“My Brother’s Keeper” is a new public/private initiative to build ladders of opportunity for boys and young men of color across America.  President Barack Obama made the announcement on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the White House.

There, seated on the front row of a very distinguished audience in the East Room, was Dr. Douglas Wood ’90 representing the Ford Foundation and its president, Darren Walker.

Since 2011, Wood has been a Ford Foundation program officer, working in New York City. His grant-making focuses on helping student’s transition from high school to college and improving the college completion rates of underserved students.

In addition to a doctoral degree from Harvard, Wood brought to his Ford Foundation position broad experience as a teacher and administrator for students in grades PK-12, as well as higher education policy and administration. He says there’s also a lifelong commitment to serving others that was inspired by Dr. Talmage Skinner ’56 and other members of the Wofford family: “Take what you have learned out into your community and make it a better place.”

Over the next five years of the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative, the Ford Foundation and nine other global foundations will invest $250 million on top of the $100 million already invested in research and proven programs around the country that help young men of color at critical moments in their development. Corporations will also be involved.

In addition, Obama has signed a presidential memorandum that established the “My Brother’s Keeper Task Force,” which is charged with determining “what we can do right now to improve the odds for boys and young men of color, and make sure our agencies are working more effectively with each other, with those businesses, with those philanthropies, and with local communities to implement proven solutions.”

Specifically, the task force will work across executive departments and agencies to:

• Assess the impact of Federal policies, regulations, and programs of general applicability on boys and young men of color, so as to develop proposals that will enhance positive outcomes and eliminate or reduce negative ones.
• Recommend, where appropriate, incentives for the broad adoption by national, State, and local public and private decision makers of effective and innovative strategies and practices for providing opportunities to and improving outcomes for boys and young men of color.
• Create an Administration-wide “What Works” online portal to disseminate successful programs and practices that improve outcomes for boys and young men of color.
• Develop a comprehensive public website, to be maintained by the Department of Education, that will assess, on an ongoing basis, critical indicators of life outcomes for boys and young men of color in absolute and relative terms.
• Work with external stakeholders to highlight the opportunities, challenges, and efforts affecting boys and young men of color.
• Recommend to the President means of ensuring sustained efforts within the Federal Government and continued partnership with the private sector and philanthropic community as set forth in the Presidential Memorandum.

Wood hopes to continue to be a player in this effort. “The Ford Foundation’s staff and board are made up of thoughtful, dedicated people who want to make the world better,” Wood says.  “Our way of doing that is through strategic investment, such as helping promising young college graduates lighten their college loan debt. We believe in supporting people to take responsibility for themselves, their families and their communities.”

For Wood, the White House event was especially memorable for an opportunity to have a few personal words with President Obama during a meeting of senior foundation executives and corporate leaders in the State Dining Room.  “Not bad for a kid from Chesnee, S.C.,” Wood says. “Of course, none of this would be possible without my Wofford education.”

Southern Wesleyan University student Macy Martin, second from right, with Kam Turner, left, of U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy’s office; Jonathan Dix of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s office; and Lisa McWherter, Southern Wesleyan’s vice president for development meet during an appreciation luncheon for elected and appointed officials Feb. 24 at the university’s campus in Central. Martin is a freshman from Liberty majoring in pre-medicine.

CENTRAL, S.C. – Elected and appointed officials at the federal, state and local levels were honored with an appreciation luncheon Feb. 24 at Southern Wesleyan University in Central.

Attendees included members of the Pickens County Legislative Delegation members, Sen. Larry Martin and Rep. Davey Hiott. Present were representatives from the offices of U.S. representatives Jeff Duncan and Trey Gowdy, along with representatives from Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Tim Scott’s office. Also in attendance were county council members from Pickens and Oconee counties, as well as representatives from South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU), the town of Central and the Clemson Area Chamber of Commerce.

“We appreciate the good work of our area elected and appointed officials who ensure this corner of South Carolina remains a great place to live, work and attend school. It is only fitting that we, as Southern Wesleyan University, demonstrate our gratitude in some public way,” said the event’s host, Dr. Lisa McWherter, vice president for Development.  “It has been a great day of connecting with law and policy makers,” she said “where student achievement was celebrated and officials were credited.”

University President Todd Voss presented an update on enrollment and recent improvements to the Central campus. He also shared Southern Wesleyan’s strategic plan for enrollment and facilities growth and highlighted the achievements of student-athletes, including two NCCAA national champions.

“We are making a difference together,” Dr. Voss concluded.  “We know how hard you work on the behalf of students, and we hope you see how it shows in the life of this vital University.”

Voss also applauded the University Singers, a student group who performed inspirational and patriotic music at the luncheon. Voss noted their extensive touring, which included military installations in the Eastern U.S.

Britney Fernandez, a biology/pre-medicine major from Easley minoring in music and chemistry, expressed gratitude for receiving Palmetto Fellows, a scholarship given to academically talented students in South Carolina.

