Inside Clemson
Herman Senter, Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematical Sciences
Herman Senter, Associate Professor Emeritus of Mathematical Sciences, passed away on April 25, 2025.
Senter began his Clemson career on August 15, 1974, and retired on December 20, 2007. He was rehired in 2008 and was hired as a Named Professor in 2009-2011, joining the Emeritus College on July 30, 2015. Senter totaled more than 36 years of service with the University.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University in 1965, followed in 1967 by a Master of Science in Textile Technology from the Institute of Textile Technology in Charlottesville, Va. He returned to NC State to earn his Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences in 1973.
Senter played a key role in establishing the Foothills Group of the South Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club, serving as its interim chair. His environmental advocacy also extended to active involvement with the Coastal Conservation League, The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, Upstate Forever, and the Chattooga Conservancy.
His online obituary and memorial information will be shared when available.
Employee Shout-Outs – April 28, 2025
Deborah Hammond, Administrative Coordinator, Department of Languages
“Debbie is a great human being and always has been supportive of my work and the work of others in our department, always receiving us with a warm and kind smile, despite how busy she may be. She is always willing to lend a hand to contribute with our department’s programming success. Her assistance with our classes and service-learning activities are a key ingredient that helps us in becoming more efficient and impactful instructors.” – Arelis Moore, Associate Professor, Department of Languages
Maj. Ian Fields, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies, Air Force ROTC
“Maj. Fields was informed of a student involved in an accident and promptly arrived at the scene to assist with transporting the student and managing the motorcycle. They went above and beyond to ensure the student’s well-being.” – Abbie Sharpe, Administrative Coordinator, Aerospace Studies (Air Force ROTC)
Gregory Hunter, Sr. BI Analyst, Business Intelligence
“Keep up the great work! You are doing amazing!” – Teodor Giusca, Strategic Data Manager, Enrollment Management
Employee Shout-Outs – April 21, 2025
Courtney Dukes, ClemsonLIFE Instructor
“Courtney is an outstanding teacher who always goes above and beyond for her students. As the incoming freshmen teacher she sets the foundation for the success that the students find in ClemsonLIFE. She is an asset to the program; she does it all with a smile on her face and joyful laughter.” – Anonymous
The Office of Teaching Effectiveness & Innovation Team
“What a pleasure to host the exceptional staff from the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation (OTEI). Miguel requested professional development training in document accessibility, and it was an honor to deliver. This talented team was attentive and engaged throughout this workshop on digital accessibility for Microsoft Word, and I look forward to our next session on PowerPoint accessibility. Shout-out to Taimi A Olsen, Miguel Montoro, Claire Dancz, Shannon Stefl, Sarah Otterbeck, Becky Tugman, and Janet Arnold – thank you for making document accessibility a priority for Clemson students and faculty!” – Walker Massey, Digital Accessibility Specialist, CCIT Internal Operations
Dwayne Skelnik, Landscape Services
“Thanks for planting the pretty daffodils around West Campus. They brighten my day.” – Anonymous
Employee Shout-outs – April 14, 2025
Scott Cook, Assistant Director, Military & Veteran Engagement
“Scott was instrumental in the success of our 10th Annual Mile of Honor event on April 5; his leadership of the Student Veterans Association ensured we were able to honor and remember Clemson’s 498 heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Thank you, Scott.” – Emily DaBruzzi, Director, Military & Veteran Engagement
Amy Craft, Associate Director, Annual Giving Department
“Thank you are all the hard work you put in to make our 10th Annual Give Day so successful! You are the glue to Annual Giving and we are so grateful for you!” – Sarah Black White, Annual Giving Officer
Michelle Newman, Receiving Triage Leader Clemson Veterinary Diagnostic Center – Receiving, Livestock Poultry Health
“Michelle takes care of lab customers with a smile. She has helped to log in the numerous milk samples sent in for a USDA surveillance requirement in the past 4 weeks- very organized!” – Patty Scharko, Extension/ field veterinarian, Animal Health Programs, Clemson Livestock Poultry Health; Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal & Veterinary Sciences
Dwight Hartley, Staff, CCIT
Clemson University mourns the death of Melvin Dwight Hartley, systems engineer for CCIT’s Medicaid IT Services (MITS) team.
“Dwight was a brilliant mentor and friend,” said Lee Currington, senior director with Institutional Excellence. “Dwight was literally the cornerstone of my career. He believed in me and saw something I didn’t see in myself. He took a young girl with a newly earned Biology degree and tutored me to become a systems engineer. I am eternally grateful for the wisdom, humility, unwavering friendship, and humor he always shared. He will be truly missed.”
