Londan Means Charley ’13, M’18 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Londan Courtney Means Charley ’13, M’18

Londan Means Charley ’13, M’18 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Londan Means Charley, an Anderson resident and Spartanburg native, received a bachelor’s Londan Means Charley ’13, M’18 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Awarddegree in biological sciences with a minor in psychology in 2013 and a graduate certificate in clinical and translational research in 2015. She received a master’s degree in biological sciences in 2018 and will complete a doctoral degree in educational leadership later this year.

Since 2022, Londan has served as Director of Advising and Student Development for Clemson’s Honors College where she provides vision and leadership for student services and initiatives. Previously, she worked for seven years as an Academic Advisor, Lead Advisor and then Director of Academic Advising in the Department of Biological Sciences. She began her professional career at Clemson in 2013 as a Data Coordinator in the Office of Registration Services.

Londan has participated in both the President’s Leadership Institute and the Women’s Administrative Leadership Development Program. She was a mentor and presenter in the CU Grow Staff Development Program and a frequent participant in the Men of Impact Summit and Women’s Roundtable Conference. Her many recognitions include the College of Science’s Outstanding Team Award and the Outstanding Staff Member Award. She also received the University-level Class of 1956 Staff Excellence Award and Unsung Student Hero of the Year Award.

Beneficiaries of Londan’s community service range from soup kitchens in Anderson and Spartanburg to the Clemson Free Clinic and the Clemson Child Development Center. Much of her volunteerism is accomplished through Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She was initiated into the sorority’s Omicron Phi Chapter as a Clemson student and has remained active as an alumna. She is the immediate past president of the sorority’s Anderson Alumnae Chapter and currently serves as South Carolina State Coordinator West for the South Atlantic Region.

Londan met her husband Christopher Charley  (BS Electrical Engineering 15’, BS Computer Engineering 15’) while they were attending Clemson as undergraduate students. They were married on June 22, 2019, at the Clemson University Madren Center & Owen Pavilion. They welcomed twins- a daughter and son, Londan and Landon Charley, in April 2021.

Maj Michael J. DesJardin ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Maj. Michael J. DesJardin ’14

Maj. Michael J. DesJardin ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Michael DesJardin, who participated in Clemson’s ROTC program, graduated in Maj Michael J. DesJardin ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award2014 with a bachelor’s degree in financial management and a U.S. Army commission as a Medical Service Corps officer. In 2023, he earned a master’s degree in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University.

He has served with distinction during the first 10 years of his military career in posts ranging from South Korea to Alaska to Iraq. Among his many accomplishments, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, he developed the force health protection plan for all bases in Iraq. He then returned to Alaska to command Role 2 health services and force protection for more than 4,500 soldiers across that state. He has fulfilled multiple assignments to observe, coach, train and mentor units in all three components of the U.S. Army: Active Duty, National Guard and Army Reserve. Currently, he plans and synchronizes medical logistics operations in the Indo-Pacific area and advises U.S. partners, such as the Philippines and Japan, on Army healthcare operations and systems.

Michael’s civic service activities have ranged from participating in community cleanups in South Korea to volunteering with the Fairbanks Salvation Army in Alaska. Now living in Tacoma, Wash., he helps with the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Kid’s Festival supporting the pediatric dental hygiene booth that his wife, Army dentist Captain Meagan B. Green, established and runs.

He mentors other Clemson alumni in the Army and donates to the Clemson Corps fund as a way to give back to the ROTC program. He has been an IPTAY donor since he was a student and returns to campus for athletic and other events when possible. He has been involved with multiple Clemson alumni programs and events near his various duty stations.

Austin Teague Ferguson ’15, M’17 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Austin Teague Ferguson ’15, M’17

Austin Teague Ferguson ’15, M’17 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Austin Ferguson is a Greer native with two Clemson degrees, including a 2015 bachelor’s Austin Teague Ferguson ’15, M’17 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Awarddegree in architecture. After earning a master’s degree in the Architecture + Health program in 2017, he joined ZGF Architects in New York City. As a member of ZGF’s healthcare design team, he collaborated on projects across the country. In 2019, he received Healthcare Design magazine’s Rising Star award, which celebrates young industry professionals whose meaningful contributions help establish them as future leaders.

In 2020, Austin moved to Germany to accept a position in the Berlin office of the architecture firm heinlewischer and was soon tasked with planning and coordinating the construction of six COVID-19 mass vaccination centers in that city. The initial project was completed in six weeks and then expanded to include smaller booster vaccination sites.

A year after the vaccination centers closed, Austin and project consultants were asked to plan and construct a new arrival center at the former Tegel airport in Berlin to serve as a central hub for Ukrainian war refugees fleeing to Germany. The center was operational within one week and was able to accommodate up to 2,500 guests by the end of the second week.

While living in New York, Austin volunteered in the ACE Mentor Program of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing high school students for higher education and careers in design and construction by connecting them with industry experts. For Clemson, he participates in presentations and discussions with current students and is a guest critic for the Architecture + Health program, providing feedback as students prepare their projects for final reviews. He actively works to connect Clemson architecture students and recent graduates with internship and career opportunities.

Emily Blackshire Giel ’17 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Emily Blackshire Giel ’17

Emily Blackshire Giel ’17 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Emily Giel, a Bluffton resident and Hilton Head native, graduated from Clemson in 2017 Emily Blackshire Giel ’17 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Awardwith a bachelor’s degree in language and international health. She earned the Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2021.

While in law school Emily began working in the Richland County Public Defender’s Office and continued there after graduation. She represented more than 500 individuals in Columbia Municipal Court and collaborated with service providers across the Midlands to connect her clients with housing, transportation, health care, civil legal services, childcare and mental health resources.

In 2022, she received an Equal Justice Works Fellowship to serve as the housing justice attorney in the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center. She helped lead a collaborative effort to establish the Richland County Housing Court to address the needs of tenants at risk of being evicted from their homes.

In 2024, Emily joined Notre Dame University’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities. She helps state and local legislators across the country draft data-driven policy to reduce poverty. She spends her free time at the Coastal Discovery Museum in Hilton Head, where she creates social media content about everything from massive art installations to baby alligators.

Emily’s community service accomplishments range from creating the Paw Pantry student-to-student food bank as a Clemson undergraduate to helping refugees from multiple countries resettle in the Columbia area while she was in law school. She also founded a 2020-2021 newsletter and dialogue series called Unlearning Racism and served on the board of the Rainy Day Fund, a financial support nonprofit that pays fines, fees and other expenses for people impacted by the criminal legal system.

She and her husband, Taylor Edward Giel ’16 return to campus as often as possible.

Ann Collins Josey King ’20 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Ann Collins Josey King ’20

Ann Collins Josey King ’20 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Ann Collins Josey King of Charleston graduated from Clemson in 2020 with a bachelor’sAnn Collins Josey King ’20 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award degree in marketing. She earned a master’s degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2022.

As senior relationship manager in MUSC’s Office of Strategic Partnerships, she is responsible for relationship development and ongoing management of key strategic partnerships. This includes event planning, project management and communication with national executive leaders who are members of the MUSC President’s Advisory Group. She has facilitated partnerships with K-12 schools through which MUSC provides mental and emotional wellbeing curricula and fosters educational opportunities and support for students.