“All of the great things that have been happening to me since coming to Southern Wesleyan would not have been possible without the aid of scholarships,” Fernandez said. “I want to thank the legislators who are here today for all that you do for our school.”

“Through your support and gracious generosity, you make it possible for students like me to attend this faith-based institution,” said Kaitlin Messick, a first-generation college student from Pelzer majoring in psychology.

Mike LeFever, president and CEO of SCICU, expressed gratitude from the podium for support from federal, state and local government leadership that benefits the university and its students. LeFever commented that more than 33,000 students attend private, nonprofit colleges and universities, 47 percent of which are minorities and 60 percent are women.

“Your hard work and support of universities like Southern Wesleyan really counts – and that’s with the individual students. It’s about your academic choice and being able to choose a college in which you will thrive academically, emotionally and socially,” LeFever said.

Sen. Martin, Rep. Hiott and Councilman Neil Smith took the opportunity to address the audience, praising Southern Wesleyan’s progress and the achievement of its students.

Southern Wesleyan University is a Christ-centered, student-focused learning community devoted to transforming lives by challenging students to be dedicated scholars and servant-leaders who impact the world for Christ. For details about degree programs, go online to swu.edu.

HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Apr. 16, 2014 – Coker’s Celebration of Academics is being renamed in memory of Jim Lemke, former professor of political science and philosophy who passed away on Jan. 26.

“During this year’s Celebration of Academics, it is fitting that, as we recognize the academic achievements of our students, we also pause to recognize Professor Jim Lemke’s role in spearheading and leading this uniquely Coker Tradition,” said Coker College President Robert Wyatt. “It is my privilege to announce that Coker’s Celebration of Academics is being renamed The Dr. James W. Lemke Celebration of Academics.”

Lemke spearheaded the annual Celebration of Academics, a campus-wide event showcasing faculty and faculty-mentored scholarship in the liberal arts and sciences. The three-day event includes student-faculty research and service-learning project presentations, the “Last Lecture” series honoring retiring professors and a Performing Arts Showcase.

“In 2011, when I was learning about Coker College, the Celebration of Academics was the lead feature on the College’s homepage. I immediately saw something that distinguished the Coker approach to the life of the mind from hundreds of other independent colleges,” said Coker College provost Tracy Parkinson. “Dr. Lemke devoted immeasurable time and energy to an event—a series of events—that accentuate the features of a vibrant learning community: collaborative work between faculty and students, a priority on dialogue and engagement in the learning endeavor, and a commitment to measuring the institution’s success by the success of its students.”

The Celebration of Academics was developed initially to commemorate the inauguration of Coker College president Robert Wyatt. The event was designed to cultivate and demonstrate the signature characteristics of the Coker Experience, including, in particular, the special nature of Coker’s round table learning.

“He invested so much into the event every year and managed to outdo himself each time,” said Jennifer Borgo, assistant professor of biology. “I could tell it was a labor of love. For me, the Celebration will always be tied to my memories of Jim.”

A member of the Coker College faculty from 1972-2014, Lemke earned a bachelor of science degree in political science from Southeastern Louisiana University and a doctorate in political science from Louisiana State University.

For more information, contact Kyle Saverance at 843-383-8017 or  ksaverance@coker.edu.

Release written by media relations coordinator Elizabeth McCarley.

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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the “Best Colleges” in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

Spartanburg Methodist College awarded Dr. Brian Gloor with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church Award for Exemplary Teaching on Friday, April 4th.

Gloor was recognized by President Colleen Perry Keith during the April faculty meeting.  Each spring Dr. Ann Bowles, SMC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and the three previous annual award recipients weigh the teaching excellence of all full-time teaching faculty members.  The award includes a monetary prize that allows the recipient to pursue professional development. ”SMC is honored to have such a passionate and gifted instructor as a member of our family.  Dr. Gloor inspires students by making chemistry fun and relevant,” shared Bowles.

Gloor, Professor of Chemistry at SMC since 2012, holds a B.S. from Texas State University, a M.S. and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. In 2013, Gloor was the recipient of the SMC James S. Barrett award for unselfish service in campus fundraising efforts.

SMC is South Carolina’s only private, residential college exclusively for freshmen and sophomore students and one of only four colleges in South Carolina affiliated with the United Methodist Church. SMC’s mission is to transform lives in a values-oriented, student-centered atmosphere in the Christian tradition that encourages academic excellence, intellectual exploration, social awareness, and character development within the liberal arts tradition.  Spartanburg Methodist College, founded in 1911, is proud of its heritage of providing “the opportunity to be your best and the inspiration to do great things.”

For more information contact: Yvonne Harper, Director of Public Information, Spartanburg Methodist College / C:  (864) 266-7409 O:  (864) 587-4278