On Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the Clemson University Emeritus College welcomed new members and honored its annual award recipients during its 22nd celebration ceremony and luncheon. President Jim Clements and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Bob Jones welcomed 21 new emeritus faculty members to the college and Cecil Huey, professor emeritus and chair of the Emeritus College Advisory Board, welcomed nine affiliate, associate, and honorary members.
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.
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
Dr. Felder, 2024 Fall Picnic and Business Meeting, Emeritus Collegge
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 Felder has devoted a significant amount of time to researching and writing two important historical documents.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.
Moments and Memories: Reflections of Emeritus College Faculty, released April 2023, was the 20th Anniversary celebration project for Clemson University’s Emeritus College (Cost $40 -contact emerituscollege@clemson.edu to purchase your copy)
July 10, 2024, (Wednesday), 10:30-1:00 pm, In-Person, Moments and Memories Volume II Kick Off Party, Boxed Lunch included ($15 fee for lunch paid at the Emeritus College on July 10): The Emeritus College celebrated our 20th anniversary in 2023 and as part of that celebration members of the college wrote short, focused memoirs centered on their experiences as students and as faculty at Clemson University. The resulting volume, Moments and Memories, was well-received. President Clements featured the publication in his comments about the Emeritus College at the recent Emeritus Day luncheon. There are many more stories that can and should be told, so we are planning a second volume of Moments and Memories to celebrate our 25th Emeritus College anniversary in 2028. Join us for a kick-off for this endeavor on Wednesday, July 10th. We will gather at 10:30 at the Emeritus College to meet, greet and talk about ideas for the new volume. A no-host box luncheon will be served at 11:30.
New Emeritus Faculty Members Recognition, April 17, 2024
On Wednesday, April 17, 2023, the Emeritus College celebrated its 21st celebration with a special ceremony and luncheon. President James Clements and Senior Vice President and Provost Bob Jones welcomed 18 new emeritus/a faculty members to the college, five retiring faculty, and four affiliate members. We honored three professor emeritus faculty posthumously, H. Roger Grant, Kevin Lee James, and Joseph Earl Stewart with their families and colleagues.
Sterling K. (Skip) Eisiminger, Professor Emeritus of English and an I. Dwaine Eubanks Fellow was the honored speaker for the day, Reflections on Aging and Clemson Trivia. Skip arrived in Clemson in 1968, and his only move during his time at Clemson was across town. His publications include a book of verse, a book of word games, a children’s book, and two collections of essays. In his forty-two years as a teacher at Clemson, he taught over nine thousand students in twenty-nine different courses. In retirement, he participates in the Conversations with International Student program and its testing of English language competency. Has served in the CU Veterans’ Writing Project and has offered classes at OLLI since 2012. At the Emeritus College he hosts a monthly EC Trivia morning with all proceeds directed toward the Emeritus College Undergraduate Student Scholarship, and provides weekly puzzles for EC Happenings, a weekly college newsletter.
New Emeritus Faculty
Jean A. Bertrand
Professor Emerita of Animal and
Veterinary Sciences, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Interim Dean for
Undergraduate Studies
Thomas Edford Cousins
Professor Emeritus of Glenn
Department of Civil Engineering
Julia Alice Frugoli
Alumni Distinguished Professor
Emerita of Genetics
H. Roger Grant
Kathryn and Calhoun Lemon
Professor Emeritus of History
(Posthumously)
David James Hartmann
Professor Emeritus of
Performing Arts
Kevin Lee James
Professor Emeritus of
Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and Founding Director of School of Mathematical
and Statistical Sciences (Posthumously)
Karen A. Kemper
Associate Professor Emerita of
Public Health Sciences
Harry Delos Kurtz, Jr.
