26 faculty, staff and students honored with 2023 University Spring Awards 

Emily Scribner is a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, where she primarily teaches introductory courses in geology. She employs a student-centered pedagogy that uses a variety of active and collaborative learning methods and other evidence-based practices to teach high-enrollment courses. Her teaching philosophy focuses on fostering an engaging and supportive classroom environment where students can take ownership of their learning experience and be actively involved in the lesson. An alumnus who has taken two of Scribner’s courses stated that, “Scribner provides a positive environment in her classroom for us to enjoy learning. She is professional and approachable, enabling student success. Even in classes with 80 or more students, she knows every name and builds rapport with each student.”

Tania Houjeiry is a senior lecturer in the Chemistry Department and joined the University in August of 2013. Houjeiry teaches General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, Survey of Organic Chemistry and Chemistry Capstone. In addition to teaching, Houjeiry is the coordinator of the Chemistry REU Program, a RISE Faculty Fellow and a co-advisor for the SAACS organization at Clemson. During her doctoral studies at Florida State, she earned awards for an outstanding research seminar and her work as an outstanding organic recitation teaching assistant. 

Amanda D. Rumsey, assistant professor in the College of Education, teaches courses and publishes research related to school-based counseling, social-emotional health and trauma. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor and Certified School Counselor. Her background includes counseling work with children and adolescents in treatment centers, therapeutic programs and K-12 schools. Rumsey focuses on discerning and developing factors that promote counselor efficacy with an emphasis on interventions and counseling support for vulnerable populations. She works to develop engaging, interactive learning environments that are informed by practice, grounded in theory and applicable to the needs of future counselors. Rumsey has collaborated to secure funding that enhances learning opportunities for students in counselor education from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the South Carolina Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare. She is currently leading a project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, that supports the training and preparation of diverse counselors to work in high-need schools. The College of Education awarded her the 2022 Award of Excellence in Teaching.

Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, a faculty scholar in the School of Health Research and a faculty scholar at the Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center. A native of Sinaloa, Mexico, he has built an international career through his studies at Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of California, Irvine; and through his different research appointments in Switzerland, Spain, India and South Korea. At Clemson, Martinez-Duarte has diligently served students as facilitator of their learning in various courses, including one he introduced to the University curriculum on micro/nanofabrication. His pedagogical approach emphasizes teamwork, critical thinking and project-based learning. His Multiscale Manufacturing Laboratory has served as an interdisciplinary nurturing ground for many student researchers working on enabling innovations in varied fields such as sample preparation for healthcare diagnostics and architecting carbonaceous electrodes from renewable resources.  Martinez-Duarte has an extensive record of serving his global professional networks and the Clemson community in various capacities, including President of the AES Electrophoresis Society, Chair of the CU Commission on Latino Affairs, convener of key scientific meetings and guest editor for various impactful journals. Throughout the years he has received awards for public impact, teaching, service and leadership.

Claire L.A. Dancz has impacted the lives of thousands of Clemson students through her appointments as Research Associate for Education Systems at the Watt Family Innovation Center, instructor of record for Creative Inquiry course, “Conation and Creativity in Engineering,” and adjunct faculty in the Department of Engineering and Science Education. Her most celebrated impact comes from her role as the Faculty Director of the Grand Challenge Scholars (GCS) program. Dancz is devoted to advising students on additional skills, including creative problem solving, celebrating diversity of thought, practicing entrepreneurial thinking, upholding inclusive excellence and ultimately practicing responsibility for self and for others. This approach produces students that lead with character and inspire others to do the same. 

Marion R. Collins serves as the Manager of the University Testing and Education Center (UTEC). Marion came to Clemson University in September 2018 as a Testing Specialist and was selected to serve as the Testing Center Manager in January 2019. Marion focuses on academic integrity but also emphasizes the absolute necessity for student care. Marion creates a welcoming atmosphere in the Testing Center by maintaining a friendly demeanor and ensuring anything the students need to alleviate stress is available, be it chocolate or scientific calculators.  

Marion retired from the United States Army where he served multiple roles, with his most recent being Chief of Staff for Personnel for the South Carolina Army National Guard. He also served as the Commander of the National Capital Region’s Ground Based Air Defense mission.

Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, a faculty scholar in the School of Health Research and a faculty scholar at the Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center. A native of Sinaloa, Mexico, he has built an international career through his studies at Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and University of California, Irvine; and through his different research appointments in Switzerland, Spain, India and South Korea. At Clemson, Martinez-Duarte has diligently served students as facilitator of their learning in various courses, including one he introduced to the University curriculum on micro/nanofabrication. His pedagogical approach emphasizes teamwork, critical thinking and project-based learning. His Multiscale Manufacturing Laboratory has served as an interdisciplinary nurturing ground for many student researchers working on enabling innovations in varied fields such as sample preparation for healthcare diagnostics and architecting carbonaceous electrodes from renewable resources.  Martinez-Duarte has an extensive record of serving his global professional networks and the Clemson community in various capacities, including President of the AES Electrophoresis Society, Chair of the CU Commission on Latino Affairs, convener of key scientific meetings and guest editor for various impactful journals. Throughout the years he has received awards for public impact, teaching, service and leadership.

John Cummings is a principal lecturer of biological sciences in the College of Science completing his 34th year at Clemson. His original appointment was with the Biology program, where he was involved with Introductory Biology Education, with special emphasis on developing laboratory curricula. When the Biology program merged with Agricultural Education, he continued his role but added the development of two new courses: Teaching Agriscience and Biotechnology in Agricultural Education. With an additional restructuring, the biology program merged with Genetics and Biochemistry. In addition to his duties, he became involved with the DNA Learning Center, where he was involved with curriculum development and its delivery. After moving to the Department of Biological Sciences, he currently runs an integrated, two-semester Human Anatomy and Physiology sequence in addition to courses in Mammalogy and Exercise Physiology. He has maintained a passion for high-enrollment learning, new instructor development, especially of graduate teaching assistants, and bringing unique knowledge of the area into his classrooms.  

Sharetta Bufford is the Director of Recruitment and Inclusive Excellence in the College of Science and a Learning Sciences Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education. She recruits undergraduate and graduate students, and founded and directs the College of Science Mentoring and Inclusion Collaborative (COSMIC), where she teaches courses on professional development for mentors. Bufford’s contributions have helped improve the GPAs, retention and graduation rates of traditionally underserved students and she has seen many students successfully matriculate into professional and graduate schools. She contributes to policies and practices that positively impact student outcomes. Bufford is passionate about helping students, who have named her “M.O.M.” (Mentor of Mentors/Mentees). Bufford prides herself in being relatable, approachable, genuine and resourceful. She is a pastor’s wife and mother of two kids and a standard poodle.

Joseph B. Ryan is the Sue Stanzione Distinguished Professor of ClemsonLIFE. He is the founder and Executive Director of the LIFE (Learning is for Everyone) program, a nationally recognized post-secondary education program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Ryan has more than 100 publications and has served as editor of the journal Beyond Behavior for the past decade. His research interests focus on behavioral interventions and enhancing post-school outcomes for individuals with disabilities. He has been interviewed by multiple national publications including CNN, Headline News, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and  and given several U.S. Congressional briefings on crisis interventions in schools. Ryan is also the founder and director of several adaptive sports programs (baseball, soccer) that serve youth with disabilities throughout the tri-county area and volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem for children in foster care who have experienced abuse or neglect. He is a retired Captain in the United States Navy Reserve and was recently selected for a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Award to Ireland for 2023-24. 

Russell L. Purvis is a professor of management in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business who teaches courses in the areas of project and technology management. His research interests focus on project management and the development and implementation of information systems. He has more than 60 articles that have been published or accepted to be published in MIS Quarterly, Management Science, Organization Science, Journal of Management Studies and IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, among others. Professor Purvis won multiple research, teaching and service awards prior to arriving at Clemson. Since joining the University in 1999, he was awarded the Emerging Scholar Award (2002); the Service Award within the College of Business and Behavioral Science (2012); the College of Business Service Award (2018); the Dean’s Award for Interdisciplinary Collaboration – Teaching/Service (2021); and the College of Business Service Award (2022), among others. 

Ellen Breazel is a principal lecturer and the Assistant Director for Data Science Outreach and Online Education in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences. Breazel began teaching at Clemson in 2008 and is one of the founders and co-directors of the University’s online Master of Data Science and Analytics program. Her professional interests include statistical computing and data science/statistics education. 

Anthony Harvey is the Associate Director for Facilities Maintenance. He came to Clemson University in 2011 and joined the Housing Department’s Facilities team working in the dispatch area and overseeing the work order management system. In 2013, he became the Associate Director for Dining Facilities, where he worked with the Core Campus team to oversee the construction of McAlister Dining Hall. In 2017, Harvey moved into the Director of Housing & Dining Maintenance role and assisted on the project team to move the Douthit Hills development project forward. As the Facilities side of Housing and Dining merged with University Facilities in October 2018, he moved into the Associate Director for Facilities Maintenance role. Harvey’s most recent project is working with the Facilities team to restore buildings on campus that were impacted by the flooding from the freeze event over winter break in December 2022. In his current role, Harvey oversees life safety, building security, the Douthit area second shift shops and approximately 40 employees. 