Ann Collins serves on the taskforce that works to improve the lives of MUSC’s 33,000 employees. She is MUSC’s liaison with its mental health partner, Modern Minds, ensuring that mental health resources are accessible and effective for those in need. She has played an instrumental role in piloting a subsidized care program through Modern Minds that is designed to support whole-person wellbeing for MUSC physicians. She was also a key driver of MUSC’s dependent care strategy.

The impact of Ann Collins’ work is statewide. She has supported MUSC’s relationship with Helix, the population genomics company that oversees the “In Our DNA SC” program. This initiative provides free genetic testing to 100,000 South Carolinians, offering critical insights into health and wellbeing. Her ability to forge strong community relationships and manage impactful partnerships has made her a trusted and influential advocate for public health in South Carolina.

Ann Collins is married to Benjamin King and comes from a family of Clemson graduates. Both of her parents and both of her brothers are Clemson alumni. She was involved in numerous leadership organizations, including Blue Key Honor Society, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and the Student Alumni Council.

Mallory Dailey Maher '12, M'15, M'21 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Mallory Dailey Maher ’12, M’15, M’21

Mallory Dailey Maher ’12, M’15, M’21 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Mallory Maher has three Clemson degrees. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in wildlifeMallory Dailey Maher '12, M'15, M'21 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award and fisheries biology in 2012 and 2021, respectively, and a master’s degree in agricultural education in 2015. After serving as an Oconee County 4-H agent for Clemson Extension from 2016 to 2023, she was named a Natural Resources Extension Associate and the coordinator of the statewide Master Naturalist Program. The program engages citizen volunteers through science-based training and place-based, experiential environmental education that teaches participants about the components of ecosystems and how to protect, preserve and restore biodiversity.

Mallory has received numerous recognitions from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals and the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. She has a South Carolina Honorary State Future Farmers of America Degree and won the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences Young Alumni Award.

Much of her volunteer service involves planting pollinator gardens at local schools and other community spaces, installing bluebird nesting boxes at local parks and conducting litter pick-up events. She works with schools in Oconee and Pickens counties to conduct stream quality assessments and teach youth about the effects of pollution and the importance of keeping local water bodies clean. She serves as the  statewide Wildlife Habitat Education Program committee chair, and has helped train six national WHEP championship teams. She represents the Palmetto State and Clemson Extension on the National WHEP Committee, which conducts knowledge-based competitions for youth interested in wildlife management from across the country.

Mallory is married to Michael Christopher Maher. She is a member of the Women’s Alumni Council and served as its social media chair in 2023-2024. She mentors student interns and regularly speaks to classes and organizations about career opportunities in agriculture and natural resources fields.

Brittany Sanders-Bell ’20, M'23 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Brittany Sanders-Bell ’20, M’23

Brittany Sanders-Bell ’20, M’23 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Brittany Sanders-Bell has two Clemson degrees and is working on a third. She earned Brittany Sanders-Bell ’20, M'23 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Awardbachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering in 2020 and 2023, respectively, and expects to complete a doctorate in engineering and science education in 2027.

She is Assistant Director of Next Engineers Greenville, a $5.5 million partnership between the GE Aerospace Foundation, GE Vernova and Clemson’s PEER and WISE program. The mission of PEER (Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention) and WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) is to educate, recruit and retain students in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math through mentoring, academic coaching and academic enrichment.

Brittany oversees Next Engineers Greenville’s operations, logistics, reporting and relationships. She also facilitates quarterly meetings with colleagues in other Next Engineers global cities (Cincinnati, Ohio; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Staffordshire, United Kingdom) to share best practices, foster connections and discuss programming. Under her leadership, the first cohort of Next Engineers Greenville produced 49 graduates, many of whom enrolled at Clemson.

In her dual role as an assistant director for PEER and WISE, focusing on mentoring and supporting underrepresented students in STEM, she has been instrumental in guiding students from diverse backgrounds toward academic and professional success. Also, her experience as a working mother allows her to empathize with and support students balancing academic and personal challenges.

Brittany gives impromptu tours of Clemson’s campus to potential engineering students and their families and participates in outreach to local schools, encouraging students to pursue STEM careers and ensuring more diverse voices are represented in engineering fields. She is married to Derek Wayne Bell.

Aswathy Shailaja PhD ’20 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Aswathy Shailaja PhD ’20

Aswathy Shailaja PhD ’20 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Aswathy Shailaja of Durham, N.C., graduated from Clemson in 2020 with a doctorate in Aswathy Shailaja PhD ’20 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Awardplant and environmental sciences. In her native India, she earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and industrial microbiology from the University of Kerala and a master’s degree in genomic science from the Central University of Kerala.

She has conducted research at the Duke University School of Medicine since 2021, with a focus on preventing neonatal brain injury and inflammation. Her work has significant clinical relevance for improving outcomes in preterm infants with sepsis and other inflammation-induced neurodevelopmental impairments. Before joining Duke, she conducted similar research at Stony Brook University in New York.

Aswathy has received several prestigious awards, including the 2023 Young Investigator Award from Montana State University’s Center of Biofilm Engineering, the 2024-Duke University Preparing Future Faculty Fellowship and the Best Professional Development Committee Award from the Duke University Postdoctoral Association.

A first-generation college graduate and daughter of a single parent, Aswathy is an advocate and role model for high school and undergraduate students, particularly those interested in pursuing careers in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. She mentors individual students and serves as a judge for state and regional science fairs, where she provides guidance to young scientists to help them sharpen their research skills and gain confidence in their academic pursuits.

In recognition of her leadership and involvement in the Indian-American community, she was one of its representatives invited to attend the Indian prime minister’s state visit to the White House. For Clemson, she serves as secretary of the Triangle Clemson Club, where she helps organize events and fosters connections among alumni. Last fall, she was instrumental in the club’s efforts to collect supplies and support for the areas of western North Carolina devastated by Hurricane Helene.

Dante Christian Stewart ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Dante Christian Stewart ’14

Dante Christian Stewart ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Danté Stewart graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Clemson, where Dante Christian Stewart ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Awardhe played football for three years. He earned a master’s degree in modern religious thought and experience from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 2023.

He is an associate minister at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Augusta, Ga, and a widely published writer of works ranging from essays to poetry. His debut book, “Shoutin’ in the Fire: An American Epistle,” was published in 2021. He was the lead writer on an essay that evolved into an ESPN documentary highlighting the significance of football in a small Southern community. He has been published or featured by numerous other outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, CNN, NPR and MSNBC.

In 2022, Danté was named “Georgia Writer of the Year” by the Georgia Writers Association, one of “22 Faith Leaders to Watch in 2022” by the Center for American Progress and one of “Ten Up-And-Coming Faith Influencers” by the Religion News Service. He has delivered lectures and keynote addresses at literary conferences, public events and multiple universities. For Clemson, he has spoken to sociology classes and the PAW Journey Black History Month program.

As a volunteer, Danté has taught creative writing to local high school juniors and seniors and coached high school football and track teams. Following Hurricane Helene last fall, he used his social media platform to bring awareness and aid to the Augusta area, prepared and delivered more than 250 meals for people without power and water, including 60 active duty U.S. military service members, and spearheaded the collection of more than 5,000 pound of supplies for three local communities.

Danté and his wife, Jasmine, are the parents of a son and a daughter.

