SUMTER, SC (courtesy morris.edu) — Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of Morris College celebrated the new leadership of the college with the official Presidential Investiture of Dr. Leroy Staggers.

Dozens of supporters filled the seats of the Neal-Jones auditorium Friday to celebrate the next chapter in Morris College history, led by Dr. Leroy Stagger as the College’s tenth president.

Delegates representing higher education as well as professional and political associations welcomed the elected president with a purpose, invocation, scripture reading, musical selections, and greetings.

The ceremony began with an African Welcome by the Caroline Mack Center for the Arts and a drum performance by Ms. Natalie Williams and Mr. Jamey Johnson. The college’s choir direct, Mr. Herbert Johnson led the crowd to sing the National Negro Anthem before Dr. Mack T. Hines, Immediate Past Chairman of the Morris College Board of Trustees (BOT) gave a ceremonial welcome.

The purpose was given by the Co-Chair of the Presidential Investiture Committee, Elder J. Elbert Williams followed by the Invocation given by Dr. Jamey O. Graham, Vice President at Large of the Baptist Education and Missionary Convention of South Carolina, Inc.

The crowd was moved by the chilling vocals of soloist Thelma Isaac as she sang Amazing Grace following the scripture reading and The Lord’s Prayer, before the presidential response.

Many distinguished leaders gave greetings. The Honorable J. Thomas McElveen, III spoke first followed by the Hon. James. T. McCain who announced the proclamation of April 12, 2019, being named “Dr. Leroy Staggers Day” by the Sumter County Council. Mayor Hon. Joseph T. McElveen Jr. spoke on the great work Dr. Staggers has shown over the twenty-plus years the two have been working in Sumter. His long-time friend Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, president of Claflin University also offered words of encouragement followed by remarks from the faculty and staff, alumni, and student government association.

Jane Luther Smith, Senior Instructor of Music at the University of South Carolina-Sumter, played a musical piece on the piano following the greetings.

The college has not had an investiture ceremony in over four-decades since Dr. Luns C. Richardson was named the college president in 1974. Dr. Richardson transitioned in 2017 following retirement.

The installation of Dr. Staggers as the tenth president called for a Presidential Charge which was given by the President and CEO or the United Negro College Fund, Dr. Michael Lomax. In the Presidential Charge, Dr. Lomax challenged the tenth president to take on a life-long commitment to remain a “student-centered and student-focused president.”

He challenged Dr. Staggers to remain a role model and continue to transform lives.

Upon receiving his robe, medallion and mace, the newly named tenth president of Morris College stood before the crowded auditorium and delivered his Presidential Response.

Dr. Staggers acknowledged the ninth president for being a great leader while he served under him for nearly two decades.

“My vision for Morris College is to build onto the great achievements of Dr. Richardson.”

“I had the blessing and good fortune to sit under Dr. Richardson as dean for 17-years,” he boasted proudly into the crowd.

He spoke on the transformations that the college has made for over a century, producing great scholars since the campus was chartered in 1911 with just two wooden buildings to house the college courses.

Dr. Staggers responded to the presidential charge with confidence and high esteem.

“Dr. Lomax, I understand the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of our students and their parents. Therefore I do accept this challenge, and I will be a student-centered and student-focused president. I will work diligently to keep students front and center, in all of my decisions. For all of the students that come through the Morris [College] gate, I will lead the faculty and the staff to ensure that students do learn and learn well and become college graduates and depart to serve. Together with the faculty, staff, and other constituents, we will motivate students, encourage them and nurture them. We will see to it that each becomes a successful college graduate. We will help students to realize their true potential and use it. Dr. Lomax, I concur wholeheartedly with you, 100 percent, about the benefits and value of a college degree. I commit today to a laser-focused purpose on this goal of creating college graduates of those students that enter our gate. “

He accepted the challenge to remain committed through all of the institution’s trials and tribulations and asked for God’s guidance in getting him through all there is to come.

“I ask for God’s guidance, I pray for courage, and I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

CENTRAL, SC (courtesy swu.edu) — Southern Wesleyan University’s new living and learning community now has a name.

Southern Wesleyan dedicated the Joiner-Hilson Complex April 10, celebrating the visionary idea for a facility that’s more than just another place to house students.

The complex is named in honor of the Joiner and Hilson families and their generosity towards Southern Wesleyan. Both families have left indelible marks on the university, as evidenced by numerous generations of students and a decades-old tradition of leadership.

Dr. Todd Voss, Southern Wesleyan University president, recalled sketching on napkins concepts for a living and learning community as a young college administrator.

