Author: Jacqueline Todd

Sheryl Doyen-Gonzales, 65, of Piedmont died Aug.17, 2019. She was an administrative coordinator with the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET), who retired in 2017 with 16 years of service. As one of the founding employees of the Center, she watched it grow and thrive into a successful research branch of Material Science & Engineering.

“Sheryl served as COMSET’s administrative coordinator but was better known as ‘Center Mom’ to faculty and students, whose smile and giggle brightened any day,” said COMSET materials science and engineering professor John Ballato.

Doyen-Gonzales is survived by her husband, two daughters, four step-children, family and friends.

A celebration of life will be held 2 p.m. Saturday, August 24, 2019 in the chapel of Robinson Funeral Home-Powdersville Road.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.RobinsonFuneralHomes.com.

The Commission on Black Faculty and Staff seeks nominations for one vacant faculty seat. The terms is three years.

The Commission, chaired by Professor Rhondda Thomas, is charged with making recommendations to increase diversity and enhance the quality of life of black faculty, staff and students at Clemson University. The Commission reports to the Council for Diversity and Inclusion, co-chaired by Chief Inclusion and Equity Officer Lee Gill and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Bob Jones. Meetings are held at 10 a.m. the first Tuesday of each month during fall and spring semesters.

Submit nominations to Karon Donald at karond@clemson.edu.

To make needed repairs on the university’s electrical substation, Clemson Facilities officials announced that Duke Energy will effect a planned power outage from approximately 4 until 5 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24 on Clemson’s main campus. Officials said that during this time, all main campus buildings, exterior lights and traffic signals will be affected. The Madren Center and the Ravenel areas, however, will not be impacted by the planned outage.

Should inclement weather delay repairs, officials said they will move the planned outage date to Sunday, Aug. 25, from approximately 4 until 5 a.m

For questions or more information, contact Tony Putnam at tony@clemson.edu.

By Blythe Steelman, ‘16
Public Information Director
Watt Family Innovation Center

Artificial intelligence is the topic at the core of the second year of the Watt Family Innovation Center’s Faculty Fellows program. Twenty Fellows across the University have been accepted for the new cohort, including five who will continue a project started in the program’s inaugural year.

The Fellows will work in small teams or individually to pursue projects throughout the academic year. Most will focus on a specific issue: How can we use artificial intelligence to improve teaching and learning in all academic disciplines?

“The Fellows program brings faculty from diverse disciplines together to work on projects designed to advance academic excellence – in teaching, learning and research ­– in support of the ClemsonForward strategic plan,” said Barbara Speziale, associate director at the Watt Center and professor of biological sciences.

Fellows met for the first time during a one-day orientation on Friday, Aug. 16. During this meeting, Fellows learned about the program and were introduced to the basics of artificial intelligence by Watt Research Associate Hudson Smith.

“Using artificial intelligence techniques, researchers can amplify their domain expertise to study huge image and text data sets, make more informed decisions and identify previously unknown relationships,” Smith said. “From poultry to politics, there’s a surprising diversity of researchers using AI techniques at Clemson University. I’m excited to see Clemson grow in this area, and I’m excited for the opportunity to help enable the Watt Faculty Fellows to successfully apply AI to the problems of teaching and learning.”

The Fellows will meet monthly to develop proposals and implement their projects. Each team will present their final project in late spring 2020.

The following is a list of faculty selected for the 2019-2020 Watt Faculty Fellows program:

Sabarish Babu
Assistant Professor, School of Computing
College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Joshua Catalano
Lecturer, History and Geography
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities

Tracy Fasolino
Associate Professor, Nursing
College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences

Jeff Fine
Associate Professor, Political Science
College of Business

Lucian Ghita
Lecturer, English
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities

Danielle Herro
Associate Professor, Digital Media and Learning
College of Education

Michael Kleiss
Associate Professor, Architecture
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities

Matthew Macauley
Associate Professor, Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
College of Science

