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News

Clemson Researcher Gets $570K to Study Food Safety in Child Centers

Thursday, January 29, 2009

A Clemson University researcher has received a $577,000 federal grant to fight an 'invisible enemy' in child-care centers.

The enemies are bacteria and other food-borne microbes that cause illnesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded food safety specialist Angela Fraser, an associate professor in the Clemson Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, a three-year grant for improving the food handling, hygiene and sanitation in child-care settings in North and South Carolina.

'We need to be increasingly aware of an invisible enemy — bacteria and viruses — which can be on our food, hands and on surfaces in the places we eat out or spend time,' said Fraser. 'Bacteria and viruses can lead to serious illnesses, especially for the very young or old. Child-care centers present an excellent opportunity to fight back. Child-care workers and food-safety educators are a great team to work with and we look forward to supporting efforts to keep our kids safe from food-related illnesses.'

The risk of food-borne sickness is a significant public health problem. Illnesses include nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, fever, headache or fatigue. Most people recover within days, but some food-borne illness can cause long-term health problems or even death for babies, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, sick people and those with weak immune systems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 5,000 deaths and 76 million illnesses each year are directly linked to food-borne pathogens.

Infants and children 5 years old and younger are at greater risk of contracting a severe food-borne illness than other population groups, according to Fraser. Her research plan notes that children cared for outside the home are more likely to experience diarrheal disease than those cared for in their family home. In the United States, 11.6 million (63 percent) of the 18.5 million children who are under 5 were reported to be in some type of regular child-care arrangement.

Fraser will be working with food-safety experts Sheryl Cates of the Research Triangle Institute in Durham, N.C., and Lee-Ann Jaykus of N.C. State University in Raleigh. They are gathering information from 100 licensed child-care facilities in the Carolinas. Researchers will observe food-handling, hygiene and sanitation practices of child-care workers and take samples from child-care workers’ hands and surfaces for specific pathogens and levels of microbes.

The information will be used to develop training for educators who provide food-safety training to child-care workers. The teaching materials will be developed, delivered, evaluated and disseminated via the FightBAC! Web site — fightbac.org — created by the Partnership for Food Safety Education.

The partnership brings together representatives from industry associations, professional societies in food science, nutrition and health consumer groups and federal agencies to educate the public about safe food-handling practices needed to keep food safe from bacteria and prevent food-borne illness.

For more information contact: Ms. Marisa Moazen, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, P.O. Box 117, MS-36, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, Phone (865) 241-6958, Email: info@rise.orau.org.

U.S. Students Needed for Prestigious India Exchange Program

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Paid research-based internships available in India for U.S. graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and medical disciplines.

The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) announce a prestigious research-based exchange program that will provide opportunities for American graduate students to conduct research in India and for American institutions to host Indian graduate students and faculty in the U.S.

The India-U.S. Research Exchange Program (REP) includes two unique elements. The first is the Research Internship in Science and Engineering (RISE), which offers paid internships in India for U.S. graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and medical disciplines. The second is the opportunity for U.S. academic institutions, industrial facilities, and research laboratories to network with Indian institutions and access global talent by hosting Indian doctoral students or faculty members.

The American graduate students selected to participate in RISE will have the opportunity to live and work in India, gain practical experience, and advance their understanding of the future of science, engineering, medicine, and technology. Students will work closely with international teams and get the chance to build lifelong networks of academic and professional contacts.

Internship locations in India include top national laboratories, federal research centers, academic research institutes, and private research and development laboratories. Internships provide mutual cultural and professional enrichment for both the interns and their Indian host institutions.

Student interns in RISE receive a monthly stipend, accommodations, and airfare to and from India. Internships can range from a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 6 months.

U.S. students participating in the prestigious RISE program will have the opportunity to gain invaluable perspective into the world of international research, as well as to develop lasting research partnerships with leading Indian researchers and institutions.

The RISE internship program is open to graduate students studying a science, engineering, medical, or technology discipline at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

The application deadline for the RISE internship program is February 12. For application guidelines and format, please visit http://rise.orau.org.

Institutions interested in hosting an Indian researcher should contact our office for more information.

For more information contact: Ms. Marisa Moazen, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, P.O. Box 117, MS-36, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, Phone (865) 241-6958, Email: info@rise.orau.org.

Clemson Physicist Apparao Rao Named Fellow of the American Physical Society

Monday, January 26, 2009

Clemson University professor of physics and astronomy Apparao Rao has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Fellows are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to physics. Fellowship is limited to no more than one half of 1 percent of the membership.

