The Clemson Young Alumni Council Presents the 2023 Roaring10 Young Alumni Awards

Brandon Boatwright of Central, South Carolina, has two Clemson degrees: a 2010 bachelor’s in communication studies and a 2013 master’s in communication, technology and society. After earning a doctorate in communication and information sciences from the University of Tennessee in 2020, he rejoined Clemson as an assistant professor of sports communication and director of the Social Media Listening Center (SMLC). He teaches and mentors undergraduate and graduate students and conducts and publishes research on a range of topics related to online opinion leadership, internet and social media use and social advocacy and activism. For the SMLC, he coordinates operations, manages intern teams and fosters collaborative relationships with corporate partners. His numerous professional, campus and community activities include participation in regional, national and international communication conferences and associations; current or former service on the University’s emergency management council and athletic council; and serves on the board of directors for Clemson Wesley. He also directs service-learning projects devoted to helping local non-profit organizations.

Jesica Galloway of Walhalla, South Carolina, is a rising star in the construction industry. After earning a Clemson bachelor’s degree in construction science and management in 2016, Galloway joined Skanska USA Building Inc. and worked on major projects in the Atlanta area such as the Concourse T expansion at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Mercedes-Benz USA Headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia. She moved to Holder Construction Group in 2019 as a preconstruction engineer assigned to projects in states ranging from Georgia and Florida to Colorado and Arizona. In 2021 she was named Holder’s operations senior engineer for the expansion and renovation of Daniel Hall, a primary academic building in the heart of Clemson University’s main campus. The project included building an addition to the existing structure and then renovating the original 60-year-old edifice while classes were being held in the new facility next door. As an undergraduate, Galloway led a group called Clemson University Construction Women. Today, she is a member of the Women in Construction Forum, an association of women professionals involved in residential and commercial construction in Upstate South Carolina. 

Rashard Hall of Clemson, South Carolina, an All-American safety for the Tigers, joined the National Football League’s St. Louis Rams in 2013. After the NFL, he worked with Johnson & Johnson’s orthopedic medical sales division for two years before accepting a graduate assistant role with Clemson’s athletic academic center and becoming a certified academic advisor. In 2016, he entered the corporate finance industry with Merrill Lynch. In 2018, he joined the Clemson football program’s P.A.W. (Passionate About Winning) Journey leadership initiative as director of career and professional development, combining his athletic and corporate experiences. He has become an industry leader in career and development programming worldwide, while achieving a 100 percent career placement rate for 143 Clemson football scholar-athletes over five consecutive years. Rashard serves on boards for the NFL and Clemson’s MBA program, leads two nonprofits, is co-founder of The Bryan Askew Clemson Memorial Scholarship and teaches sports entrepreneurship for Clemson’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. He also has authored “The Scholar-AthELITE,” a book that encourages college athletes to dream bigger and become the leaders they were born to be. He is nearing completion of an MBA degree in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Stephanie Madison of Clemson, South Carolina, is project manager of a $3 million grant to improve teacher effectiveness in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines. She has a bachelor’s in Spanish, with K-12 teaching licensure, from the College of Charleston and a master’s in Romance languages with Spanish concentration from Appalachian State University. As manager for Clemson University’s Teacher Learning Progression (CU-TLP) grant, she is responsible for day-to-day operations of the project that includes 19 school districts and nearly 300 teachers in high-needs middle schools in South Carolina. CU-TLP is one of the largest grants ever received by the University’s College of Education. In addition to her CU-TLP role, Madison teaches a variety of undergraduate, master’s and doctoral courses. She also developed a modern language teaching program, leading to South Carolina teacher certification, that is the first in the state to incorporate American Sign Language (ASL) teacher training, so that ASL can be offered as a foreign language in K-12 schools. Madison is co-founder of Education Ilimitada, a non-profit coalition committed to providing educational resources and humanitarian assistance to children and families seeking asylum and refuge in the United States. She is a board member of the South Carolina Foreign Language Teachers’ Association and former state chapter president of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

Emily McGee of Washington, D.C. is an architect and healthcare designer with HOK, a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm in Washington, D.C. While at Clemson, McGee received the Global Health Corps Fellowship to serve in East Africa for 18 months, where she helped elevate Rwanda’s healthcare infrastructure standards. Her work with Clemson took her to Haiti during the fall of 2018 to advise a group of architecture and engineering students assigned to conduct a feasibility study for a surgical suite renovation and design. Since joining HOK, she has worked on healthcare facilities serving vulnerable and underserved U.S. communities. She led the design of the first community hospital built in the District of Columbia in more than 25 years and helped plan a vision and rehabilitation center combining research, laboratory and clinical spaces to serve low-vision and rehab patients in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. McGee co-leads HOK IMPACT, the firm’s social responsibility arm that provides pro-bono projects and services. She volunteers for the annual Building Industry Association Community Improvement Day to enhance and raise funds for parks, recreational spaces and facilities for residents. She regularly lectures at the University of Maryland and is involved with graduate studios at Howard University and Clemson. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public health at Johns Hopkins University, where she was awarded the prestigious Bloomberg Fellowship.

