CLEMSON – The College of Science hosted its inaugural homecoming tailgate on Oct. 20, welcoming alumni back to campus to share in food, fun and fellowship as a Clemson Family.
“We have five departments that we brought together in 2016 to create our new College of Science,” Dean Cynthia Y. Young said. “Normally our scientists identify most at the discipline level, and this tailgate was a chance for us to connect under the umbrella of Science.”
The event hosted current students, faculty and staff, as well as alumni who had recently graduated and those who hadn’t visited the campus in decades.
Alumna Beverly Whitaker (Microbiology, ’80) returns to Clemson a couple of weekends each year and has even guest-lectured a class on the importance of microbiology as a field. With her husband and daughter also being graduates of Clemson, they truly are the prime example of a Clemson Family.
“Back then, I came to Clemson because it was the only school that had a B.S. in Microbiology,” Whitaker said.
“I had the best time here and I’m so excited to finally be back,” added Jim Kelley (Zoology ’74). “I haven’t been to Clemson in 40 years, so when my wife asked me what I wanted for Father’s Day, I said I wanted to go see a Clemson football game in Death Valley.”
The tailgate was also an opportunity for current students in the College of Science to connect with alumni over shared career interests.
“I’ve been loving the Clemson experience so far, and this event has given me a great opportunity to network and chat with some of the alumni of my college,” said Ashley Dickey, a graduate student in the department of chemistry.
Guests also enjoyed a variety of outreach activities by the department of physics and astronomy,department of chemistry and the Bob and Betsy Campbell Museum of Natural History.
Photos from the event can be found on the College of Science’s Facebook page.
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