Kevin Mitchell Thomas ’13, MBA ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Kevin Mitchell Thomas ’13, MBA ’14

Kevin Mitchell Thomas ’13, MBA ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Kevin Thomas of Greenville earned his Clemson bachelor’s degree in management in Kevin Mitchell Thomas ’13, MBA ’14 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award2013 and his Clemson MBA in 2014.

In 2015 he joined the Greenville team of Audacy, a national multi-platform audio content and entertainment company. He helps clients accomplish their goals through creative marketing plans and strategies that involve radio, digital, event, streaming and other types of communication and advertising. He consistently ranks as one of Audacy’s top account executives, both locally in South Carolina’s largest radio market and nationally with the company’s digital platforms. He has received multiple Chairman’s Circle awards, most recently in 2024.

Kevin is also the founder of Movin’ The Chains, a digital media company that he started in 2018 to cover high school football across South Carolina. The company produces a weekly live stream preview show, a weekly recap digital podcast and onsite live coverage of at least one football game each week. With Kevin as its lead host, producer, social media manager, content creator, graphic designer, editor and point of contact, Movin’ The Chains has visited nearly 50 communities during the past seven years to highlight high school athletes, programs and neighborhoods in every corner of the Palmetto State.

In addition to his work with Movin’ The Chains, Thomas has supported his home community by helping raise funds for crucial healthcare services by participating in numerous radiothons benefiting Prisma Heath Greenville Memorial Hospital.

For Clemson, Kevin has served on the Clemson Young Alumni Council for several years, including as its president. He also is a mentor with the Clemson University Sales Innovation Program, through which he actively guides and supports students pursuing careers in sales. He has contributed to Clemson athletics as a member of IPTAY since was a student.

Brandon Boatwright receives the Roaring10 Award

Dr. Brandon Boatwright ’10, M ’13 Receives the Roaring10 Award

Brandon Boatwright of Central, S.C., has two Clemson degrees: Brandon Boatwright receives the Roaring10 Awarda 2010 bachelor’s in communication studies and a 2013 master’s in communication, technology and society. After earning a doctorate in communication and information sciences from the University of Tennessee in 2020, he rejoined Clemson as an assistant professor of sports communication and director of the Social Media Listening Center (SMLC).

He teaches and mentors both undergraduate and graduate students and conducts and publishes research in a range of topics related to online opinion leadership, internet and social media use, and social advocacy and activism. For the SMLC, he coordinates operations, manages intern teams and fosters collaborative relationships with corporate partners.

His numerous professional, campus and community activities include participation in regional, national and international communication conferences and associations; current or former service on the University’s Emergency Management Council and Athletic Council; and serves on the board of directors for Clemson Wesley. He also directs service-learning projects devoted to helping local non-profit organizations.

Brandon’s interest in sports communication stretches back to his undergraduate days, when he was a sports writer and editor for The Tiger newspaper. His wife, Megan, is associate director of the University’s Gantt Multicultural Center, and both of his parents graduated from Clemson: his father, Frank, in 1977 and his mother, Susan, in 1980.

 

Jessica Galloway Receives Roaring10 Award

Jesica Lyn Galloway ’16 Receives Roaring10 Award

Jesica Galloway of Walhalla, S.C., keeps her promises.

After earning a Clemson bachelor’s degree in construction Jessica Galloway Receives Roaring10 Awardscience and management in 2016, she joined Skanska USA Building Inc. and worked on major projects in the Atlanta area such as the Concourse T expansion at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Mercedes-Benz USA Headquarters in Sandy Springs. She moved to Holder Construction Group in 2019 as a preconstruction engineer assigned to projects in states ranging from Georgia and Florida to Colorado and Arizona.

In 2021 Jesica was named Holder’s operations senior engineer for the expansion and renovation of Daniel Hall, in the heart of the Clemson campus. The project included building an addition to the existing structure and then renovating the original 60-year-old edifice while classes were being held in the new facility next door.

As an undergraduate, Jesica led a group called Clemson University Construction Women. Today she is a member of the Women in Construction Forum, an association of women professionals involved in residential and commercial construction in upstate South Carolina. The forum promotes increasing the number of women in the construction industry. She also volunteers with various STEM programs designed to inspire more students to pursue careers in fields related to science, technology, engineering and math.

While she was growing up in Walhalla, Jesica told her father that, not only would she attend Clemson as a student, she would build something there some day. Promise kept.

Rashard Hall receives Roaring10 Award

Rashard Hall ’11, M ’16 Receives Roaring10 Award

Rashard Hall of Clemson has two Clemson degrees and is Rashard Hall receives Roaring10 Awardworking on a third. The St. Augustine, Fla., native graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and earned a dual master’s degree in professional communications and business administration in 2016. He is nearing completion of an MBA degree in entrepreneurship and innovation.

An All-American safety for the Tigers, Rashard joined the National Football League’s St. Louis Rams in 2013. After the NFL, he worked with Johnson & Johnson’s orthopedic medical sales division for two years before accepting a graduate assistant role with Clemson’s athletic academic center and becoming a certified academic advisor. In 2016, he entered the corporate finance industry with Merrill Lynch.

In 2018, he joined the Clemson football program’s P.A.W. (Passionate About Winning) Journey leadership initiative as director of career and professional development, combining his athletic and corporate experiences. He has become an industry leader in career and development programming worldwide, while achieving a 100 percent career placement rate for 143 Clemson football scholar-athletes over five consecutive years.

Rashard serves on boards for the NFL and Clemson’s MBA program, leads two nonprofits, is co-founder of The Bryan Askew Clemson Memorial Scholarship and teaches sports entrepreneurship for Clemson’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. He also has authored “The Scholar-AthELITE,” a book that encourages

Nikhil Punneri Madathil ’18 Receives Roaring10 Award

Nikhil Punneri Madathil of Sheboygan, Wis., is having a turbocharged career.

Nikhil earned a master’s degree in automotive engineering from Clemson in 2018, after completing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at SASTRA University in India in 2013. He will begin his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University this summer.

After graduating from Clemson, Nikhil joined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Auburn Hills, Mich., where he designed, developed and tested the automotive industry’s first cylinder head integrated turbocharger. The innovation, which has the potential to save up to $200 per engine, has resulted in multiple patents in the United States and the European Union.

In 2020, Nikhil transitioned to XENEX Disinfection Services in San Antonio, Tex., and helped design and develop systems for next-generation robotic disinfection solutions, including the only FDA-authorized microbial reduction medical device for healthcare facilities. In 2023, he became a staff engineer for design and development of industrial generators for the energy division of Kohler Company in Kohler, Wis.

While in Michigan, Nikhil collaborated with the non-profit Detroit Malayalee Association, to support local residents affected by COVID-19 and victims of devastating floods in southern India. His non-profit service continued in Texas as president of the San Antonio United Malayalee Association and co-secretary of the India Association.

As a graduate student, Nikhil was president of the CU-ICAR Student Association and chairman/vice president of the Graduate Student Government – Greenville Council. He was named Graduate Student Leader of the Year in 2018 and was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society. He was recently presented with the AuE Distinguished Alumni Award.

Stephanie Madison Receives Roaring10 Award

Dr. Stephanie M. Madison, PhD ’20 Receives Roaring10 Award

Stephanie Madison of Clemson manages one of the largest Stephanie Madison Receives Roaring10 Awardgrants ever received by the University’s College of Education. The $3 million initiative aims to improve teacher effectiveness in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines.

