Dean presents state-of-the-college report to faculty

CLEMSON — The College’s fall semester faculty kickoff meeting was held Aug. 19 at the Barnes Center and focused on highlights and initiatives.

“Our science faculty continue to strengthen our national prominence and elevate the science learning experience through their excellence in scientific discovery, learning and engagement,” Dean Cynthia Y. Young said.

Overall, Young’s presentation provided faculty with an update on the College of Science’s progress toward advancing its strategic plan: SciForward, which aligns with the University’s road map for the future, ClemsonForward.

Challenging the status quo is one of the goals outlined in SciForward. This past year, SCIENCE faculty and staff did just that as they reduced the faculty job offer process from as long as eight weeks to just 48 hours. “We were able to attract great talent this year because of improved turnaround time,” Young noted.

One of those new faculty is Byoungmoo (Boni) Kim, assistant professor in chemistry, who came to Clemson because of the school’s reputation and friendly atmosphere. “One of the reasons I chose Clemson is because we’re good, but we’re always looking to do better,” Kim said. “The drive to achieve better is something we learned again today.”

Another goal outlined in SciForward is elevating science learning experiences. Mathematical and Statistical Sciences faculty have challenged the status quo by embracing the SCALE-UP classroom concept, which enhanced the learning of more than 900 students enrolled in the multivariable and differential equations courses last fall.

Student learning is also enhanced through the COSMIC mentoring program, study abroad opportunities, and global engagement seed grants.

A third and perhaps most important SciForward goal is to achieve national and global prominence through excellence in scientific discovery. One measure of that prominence is research expenditures, which Young pointed out have doubled over the past four years and stand at $17.2 million (FY19).

Another measure of the college’s prominence is faculty excellence and recognition. Young congratulated the faculty who earned national and international honors and professional society accolades this past year.

• Ken Marcus (Clemson Researcher of the Year)
• Leah Casabianca, Ben Jaye, Xian Lu, Hugo Sanabria (NSF CAREER awards)
• Apparao Rao (National Academy of Inventors Fellow)
• Jeff Anker (National Academy of Inventors Senior Member)
• William Bridges (American Statistical Association Fellow)
• Carlos Garcia (Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow)
• Margaret Wiecek (International Society on Multiple Criteria Decision Making Gold Medal)
• Andy Tennyson (National Research Council Senior Research Associateship award winner)

The following new assistant professors were also introduced at the kickoff meeting.

Biological Sciences

• Sourabh Dhingra
• Matthew Koski
• Emily Rosowski
• Anna Maria Seekatz

Chemistry

• Byoungmoo Kim
• Thao Tran

Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

• Whitney Huang
• Sibusiso Mabuza

Center for Human Genetics

• Andrei Alexandrov