Year: 2025

Dawn Stuckey, Colleton/Hampton County 4-H Youth Development Agent, Senior Associate 

“Dawn always goes above and beyond to with Colleton and Hampton County youth and 4-Her’s. For a while she has been covering at least three additional counties due to staffing shortages.” – Brandi Murdaugh, Administrative Coordinator – Savannah Valley and Colleton County Administrative Assistant

Julie Pickett, Executive Assistant and Office Manager, Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

“Julie Pickett is a servant leader who embodies community, compassion, and teamwork. An a Clemson alumna, she is deeply connected to advancing the institution and I observe her commitment in both the her daily tasks and the execution of the Provost’s strategic priorities. Julie has an uncanny way of making all who engage with the Provost’s Office, faculty, staff, students, alumni, partners, feel valued. She makes all of us better as a result of her generosity and care.” – Anonymous

Necole Richardson, Dean’s Administrative Partner, CAFLS

“Necole is a dedicated and trustworthy face of the CAFLS dean’s office, consistently going out of her way to support both internal and external stakeholders with thoughtful and effective solutions. Her respectful demeanor, impressive problem-solving skills, and deep knowledge of the college make her an irreplaceable member of CAFLS.” – Anonymous

Lynn Gao, Post Award Grant Manager, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences

“Lynn is simply amazing at her job! She is meticulous in keeping track of grant awards and ensuring our team is informed, up-to-date, and anticipating changes up ahead. Thank you Lynn!” – Laura Bogardus, Associate Director, Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research (CAMHR)

Daniel Thrift, Grants Coordinator II – Office of Sponsored Programs, College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences

“Daniel is amazing to work with – he is always on top of the budgeting process, is friendly and easy to work with, and always willing to jump on a quick call to explain things. We sincerely appreciate his efforts day in and day out!” – Laura Bogardus, Associate Director, Center for Addiction and Mental Health Research

Chalmers McNair Butler, Clemson University Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering, passed away peacefully with family by his side on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Clemson, S.C.

Butler began his Clemson career in 1985 and retired in 2011. He joined the Emeritus College in April 2015 and was rehired as an affiliate from July 2011 until his passing. During his time at Clemson, he was named Alumni Distinguished Professor and the Warren H. Owen Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also earned the Class of ’39 Award for Excellence, one of the University’s most prestigious faculty honors, in 1997.

An avid woodworker, Butler combined his woodworking and Class of ’39 endeavors to construct an artisan-esque, handmade mallet for striking the Guard House Bell in the Cadet Life Garden at the South Carolina Botanical Garden to honor deceased class members every year in the annual Class of ’39 Memorial Service. The mallet continues to be used to honor class members and, poetically, will be used to honor Butler himself.

Butler earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Clemson University and his Ph.D. (1962) at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 2 p.m. in the churchyard cemetery at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pendleton, S.C.

A festive celebration of life will be held in Clemson at a later date.

Chalmers Butler’s obituary is available online.

Michelle Tuten, Clemson Online Accessibility Coordinator

“Michelle’s sharp eye and careful attention to detail have been instrumental in helping us publish a user guide for PDF accessibility that stands to make a real impact nationally. Her feedback motivated deep dives into the PDF specification, strengthening both the technical accuracy and user experience for this guide. Thank you, Michelle!” – Dan Lewis and Walker Massey, Digital Accessibility, CCIT Internal Operations

Tobie Griffin, Accounts Payable, CBSHS Brackett Hall

“Tobie goes above and beyond each and every day. She is a wealth of information and always available to answer questions regarding university protocols and procedures.” – Jill Watkins, Admin. Coordinator, Psychology Department

Eslie Aguilar, Research Lab Manager/Project Manager

“Although it is her first true job, Eslie is easily one of the most supportive and competent managers I have ever had in my career. She works hard at what she does and still manages to make everyone smile.” – Anonymous

Tisha Clark and Sue Harpel, Talent Partner (Tisha), Service Manager (Sue)

“Sue and Tisha are great resources in Human Resources. They answer every question with patience and details, are timely in their communication and have provided great support.” – Mary Erin Morrissey

Raul Garcia Mora, retired agricultural/animal assistant at the Edisto Research and Education Center, passed away on June 2, 2025.

Mora began his Clemson career on August 23, 1996, and retired on April 1, 2019, totaling more than 22 years of service with the University.

Graveside services will be held Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 3 p.m. at the Swallow Savannah Cemetery. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening from 6-8 p.m. at Keith Smith Funeral Service, 128 Water Street, Allendale, S.C.

His online obituary is available online.