Stephanie earned a doctorate in literacy, language and culture from Clemson in 2020. She has a bachelor’s in Spanish, with K-12 teaching licensure, from the College of Charleston and a master’s in Romance languages with Spanish concentration from Appalachian State University.

As manager for Clemson University’s Teacher Learning Progression (CU-TLP) grant, she is responsible for day-to-day operations of the project that includes 19 S.C. school districts and nearly 300 teachers in high-needs middle schools. She also teaches a variety of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral courses.

She developed a modern language teaching program, leading to S.C. teacher certification, that is the first in the state to incorporate American Sign Language teacher training, so that ASL can be offered as a foreign language in K-12 schools.

Stephanie is co-founder of Education Ilimitada, a non-profit coalition committed to providing educational resources and humanitarian assistance to children and families seeking asylum and refuge in the United States. She is a board member of the S.C. Foreign Language Teachers’ Association and former state chapter president of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

She is a frequent guest speaker and panelist for campus and community groups, ranging from undergraduate classes to retired faculty.

Emily McGee receives Roaring10 Award

Emily McGee ’16 Receives Roaring10 Award

Emily McGee is an architect and healthcare designer with HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm in Washington, D.C.

She earned a master’s degree in architecture plus health from Clemson as a member of the class of 2016 and bachelor’s degrees in both architecture and fine arts from Ball State University in 2011. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University, where she was awarded the prestigious Bloomberg Fellowship.

While Clemson, Emily received the Global Health Corps Fellowship to serve in East Africa for 18 months, where she helped elevate Rwanda’s healthcare infrastructure standards. Her work with Clemson took her to Haiti during the fall of 2018 to advise a group of architecture and engineering students assigned to conduct a feasibility study for a surgical suite renovation and design.

Since joining HOK, she has worked on healthcare facilities serving vulnerable and underserved U.S. communities. She led the design of the first community hospital built in the District of Columbia in more than 25 years and helped plan a vision and rehabilitation center combining research, laboratory and clinical spaces to serve low-vision and rehab patients in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Emily co-leads HOK IMPACT, the firm’s social responsibility arm that provides pro-bono projects and services. She volunteers for the annual Building Industry Association Community Improvement Day to enhance and raise funds for parks, recreational spaces, and facilities for residents. She regularly lectures at the University of Maryland and is involved with graduate studios at Howard University and Clemson.

She also volunteers each summer as an architectural surveyor across various archaeological sites in Turkey, a job she began as an undergraduate student.

Brittany McKelvey Receives Roaring10 Award

Dr. Brittany Avin McKelvey ’15 Receives Roaring10 Award

Brittany Avin McKelvey of Fayetteville, N.C., directs regulatoryBrittany McKelvey Receives Roaring10 Award affairs for Friends of Cancer Research, an advocacy organization that seeks to speed up life-saving research for patients with cancer.

After completing bachelor’s degrees in both genetics and biochemistry from Clemson in 2015, she earned a doctorate in molecular biology and genetics in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program in 2020.

A childhood cancer survivor, Brittany is a peer volunteer for the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association. She formed a support group within the association to help teenagers who are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, as she was at age 13. She is active in the National Cancer Institute as a member of its Council of Research Advocates and the Technology Research Advocacy Partnership. She has spoken as a patient research advocate in settings ranging from local radio shows to Capitol Hill.

In the Fayetteville community, she volunteers at the U.S. Airborne and Special Operations Museum and with United States Organizations (the USO) in support of the military community, given her husband is an active duty service member.

While at Clemson, Brittany was named a Goldwater Scholar, considered the most prestigious national scholarship award for undergraduates in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. She received the Norris Medal as the best-all-around graduating senior in 2015.

She returns to campus often to discuss her career path in science with both undergraduates and graduate students. She also volunteers with the National Scholars program and the Honors College, both of which she participated in as a student.

Justin Olshavsky receives Roaring10 Award

Justin Olshavsky ’16 Receives Roaring10 Award

Justin Olshavsky of Alameda, Calif., is a pioneer and Justin Olshavsky receives Roaring10 Awardentrepreneur in biomedical technology. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson in 2016, he completed a dual master’s program in bioengineering and translational medicine offered jointly by two University of California institutions, Berkeley and San Francisco.

While in graduate school, he co-founded Voyage Biomedical, a company that developed a novel therapeutic system to limit brain damage in stroke victims. The invention led to patents and awards for product design and medical innovation and to Voyage Biomedical’s acquisition by Penumbra, a global healthcare company. Justin now heads the Pioneer Bio-Health Fund, which he co-founded to lead investments in early stage biotechnology, healthcare and life science companies.

While at Clemson, Justin participated in outreach programs focusing on developing countries and South Carolina communities. As part of the Engineers for Developing Countries program, he worked on a team supporting solar energy generation in Haiti. Through the EMAGINE Engineering program, he visited local middle and high schools to introduce students to the opportunities in science and engineering.

He mentors aspiring entrepreneurs, including Clemson bioengineering students, and is a frequent guest lecturer on entrepreneurship topics. He is also a mentor for Clemson’s Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, the University’s entrepreneurial hub under the auspices of the president’s office.

He is active in the Northern California Clemson Club and helps to plan and manage football game watch parties in his area.

Wesley Michael Watt ’13 Receives Roaring10 Award

Wes Watt of Charleston shares his passion for helping others Wes Watt receives the Roaring10 Award 
wherever his career takes him.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in business administration from Clemson in 2013, Wes worked for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and then the American Legislative Exchange Council. In 2015, he joined Scientific Research Corporation, the family enterprise founded by his grandfather.

SRC is an advanced engineering company providing state-of-the-art solutions in defense, federal, global, and cyber and intelligence markets. Increasing SRC responsibilities have taken Wes to Washington, D.C., Huntsville, Ala., and now Charleston, where he is director for cloud services, spectrum innovation, and visualization systems.

He was a children’s ministry volunteer for Alexandria (Va.) Presbyterian Church and currently volunteers with Metanoia, a neighborhood nonprofit fostering youth leadership, affordable housing and economic development in North Charleston. He is a graduate of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Discovery program.

He also volunteers for Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, Ga., which he attended as a child. He was founding president of its alumni association, served on the capital campaign and strategic planning committees, and mentors students in the goLEAD leadership development program. He was recognized as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2017.

For Clemson, Wes was active with the Baltimore/Washington DC and North Alabama Clemson Clubs and is on the board of the Charleston County Clemson Club and Clemson in the Lowcountry. He is a member and the founding president of the Political Science Alumni Board and serves on the Friends of the Libraries Board. He is a former president and current member of the Clemson Young Alumni Council.

Joseph “Joey” Ross Wilson III ’17 Receives the Roaring10 Award

Joey Wilson of Munich, Germany, is a professional consultantJoey Wilson receives the Roaring10 Award to global health and life sciences industries.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from Clemson in 2017, Joey completed a master’s degree in global affairs in 2018 as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. In 2020, he earned a master’s degree in medical science (oncology) from St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where he was a Cambridge International Scholar.

