The Clemson University Division of Research recognized faculty members in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) for achieving rare career milestones during the 2026 Clemson University Research Symposium on May 6.
Luigi Boccuto, assistant professor in the School of Nursing, was named Junior Researcher of the Year. Boccuto is a clinical geneticist whose research focuses on autism spectrum disorder and related conditions, such as Phelan-McDermid syndrome, hereditary cancer, overgrowth syndromes and intellectual disability.
Additionally, Clemson honored recipients of the University Research, Scholarship and Artistic Achievement Award (URSAAA), a lifetime designation to celebrate scholarship and discovery.
The URSAAA is presented to faculty members who have achieved one of the following career milestones: receiving the highest level of recognition in their field; authoring a paper with more than 1,000 citations; or expending more than $1 million on research in a fiscal year.
“CBSHS faculty are highly productive scholars whose research and scholarship are transforming lives and strengthening communities across South Carolina and beyond,” said Leslie Hossfeld, dean of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. “Dr. Boccuto’s recognition as Junior Researcher of the Year and the achievements of the URSAAA recipients underscore the national caliber of scholarship taking place within CBSHS. I am proud to celebrate these outstanding individuals and their extraordinary contributions to research, innovation and academic excellence.”
CBSHS 2026 URSAAA recipients include:
Alyssa Gamaldo-Roddy, professor, Department of Psychology — Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
Robert Powell, George B. Hartzog Jr. endowed professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management — Recipient of the National Association for Interpretation’s highest honor, the Fellow Award. Powell was also a 2026 nominee for Senior Researcher of the Year.
Timothy Sellnow, professor, Department of Communication — Publication exceeding 1,000 citations
Windsor Sherrill, provost distinguished professor of public health sciences and senior associate vice president for research, Clemson University School of Health Research — Annual expenditures exceeding $1 million
The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) was established in July 2016. CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in seven disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