Marjorie Campbell and Debbie Gravely, CCIT Internal Operations

“Shout out to Marjorie and Debbie for your work in organizing and mentoring 19 CCIT staff for the 9-month ‘CCIT Emerging Leaders Institute (CELI).’ Thank you for your work to manage personal & professional development opportunities and arrange tours & speakers to provide us a better understanding of CCIT, Clemson University and the surrounding community. We appreciate you and are thankful for this opportunity!” – CELI c/o 2025

David Gilpin, Talent Management Systems Coordinator, Office of Human Resources

“A big thank you and shout out to David Gilpin, the Office of Human Resources’ talent management systems coordinator. Throughout the year, David is always so incredibly helpful. Comparing notes with other supervisors, we all seem to have the same experience in working with David in terms of his quick follow up and we are thankful we have him as a fellow Tiger to help all of us with what might be a hard task to navigate. David makes OnBase easy to use and we can just focus on giving our colleagues great feedback and support through the performance process.” – Anonymous

Sidney Angner, Genomic Core Technician, Center for Human Genetics

“Sidney’s contributions to the Center for Human Genetics Core are truly invaluable — we’d be lost without her! She’s a ray of sunshine who always goes above and beyond, giving her best in everything she does.” – Anonymous

Shannon Clark, Public Info Director, Records/Registration

“I had the pleasure of working with Shannon on improving the accessibility of the undergraduate catalog. She was proactive in asking thoughtful questions and genuinely receptive to feedback, using it to drive meaningful improvements. Her eagerness to learn and open-minded approach made our collaboration both productive and enjoyable.” – Jon Olson, Digital Accessibility Specialist, CCIT

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Larissa Whitten, Director, Enterprise Quality Management Services

“Larissa! Your unmatched attention to detail has helped us publish a user guide for PDF accessibility that will be a game-changer in the national field of document accessibility. I am so impressed with your eagle-eye and thoughtful, thorough review of our website. What an asset you are to us, CCIT, and Clemson. THANK YOU for what you do.” – Dan Lewis and Walker Massey, Digital Accessibility

Kevin Finan, Procurement Manager II, Procurement and Business Services

“HUGE shout out to Kevin Finan for always having a positive attitude and for always being there to help others! You are a great asset to Clemson and the procurement team! I am very thankful for you! THANK YOU!!” – Jen Charette, Administrative Assistant, Dean’s Office, The Graduate School

Dr. Ale Kennedy, AVP and Chief Human Resources Officer and Human Resources Team

“We offer an immense thanks to AVP Kennedy for inviting us to speak at a recent HR “all hands”! We are encouraged by HR’s value of digital accessibility, notable by including us in this agenda and the audience’s engagement. We look forward to continuing to partner with Clemson’s Human Resources to assist in publishing digital resources that everyone can access. ” – Digital Accessibility Team

Sandi Priddy, Administrative Coordinator with Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation (CAFLS)

“Thank you Sandi for your dedication to enhancing the student experience and for the incredible effort you put into organizing events for the department. Your hard work and attention to detail make a meaningful impact, we all appreciate all that you do!” – Anonymous

Vickie Byko, Administrative Assistant, Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation

“Thank you Vickie for your always going above and beyond! You are so appreciated by us all!” – Anonymous

Kayla Steele Payne, Chief of Staff, CAFLS Administration Office
“Kayla is one of the most remarkable and highly effective staff members I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She’s exceptionally organized, incredibly efficient, and ever cheerful in all her endeavors. Beyond these impressive qualities, she’s also exceptionally astute and possesses a remarkable ability to discern character. While I’ve had the pleasure of working with many exceptional staff members, Kayla truly stands out as one of the best.” – Anonymous

Kristi Cox (Director of Campus Reservations and Events), Callie Bunyea (Associate Director of Campus Reservations and Events)

“A huge shout-out to Pam Davis’s entire department, including Kristi Cox and Callie Bunyea for the exceptional job of coordinating over 5000 Clemson Tigers through graduation! Their team makes everything seamless – even had a Gamecock Faculty member enthusiastically comment to me how incredible it was!” – Kryssa Cooper, Special Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs

Mary Polen, retired administrative assistant with the National Dropout Prevention Center, passed away on April 21, 2025.

Polen began her Clemson career on October 28, 1977, and retired on July 1, 1994. She was then rehired from 1996 to 2011, totaling 32 years of service with the University. In addition to the National Dropout Prevention Center, she also worked for the computer center and provost’s office.

Mary Polen’s obituary is available online.

Sarah Reeves, Financial Business Manager, Student Affairs Business Operations 

“Sarah goes above and beyond daily to support the Division of Student Affairs departments, students, and campus partners. She steps up to any challenge. Sarah leads by example, works hard to always ensure everything is done the right way, and helps everyone that she can when needed!” – Lisa Bona, Chief Business Operations Officer, Student Affairs Business Operations 

Madeline Hellmich, Public Historian

“I’m super proud of Madeline’s recent success in making a digitally accessible PDF publication for Cemetery Hill. Learning to use Adobe InDesign is a steep curve — add to that the understanding and application of digital accessibility concepts, and you easily have a heavy lift on your hands for a beginner. Madeline immediately jumped on the opportunity and produced a beautiful, accessible newsletter with minimal coaching! Excellent work, Madeline.” – Walker Massey, Digital Accessibility Specialist, CCIT Internal Operations

Amie Bennett, Finance Manager, VIPR-GS

“Thank you for being such a great teammate and team player. Amie is always willing to jump in and help with a smile on her face!” – Anonymous

Steven Kay, Building Assessment Tech, University Facilities

“Thank you for sprucing up Barre Hall suite 109. We appreciate everything you are doing to make our building / suite cleaner and more presentable.” – Grants staff, 109 Barre Hall