Rao was recognized for developing methods of synthesizing carbon nanotubes and for elucidating the properties of carbon nanotubes through Raman spectroscopy, a technique used in condensed-matter physics and chemistry to study vibrational, rotational and other low-frequency modes in a system.

Rao and his team have gained international recognition for advancing nano-scale electromechanical sensors that have the potential to read and alert us to different toxic chemicals or gases in the air. He also has invented a way to make beds of tiny, shock-absorbing carbon springs that may be used to protect delicate objects like cell phones from being damaged by impact.

'Congratulations to Dr. Rao,' said Dean Esin Gulari of the College of Engineering and Science. 'This high honor is a true testament to the value of his research in the physics arena.'

The American Physical Society was founded in 1899 and today has 46,000 members. The group is active in public and governmental affairs and in the international physics community. It conducts extensive programs in education and public outreach. Its mission is to be the leading voice for physics and an authoritative source of information for the advancement of physics and the benefit of humanity.

Clemson Industrial Engineers to Host Conference, Career Fair

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The Clemson University student chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) will host the annual IIE Regional Conference for the Mid-Atlantic Region Feb. 5 to 8. The conference will include a career fair for local and regional employers.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from professional speakers, tour plants of local companies, compete in industrial engineering activities and network with professionals and potential employers.

The conference will draw between 200 and 250 students from Clemson University, Eastern Carolina University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina State University, South Carolina State University, Tennessee Tech University, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech University and West Virginia University.

The career fair will be held on Friday, Feb. 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Madren Center. Companies interested in participating should contact Kevin Taaffe at (864) 656-0291 or (864) 908-6836 or Danielle Lanigan at dlaniga@clemson.edu.

Students will also have the opportunity to tour local plants, including the Thomas Creek Brewery in Greenville, the Walgreens Distribution Center in Anderson, the Taylor Made Adidas Golf factory in Westminster and the BMW Manufacturing Plant in Greer, the only BMW plant in the United States.

Other activities will include a technical paper competition and a competition for the best chapter at the conference. Evening social events are also scheduled.

The theme of the conference is 'Sustaining Our World Through IE Innovation.'

Clemson Chemistry Professor Receives Regional Award

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Clemson University professor of chemistry Dennis Smith received the American Chemical Society (ACS) 2008 Charles H. Stone award.

The Charles H. Stone award is given annually by the ACS Carolina-Piedmont Local Section to the most outstanding chemist in the southeastern United States. It recognizes chemists for contributions to the field through activities in the scientific community, public outreach, education and research.

'As only the third Clemson chemist to win this award after professors Shiou-Jyh Hwu and Darryl DesMarteau, it's an honor to be included in this group and help the recognition of Clemson chemistry. It is also personally satisfying my Ph.D. research advisor, professor Ken Wagener of the University of Florida, won the award in addition to his Ph.D. advisor, the late professor George Butler of the University of Florida and pioneer in polymer chemistry, who was the first recipient,' said Smith.

Smith’s research interests include synthesis, mechanism, structure/property relationships and application of polymeric materials and composites.

Smith is the cofounder and associate director of Clemson’s Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) and the chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Polymer Chemistry. He also cofounded Tetramer Technologies LLC in 2001 to commercialize research done at Clemson.

Smith received a B.S. degree from Missouri State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. He worked as a Rhone Poulenc Graduate research fellow in Lyon, France, and a Dow Chemical postdoctoral fellow in Rheinmuenster, Germany. Smith joined the Dow Chemical Company Central Research Laboratory as senior research chemist and was promoted to project leader. He joined Clemson University in 1998.

CU-ICAR Students Design Suspension for Ultra Fast DiMora Motorcar Sport Sedan

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Automotive-engineering graduate students at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) collaborated with a unique vehicle development company to design an automotive suspension system that can handle speeds in excess of 240 mph.

Because CU-ICAR fills the gap between basic research and commercial application of automotive technologies, DiMora Motorcar challenged it to assess suspension-technology options for the Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan. A team of students, under faculty supervision, accepted that challenge last semester.

'This kind of project provides our students invaluable real-world experience, and the quick turnaround time and results show they were up to the challenge,' said Steve Hung, associate professor of mechanical engineering and team faculty leader.

Based in Palm Springs, Calif., DiMora Motorcar crafts automobiles designed to exceed expectations for safety, performance, technology, ecology, beauty, comfort and luxury. It reveals the design, production and testing of its automobiles via the Internet so that people around the world can learn from and participate in the process.