Nathan McNeese
Assistant Professor, Human-Centered Computing
College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Nancy Meehan
Associate Professor, Nursing
College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences

Ryan Mullins
Associate Professor, Marketing
College of Business

Chad Navis
Associate Professor, Management
College of Business

Winifred Newman
Endowed Chair, Architecture
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities

 Jennifer Ogle
Associate Professor, Civil Engineering
College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences

Johannes Schmidt
Associate Professor, Languages – German, Honors
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities

Travers Scott
Associate Professor, Communication
College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences

Marissa Shuffler Porter
Assistant Professor, Psychology
College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences

Christa Smith
Associate Professor, History & Geography
College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities

Scott Swain
Associate Professor, Marketing
College of Business

Erica Walker
Assistant Professor, Graphic Communications
College of Business

The world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, the symbol of quality and tradition for Anheuser-Busch since 1933, will parade through downtown Clemson from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. August 28 – making deliveries to local retailers.

The eight-horse hitch, complete with Dalmatian, will be harnessed and hitched to the famous red beer wagon, ride through downtown, turn right on Highway 93 and end their parade at the Esso Club where sky divers will jump and land on the grounds of Tiger Park at 9 p.m.

Plenty of opportunities exist for fans to take photographs, and during the parade, no vehicles will be allowed to turn onto College Avenue from the Highway 93 intersection or pass the team from behind. The best views of the team will be from the front of parade route businesses, and pedestrians are asked to keep the roadway clear.

Horses chosen for the Budweiser Clydesdale hitch must be at least three years of age, stand approximately 18 hands – or six feet – at the shoulder, weigh an average of 2,000 pounds, must be bay in color, have four white legs, and a blaze of white on the face and black mane and tail. A gentle temperament is very important as hitch horses meet millions of people each year.

A single Clydesdale hitch horse will consume as much as 20-25 quarts of feed, 40-50 pounds of hay and 30 gallons of water per day.

Clemson University is currently accepting nominations for its highest public award, the Clemson Medallion. The award is bestowed by the Board of Trustees and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a long and sustained commitment and significant service to the University.

Recipients of the Clemson Medallion are recognized as having earned the collective respect and admiration of the Clemson Family. As the highest honor, it is bestowed in a most selective manner, and to a maximum of two recipients every other year. 2019 is deemed a selection year.

Background of award

This award is reserved principally for nominees who graduated from Clemson and others who have cultivated a meaningful relationship with the University. The award is reserved only for those individuals who exemplify the dedication and foresight of benefactor Thomas Green Clemson, who advocated for scientific education and the advancement of agriculture when higher education in those studies in the United States was in its infancy. Thomas Green Clemson not only provided financial support to the institution but was also a model as an agricultural scientist and man of learning for his fellow South Carolinians.

Explore the nomination application here. Only nominations through this electronic form will be accepted. No less than three and no more than 10 letters of support are required per nomination. The nominator’s cover letter will be considered a letter of support. Please attach all supporting documentation when submitting the final nomination form for consideration.

The deadline for submissions is 4:30 p.m. Sept. 13, 2019.

With all the excitement a new academic year brings, the last thing you should have to worry about is your technology. CCIT is here to help you succeed with a few tech tips to make your life a little bit easier:

1. Give cybercriminals the boot. A 2019 annual cybercrime report estimated that someone falls for a ransomware attack every 14 seconds. Luckily, you can keep yourself—and your co-workers—safe by taking some simple precautions.
   • Keep your computer and devices fully updated with security updates/patches. Those automatic updates that pop up sometimes? Many of those are in response to newly discovered security flaws. They’re your first line of defense, so make sure those are installed.
   • Watch out for phishing emails. Don’t click on attachments or links you’re not expecting. Don’t give out personal or work-related information. And if it seems like a scam, it probably is. Report any suspicious email messages by forwarding them to phishing@clemson.edu or ask us if you’re unsure.
   • We recently launched a cybersecurity website at ccit.clemson.edu/cybersecurity that’s specifically tailored for Tigers. With tips, how-to guides and alerts, it’s your one-stop shop for everything you need to stay safe online.
2. Get help instantly with CCIT chat and text. Can’t talk on the phone? Don’t have time for in-person help? Solve your problem in seconds by texting the CCIT Support Center at (864) 656-3494 or chat live on the CCIT website at ccit.clemson.edu.
3. Never wonder “Is it down for everyone or just me?” again. The CCIT Status Page shows up-to-date information on Clemson systems like WIFI, iRoar, Kronos and more. You can even sign up to receive text or email updates for the systems you want to know about. The next time you’re having trouble with WIFI (or anything else) at Clemson, head to status.ccit.clemson.edu and get an answer immediately.

