Dear Clemson Family:
Happy Spring to you and your family! And for our students, I hope you had a safe and enjoyable break and are ready to take on the remaining weeks of the semester.
Clemson recently administered our one millionth COVID test which is a testament to the amazing work of the staff of our CLIA lab who have worked tirelessly to provide regular and timely testing to our faculty, staff and students, as well as the greater Clemson community. I appreciate the important work of everyone at Clemson who has played a role in maintaining a safe and productive community throughout the pandemic.
As our testing shows a continued decline in positive results, University officials, in accordance with recommendations from public health experts, recently announced that beginning April 2, employees and students will no longer be required to test for COVID-19. Testing will remain available for voluntary testing and those experiencing symptoms. As we have for two years, we will continue to monitor the situation and issue updated guidance as needed.
As we head into a very busy April, I’d like to point out a couple of great things that have happened so far this semester.
The South Carolina House of Representatives declared March 1, 2022, as “Clemson Day” in South Carolina. We had a wonderful time in Columbia interacting with our lawmakers and leaders who are wonderful supporters of our University. We also celebrated our National Champion Men’s Soccer Team.
We had several opportunities to hear from and work with our industry advisors and partners who are invaluable to our missions of academic excellence, research and service. One announcement from February I’d like to highlight here is the expansion of our research partnership with the U.S. Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center. This investment of an additional $22 million, with a commitment up to $100 million, is for the development of innovative virtual prototyping tools to design the next generation of combat vehicles equipped with autonomous systems.
During the next six weeks, we will have many things to celebrate. Among the many end-of-the-year events, we will have our Ring Ceremony which is a very special event for our students and their friends and families. Then we will celebrate our newest graduates in May at Littlejohn Coliseum. Commencement is truly my favorite time of the year!
I’m proud of the resilience and determination of all of our faculty, staff and students this academic year and I challenge you to finish strong! I am grateful for so many alumni, donors and friends whose continued support has been an important part of our successes.
Go Tigers!