Members of Clemson University’s Emeritus College recently selected Laura Shick, senior lecturer emerita of Mathematical Sciences, with the college’s prestigious Emeritus Award for Community Service.
The bi-annual Emeritus Award for Community Service was established to recognize members of the Emeritus College who provide extraordinary service to the community or their professions outside the University and the Emeritus College. The award was first given in 2019.
Since joining the Emeritus College in 2017, Shick has continued to make an impact on multiple community organizations, nonprofits and her church family. She has been a member of the Sertoma Club since 2014, where she served as its president in 2020–2021, chaired the Outreach and Service Committee, and made major contributions to support Camp Sertoma.
Shick established Mentor Clemson, a six-year nonprofit STEM outreach program. The program matched under-resourced youth with adults who provided academic support, goal-setting guidance, and personal encouragement.
As part of her desire to address food insecurity, Shick has volunteered as a driver to deliver Meal on Wheels in her community, which she continues to do on a weekly basis.
In her involvement with the United Way, Shick has been volunteering with the Literacy Program, tutoring young readers through Camp iRock and participating in both the Reading Buddy and Instructional Tutoring initiatives.
Her service also extends deeply into her church community at Fort Hill Presbyterian, where she has been an Elder and a Deacon. She has served as Vacation Bible School Director, youth advisor, mission trip coordinator, confirmation teacher, and Sunday School facilitator.
Shick has used her academic expertise in statistics to advance the work of many organizations. Notably, she played a key role in planning a statewide symposium on supporting incarcerated students, including developing and administering a survey for national programs focused on higher education in prison.
In the words of her nominator, “What makes Laura’s service especially remarkable is not just its breadth but also its depth. She embodies the spirit of engagement and integrity that defines Clemson, and her work generates lasting benefits across diverse communities. Her contributions reflect the university’s mission to foster leadership, collaboration, and transformative impact—even well beyond the campus walls.”