'DiMora Motorcar is about showcasing new technologies,' said Carl Flesher, CU-ICAR director of Global Business Development. 'CU-ICAR is about developing the methods and people to make showcase technologies ready for the automotive original-equipment manufacturer market.'

Road conditions vary greatly, so experts agree an automobile’s suspension is crucial to a safe and smooth ride. An effective suspension system will maximize the mechanical grip between the tires and the road’s surface, enhance steering stability and provide a comfortable ride for the occupants. The Natalia sedan has to thrive in all road environments, including bad weather, so the suspension must be compatible with all-wheel drive and have the ability to clear common road obstacles. On the other hand, the vehicle also must be controllable at speeds above 240 mph, so body response to driver input and road excitations must be well controlled across a broad speed range. A unique design-driven requirement is the use of 275/40R24 tires.

Using numerous advanced digital design and verification processes, preliminary DiMora Motorcar vehicle parameters and computer-aided-design for the Natalia, the CU-ICAR graduate team generated a solution that includes short-long arm architectures for both front and rear suspensions, titanium control arms and wheel carriers, and combination air spring and damper units.

The concept design services the requirement for all-wheel drive, minimizes suspension weight and allows for rear-wheel steering to enhance directional stability at high speeds as well as maneuverability at low speeds. The concept design also will help DiMora Motorcar package other vehicle systems that yield the right levels of performance without significant changes to the suspension system.

'This was our first opportunity to test the ability of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research to tackle a difficult engineering problem that is critical to meeting the performance parameters we have set for the Natalia,' noted DiMora Motorcar Founder Alfred DiMora. 'The designs they produced are excellent. We were already impressed by CU-ICAR’s facilities, equipment and staff. Now we know that the graduate students working here are outstanding as well. We look forward to a long and productive association with Clemson University.'

About CU-ICAR

Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is a 250-acre advanced-technology research campus where university, industry and government organizations collaborate. Offering the nation’s only Ph.D. program in automotive engineering, the master’s and doctoral programs are among the most exceptional in the country due to the world-class faculty, industry involvement in curriculum development and more than $40 million of research facilities and equipment.

Successful automotive-technology application requires availability of methods that span design-development integration of technologies to parts, systems and vehicles; manufacturing and supply integration of processes from material sourcing through part creation, assembly and delivery; and concurrent engineering integration of design and development with manufacturing and supply. CU-ICAR conducts research that provides value by addressing the need for these integration methods.

CU-ICAR is a place for entrepreneurial collaboration and partnership between the university, industry and government to quickly address market needs together in ways that facilitate economic growth. To learn more about CU-ICAR, visit http://www.cu-icar.com/.

About DiMora Motorcar

The founder, CEO and driving force behind DiMora Motorcar is Alfred DiMora, who produced two of America's finest luxury automobiles, the Clenet (as owner) and the Sceptre (as co-founder). When President Reagan declared 1986 the Centennial Year of the Gasoline-Powered Automobile, DiMora's Clenet was selected as the Official Centennial Car. As a result, he and the Clenet were honored at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Michigan. He also founded Starbridge Systems Inc., where he developed the world's fastest FPGA supercomputer. Using his technological and automotive backgrounds, Alfred DiMora blends the two worlds together to create this new experience in automotive history: the Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan. For more information, please visit http://www.dimoramotorcar.com/.

 

 

 

 

 

Clemson Environmental Engineer Selected for $400,000 Award

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The National Science Foundation has awarded $400,000 to a Clemson University environmental engineer. Shelie Miller, an assistant professor in the department of environmental engineering and earth sciences, received an NSF CAREER Award, which distinguishes young scientists and provides funds to advance their research and visibility.

In her research, Miller conducts life-cycle assessments. Everything from computers to cups of coffee have a beginning, middle and end. She identifies the life-cycle steps, ranging from raw materials through disposing or recycling, then she evaluates a product’s cumulative impact on the environment. Life-cycle assessments provide industry and public leaders with 'cradle to grave' analyses of how products and processes affect the environment.

Miller currently is analyzing switchgrass, a hardy perennial grass that shows a lot of promise as a biofuel. Biofuels are plants that can be processed into ethanol and other energy alternatives. To be a realistic option to fossil fuel, a biofuel needs to provide a net energy gain, environmental benefits, be economically competitive and be producible in large quantities without reducing food supply.