“I was involved in Student Life for many years. I’m kind of a fledgling architect. I came up with a new kind of concept for a residence hall. We figured out a way to do that in a very collaborative sense and this incredible facility came out of the ground. What an amazing experience!”

“As a faith-filled community, this naming opportunity not only honors a family legacy, but also recognizes how God powerfully works through people who make themselves available to His will,” said Scott Drury, vice president for advancement. “For our faculty, staff and students, a naming opportunity instructs them on the rich heritage of faith and service and also serves to enrich and inspire the current generation of students who walk these halls. Each of these families represents multiple generations of commitment to SWU and each is now multiplying their impact as successive generations of new students experience spiritual and intellectual transformation living in these halls.”

“Some of you out there are visionaries, and some of you only deal with reality; and occasionally a vision becomes a reality, and we’re here to celebrate that vision that became a reality,” said Dr. Joe Brockinton, vice president for student life. “Dr. Voss had a vision of a new residence hall. Stealing a line from the movie ‘Field of Dreams,’ he believed ‘if you build it they will come’.” Brockinton added that when the university began to plan a new facility with developer Mainstreet Student Living – thanks to this vision – they had a plan in place and “God opened the door.”

“Residence life absolutely is the heartbeat of the university. Big spiritual decisions and big relational decisions are being made here. This place is very much a symbol of what’s to come,” said Jason Tegen, director of residence life.

Lexi Darling, a senior and a resident assistant, lived in Stuart-Bennett Residence Hall when she first enrolled at Southern Wesleyan.

“StuBe was an amazing place to live and so tight knit. Since moving into this complex, I’ve seen that community grow exponentially with all of those pockets of community in this building,” Darling said. “Thank you so much for this beautiful building. It’s awesome.”

Dr. Charles Joiner recalled his life as a student living on campus, contrasting it with today. Joiner, who was chairman of Southern Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees when plans were being carried out for the new facility and ground was broken, remarked to Voss and other administrators present, “I can’t believe really that all the things you were thinking of have come to pass in one place.”

“What is really appealing in my heart that honoring this institution in this way is larger than life for those students who will be coming here,” said Joiner.

Paul Hilson recalled growing up as the son of President James B. Hilson, who served from 1945 to 1948. He described his father as “a man of boundless energy, always ahead of his time, empowered by the Holy Spirit.”

“I lived where we are standing, in 1947 in a two-story home, Besse Cottage, which served as the president’s home,” Paul said.

Paul recalled how, as president, his father built four buildings, including Childs Hall, which still stands on the Central campus and will someday be renovated. Also, President Hilson was able to talk the military into giving the college two prefabricated buildings – one to be used for the cafeteria and the other, nicknamed “Vetville,” for on-campus housing.

Rev. Ken Dill, associate vice president for spiritual life and university chaplain, led in a litany of dedication expressing thanks for those who will “mentor, lead and invest” in students as part of this living and learning community and expressed appreciation to the Joiner and Hilson families for their decades of dedicated service to Southern Wesleyan.

CLINTON, SC (courtesy presby.edu) — Three Presbyterian College students and one professor received NASA awards at the recent NASA South Carolina Space Grant Consortium. The three awards by the PC students were the most by any college or university in the state.

“I feel very blessed to have received the research fellowship award with NASA,” Briana Cody, a senior from Enoree, S.C., said. “It is amazing that I’ll be able to do research over the coming school year.”

Cody and fellow students Preston Robinette, of Maryville, Tenn., and Clay Wright, of Clinton, S.C., are eligible to receive a stipend from NASA worth $6,000 each. They can use the stipend for expenses related to research to be conducted during the 2019-2020 school year.

“Performing research for NASA is an absolutely amazing opportunity,” Robinette said. “I would not be in this position without the aid of my research advisor, Dr. Eli Owens, who works relentlessly with other PC faculty to make these opportunities a reality.”

PC physics professor Dr. James Wanliss also received a research award at the competition. The SC Space Grant Consortium Office selected Wanliss’s proposal, “Field Line Resonances in a Stretched Magnetotail.”

“I’m grateful for the ability to make a serious scholarly contribution and to work with talented student researchers,” Wanliss said.

Real Research

PC students have plenty of opportunities to delve deep into subjects they’re interested in. Many will present their research during the annual Honors Day Symposium on Thursday, April 25. Visit the Honors day Symposium page for more about the big day.

GREENVILLE, SC (courtesy furman.edu) — Where else can you learn about the human heart, learn how (and why) to blend a smoothie on a bicycle, pop over to New York City, Denmark and Shakespeare’s birthplace, and still have time for Thai noodles?