He currently is a senior expert and project manager in life sciences for Porsche Consulting, mainly advising large pharmaceutical and medtech companies on operational and commercial strategies. He previously worked in the same field for the international firm EY-Parthenon.

His volunteer service includes leading the Munich hub of the Global Shapers Community, a World Economic Forum youth initiative. The hub has helped refugees improve their skills and find jobs, educated the community on mental health and climate change, and supported Ukraine by raising donations and sending medical aid.

As a bioengineering research assistant to Clemson professor Delphine Dean, Joey developed a medical device for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, which received a United States patent in 2022. He also established the It’s On Us campaign in 2014 and was 2016-2017 undergraduate student body president.

For Clemson today, Joey is a speaker and subject matter specialist for German classes, mentoring students and helping faculty members plan student study abroad experiences in Germany. He stays engaged with the bioengineering department, and as an Honors College alumnus, he helps current students prepare for interviews for major scholarships and fellowships.

Dr. Kate Gasparro ’14

Dr. Kate Gasparro ’14 Receives 2022 Roaring10 Award

Kate Gasparro of Detroit, Michigan, graduated from Clemson in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a minor in political science and the Norris Medal, awarded annually to the University’s most outstanding graduate. She continued her studies at Stanford University, earning a master’s degree in international policy, with a concentration in energy, environment and natural resources, and a doctorate in civil engineering, with a concentration in sustainable design and construction.

After Stanford, Kate worked as a project manager for FivePoint Communities LLC, one of California’s largest mixed-use, master-plan developers. She moved to Detroit in 2020 to join Bedrock, a full-service real estate firm specializing in city-building, as director of urban strategy and innovation. In 2022 she became the founding director of Bedrock’s Department of Land Development and Sustainability.

While in graduate school, Kate started her own company, Building Better Cities, through which she writes a bi-monthly newsletter that highlights current topics in urban sustainability and infrastructure delivery. She has served as a policy consultant to city and state municipalities in the United States and to international infrastructure organizations.

Kate’s current community activities include serving on the Detroit 2030 District Board and the Michigan Business Sustainability Roundtable. Kate also performs with the Detroit Community Concert Band. She was named a Mackinac Future Leader by the Detroit Regional Chamber and received the Notable Leaders in Sustainability recognition from Crain’s Detroit, which provides business news and information covering southeastern Michigan.

Jerome Kenneth Jay III ’12

Jerome Kenneth Jay III ’12 Receives 2022 Roaring10 Award

Jerome Kenneth “J.K.” Jay III of Laurens graduated from Clemson in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. Today, the former Clemson football player and All ACC Academic Team honoree is co-founder and president of Greenville-based LyonJay, a very successful real estate investment and development company in the Southeast.

His responsibilities range from supervising overall operations, project development and investments to creating and maintaining relationships with capital and strategic partners. The company focuses on providing attainable housing for working families. It has invested in, developed, constructed and managed hundreds of thousands of units across 11 states.

J.K. was named to Greenville Business Magazine’s Best and Brightest 35 and Under list in 2021. He is a former member of the Laurens County Transportation Committee and volunteers as an assistant baseball coach for the Laurens County Recreation Department. He sponsors YMCA teams yearly and has purchased athletic equipment, travel gear and t-shirts for Laurens High School. He also has provided meals for senior citizens, other community members and local schools.

For Clemson, J.K. regularly participates in the PAW Journey leadership initiative, which helps football student athletes prepare for future success through personal growth, life skills education and professional development. He also is on the board of directors of the Block C Club, which helps keep all former student athletes engaged with Clemson athletics.

J.K.’s family – which he calls his greatest accomplishment and responsibility – includes his wife, Katie, and their three sons: Jack, Hunter and John Thomas.

Thomas Eric Kuckhoff ’14, MBA ’21

Thomas Eric Kuckhoff ’14, MBA ’21 Receives 2022 Roaring10 Award

Thomas Kuckhoff of Huntington Station, New York, graduated from Clemson in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and earned a Clemson Master of Business Administration degree in 2021.

A licensed engineer in the State of South Carolina, Thomas started his career with ABB Motors and Mechanical Inc. in Greenville. He recently joined Omron Automation and currently leads its industrial controller business for the Americas. While at ABB, he pioneered the design and performance of innovative products that resulted in 13 U.S. patents and 17 ABB engineering achievement awards.

Thomas championed ABB’s participation in Clemson’s Mechanical Engineering Capstone Program, which works with industry partners to give undergraduate students real-world design and problem-solving experience. He also significantly grew ABB’s engagement with Clemson’s Cooperative Education Program, through which undergraduates get on-the-job work experience.

Thomas has been a leader in multiple community service roles, including board member, committee chair and volunteer. He focuses on education for a wide breadth of students through non-profits such as Junior Achievement of the Upstate and the Center for Developmental Services.

Supporting United Way of Greenville County as a Hands on Greenville team leader and a Loaned Executive, Thomas furthered his community impact as an alumnus of PropelGVL and Leadership Greenville. Both are joint leadership programs between the United Way and the Greenville Chamber of Commerce. Driven by his non-profit experience he led the establishment of the Dodge Industrial Foundation in Greenville as a source of scholarships for local students. He was named to Greenville Business Magazine’s Best and Brightest 35 and Under list in the fall of 2022.

Courtney Meeks ’15, MBA ’17

Courtney Meeks ’15, MBA ’17 Receives 2022 Roaring10 Award

Courtney Meeks of Greenville graduated from Clemson in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and international trade. She earned a Clemson Master of Business Administration degree in 2017. She also participated in study-abroad programs at the Universidad Blas Pascal in Argentina and Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Courtney began her human resources career in 2016 as an intern with Milliken and Company in Spartanburg. She joined Milliken full-time in 2017 as a learning and leadership development specialist and became a continuous improvement specialist in 2021. She moved into Milliken’s textile division in 2022 as human resources manager for the division’s business units.

She is also co-owner and principal planner of Hudson Park Events, a full-service event and wedding planning company in Greenville that she helped establish in 2020.

In 2022, Courtney was named a United States Global Leadership Coalition Next Gen Leader and was selected to participate in Furman University’s Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative. She is a global board member for Upstate International, which helps people and businesses of all nations thrive in the Upstate through programs, events and initiatives that foster the exchange of international cultures and ideas.

Courtney is president of the Clemson MBA Alumni Council. Her support for current MBA students ranges from speaking to classes and graduates to conducting interview workshops and reviewing resumes. Each year she invites students to spend an orientation day at Milliken to learn about the company, network with its senior leaders, and explore new career paths.

Lori M. Pindar ’09, PhD ’14

Lori M. Pindar ’09, PhD ’14 Receives 2022 Roaring10 Award

Lori Pindar of Simpsonville graduated from Clemson in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. After completing a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication at the University of Georgia, she returned to Clemson, where she earned a certificate in health communication in 2013 and a doctorate in educational leadership in 2014.

A Clemson staff member since 2014, she currently has a joint appointment between two colleges. She is undergraduate program coordinator and director of internships for the Department of Communication in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, and she is assistant director of the Erwin Center for Brand Communications in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business.

Lori also is a Faculty-in-Residence for Clemson’s Fraternity and Sorority Life program. She lives on campus and shares the residence hall living experience with students. A Faculty-in-Residence helps plan and implement educational, recreational, social and cultural programs while serving as a role model, mentor, adviser, teacher and leader in a specific residential community.