Clemson researchers say non-food plants, such as switchgrass and some sorghum varieties, which can grow on marginal lands and need less fertilizers and pesticides, offer advantages for bio-based energy, more so than food crops like corn and soybeans.

Researchers at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence and on campus are finding ways to unlock the energy stored in plant materials. Miller’s role is to figure out if switchgrass as a fuel produces a net benefit to the environment after all its costs are identified and evaluated.

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is among the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty members who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.

Clemson Architecture, Landscape Architecture Ranked Nationally

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Clemson University programs in architecture and landscape architecture have been recognized as some of the best in the country by the Design Future Council publication DesignIntelligence.

Clemson’s graduate program in architecture is ranked 11th nationally and the planning and landscape architecture program is 12th among undergraduate programs.

DesignIntelligence also ranked Clemson a 'World Class School of Architecture with High Distinction.'

Clemson’s landscape architecture program is the youngest to be ranked in the top 15. The program was established in 1988 and was fully accredited for the first time in 1996. It had 115 undergraduate students in the 2006-2007 academic year, with the number of alumni reaching 162 this year.

'Entering the DesignIntelligence rankings for the first time at the 12th spot is a real accomplishment for our young program,' said Umit Yilmaz, director of landscape architecture. 'I am proud of the achievement of our program and our students as we continue to pursue excellence in landscape architecture education.'

Landscape architecture students experience a wide variety of off-campus and study-abroad opportunities, international collaboration and studio projects. Clemson’s landscape architecture program is the only one of its kind in South Carolina.

Graduate students in the architecture program take advantage of Clemson’s 'fluid campus' to develop a broad understanding of the discipline. In addition to the main campus at Clemson, students also pursue studies in permanent programs in Charleston; Barcelona, Spain; and Genoa, Italy.

'The rankings are generated through an extensive survey of architectural firms around the country that employ the graduates from all U.S. schools of architecture and, as such, they reflect the quality of graduates from all schools. Being ranked among public universities is a great position to be in and a testimony on the quality of our program,' said Jose Caban, professor and interim chairman of the Clemson University School of Architecture.

The Design Futures Council began its ranking of accredited architecture, landscape architecture and interior design programs in its journal, DesignIntellegence, a decade ago. This ranking has since become the established ranking system for design programs across the United States.

Clemson mourns the death of Les Grigsby

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

James Leslie Grigsby, of Seneca, died suddenly on Monday, Jan. 12, of a heart attack.

A native of Richmond, Ky., Grigsby was employed as a student services program coordinator for international admissions in Clemson's Graduate School.

Grigsby is survived by his wife, Cherilyn Grigsby, and a daughter, Amy Beth. The Grigsbys also operated Savannah’s House, a bed and breakfast in Seneca.

A memorial service will be conducted in Richmond on Jan. 31.

Another service for local friends and colleagues will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, in Tillman Hall auditorium.

Condolences may be sent to the family at:
222 Kathmaette Drive
Seneca, SC 29678

 

FIRST Robotics Competition Returns to Clemson

Monday, December 15, 2008

Clemson University will host the sixth annual FIRST Robotics Competition Palmetto Regional March 26-28 at Littlejohn Coliseum. It is the second year Clemson hosts the event that attracts up to 1,000 high school students who vie for top honors in a competitive contest that is described as a rock concert and sporting event rolled into one.

Teams already are signing up, and this year’s competition will feature an international squad from Brazil. Teams from North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, West Virginia, Alabama, New Jersey and Missouri also will compete.

'The College of Engineering and Science at Clemson is delighted to host this event once again,' said Dean Esin Gulari. 'The dedication, enthusiasm and fun that the participants have in the name of engineering and science is truly inspirational.'

Teams will receive their marching orders for the competition at a kickoff event at the Madren Center Jan. 3. Kits are handed out with a specific assignment to build a robot no heavier than 120 pounds that can complete a task in a certain amount of time. The teams have six weeks to assemble their robots and ship them back to FIRST for the regional competition. Teams are judged not only on point accumulation, but also on design, team spirit, professionalism and perseverance.

Regional events lead to an international competition April 16-18 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. More than 35,000 high school students participate on more than 1,600 teams in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands and England.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, developer of the first portable insulin pump and the first portable kidney dialysis machine, to 'create a world where science and technology are celebrated, where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.'

For more information on the competition, go to the FIRST website at: www.usfirst.org, FIRST Robotics Competition or http://www.ces.clemson.edu/main/FRC/index.html

Clemson is a nationally recognized research university where approximately 5,500 students are enrolled in engineering and science undergraduate and graduate courses. There are 350 faculty members in the College of Engineering and Science. Connect to http://www.clemson.edu/ces for more information.