At Furman Engaged!, of course.

Furman Engaged! included an international food festival that took place in the Trone Student Center.

The daylong event on April 9 celebrated immersive learning experiences available through The Furman Advantage, which provides every student with a personal, integrated four-year pathway that emphasizes mentoring and advising.

“Furman Engaged! is an extraordinary demonstration of the breadth and quality of the experiences our students are having at Furman,” said Dean of Faculty Ken Peterson. “Throughout the day, we saw tangible evidence of what they have learned about their disciplines and about themselves. It is a living artifact of The Furman Advantage.”

Students, faculty, staff and community members had plenty to inspire them during the 11th annual Furman Engaged! — from a multicultural lunch buffet to a student gallery walk to internship posters to a panel in which employers revealed what qualities make a strong hire.

Here is a look at a few of the presentations from this year’s Furman Engaged!

‘If I didn’t study away, I wouldn’t be who I am’

On one of his first weekends abroad in Denmark, Ben Davids ’20 went to a local café at the Fredricksburg Castle, five minutes away from his homestay. That’s when it hit him.

“I almost dropped my croissant when I opened Kierkegaard’s journal and read his first sentence: ‘I write this as I sit in the Fredricksburg Gardens café,’” said Davids.“It turns out, I was living in the same neighborhood where Søren Kierkegaard grew up.”

Davids realized that the philosopher’s life and work didn’t seem so far away. He was among students in the Rinker Study Away Program who presented their experiences during Furman Engaged! session.

Kelsey Milian ’20 discovered her ancestry and the principles of respect, tradition and forgiveness in Japan. Zach Hughes ’20 opened his mind to a new understanding of religion in Greece and a commitment to justice and unity in Johannesburg, South Africa. And Maddie Underwood ’19 meandered through the British Isles “breathing in everything that she was learning and seeing.”

It left an effect on her. “If I didn’t study away, I wouldn’t be who I am,” said Underwood.

From football to antibiotics: putting math to work

Math can take you anywhere. Just ask the four students who presented their summer mathematics research.

Emma Kuntz ’21 worked with Mathematics Professor Sarah Bailey Frick to come up with a way to model bacteria growth and antibiotic interaction.

Working with mathematics professors Liz Bouzarth and Kevin Hutson and Business and Accounting Professor Ben Grannan, seniors Andrew Cromer and Jamie Fravel tackled a method to dynamically schedule NFL games to reduce variability related to strength of schedule.

Working with the same professors plus Mathematics Professor John Harris, junior Andrew Hartley and his research partner Ella Morton ’20 (on study away) developed a model in their project “Swing Shift,” which helps baseball teams position fielders more strategically to minimize the impact of a batter.

“We hope to create an app where you can insert a batter, run it through the program, and determine where fielders should be placed,” said Hartley.

Researcher Luyang Zou of Shanghai, presented an algorithm for determining the optimum strategy for the popular rod-and-disk math game “Tower of Hanoi.”

The power of collaboration

Taking a close look at what’s happening right in Furman’s backyard can be as powerful as any exploration to a remote research site.

In “An Interdisciplinary Study of Neighborhood Change and Gentrification in Greenville: A Collaboration with the United Way of Greenville County,” students, faculty, post-baccalaureates, and representatives from United Way of Greenville County worked together to increase opportunities for low-income residents.

“I’m a huge believer in the idea that you have to be in – and with – a community, so I love the balance of this work of quantitative and qualitative, of understanding what’s happening on the ground in our community,” said President and CEO of United Way of Greenville County Meghan Barp.

“We are the largest poverty-fighting organization in the state. We invest about $10 million annually in efforts that work to fight poverty, in terms of education, income and health. So this kind of research is absolutely critical to how we make the best investments possible … strategies that have the best possible chance to move people out of poverty and into prosperity.”

Now we’re talking

Imagine getting language tips from a 3-year-old. Laura Metzger ’19 actually did and welcomed the help.

During her study away in Madrid, she worked with children as young as pre-kindergarten and as old as sixth grade. She joked that the 3-year-olds kept her Spanish-language pronunciation in check and helped her brush up on commands. Overall, she valued the confidence she gained in communicating in Spanish and the ability to think on her feet in another language. Metzger was among the students who participated in the inaugural Madrid Internship program, which sent eight students to Spain’s capital city and surrounding towns.

Furman Engaged! featured interns Katherine Kristinik ’20, who worked with a range of ages as a language assistant, Emma Bondy ’20, who worked in a lab where she studied the role of the brain’s basal ganglia in Parkinson’s Disease and addiction, and other students, who worked in hospital settings, where learning medical terminology was the greatest challenge.