Associate Professor Emeritus of
Biological Sciences
Walter Batchelor Ligon, III
Associate Professor Emeritus of
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Pamela E. Mack
Associate Professor Emerita of
History and Geography Coordinator of Science and Technology in Society
Anthony Louis Pometto, III
Professor Emeritus of Food,
Nutrition and Packaging Sciences
Gwynn M. Powell
Associate Professor Emerita of
Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
Margaret Barlow Ptacek
Professor Emerita of Biological
Sciences
E. Jeffery Rhodehamel
Professor Emeritus of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences
Edward Joseph Rock
Associate Librarian Emeritus of
University Libraries
Raymond D. Sauer
Professor and Chair Emeritus of
Economics
Benjamin R. Stephens
Professor Emeritus of
Psychology
Joseph Earl Stewart
Professor Emeritus of Political
Science (Posthumously)
Lonnie Lee Thompson
Associate Professor of
Mechanical Engineering
Bruce Allen Whisler
Professor Emeritus of
Performing Arts
Brett A. Wright
Dean Emeritus College of
Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences and Professor Emeritus of Parks,
Recreation and Tourism Management
Retired
Clemson Faculty
James H. Blake
State Director of the SC Master
Naturalist and Senior Extension Associate, Retired
Rita Mae Haliena
Senior Lecturer of Food,
Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, Retired
Rebecca Ferraccio Kaminski
Senior Lecturer of Literacy,
Retired
Vladimir Matic
Senior Lecturer of Political
Science, Retired
David Schmueser
Senior Lecturer of Automotive
Engineering, Retired
Clemson University Affiliate Members
William Hiott
Executive Director
and Chief Curator, Historic Properties, Retired
James Pepin
Chief Technology Officer,
Retired
Flora Riley
Executive Director
Michelin Career Center, Retired
Curt Russell
Information Resources
Consultant I, Retired
Debra Sparacino
University Registrar,
Retired
Associate
Members, Emeritus/a
William Bruehl
Professor Emeritus of Theatre, Stony Brook
University
Jere Lee Hodgin
Associate Professor Emeritus of
English and Theatre, University of Montana
Kathleen Tiemann
Dean and Professor Emerita, Merrimack College
Honorary
Members
Vince Jackson
Honorary Member of the Emeritus College
Robert Hogan, Professor Emeritus of Architecture and served
as Associate Chair of the School of Architecture announced the Emeritus
College’s annual awards 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 Emeritus College, Clemson University,
the greater Clemson community, and to society. The 2024 Kenelly-Voss
Distinguished Emeritus Award was presented to Dr. Dolores A. Stegelin.
Dee retired
in 2017 and currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina. You would not know she was not in Clemson.
She never misses an important Emeritus College event. She and her husband,
Forrest, participate in person and by Zoom. Dee’s contributions to the Emeritus
College include Serving as the Chair of the Advisory Board from 2022-2023, as a
member of the Emeritus College Staff Search Committee (twice) and as the chair
of the Fundraising Committee, which she proposed and implemented during her
year as chair of the Advisory Committee. Her strategies for fundraising to
support emeritus faculty have made a significant difference in our programming
and services. Dee is also an active member of several key interest groups in the college
including the memoir, prison education, and speaker bureau. She continues to contribute to the college
with her seminars. This year she initiated a Task Force to improve the
relationships between academic colleges and their emeritus faculty using her
own College of Education as a pilot program. Dee’s
contributions to the University include continuing her graduate teaching and
service on an advisory board for the University of South Carolina. She
continues to stay involved in research projects, the play coalition
conferences, and the Partners of the Americans, SC Chapter Executive Committee.
She currently advises Clemson Education faculty advisors for the Reggio Emilia
study abroad program. Dee represents the College of Education on the US Play
Coalition Steering Committee; and serves as a liaison between the college and
the Institute for Child Success Conference.
Dee is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC) and the South Carolina Association for the Education of Young
Children. She provides leadership for
the Global Healing Curriculum Project Co-Leader with Dr. Edgar Klugman,
Professor Emeritus- Wheelock College.
Dee also provides leadership for a study group of 20 professionals
across the US. and Brazil to develop curriculum learning activities for use in
community settings that strengthen intergenerational relationships. In
addition, Dee had three major publications in 2023.
The 2024 Class of I.D.E. Emeritus College Fellows 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.
Dr.
Pamela A. Havice
Pam retired in 2019 after serving
Clemson for 19 years as a Professor of Educational and Organizational
Leadership. In service to the Emeritus
College, Pam currently serves on the
Emeritus College Advisory Board, the Undergraduate Support Committee, the
Membership Task Force and the Task Force charged with the development of the
college’s Purpose Statement. She has
also participated in several panel discussions.
This semester Pam is serving on a Task Force to develop strategies for
connecting emeritus faculty with her home College of Education.
Dr. Kathy N. Headley
Kathy
retired in 2021 after serving Clemson for 34 years as a Professor and Senior
Associate Deam in the College of Health, Education and Human Development. In
service to the Emeritus College, Kathy is currently a member of the Advisory
Board and since joining the Emeritus College.
As a member of the Moments and Memories task force, she served as an
editor for the book and was instrumental on its successful publication. She
also served on the By-Laws Revisions Taks Force, and the 20th
Anniversary Celebration Task Force.
Kathy chaired the Task Force to develop guidelines and procedures for
membership applications and is currently a member of the task force to develop plans for improving relationships between
emeritus faculty and their home departments and college.
