Mehdi Shayan (student) and Brooke Wymer (faculty) have been selected as inaugural recipients of the Sarah A. Marshall Legacy of Leadership Award, presented by the Academic Success Center (ASC). The award honors the enduring legacy of the late Sarah A. Marshall, a former tutor and peer-assisted learning (PAL) program coordinator with the ASC.
The award honors one student employee and one faculty or staff member whose leadership mirrors Marshall’s commitment to creating welcoming spaces, empowering others and leading with purpose. Members of the Marshall family attended the ASC’s employee celebration on Tuesday, March 31.
Mehdi Shayan M ‘23, bioengineering
Shayan is a graduate research assistant in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. He earned a master’s degree from Clemson in December 2023 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in bioengineering. He co-founded Clemson’s American Society of Biomechanics chapter, serving as vice president. He has served on the Young Professional Executive Committee within the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), the largest professional society for biomedical engineering. Shayan has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles for journals and conference publications. He has also served within Graduate Student Government (GSG) as a senator and executive member of the Student Life & Wellness Committee.
Brooke Wymer, clinical associate professor, Department of Education and Human Development
Wymer teaches and supervises clinical mental health and school counseling graduate students as part of Clemson’s M.Ed. counselor education program within the College of Education. She serves as a faculty advisor for Clemson’s Chi Upsilon chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, an international counseling academic and professional honor society. In this role, she supports professional development and peer mentorship opportunities for high-performing students. Additionally, Wymer has been a featured panelist at the Women’s Health Expo and trainer through the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) program. Beyond Clemson, she is serving a three-year term with the Postpartum Support International South Carolina board, whose mission is to promote awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health conditions related to childbearing across the state.