“Dwight and I worked together at three different companies,” said Don Parrott, MITS systems administrator. “He had a wide range of expertise in current IBM disk and tape architecture, but was also a veteran ham operator and was part of the South Carolina State Guard. In all the years working with him he was always helpful and courteous in any situation – willing to help anyone. He would go beyond the call of duty to help others. He shared the story many times how the Lord guided his steps during the Vietnam War. We had many great times working together which included multi-day disaster recovery drills and going to ‘hamfests’ together. He was always concerned for his family and our nation. He was confident in his Creator’s promises of life eternal and he trusted in them. He will be sorely missed.”
Hartley began his Clemson career on May 2, 2016, totaling nearly nine years of service with the University.
Dwight Hartley’s obituary is available online. The family will receive friends from 12-1:45 p.m. on Friday, April 11, at Gray Mortuary in Pelzer, with the funeral service following at 2 p.m. in the mortuary chapel.
Dale Morris, Faculty, School of Architecture
Clemson University mourns the death of Dale Morris, adjunct faculty teaching in the Master of Resilient Urban Design program at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston.
“Dale Morris will be deeply missed for his significant impact on resiliency thinking and how Charleston could live with water for a sustainable future,” said Bradford Watson, director of the Clemson Architecture Center Charleston and Master of Resilient Urban Design program. “His enthusiasm and passion for climate resiliency was inspiring, and we at the Clemson Design Center greatly benefited from his generosity of time and support for our students and programs. We will continue to see the impact of his knowledge and efforts through the planning implemented with the city and the future work of students that he inspired.”
“We were very fortunate to know and work with Dale Morris at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston,” said David Pastre, director of the Clemson Design Center Charleston. “Dale was always available to join classes and reviews when asked as the city of Charleston’s Chief Resilience Officer and we were thrilled when he joined the faculty this year. His unique ability to inspire our community, and our students was rooted in his genuine love of the Lowcountry and concern for its future. He will be greatly missed.”
Morris began his Clemson career on January 1, 2025. Morris, the former chief resilience officer for the city of Charleston from 2021-24, enjoyed an extensive career in policy and design working with low-lying urban areas combat flooding and manage water more effectively. A Post & Courier article about Morris is available for free with registration as well.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is providing grief counseling to students. Any student who wants to speak to a counselor should contact CAPS at 864-656-2451. After-hours counseling is available by calling 864-656-2451 and selecting option 2 from the menu.
Counseling services are also available to faculty and staff through ComPsych, the University’s Employee Assistance Program provider, at 866-365-0813.
Clemson University Obituaries
Obituaries for active employees, retirees and current students are issued by Inside Clemson once we are able to confirm the information. Since faculty and staff live and work throughout the state, we depend on university departments, colleagues or friends to notify us of the deaths of active employees and retirees.
Employee Shout-Outs – April 7, 2025
Tammy Pace, Custodian, University Facilities
“Tammy is always a ray of sunshine in our office. She takes such good care of us and always has a smile on her face to brighten everyone’s days!” – Anonymous
Eliza Gallagher, Associate Professor, Engineering & Science Education
“Shout-out to Drs. Gallagher and Bernier, who contacted the Digital Accessibility team for advice and assistance to help foster inclusive coursework engagement. Your bringing software barriers to our attention is an excellent example of partnership in digital access advocacy. Not only has our initial conversation led to speaking engagements with a broader audience, but Clemson’s digital accessibility team is also in conversation with the software developers advising on accessibility modifications to their classroom resources. Your dedication to student success is evident and appreciated.” – Walker Massey, Digital Accessibility Specialist, CCIT Internal Operations
John R. Smith, Senior Lecturer, Director of World Cinema
“Dr. Smith is truly one of a kind and his passion and advocacy for his students is unmatched! The progress that he has made and is making for the World Cinema department is so incredible!” – Anonymous
James Wayne Patterson, Professor Emeritus of Management – March 27, 2025
James Wayne Patterson, Clemson University Professor Emeritus of Management, passed away on March 27, 2025.
He began his Clemson career on August 23, 1976, and retired on February 27, 2008, returning to temporary work for two years and joining the Emeritus College on July 23, 2015. In total, Patterson totaled more than 33 years of employment service with the University.
He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Statistics from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas.
His obituary is available online. A visitation will be held on April 12, 2025, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Pendleton. A memorial service will follow visitation in the church starting at 11 a.m.