Clemson University Professor Receives Audubon-Toyota TogetherGreen Fellowship

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Joseph Drew Lanham, a professor in the Clemson University forestry and natural resources department, is the recipient of a new national fellowship designed to advance the work of individuals with outstanding potential to help shape a brighter environmental future.

Lanham is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota. Fellows receive specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with conservation professionals and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each fellow will receive $10,000 for a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy and contributing to greater environmental health.

For his fellowship, Lanham will contact, educate and provide technical support for African-American rural landowners across South Carolina, learning firsthand how a significant but underserved population of potential conservationists value and manage their property.

In a project called 'The Color of the Land,' he will provide technical assistance and record the stories of the unique relationships people of color have to the land. Lanham also will help them develop strategies to implement sustainable timber and wildlife management practices. His ultimate goal is to introduce the landowners to sustainable means of natural resources management that will help them improve soil, water and wildlife resources on their properties and ultimately those downstream.

While his project will help maintain rural landscapes that are diverse ethnically and ecologically, he also aims to define the conservation ethic and preserve the land legacy that has helped sustain generations of rural African-American landowners.

'Drew is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,' said Audubon President John Flicker. 'Each of our TogetherGreen Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. Together, they represent the talented and diverse leadership the environmental community will need to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities confronting us now and in the years to come.'

'The TogetherGreen Fellowship is significant in that it allows me to focus my time and talents on an issue that is heartfelt and personal to me,' said Lanham, a wildlife ecology professor. 'By serving both people and wildlife, I hope to elicit outcomes that help strengthen the human-nature bond and move us to a conservation ethic in the best tradition of Aldo Leopold. I am honored and humbled to have been selected from such a diverse and well-qualified pool of candidates.'

An Edgefield native, Lanham, received both a Ph.D. in Forest Resources and a Master of Science in Zoology from Clemson University.

Landowners interested in participating in the project can call Lanham at 864-656-7294 or by e-mail at lanhamj@clemson.edu. There is no cost to participate.

A complete list of the 2008 TogetherGreen fellows can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org. The TogetherGreen initiative and grants programs are funded by a $20 million Toyota gift to Audubon, the largest in the conservation group’s history.

About Audubon

Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment. Its national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education and advocacy programs engage millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and operates 10 manufacturing plants, with another under construction in Mississippi. Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Through its corporate initiatives, manufacturing operations and philanthropy, Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. In 2007, Toyota contributed more than $56 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S. For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.

Social Computing in 2020 Bluesky Innovation Competition

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The University of California Transliteracies Project and UC Santa Barbara Social Computing Group announce the 'Social Computing in 2020 Bluesky Innovation Competition.' What will social computing technologies and practices be like in the year 2020?

Students from any discipline--humanities, arts, social sciences, computer science, engineering, etc.--are encouraged to apply. The competition emphasizes visionary, thoughtful, or critical concepts rather than technical knowledge as such.

* ELIGIBLE: Undergraduate or graduate students anywhere in the world.

* AWARDS: 1st prize, $3,000; 2nd prize, $1,000, 3rd prize, $500.

* SUBMISSION FORMAT: Description of an idea and imaginative realization, embodiment, or illustration of the idea in a variety of possible formats (e.g., an essay, story, script, application sketch, fictional business plan, etc.).

* DEADLINE: January 30, 2009.

For more information, see the full competition announcement
(http://socialcomputing.ucsb.edu/contest2020/).

________
COMPETITION ORGANIZERS

UCSB Social Computing Group (http://socialcomputing.ucsb.edu)
(A working group in the UC Transliteracies Project:
http://transliteracies.english.ucsb.edu)

* Kevin Almeroth - Department of Computer Science; Associate Dean for Advancement and Planning, College of Engineering.
* Jennifer Earl - Department of Sociology; Director, Center for Information Technology & Society.
* Andrew Flanagin - Department of Communication; Co-director, Credibility and Digital Media@UCSB Project.
* James Frew - Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.
* Alan Liu - Chair, Department of English; Director, UC Transliteracies Project.
* Miriam Metzger - Department of Communication; Co-director, Credibility and Digital Media@UCSB Project.

Clemson Professor Receives INFORMS Award for Research

Monday, November 17, 2008

The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) has awarded Clemson University mathematical sciences professor Warren Adams the Frederick W. Lanchester Prize, an international research award.