Tell it with video

When Gabby Villagran ’20 was asked what creativity means to her, she put it like this: “Creativity is expressions of intense emotions.”

The question was more than a hypothetical one to Villagran and her classmates. She shared her experience as a member of Furman’s Art Club, as did other students involved in the group, in an informational video created by Furman students from an introductory communication studies course. Other communication studies peers shared their own creative, wide-ranging projects. They did so during a session that featured video projects from Furman students in both introductory courses and broadcast courses.

Another project was “The Knightly News,” which gave students practical exposure to broadcast journalism, both in front of the camera and behind it, producing a segment about topics such as Women’s Empowerment Month, IT phishing scams and sustainability at Furman. In another presentation, “Early Radio in South Carolina,” Rachel Stanley ’20 spoke about how The Furman Advantage allowed her to do research with Communication Studies Professor John Armstrong and explore The Library of Congress and the National Archives.

Exploring Furman’s food system

Small changes in food production, consumption and disposal can make a profound difference to the environment. A presentation about Furman’s food system highlighted the university’s many approaches to reducing the university’s carbon footprint.

Elise Dudley ’21 spoke about her experience organizing Weigh Your Waste Days to study the amount of food a diner leaves behind in the Dining Hall and her work as a sustainable food service fellow for Bon Appetit Management Company. At Furman Farm, Sophie Kline Schaffer ’21 walked guests around the compost operation and explained its importance. On a global scale, composting directly reduces carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases and helps Furman Farm reintroduce vital nutrients plants need back into the soil. Rebecca Hearn ’23, assistant manager at the Furman Farm, walked guests through the rows of the farm and pointed out kale, spinach herbs, which, along with the rest of the farm’s harvest, makes up 5 percent of the vegetables served at Furman Dining Hall.

HARTSVILLE, SC (courtesy coker.edu) — Coker College and its Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Dr. Marlene Ross, a higher education consultant and former longtime director of the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program, will give the college’s 111th commencement address on Saturday, May 11. The class of May 2019 will be the last graduating class of Coker College as the institution’s name changes to Coker University on July 1, 2019.

“It’s wonderful timing to have Dr. Ross address our Coker community,” says Coker President Dr. Robert Wyatt. “May 2019 marks the last graduating class of Coker College, so this spring’s ceremony will reflect the beginning of a new chapter in both our students’ lives and in the life of the university. Dr. Ross has made a career of preparing leaders for service. She is credited for helping launch many college and university presidents’ careers, including my own. I’m looking forward to hearing her share lessons learned with this eager group of future leaders.”

Ross currently serves as a higher education consultant and an executive coach to leaders at colleges and universities, including presidents. Before her career in consulting, she served as director of the ACE Fellows Program in Washington, D.C., for 17 years, and worked with the Fellows Program and held other positions at ACE for seven additional years. The ACE Fellows Program identifies and prepares a diverse group of higher education leaders for senior leadership positions. Approximately 1,000 leaders participated in the program during Ross’s tenure as director, and more than 300 of those have served or are serving as presidents and chancellors.

In addition to her work with the ACE Fellows Program, Ross contributed to the planning and implementation of other leadership initiatives such as the ACE’s Institute for New Chief Academic Officers and Advancing to the Presidency, a workshop for vice presidents who have served more than three years in their current position and are seeking a presidency. Ross also served as a senior adviser for the Center for Effective Leadership, where she developed executive leadership programs for cabinet-level officers at colleges and universities.

Ross has led groups of ACE Fellows on working visits to universities in several countries including China, England, South Africa, Mexico, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Taiwan, and Turkey. These visits focused on studying higher education leadership issues from an international comparative perspective. She also has served as a consultant to presidents in other countries.

Ross is an author and frequent speaker on trends in higher education, leadership, leadership development, career planning, negotiation, and other issues in higher education. She has counseled many senior leaders and has conducted presidential evaluations, campus assessments, and conference and program planning. For the past 20 years she has helped plan and presented at the Leadership Institute affiliated with the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.

Before joining the ACE, Ross was associate director of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Race Equity at The American University (D.C.) and served as an evaluator of federally funded programs at two and four–year colleges assisting institutions in improving planning and management systems. She also worked as an administrator and was on the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Ross received her B.A. from Barnard College, her M.Ed. from Harvard University, and her Ph.D. from The American University.

Coker College’s 111th commencement will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at 8:00 a.m. in the courtyard at Davidson Hall.