Clemson University is excited to announce the awarding of the inaugural Excellence in Stewardship awards to Dr. Joe Ryan and Debra Galinsky.
Overseen by the Clemson University Excellence in Stewardship Awards Committee, the annual Excellence in Stewardship awards recognize one Clemson University faculty member and one staff member who exemplify excellence in stewardship and gratitude initiatives with our donors and University volunteers.
Dr. Joe Ryan holds the Sue Stanzione Distinguished Professorship for ClemsonLIFE. He is the founder and executive director of Clemson LIFE, a nationally recognized post-secondary education program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Since the origin of the program, Ryan has been key in establishing funding priorities to assist with fundraising efforts and his careful stewardship of philanthropic dollars has allowed the ClemsonLIFE program to hire additional staff, establish a distinguished professorship and provide financial aid to students in need.
“Dr. Ryan has clearly demonstrated the importance of how developing a close working relationship with the Clemson University Foundation can be beneficial to the university, college, faculty and students alike,” says Antonis Katsiyannis, Ryan’s nominator.
Likewise, Debra (Deb) Galinsky has exemplified similar principles of stewardship in her role as an administrative assistant in the Department of Psychology. In addition to her regular responsibilities, Galinsky took it upon herself to launch a direct mail campaign to reengage with alumni of the department, resulting in the creation of two new alumni awards, reestablished alumni connections and increased donations to the department. Galinsky has since suggested further ideas to engage alumni with the department, such as a newsletter, a tailgate and an advisory board.
“When I hired her three years ago, her job definition did not include any mention of stewardship or alumni outreach,” says Pat Raymark, Galinski’s nominator and department chair. “None of that was officially part of her job!”
Clemson is fortunate to have employees like Dr. Joe Ryan and Debra Galinsky, who personally own the causes of philanthropy and stewardship, and is proud to recognize them for their efforts.