Dr.
Thomas J. Kuehn
Tom Retired in 2020 from Clemson as
a Professor and former Chair of the Department of History. In service to the
Emeritus College, Tom currently serves as a member of the EC Advisory Board,
the Awards Committee, and the Programming Committee. He also presented a virtual tour, which was
the highlight of last fall’s series. In service to the University: Tom was
instrumental in the development of a Phi Beta Kappa Society here at Clemson and
served as an officer in the society from its conception until his retirement.
Dr.
Rosanne H. Pruitt
Rosanne retired in 2018 after
serving Clemson for 17 years as a Professor of Nursing, former Director of the
School of Nursing and Associate Dean of The College of Health, Education and
Human Development. In service to the Emeritus College: Rosanne serves as a
member of the Advisory Board, the Programming Committee, and the Membership
Task Force. She always volunteers to help at the Emeritus College events
from setting up, selling EC sway, to cleaning up afterwards. Her willingness to
volunteer and to serve the college makes a significant difference in the
programs, services, and commitment to the emeritus faculty and college. In service to the University: Rosanne
was named a Clemson University Service-Learning Fellow and received the Elliott
Award for Outstanding Service to Off-Campus, Distance and Continuing Education.
David
V. Scherrep (Lt. Col. Retired)
Dave retired in 2002 after serving
Clemson as an Associate Director of Cooperative Education. He is also a retired Lt. Col. In the US
Army. In service to the Emeritus
College: Dave co-developed the exciting Coffee House series which occurs each
month for emeritus faculty to gather and share music. The
program hosts additional music events throughout the year as well and helps to
promote and increase the numbers of faculty who participate. In service
to the larger community, Dave
is active in the Clemson, Anderson, and Oconee communities. He and his partner
in the New Tricks Trio engage residents in nursing homes and assisted living
communities across the area. Dave has found that music brings people together
and music for older adults is joyful.
Dr.
Diane G. Smathers
In service to the Emeritus College,
Diane
began her association with the Emeritus College as the Emeritus College
founding director in 2004. She adopted the initial creation and organization of
the Emeritus College concept as initiated by Jerry Reel. Diane’s additional 10
years of hard work resulted in the formation of our highly successful Emeritus
College. She worked tirelessly to solicit administrative and financial support
in the early years, working with other colleges and university units to
emphasize the critical role that the Emeritus College could play in the
university community. Diane sought
opportunities for promoting the Emeritus College on campus and seeking
opportunities for retired faculty to continue to support academic endeavors and
continue their invaluable service to students and the university community. She
is currently serving as Chair of the Emeritus Faculty Creative Works Display
Committee. Diane’s contributions to
Clemson University include being selected the Phi Kappa Phi Distinguished
Member for the Clemson Chapter as well as serving as National President of Phi
Kappa Phi, serving on the national board for 9 years and as inaugural chair of
the Foundation Board of Trustees for 2 years.
As an emeritus faculty member and appreciate being able to maintain your
Clemson e-mail and ability to get a FREE parking permit … thank Diane.
Jonathan D. Black ,
2024 Emeritus College Undergraduate Scholarship Recipient
Jonathan D. Black, a senior psychology major from Charleston, South Carolina was honored as the 2023—2024 scholarship recipient. During his time at Clemson, he has been a member of the Clemson University Symphony Orchestra and has participated in Dr. Kaileigh Byrne’s Creative Inquiry Lab, where the research focused on online privacy decision making. After graduating in May, Jonathan will begin preparations to apply to graduate school, with the hopes of eventually obtaining a doctorate and pursuing psychology research. The Emeritus College faculty contribute annually to fund undergraduate students.
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!
For Clemson faculty who qualify for emeritus/a status, initiating retirement is a two-step procedure.
If you are electing to retire by August 31, 2024, and you qualify for the official title of Emeritus/Emerita as described by the Faculty Manual (below), please note that there are two independent steps to start your retirement process.
Step One: make an appointment with a Human Resources Benefits Counselor.
Step two: contact the Emeritus College, independently from your human resources benefit appointment, to initiate your membership in the Emeritus College.
The Emeritus College will host a Hybrid Lunch Q & A for active faculty on February 22, 2024, beginning at 12:00 pm.
This
informal program will consist of a panel of emeritus faculty, HR benefits
coordinators, and a PEBA representative to answer questions about what to
expect when retiring, how to prepare for retirement, and to learn about opportunities
post-retirement. The Emeritus College will provide a light lunch for those who
attend in person.
If you plan to attend the Hybrid Lunch – in person –
you must RSVP by February 15, 2024, at our EventBrite link.
