc.gov

Clemson University, Human Resources

Jan E. Myers

Senior Director

Compensation and Benefits Manager

jan3@clemson.edu

Yasmin Rohr Lopes

Benefits Manager

ylopes@clemson.edu

Becky Garrigan

Benefits Navigator

rgarrig@clemson.edu

Emeritus Faculty

Dr. Cecil Huey

Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering

Chair, Emeritus College Advisory Board

Dr. Bonnie Stevens

Senior Lecturer Emerita of PRTM

Past Chair, Emeritus College Advisory Board

Dr. Kathy Headley

Professor Emerita of Teaching and Learning

Chair-Elect, Emeritus College Advisory Board

Dr. Karen Kemper

Associate Professor Emerita of Public Health Services

Faculty Senate Liaison, Emeritus College Advisory Board

Please mark your calendars for a special Coffee House Music Session: Holiday Sing Along on Friday December 20, 2024, 10:00 am-11:30 am!

• Date: 12.20.24
• Time: 10 am – 11:30 am
• Place: Emeritus College Seminar Room
• Fun: Bring yourself, friends, favorite songs, an instrument if you like
• Snacks: Punch & Cookies
• Craft: Decorate a cookie while they last!

The Annual Holiday Social is always a favorite event within our Emeriti community because it’s a party – hanging out together, meeting new people and catching up with old friends, and just having some good old-fashioned fun – no agendas, no awards, no business. We hope to see you there. Please register in advance REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE

EMERITUS COLLEGE HOLIDAY SOCIAL – See you there!

Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm

Place: Palmettos Catering and Event Center

REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE

The Clemson University Emeritus College gathered on Tuesday, October 29 for the annual Fall Picnic and Business Meeting. Around 150 emeritus faculty enjoyed great food and conversation; welcomed new members; approved changes to the college’s by-laws; and awarded the prestigious Emeritus Award for Research and Scholarship to two very deserving Emeritus Faculty for their outstanding contributions to scholarly research: Dr. Frankie O. Felder and Dr. Jack C. Peck!

Dr. Frankie O. Felder

Since retiring in 2017, Dr. Felder has devoted a significant amount of time to researching and writing two important historical documents. These include a history of her family, whose roots are from deep southern states, and the history of graduate education at Clemson University.
Both publications invite critical thought about subjects that impact those living in the South. Her publication OURstory, Unchained and Liberated from HIStory (pronounced HIS-story), was published in 2021, and describes the lesser-known aspects of an African American family experience prior to and through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow.

Dr. Frank Smith, director of the African American Civil War Memorial Museum, called this book “a must read for any serious scholar wishing to understand this period of American history.” Dr. Vernon Burton, who wrote her foreword, said she “opens the doors to the history of education of blacks in the South to the general reader through the rise of her ancestors’ descendants as they passed through the doors of Rosenwald School and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” Her book … “addresses how the South’s very dark period of American history has changed in her lifetime” offering “hope for the future in the victories of the past.”

Dr. Felder has also researched the history of graduate education at Clemson. Her book Graduate Education at Clemson and the Evolution to a University is due out in the spring. She was the opening plenary speaker at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools this year where she shared her premise that graduate education transformed a rural college into a world-class university. Her nominator notes that she received a resounding standing ovation for her presentation on the relevance of graduate education not only to Clemson University, but to all southern colleges and universities. Her book recognizes more than one hundred graduate “trailblazers” and reflects on one hundred years of graduate education at Clemson from1924 to 2024.

Dr. Jack C. Peck

Upon his retirement from Clemson in 2000, Dr. Peck was among the top Computer Science faculty in publications and funded research. He continues to be a successful serial entrepreneur. In 1987, he co-founded Foxfire Technologies Corporation to create software for both the manufacturing and distribution industries. Beginning operations in a Clemson University incubator, Foxfire grew to more than twenty employees. Foxfire’s products were employed by such well-known companies as Levi, Wrangler, Playtex, Sara Lee, Jantzen, Intertape Polymer, and Carters.
In 2006, after a successful exit from Foxfire Technologies, Dr. Peck co-founded FastFetch Corporation to supply innovative hardware and software solutions for eCommerce order fulfillment.

He provided the creative impetus that formed the basis for FastFetch’s products. One such product employs artificial intelligence to determine a right-sized container for shipping multiple items of different sizes and shapes with minimal wasted space. This problem has long been recognized as a difficult problem in the computer science field. In 2019, this development was judged as the most innovative supply chain management product in the US by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), edging out Intel Corporation.

While there are numerous artificial intelligence applications currently being developed for the supply chain industry, the FastFetch solution is one of only a few that are in production daily by well-known companies such as Snap-on, Staples, FedEx, and UPS. In addition to receiving the CSCMP innovation award in 2019, FastFetch was a finalist for the innovation award in 2018 and the runner-up in 2023. Dr. Peck has been granted 5 US patents and several international patents on the innovations employed in FastFetch products. Jack is recognized as a thought leader in the supply chain industry. He has frequently presented technical talks at industry conferences, served on industry panels, been interviewed on several occasions by supply chain media outlets, and been quoted in trade publications. Additionally, Dr. Peck continues to publish scholarly papers in a refereed, international supply chain journal with publications in 2019, 2023, and a publication scheduled for 2025.

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November 4, 2024, (Monday), 10:00 am – 11:30 am, Hybrid, Doug’s Holiday Gift Tech Talk! Join Doug, our CCIT Support Consultant, as he provides his suggestions and moderates others’ ideas on helpful small, inexpensive, and more expensive tech products to consider this holiday buying season. Doug will feature items under $10 and others to fit all budgets with freebie suggestions. He will also discuss how to repurpose or upgrade existing tech. Stay to the end for some giveaway prizes for online/in-person participants!” Light refreshments will be served. Contact emerituscollege@clemson.edu for the Zoom Meeting Link.