The Frederick W. Lanchester prize was awarded to Adams and colleague professor Hanif Sherali of Virginia Tech for the best contribution to operations research and the management sciences published in English. They developed a mathematical methodology called 'Reformulation-Linearization Technique.' It is used to reformulate a difficult problem and perform a mathematical transformation called linearization. The technique makes previously difficult, unapproachable problems easier to solve.

The criteria for receiving this award includes the extent to which the contribution advances the state of the art of operations research and the management sciences, the originality of the idea or methods, the new areas of application it opens up, the degree to which existing theory or method is unified or simplified, the clarity and excellence of the exposition and the degree to which the contribution provides value for future application or improved practice.

The Frederick W. Lanchester Prize includes a commemorative medallion and $5,000 cash. It was presented to Adams and Sherali at the INFORMS national meeting in Washington, D.C., in October.

INFORMS

Established in 1995, INFORMS is the largest professional society in the world for those in the field of operations research. It serves the scientific and professional needs of educators, investigators, scientists, students, managers and consultants, as well as the organizations they serve, by publishing scholarly journals that describe the latest operations-research methods and applications. It also publishes a membership magazine with news from the field. INFORMS organizes national and international conferences for academics and professionals. It serves as the focal point for operations-research professionals, allowing them to communicate with each other and other professional societies.

Graduate School Signs Agreement to Support Partnerships With Mexican Universities

Monday, November 10, 2008

Clemson University has partnered with CONACYT (Cooperacion Internacional en Ciencia y Tecnolgia), Mexico's counterpart to the U.S. National Science Foundation, to promote the education of selected top Mexican students in the U.S. and to provide funding for selected U.S. students to pursue graduate studies in Mexico. Dr. Bruce Rafert, Vice Provost and dean of the Graduate School, says 'this agreement has been in the works for many months. It was clear to us at Clemson that this partnership is the kind of global cooperation we need to move Clemson forward as an international leader in science and technology innovation and education.'

Present at the signing ceremony on November 7 were (front row, left to right): Dr. Esin Gulari, dean of Clemson's College of Engineering and Science; Dr. Bruce Rafert, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School; Dr. Manual Ontiveros Jimenez, CONACYT director; Clemson Provost Dori Helms; (back row)Dr. Bill Ferrel, associate dean of the Graduate School for international issues; Dr. Anand K. Gramopadhye, chairman of Clemson's industrial engineering department; Dr. Nadim Aziz, chairman of Clemson's civil engineering department; Maria Dolores Maldonado Manjerrez, assistant to the CONACYT director; and Dr. James Cross, vice provost for the Office of International Affairs at Clemson.

Nikon Instruments Donation to Help Start New Core Microscopy Facility

Monday, November 10, 2008

Nikon Instruments Inc. has provided an in-kind donation of microscopy equipment to help Clemson University’s College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences biological sciences department start a new core microscopy facility. The facility will be the first of its kind in the Southeast, equipped with one of the most technologically advanced system Nikon Instruments Inc. has installed anywhere in the United States.

Nikon recognizes Clemson as a top-tier research university in the Southeast, capable of bringing together its science and technology with industry needs and applications. Nikon plans to take advantage of the diverse research capabilities at Clemson to develop new products and applications, as well as establish the facility as a premier training facility in these top crossover instrumentation uses.

'Nikon chose to provide this donation to Clemson University’s biological sciences department because of Clemson’s unique commitment and blending of biological and material science imaging studies,' said Stan Schwartz, vice president of product and marketing at Nikon Instruments Inc. 'Today’s microscopy tools allow for multi-modality imaging techniques to complement each other. Whether the specimens to observe are large or small, transparent or opaque, the interchangeability and compatibility of the optical instrumentation and analysis software will provide for superb crossover applications to be conducted.'

'The donation by Nikon dramatically expands microscopy capability and enhances the development of new imaging techniques on campus,' said Hap Wheeler, chairman of the biological sciences department. 'Combined with another partnership in the university’s electron microscope facility, Clemson is positioned to be a leader in advanced-imaging analysis. This is an excellent example of a public-private collaboration that will benefit Clemson students, facilitate state-of-the-art research and generate economic growth in the state, region and global economy.'

Andrew Mount, Ph.D., was instrumental in developing the project in collaboration with Nikon and will lead a six-member research group at the facility.

The microscope package is valued at $620,000, toward which Nikon made an in-kind donation. Clemson University entities supporting the center with funds include the Office of Research and Economic Development; Public Service Activities; the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; the biological sciences department and individual research faculty members.