Chapter IV.THE
FACULTY, Section B, 4. EMERITUS FACULTY, page 35 of the 2023-2024 (Web Edition of Faculty Manual) Clemson University Faculty Manual states the
following:
The University
will honor its 2023-2024 emeritus faculty with a ceremony and luncheon on April
17, 2024, at the Madren Center. This event will coincide with the Emeritus
College’s annual Emeritus Day. President Clements and Provost Jones are honored
to recognize the 2023-2024 emeriti for their years of service to the
University.
While Special Rank faculty do not receive the emeritus title, those who have served at least five years at Clemson University and 15 years in the academic profession are eligible for membership in the Emeritus College. Research faculty, extension faculty, clinical faculty, lecturers, senior and principal lecturers, and professors of practice are considered for regular member b in the Emeritus College by-laws. Other retired faculty may request membership as an Affiliate member in the college, and their application is reviewed by the Advisory Board for approval. Membership details may be found at https://www.clemson.edu/emerituscollege/membership.html.
Regular member b and affiliate members are invited to participate in the Emeritus Day celebration.
Apart from our
Clemson hybrid retirement lunch session, you might be interested in AROHE’s free
3-Part Virtual Series titled, Reimagining Retirement.Learn
More.
If you have
questions, please contact Victoria Musheff, Program Coordinator II/Emeritus
College at vmushef@clemson.edu (864-656-3990) or contact a HR Benefits Counselor.
The Clemson Emeritus College gathered on Tuesday, October 3 for the
annual Fall Picnic and Business Meeting. Approximately 150 emeritus
faculty enjoyed great food and conversation while welcoming new members.
During the meeting, the group evaluated, voted upon and passed changes
to the Emeritus College bylaws and strategic plan, and the college
awarded the prestigious Emeritus College Community Service Award to two
very deserving Emeritus faculty for their outstanding decades of
community service.
Gordon Howard, Professor Emeritus of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
Since 1984, Howard has offered his services as a licensed bird bander
on the grounds of the Crown Point State Historic Site in New York. The
historic site is designated as an important bird area by the National
Audubon Society, a bird conservation area by the state of New York and
is referred to as a banding ‘station’.
Bird banding is an effort to track different species of migratory
birds that pass through the region every year in order to collect
ecological data and improve conservation efforts. With climate change
and deforestation, the unbroken string of the station’s banding records
is becoming increasingly important. Presentations to groups and
individuals who visit the station are designed to involve visitors with
wildlife in a non-consumptive manner, which include the visitor
releasing a banded bird. In 1988 Howard began giving a Polaroid picture
to each person releasing a banded bird to show friends and family. A
follow-up Educational Certificate Program was begun in 1995 whereby
trifold certificates were mailed to releasers that include an image of
the bird, a brief life history of the bird species, the banding
information and Clemson University’s support for the program.
In 1997, releasers began to be notified when “their bird” was
captured at the banding station or at another location. After the
station closes each year Howard enters the data into the state and
federal government databases, writes the Atlantic Flyway Report and
sends a summary report to each visitor. In 2015, Howard also began an
apprenticeship program of future banders. In addition to banding, two
tail feathers are collected from “target species” as part of the
stations third year of cooperation with the Bird Genoscape Project, a
hemisphere wide avian genetics research program managed by units of the
University of California – Los Angeles and Colorado State University.
Barry Nocks, Professor Emeritus of City and Regional Planning
Nocks has devoted himself to public service over the past two
decades. In 2001, his leadership as chair of the Reedy River Master
Planning Committee paved the way for a plan that profoundly change
Greenville. His vision of the Swamp Rabbit Trail and the revitalization
of the Reedy River as a public amenity has been the impetus for
Greenville’s urban planning priorities.
Nocks also served as a member and chairman of the City of
Greenville’s Planning Commission from 2000-2009. He then chaired and
served as a member of Greenville’s Design Review Board from 2009 to
2017, during the city’s unprecedented growth following the recession.
Nocks also served as a volunteer on numerous Greenville planning
committees focused on preservation, housing and strengthening the city’s
zoning ordinances. As a certified arbitrator, his mediation skills
played a valuable role in shaping major mixed-use developments. Most
recently, he worked closely with the city to develop the Greenville 2040
Comprehensive Plan and the 2023 Development Code. Perhaps the greatest
testimony comes from the many Master of City and Regional Planning
alumni who continually ask for his advice in dealing with difficult
planning issues. Nicknamed ‘Yoda’ by his peers, Nock’s wisdom and
tireless efforts in public service have made Greenville one of America’s
most livable communities.