Jeff Appling is the Senior Associate Dean in the Office of Undergraduate Studies. He began his academic career as a chemical physicist studying laser photoionization at the University of Kentucky. Jeff shifted his scholarship area to student learning in science when he moved to Clemson University in 1992 to be the Director of General Chemistry. Jeff joined Undergraduate Studies in 2005 as Associate Dean for Curriculum, where he was instrumental in building projects and initiatives associated with the undergraduate program. His current duties include curriculum development, managing academic eligibility, overseeing academic integrity and being the “Campus Shell Answer Man” on academic matters. Appling’s primary faculty appointment is as a full professor in Engineering and Science Education.  

Cathy Bodinof Jachowski is an assistant professor in the Department of Forestry & Environmental Conservation, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. She has been at Clemson since 2016. Her early career included work in outdoor environmental education, experiential learning and as a resource scientist for the Missouri Department of Conservation. These experiences inspired her to pursue a career in academia where she could focus on training future leaders in conservation and developing knowledge to inform wildlife policy and management. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and conducts research focused on freshwater ecology and conservation. Her interests lie in understanding how freshwater species interact with their environment and respond to broad-scale global changes. Jachowski’s recent and ongoing projects range from assessing survivorship of captive-reared freshwater mussels; investigating the effects of land use and flooding on populations of the rare hellbender salamander; determining whether capture-and-release of alligators may reduce human-alligator encounters and conflict in residential coastal communities of South Carolina. 

Rod Andrew, Jr., is a professor of history and geography in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, specializing in the history of the American South and U.S. military history. His biography of Wade Hampton won the Mary Lawton Hodges Prize in Southern Studies in 2009 and his biography of Andrew Pickens won the Harry M. Ward Book Award. He is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and recently served as Officer-in-Charge, Field History Branch, U.S. Marine Corps History Division. 

Paula Agudelo is a professor of Plant Pathology and her research focuses on management of plant-parasitic nematodes in agricultural crops. The larger context for her work is to contribute knowledge and tactics that enhance soil health and resilience of agriculture. Paula is the principal investigator for the largest single grant awarded to Clemson. The $70 million project “Building Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities in South Carolina” has 34 co-investigators from Clemson and starts this year. The five-year project will provide technical support to farmers, including small-scale and underserved producers, to adopt climate-smart production practices. The project will measure the carbon and greenhouse gas benefits associated with the practices and will support the development of markets for climate-smart commodities. Agudelo currently serves CAFLS as Associate Dean for Research and Director of the S.C. Agricultural Experiment Station. 

Dilrukshi (Dil) Thavarajah, a professor in the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, focuses on finding whole food-based solutions to combat “hidden hunger” – micronutrient malnutrition and obesity. The impact of her research, teaching and mentorship is worldwide. At Clemson, she leads the Pulse Biofortification and Nutritional Breeding program and co-leads the Phenomics component of USAID’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement at Cornell University. Prior to Clemson, she worked at the Canadian lentil breeding and biofortification program at the University of Saskatchewan and initiated the national Pulse Quality and Nutrition Laboratory at North Dakota State University. She is internationally recognized for her research involving pulse biofortification, specifically targeting iron, zinc and selenium. She serves as an honorary visiting lecturer at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and collaborates with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) to release biofortified lentil cultivars for Africa and Asia. 

Katherine Y. Coleman is the director of the Sandhill Research and Education Center (REC) in Columbia. She oversees the operational and programmatic functions of the REC, one of six Clemson experiment stations across the state. She also serves as the Agribusiness Program Team assistant director. Coleman has been with Clemson for over 37 years, 29 of which were in Governmental Affairs before being named director at Sandhill. She is also helping the Clemson Governmental Affairs Office with Clemson PSA budget and agricultural issues.  

A member and chairperson of the Saluda County School Board for 25 years, Coleman is a former President of the S.C. School Boards Association. She has served as a staff volunteer for Palmetto Girls State for over 20 years. She continues to work with Extension Advocacy groups and serves as the Clemson liaison for several agriculture organizations in S.C.  

Read about the student award-winners.