Clemson’s annual Welcome Back Festival will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 20, in downtown Clemson.

Sponsored by the Clemson Alumni Association and the Student Alumni Council, the festival will feature more than 80 local vendors offering a variety of merchandise and food. College Avenue will be shut down so students and community members can wander through the various attractions.

Entry to the festival is free. Food and merchandise can be purchased with tickets that will be sold at the entrance of the festival for 50 cents apiece. The money raised will go to the Student Alumni Council Scholarship Endowment Fund. Last year, the festival raised more than $18,000 for the scholarship fund.

Clemson University President James P. Clements and Clemson Mayor J.C. Cook will speak and the Tiger mascot will be there along with a Clemson Spirit Squad to pump up the crowd.

Did you know a vaccination is your easiest path to providing immunity to measles, a highly contagious viral disease?

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) officials are working with administrators from Clemson University to educate students, faculty and staff on how to take appropriate preventive measures related to health and wellness. DHEC recently shared reports of more than 1,100 cases of measles across 30 states so far in 2019. Ninety percent of those cases involved unvaccinated persons. While zero cases have yet to be confirmed in the state of South Carolina so far in 2019, DHEC has seen a global increase of more than 300 percent over the same time frame from 2018.

DHEC may require proof of immunity from individuals who have been exposed to someone with measles. This is a good time to verify with your medical care provider that you are immune and your vaccination records are up to date. Please take the time to read the university’s measles update for more information and frequently asked questions.

STUDENTS

All students enrolled at Clemson, with the exception of those enrolled in online courses only, are required to show proof of two MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccines unless approved for an exemption (e.g. medical or religious reasons). The university’s average immunity level among students exceeded 99 percent in the most recent academic year.

Individuals who have not yet submitted proof of immunity may be subject to penalty. Immunization clinics and resources are available at Redfern Health Center on the main campus. Read more on our Student Health Services immunization home page.

FACULTY AND STAFF

 Faculty and staff are not currently required to show proof of immunity outside of a few, select departments. If measles were to appear on campus, potentially exposed employees unable to produce proof of immunity could be subject to quarantine by order of DHEC. Please note immunization clinics and resources are available for employees on the main campus through the Joseph F. Sullivan Center. If your department or building is interested in a mobile clinic, please contact the Sullivan Center. Individual appointments can be made by calling 864-656-3076.

Individuals who carry the state health plan as their primary insurance can receive an MMR vaccine, per recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from network pharmacies and health care providers at no cost.

• Receiving your MMR vaccine at a pharmacy:Check with your pharmacist to confirm that the pharmacy provides MMR vaccines. Your MMR vaccine and administration fee will be paid in full.
• Receiving your MMR vaccine at a doctor’s office:If you receive the vaccine in a participating network doctor’s office, the MMR vaccine and administration fee will be paid in full; any associated office visit charges will be processed according to your regular plan coverage rules.

Robert Lee Edwards, Ph.D., 97, of Clemson passed away July 28, 2019. He retired in 1986 after 28 years of service  as an animal and veterinary science professor.

Edwards is survived by his son, family and friends.

Funeral services were held August 3.

Memorials may be made to Clemson University Historic Properties (P.O. Box 345615, Clemson, SC 29634, or a charity of your choice.

Post your condolences and memories here.