Nikon Instruments Inc.

Nikon Instruments Inc. is a world leader in the development and manufacture of optical- and digital-imaging technology for biomedical and industrial applications. Now in its 90th year, Nikon provides complete optical systems that offer optimal versatility, performance and productivity. Cutting-edge instruments include microscopes, precision measuring equipment, digital-imaging products and software. Nikon Instruments is the microscopy and instrumentation arm of Nikon Corp., the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo-imaging technology. For more information, visit http://www.nikoninstruments.com/. Product-related inquiries may be directed to Nikon Instruments at 800-52-NIKON.

Clemson University

Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., is a science- and technology-oriented research university ranked among the nation's top 25 public institutions. Since 2001, Clemson has doubled external research funding, raised the academic profile of the student body, increased retention and graduation rates, launched high-profile economic development initiatives and has earned national accolades, including being named TIME magazine's Public College of the Year. Despite record applications, Clemson manages enrollment to maintain small classes and low student-to-faculty ratios.

Clemson recognized for its commitment to diversity

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Minority Access Inc, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting diversity and access to public and private institutions of higher education, has recognized Clemson University for its commitment to diversity.

Clemson was one of 39 colleges and universities honored at the National Role Models Conference last month in Arlington, VA.

Clemson was recognized for its success in several high-profile diversity programs, including Call Me MISTER, One Clemson, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention (PEER), Emerging Scholars, disability services, international affairs and the Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in Education, said Leon Wiles, Clemson's chief diversity officer.

'This recognition reaffirms Clemson's commitment to diversity and projects to the world community Clemson's inclusive character,' said Wiles. 'Clemson is going to great lengths to prepare students to succeed as global citizens.'

'It is fitting for Minority Access to recognize and publicize the advances colleges and universities are marking toward diversifying their campuses, especially their student population,' said Andrea Mickle, president of Minority Access Inc. 'We are pleased that our research data supplied by the office of educational statistics at the US Department of Education has resulted in Minority Access' recognizing colleges and universities that genuinely seem to appreciate the value of diversity in creating a well-rounded educational experience.'

Located in Hyattsville, MD, Minority Access was incorporated in 1995 with the mission of assisting colleges and universities, federal agencies and corporations to diversify their campuses and worksites. For more information, visit www.minorityaccess.org.

Clemson Honors Nobel Laureate Charles H. Townes with Optical Science Laboratories Dedication

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Clemson University Tuesday celebrated its long-time connection with Nobel Prize-winner Charles H. Townes by naming its state-of-the-art optical science laboratories in his honor.

Townes was joined by his wife, Frances, and together they unveiled the sign for the Charles H. Townes Laboratories for Optical Science and Engineering located at the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory in the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center. Townes is most well known for his research that led to the development of the laser, for which he received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1964. (See Charles H. Townes' biography.)

Charles H. Townes'It is an honor to return to Clemson to see the establishment of the Townes Laboratories,' he said. 'Facilities such as these enable future generations of students who have a dream to go beyond science as we know it today.'

The dedication follows the 2005 creation of the Townes Fellows program, a joint effort by Clemson and Furman universities to bring Furman undergraduates to Clemson to conduct optics research with the COMSET (Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies) program.

Clemson has major initiatives in optical materials, bio-optics and laser technology while Furman is renowned for strong undergraduate programs in physics and chemistry. This premier program in the United States is comprised of research and educational initiatives centered on optical sciences and engineering. The first student to participate in the program now is a graduate student at Clemson.

A native of Greenville, Townes received his undergraduate degrees in literature and physics from Furman. He received the Nobel Prize for physics in 1964 for his research on the maser (microwave amplification by stimulation emission of radiation), which led to the invention of the laser, one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the 20th Century. Lasers are used in nearly all aspects of life today, including fiberoptics communications, laser processing in the manufacture of automobiles and many other commercial products, ophthalmology, medicine, defense and space applications.

Townes has received numerous international accolades over his career. Chris Przirembel, Clemson’s vice president for research and economic development, noted that Clemson was among the first to acknowledge Townes’ achievements with an honorary degree in 1963 when he delivered the commencement address (pdf).

'The Nobel Prize Committee followed our lead in 1964 by awarding Dr. Townes that most impressive and well-deserved award,' he joked.