Brittany Avin McKelvey of Fayetteville, North Carolina, directs regulatory affairs for Friends of Cancer Research, an advocacy organization that seeks to speed up life-saving research for patients with cancer. After completing bachelor’s degrees in both genetics and biochemistry from Clemson in 2015, she earned a doctorate in molecular biology and genetics in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology Program in 2020. A childhood cancer survivor, McKelvey is a peer volunteer for the Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association. She formed a support group within the association to help teenagers who are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, as she was at age 13. She is active in the National Cancer Institute as a member of its Council of Research Advocates and the Technology Research Advocacy Partnership. She has spoken as a patient research advocate in settings ranging from local radio shows to Capitol Hill. In the Fayetteville community, she volunteers at the U.S. Airborne and Special Operations Museum and with United States Organizations (the USO) in support of the military community, given her husband is an active duty service member. While at Clemson, McKelvey was named a Goldwater Scholar, considered the most prestigious national scholarship award for undergraduates in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. She received the Norris Medal as the best-all-around graduating senior in 2015.

Justin Olshavsky of Alameda, California, is a pioneer and entrepreneur in biomedical technology. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clemson in 2016, he completed a dual master’s program in bioengineering and translational medicine offered jointly by two University of California institutions, Berkeley and San Francisco. While in graduate school, he co-founded Voyage Biomedical, a company that developed a novel therapeutic system to limit brain damage in stroke victims. The invention led to patents and awards for product design and medical innovation and to Voyage Biomedical’s acquisition by Penumbra, a global healthcare company. Justin now heads the Pioneer Bio-Health Fund, which he co-founded to lead investments in early-stage biotechnology, healthcare and life science companies. While at Clemson, Justin participated in outreach programs focusing on developing countries and South Carolina communities. As part of the Engineers for Developing Countries program, he worked on a team supporting solar energy generation in Haiti. Through the EMAGINE Engineering program, he visited local middle and high schools to introduce students to the opportunities in science and engineering. He mentors aspiring entrepreneurs, including Clemson bioengineering students, and is a frequent guest lecturer on entrepreneurship topics. He is also a mentor for Clemson’s Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership and the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, the University’s entrepreneurial hub under the auspices of the president’s office.

After graduating from Clemson, South Carolina, Nikhil Punneri Madathil of Sheboygan, WI joined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Auburn Hills, Mich., where he designed, developed and tested the automotive industry’s first cylinder head integrated turbocharger. The innovation, which has the potential to save up to $200 per engine, has resulted in multiple patents in the United States and the European Union. In 2020, Nikhil transitioned to XENEX Disinfection Services in San Antonio, Tex., and helped design and develop systems for next-generation robotic disinfection solutions, including the only FDA-authorized microbial reduction medical device for healthcare facilities. In 2023, he became a staff engineer for design and development of industrial generators for the energy division of Kohler Company in Kohler, Wis. While in Michigan, Nikhil collaborated with the non-profit Detroit Malayalee Association to support local residents affected by COVID-19 and victims of devastating floods in southern India. His non-profit service continued in Texas as president of the San Antonio United Malayalee Association and co-secretary of the India Association. As a graduate student, Nikhil was president of the CU-ICAR Student Association and chairman/vice president of the Graduate Student Government – Greenville Council. He was named Graduate Student Leader of the Year in 2018 and was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society. He was recently presented with the AuE Distinguished Alumni Award.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in business administration from Clemson in 2013, Wes Watt of Charleston, South Carolina, worked for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and then the American Legislative Exchange Council. In 2015, he joined Scientific Research Corporation, the family enterprise founded by his grandfather. SRC is an advanced engineering company providing state-of-the-art solutions in defense, federal, global, and cyber and intelligence markets. Increasing SRC responsibilities have taken Wes to Washington, D.C., Huntsville, Ala., and now Charleston, where he is director for cloud services, spectrum innovation, and visualization systems. He was a children’s ministry volunteer for Alexandria (Va.) Presbyterian Church and currently volunteers with Metanoia, a neighborhood nonprofit fostering youth leadership, affordable housing and economic development in North Charleston. He is a graduate of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Discovery program. He also volunteers for Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, Ga., which he attended as a child. He was founding president of its alumni association, served on the capital campaign and strategic planning committees, and mentors students in the goLEAD leadership development program. He was recognized as Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2017.

Joey Wilson of Munich, Germany, is a professional consultant to global health and life sciences industries. After earning a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering from Clemson in 2017, Joey completed a master’s degree in global affairs in 2018 as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. In 2020, he earned a master’s degree in medical science (oncology) from St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where he was a Cambridge International Scholar. He currently is a senior expert and project manager in life sciences for Porsche Consulting, mainly advising large pharmaceutical and medtech companies on operational and commercial strategies. He previously worked in the same field for the international firm EY-Parthenon. His volunteer service includes leading the Munich hub of the Global Shapers Community, a World Economic Forum youth initiative. The hub has helped refugees improve their skills and find jobs, educated the community on mental health and climate change, and supported Ukraine by raising donations and sending medical aid. As a bioengineering research assistant to Clemson professor Delphine Dean, Joey developed a medical device for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, which received a United States patent in 2022. He also established the It’s On Us campaign in 2014 and was 2016-2017 undergraduate student body president.