Additionally, as a Faculty Fellow for the Student-Athlete Development program, she helps student-athletes understand their own brands and how to communicate their goals effectively.

Lori is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She advises the student chapter at Clemson and is vice president of the local alumnae chapter, which serves Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. Through the sorority, she volunteers at soup kitchens and a children’s home. She also volunteers for organizations such as the Association of Women in Sports Media and the Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honor Society.

Parker Andrew Rhoden ’15

Dr. Parker Andrew Rhoden ’15 Receives 2022 Roaring10 Award

Parker Rhoden of Greer graduated from Clemson in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

After completing a master’s degree in healthcare administration from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2017, he earned a Certificate of Residency Training in acute care operations and hospital administration at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, and practiced as a hospital administrator thereafter. After practicing as a hospital administrator at CMC, he then returned to Charleston, where he will be awarded a doctorate of philosophy in health and rehabilitation sciences from MUSC in 2023.

As a doctoral student, Rhoden excelled in both teaching and research. He was nominated for the MUSC College of Health Professions Developing Teacher of the Year Award in 2021, only after teaching three semesters. He was lead author of a peer-reviewed article published by the “Telemedicine and e-Health” journal and delivered eight peer-reviewed conference presentations.

Rhoden served as the health administration faculty advisor for the MUSC CARES Clinic, which provides pro-bono therapy care to uninsured patients in the Charleston area. He was also one of the inaugural members of the MUSC Health Administration Alumni Network, which began in 2017, and has led efforts to create mentorship programs that connect healthcare administration alumni and students, and is currently serving as its president.

He is a current member and former programming chair of the Clemson Young Alumni Council. He has participated in service events to refurbish bicycles for the Charleston community through a young professionals church group known as the Holy City Fellows, and has served the Greer community by participating in landscape revitalization projects sponsored by his church, Southside Baptist.

Dr. Laura Elizabeth Timmons ’14

Dr. Laura Elizabeth Timmons ’14 Receives 2022 Roaring10 Award

Elizabeth Timmons of Greenville graduated from Clemson in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a minor in psychology. She then earned a doctorate in physical therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2017.

She is the lead physical therapist at the Meyer Center for Special Children in Greenville, which provides critical educational and therapeutic services to children with special needs. She also works part-time as a physical therapist at both Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System’s main campus in Spartanburg and Prisma Health’s Patewood Medical Center in Greenville.

She is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), the South Carolina chapter of the APTA, and is an APTA-credentialed clinical instructor. She is also a member of the International Association of HealthCare Professionals.

Timmons is an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville, where she has been a youth leader for 3.5 years, a facilitator of a small group of young women and an involved member of Women of Westminster. She is also a South Carolina licensed foster parent through Thornwell Children’s Home.

Elizabeth is a former member of both the Clemson Young Alumni Council and the Greenville chapter of young alumni. She serves as a mentor through the TigerLink online network, has presented to the pre-physical therapy club a couple of times and met with individual students interested in the field of physical therapy.

Jenny Tumas ’14

Jenny Tumas ’14 Receives the 2022 Roaring10 Award

Jenny Tumas of Miami, Florida, graduated from Clemson in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. After completing a master’s degree in political theory at the University of Ljubljana in Solvenia in 2017, she earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 2020. She worked at Yale Law School as a fellow in the criminal clinic program immediately following law school.

Since 2021, Jenny has served as an assistant public defender in Miami, where she represents people accused of crimes who cannot afford private counsel. She provides legal representation to hundreds of clients during all stages of criminal proceedings, from arrest to trial and sentencing. In this work, she advocates for some of the most marginalized people in society, challenging frequent injustices in the criminal legal system such as over incarceration, racial discrimination, and the criminalization of poverty and mental illness.

Jenny’s community service focuses on social justice. While at Yale, she worked with the Challenging Mass Incarceration Clinic where she advocated for the early release of people serving long prison sentences. Jenny’s work in the clinic helped secure a 25-year sentence reduction for one of the clinic’s clients. She was a board member of the Civil Rights Project at Yale, where she connected law students with various civil rights organizations across the country. At Yale, She co-authored the only comprehensive, national report with data on number of people held in solitary confinement in the United States. In Slovenia, she volunteered with a non-profit, and later secured grants and led her own initiatives, to help adult asylum seekers and unaccompanied children access school, employment, housing and legal assistance.

A member of the National Scholars Program (NSP) when she was at Clemson, Jenny gives back to the University by serving as a mentor to high-achieving students in the Honors College and the NSP. She is an Honors College admissions application reviewer and has served as an interviewer for the National Scholars Program for several years. This includes interviewing finalists at the annual NSP Selection Weekend, a major recruiting event during which three dozen of the top high school students in the country visit Clemson for individual interviews and group activities. A member of the debate team while at Clemson, as an alumnae she has also returned to campus to volunteer as a debate tournament judge.

Rosalia Vazquez ’13, M ’17

Rosalia Vazquez ’13, M ’17 Receives the 2022 Roaring10 Award

Rosalia “Rosy” Vazquez of Anderson graduated from Clemson in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree and again in 2017 with a master’s degree, both in history. Since 2017 she has worked for the University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

As an admissions counselor focused on diversity recruitment, Rosy helps create and execute initiatives to increase enrollment, retention and engagement of underrepresented students based on University goals. She served on the committee that developed Clemson’s enrollment management strategic plan for diversity and inclusion.

Rosy co-chairs El Camino (The Road) to Clemson, the University’s annual bilingual open house program that she helped launch to introduce Hispanic/Latinx 9th-12th graders to opportunities and resources at Clemson. In the five years since the program started in 2018, the number of first-generation Hispanic students attending Clemson has increased from 3 percent to 7 percent.

In 2021, Rosy helped organize and coordinate Clemson’s inaugural Women’s Roundtable Pre-Summit to bring girls and women together to discuss issues such as education, self-care and achieving professional success. The Women’s Roundtable is a developmental and networking event that emphasizes the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Among her many other Clemson roles, Rosy is president of the Hispanic and Latinx Alumni Council, alumni representative on both the President’s Social Justice and Equity Taskforce and the Council for Diversity and Inclusion, and a member of the Clemson Alumni Association Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce.

Drayton C. Wade ’13

Drayton C. Wade ’13 Receives the 2022 Roaring10 Award

Drayton C. Wade of Charleston graduated from Clemson in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then earned a master’s degree in the history of international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. He currently is completing a Master of Business Administration degree at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

In June of 2022, Drayton became head of product strategy and operations for tech startup Kognitos, the first Generative AI Automation platform which recently raised $10 million in venture capital funding. Kognitos clients can use plain English instructions, instead of complicated technical terminology, to automate business processes. Before joining Kognitos, Drayton worked for several other emerging tech startups from early stage through initial public offering (IPO).

Before moving into the startup world, Drayton worked in the area of international affairs. As an Asia Pacific Foundation Research Fellow, he has published numerous articles on counter-terrorism topics and wrote a portion of NATO’s Counter-Terrorism Reference Curriculum.

For Clemson, Drayton is the founder and president of the Clemson University Balkans Foundation, which includes more than 300 active alumni. The foundation keeps study-abroad alumni informed about current activities, sponsors a speaker series and has funded a Clemson endowment to support Global Politics programs.

Drayton has multiple Clemson family connections. His wife, Jessica, Class of 2015, was a Clemson National Scholar. She earned her M.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina and is in residency at Wake Forest University. His mother, Carolyn Helena Wade, Class of 1978, was the featured twirler with Tiger Band. His sister, Aynsley Wade Stotler, is a member of the Class of 2006.

Daniel Raymond Alexander ’11, MBA ’12

Daniel Alexander, a member of the Barnwell County Council and director of operations for Anovotek, LLC, in Barnwell, graduated from Clemson in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in polymer and fiber chemistry. He earned his Clemson Master of Business Administration degree in 2012.

He joined Anovotek, a materials science-based company specializing in textiles and performance technologies, in 2013. He oversees the company’s revenues and expenditures, supervises production and lab personnel, leads expansion efforts into E-commerce on multiple sales platforms, and manages production to fulfill customer orders as well as lab trials for product development evaluation.

Daniel was elected to the Barnwell County Council in 2018, at the age of 29. He chairs the personnel committee and is a member of the finance committee. He is also a board member of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments and is an advocate for increasing broadband and quality of life opportunities in rural areas of South Carolina.

Along with his many community activities, Daniel works as a basketball official for the S.C. High School League and the S.C. Independent Schools Association, most recently working his third state championship game in Sumter, SC.

For Clemson, Daniel was instrumental as a graduate student in the creation of the Golf Paws program, which encourages and enables gifts and support for the men’s and women’s golf teams. He has remained active with Golf Paws as an alumnus and currently serves on its advisory board.

Daniel and his wife, Taylor, have two daughters: Mary Chilton, age 6, and Margaret, age 4.

Danielle Lester Arrington ’13

Danielle Lester Arrington of Westminster, director of talent acquisition for Clemson University, graduated from Clemson in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. In 2016, she earned a master’s degree in public administration from Arkansas State University.

After three years as recruitment and employment manager for the S.C. Department of Transportation in Columbia, Danielle returned to Clemson in 2017 to become academic advisor and recruiter for the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. In 2018, she moved to the University’s Office of Human Resources, where her primary responsibility is to recruit and hire top talent to Clemson

anielle is an active member of HEERN, the Higher Education Executive Recruitment Network, and has received numerous accolades for creativity and innovation in her profession. In 2019 alone, she was named a CUPA-HR Rockstar by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, the #ClemsonWorks campaign that she developed garnered national recognition from Ragan Communication’s PR Daily news site, and her team was selected for Workforce Magazine’s Gold Optimas Award for Recruiting.

She serves as a professional mentor and works with various Clemson student organizations, such as the SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) student chapter, the football program’s P.A.W. (Passionate About Winning) Journey leadership initiative, and the Master of Business Administration program by participating in coaching and mock interview sessions, helping to prepare students for their entry into the business world. She also leads resume workshops and interview coaching sessions for spouses and partners of new university employees.

Danielle and her husband, Matt, recently became first-time parents, welcoming the birth to their daughter, Rosie.

Emily Martin Ewoldt ’13

Emily Martin Ewoldt, co-owner of Clemson Family Dentistry and membership chair of the Rotary Club of Clemson, graduated from Clemson in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in public health science. In 2018, she earned a doctorate in dental medicine from the Medical University of South Carolina and became a partner in Clemson Family Dentistry, where she had interned as an undergraduate student.

She and her business partner, John McRoberts, are planning to expand their practice by opening an office in the Patrick Square community. Also, they are the official dentists for Clemson University athletic teams.

Emily’s community service activities range from donating toothbrushes for schools and mission trips to supporting organizations, such as Ripple of One and the Dream Center, that help individuals and families become healthy and self-sufficient. She is active in Fort Hill Presbyterian Church.

Through the Rotary Club, Emily works alongside other business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service to the local Clemson community and around the world. She is helping to establish a satellite club for Clemson University employees that will focus on their specific needs and issues while being connected to the Rotary Club of Clemson.

Emily is a member of the Tri-County Dental Society, which encompasses Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties, and of the Piedmont District Dental Society, a division of the S.C. Dental Association. She presents lectures to Clemson students interested in pursuing careers in dentistry and serves as a teacher and leader for the two health science students each year who intern with Clemson Family Dentistry, just as she did.

Emily’s three younger siblings – Ben, Abby and John Martin – all graduated from Clemson’s Department of Public Health Sciences. Her husband, Nathan, also practices dentistry at Clemson Family Dentistry and is pursuing his MBA from Clemson.

Christopher Matthew Harrington ’04, M ’19

Clemson University Police Captain Christopher M. Harrington of Pendleton has two Clemson degrees. He graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and earned a master’s degree in public administration in 2019. He is also a Distinguished Graduate of the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy.

Chris worked as a student patrolman when he was an undergraduate and began his professional career in 2005 as a University police officer. After serving as a sergeant and lieutenant, he was promoted to captain in 2021. His current responsibilities include leadership of the Investigative Support Services Bureau as its commander.

Among his many recognitions, Chris was named an Honorary Colonel of Army ROTC’s Fightin’ Tiger Battalion in 2015 and was the Division of Student Affairs Employee of the Year for 2018. He was honored for his life-saving actions in response to a mental health crisis is 2017.

His leadership in arranging specialized training in force de-escalation, mental health crisis response and active bystandership skills has helped officers across the Upstate mitigate potential dangers to themselves and private citizens. He has been the principal investigator for more than $300,000 in funding from sources such as a Justice and Law Enforcement Mental Health Coordinating Grant and the COVID Emergency Supplemental Funding Program.

He is active with the Police Executive Research Forum and participated in its Senior Management Institute for Police in 2019. He also participated in a collaborative Racial Equity Institute sponsored by Clemson University and AnMed Health in 2019 and a year later was a panelist for AnMed Health’s Connect 2020 diversity and inclusion symposium.

He and his wife, Whitney, volunteer at NewSpring Church, where they attend with their two children.

Lauren Burdine Hood ’12, M ’21

Lauren Burdine Hood, York County 4-H youth development agent with the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, graduated from Clemson in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental and natural resources and a minor in biological sciences. In 2021, she earned a Clemson master’s degree in agriculture with an emphasis in agricultural education, becoming the first graduate of that newly developed thesis-based program.

Before joining the South Carolina 4-H team in York County in 2017, Lauren worked in Extension-related roles in Georgia for four years. She began master’s degree work in agricultural and environmental education at the University of Georgia, then transferred to Clemson.

Under Lauren’s leadership, the York County 4-H Club has won numerous state honors, including 2020 awards for excellence in teamwork, agricultural literacy programming and animal science programming. She is president of the S.C. chapter of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals.  She and her regional team received the National Association of County Agricultural Agents’ 2020 Learning Module Communication National Award.

Her many community activities include serving on the York County Fall Livestock Show Committee and the York County Agribusiness Council. She also is a member of the York County Cattlemen’s Association and the S.C. Cattlemen’s Association.

For Clemson, Lauren is the Upstate District representative on the Clemson Extensive Senate and a board member of the Women’s Alumni Council. Her work with council includes helping to plan and produce its annual Bring Your Daughter to Clemson event, which has a focus on agriculture and the STEM areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Lauren is a first-generation Clemson graduate, who was greatly supported by her parents Jimmy and Andrea Burdine. She and her husband, Tyler, began their relationship while students at Clemson, even getting engaged in the Carillon Bells of Tillman Hall.

Jennifer Spaniel Moore ’10, MBA ’17

Jennifer Spaniel Moore, chief operating officer of Greenville-based Graycliff Capital Partners, graduated from Clemson in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and completed her Clemson Master of Business Administration degree in 2017. She was a first-grade teacher at Augusta Circle Elementary School in Greenville before beginning her business career.

She joined Graycliff, a leading real estate development and investment company focused primarily on the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, in 2014 and quickly assumed increasingly responsible roles. She rose from a real estate coordinator to director of operations within just 10 months and, at the age of 30, was promoted to chief operating officer in 2017.

Among her many community activities, Jennifer is an avid volunteer for the local Ronald McDonald House, which provides a home away from home for families whose children are receiving medical care at Greenville-area hospitals, and she is a member of the Red Shoe Society, a philanthropic arm of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Carolinas, headquartered in Greenville.

She spearheads Graycliff’s participation in events sponsored by Public Education Partners to support, strengthen and advance public education and student achievement in Greenville County Schools.

Jennifer is an advocate and supporter of local initiatives and organizations that foster the development of young women in leadership, including PEARLS (Preparing Engaging and Respectful Lady Scholars). She mentors other local professionals who are young Clemson alumnae and was named one of Greenville Business Magazine’s 2020 “Best & Brightest 35 & Under.”

Colleen J. Thomas ’13

Colleen J. Thomas of Easley, author of “Beautiful Skin: A Children’s Book about Overcoming Racism,” graduated from Clemson in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering.

In 2014 she joined the non-profit Silicon Valley Education Foundation, which provides education in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics for teachers and underserved students in Northern California. Now SVEF’s director of strategic impact, she has used her engineering skills to design systems and improve processes that have enabled the foundation to increase the number of students it serves annually from 900 in 2014 to more than 5,000 in 2021.

She published “Beautiful Skin,” an Amazon #1 New Release in 2020, to help parents and children of all races talk about and understand race, racism and diversity. She donates 20 percent of the proceeds from book sales to benefit local schools and programs that assist children.

Colleen’s husband, Brandon, is a former Clemson football player. Everywhere his career in the National Football League took them, she became involved in community service activities. Examples include helping to build a playground in San Francisco to volunteering at food pantries in Detroit and at a women’s shelter in Jacksonville. She also started her own initiative, #MomCoffeeMonday, to recognize deserving moms across the country with  coffee gift cards every Monday.

Colleen shares her Clemson experience with students who participate in SVEF college readiness events in Northern California and when she is invited to speak at her high school alma mater in Rhode Island. She also shares Clemson through the illustrations in her children’s book. A Tiger Paw is hidden on every page.

Her three children were inspirations for the book. Mary Kate (5), Leila (2) and RJ (1) resemble characters in the story.

Daniel Ross Thompson, PhD ’12

Daniel Ross Thompson of Pickens, laboratory manager in Clemson University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, graduated from Clemson in 2012 with a Ph.D. in physics. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Wofford College in 2006.

After five years as an engineer with General Motors, during which he produced multiple publications, inventions and patents, Daniel returned to Clemson in 2017 in order to work with students and give back to the University.

He supervises graduate teaching assistants, provides lecture demonstrations, conducts science outreach programs and serves as building security coordinator. He has championed laboratory updates that increased the availability of labs so that students could graduate on time. He also provides free physics tutoring to undergraduates and mentors graduate students engaged in teaching, preparing for jobs and planning careers in science.

Daniel was honored by the College of Science Student Advisory Board with its 2019 Student Advocate Award, and he received the college’s Outstanding Team Award in 2021 for exemplary service to the University during the COVID pandemic. His work during the pandemic included developing custom videos and take-home kits for students that allowed them to gain the full benefit of laboratory exercises while remaining safely online.

Daniel’s community service activities include supporting his son’s Boy Scout Troop 51 in Pickens and volunteering as a local science fair judge. He leads science outreach efforts that reach thousands of people each year, such as events for regional pre-K to 12th grade schools, the Roper Mountain Science Center, iMAGINE Upstate, Women in Physics and Denver Downs farm.

He is especially thankful for the support of his wife, Heather, and their children, Micah and Naomi.

Kathleen Mourning Turner ’11

Kathleen “Katie” Mourning Turner of Greenville graduated from Clemson in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in graphic communications. She owns Invited Grace Co., an interior design firm that designs beautifully curated and functional residential spaces for clients in the Upstate and Charlotte and along the Carolina coast.

Before returning to Greenville in 2019 and opening her own company, she worked in Charleston as a corporate coordinator for the LS3P architectural firm, in which she rose to an associate level. She then became an interior designer and business developer with the JLV Creative team.

In Charleston, her community service activities included chairing the 2016 Trident United Way Day of Giving, which raised more than $30,000 in intraoffice gifts. With the help of Thompson Turner Construction and other volunteers, she organized, managed and executed an entire playground renovation and landscaping overhaul for St. Stephen Elementary School in rural Berkeley County. She also collected and donated Christmas gifts for each child at that school and ensured that a new student and his family, who lacked housing and other essentials, had the support, supplies and gifts they needed to enjoy the holiday.

Katie is an active member of First Presbyterian Church and its Radiance Greenville ministry, which conducts Christmas fundraising and gift donations to benefit Hollis Academy students. She also has volunteered with Spirit of Greenville, which helps build a better Greenville by supporting public projects that incorporate local artists and enhance the quality of life in the community. She has organized markets and music events to raise funds to further the non-profit’s work.

She is a member and past president of the Clemson Young Alumni Council and since 2017 has helped to organize CYAC’s annual Fall Band Party in Greenville. The 2018 event raised more than $6,000 for Hurricane Florence victims. In other years the proceeds have been used to endow scholarships at Clemson.

Katie and her husband, Harold (Clemson Class of 2011), are the parents of two future Tigers: Sutton and Scout.

Frances Timmons Yarbrough ’13

Frances Timmons Yarbrough, civil engineering team leader in the Charlotte office of the SeamonWhiteside landscape architecture, planning and civil engineering services firm, graduated from Clemson in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

She began her career with SeamonWhiteside in Mount Pleasant. After six years there, she was one of five employees asked to lead the opening of the company’s Charlotte location.

A licensed professional engineer, Frances has worked on projects ranging from mixed-use developments and retail expansions to roadway and utilities infrastructure improvements. In May 2021, she was featured in an interview with Authority Magazine about ways to close the gender gap in traditionally male-dominated industries.

In Charleston, Frances participated in Leadership Charleston and was a member of the Charleston Young Professionals group, a division of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. She was president of the Charitable Society of Charleston in 2016-2017 and was honored as its “Outstanding Member of the Year” for 2015-2016.

In Charlotte, she is a member of the Urban Land Institute and volunteers in various community service activities. These include the Crisis Assistance Ministry and Roof Above, both of which provide individuals with emergency shelter, meals, income and housing assistance, and the Carolinas Brain Tumor Race, which raises awareness and funds to support brain tumor patients and their families.

Frances is a former member of the Clemson Young Alumni Council and served a year as its marketing chair. She frequently attends career fairs at Clemson to encourage more women to explore engineering as a profession.