On a more serious note, Przirembel added: 'What an honor it is to have the name and the inspiration of Dr. Townes associated with this laboratory complex and with this program. I can think of no greater example for our students and faculty to follow as they pursue the future of optical science and engineering. His contribution to the world of optics is inestimable, and his personal examples of the pursuit of science and of a life well-lived are unmatched.'

Townes has continued an informal connection with Clemson over the years. He returned to the university in February 2000 to deliver the Godfrey Distinguished Lectures in Astrophysics. And two Clemson faculty members, Przirembel and Caron St. John, director of the Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, received the Charles H. Townes Individual Achievement Award from InnoVision, an Upstate organization that promotes excellence and leadership in technology.

John Ballato, COMSET director and associate vice president for research and economic development, spearheaded the move to name the laboratories for Townes. He said the association is powerful.

'Dr. Townes has spent his distinguished career committed to educating future generations,' said Ballato. 'We are deeply grateful that his name will be associated with our program as a daily reminder of what has been and can be achieved. Dr. Townes is the first to remind students that they too possess the ability to make the next great discovery.'

In addition to being a Nobel Prize laureate, Townes also is a Templeton Prize recipient for contributions to the understanding of religion.

'A lot will be happening in the next 50 years,' Townes said. 'We will be modifying humans and our genetics. We need to ask, 'do we want to do that?; ask how and why. It will bring responsibilities. Let's see us use those new powers well.'

Since 1967, Townes has been a professor of physics at the University of California at Berkeley, where he and Mrs. Townes live.

Gift from Stäubli provides graduate fellowships at CU-ICAR

Monday, October 27, 2008

A $30,000 gift from Stäubli Corp. will provide graduate fellowships for students in the automotive-engineering program at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

The money will provide a fellowship for one graduate student every year. Distinguished students will be selected by a committee with input from Stäubli.

'Companies supporting the fellowship program will be supporting a unique student population composed of top-notch engineering talents from different parts of the world,' said Mohammed Omar, coordinator of the automotive-engineering graduate program. 'This generation of students is being trained on the state-of-the-art technologies, facilities and acquiring unique technical skills along with business and cultural training.'

There are 55 students--35 master's students and 20 PhD students--enrolled in Clemson's automotive-engineering program, which started in 2006. The students have graduated from 17 different universities from 10 different countries. Students can pursue specialties in four areas: vehicular electronics, automotive-manufacturing systems, power trains and alternative engines and vehicle performance and development

The program also requires six months in an industrial and international internship and proficiency in a foreign language, as well as courses in business administration and policy-making.

'The international internship is built into the program to provide the students with the platform to practice their foreign language and experience cross-cultural training. This requirement enables the student to function effectively and successfully in a global environment within an international company,' Omar said.

Students have held internships at companies such as BMW, Goodyear, Magna, Lang Mekra, Okuma and Dale Earnhardt Inc.

'Stäubli Corporation has always focused its strategy and efforts on developing the most innovative and advanced products in the world,' said Stäubli CEO Yves Stäubli. 'Our sponsorship of the CU-ICAR program represents the ongoing commitment of Stäubli to help set new benchmark standards in the consumer and high-performance automotive industries. This dedication will help to ensure the current success and future development of the next generation of automotive technologies which will benefit all humanity.'

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in automotive engineering, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/AutoEng.

About Stäubli
Stäubli is a mechatronics-solution provider with three dedicated divisions: textile machinery, connectors and robotics. With a workforce of 3,000, Stäubli has a presence in 24 countries and agents in 50 countries around the world with its North American headquarters in Duncan.

Visit www.staubli.com for more information on the company and its products.

Clemson MBA Students among 'Most Competitive' in Nation

Monday, October 20, 2008

Students in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Clemson University are among the 'most competitive' in the United States, according to Princeton Review’s 'The Best 296 Business Schools.'

This year the program, housed in the College of Business and Behavioral Science, appears seventh on the top-10 list of most-competitive students, which is based on student assessment of how competitive classmates are, how heavy the workload is and the perceived academic pressure.

'The Clemson MBA program has given me the skills I need to bridge the communication between R&D and the business world,' said Joanna Isbill, a dual-degree student working on a master's in bioengineering as well as an MBA. 'I have been taught how to understand very technical concepts, but, perhaps even more importantly, the Clemson MBA program has taught me how to present these technical concepts to a business audience.

'I feel like the Clemson MBA program has provided me with high-level skills that I can carry with me throughout my career.'

Caron St. John, associate dean for graduate programs and research in the College of Business and Behavioral Science, is pleased to see the program appear on this particular top-10 list.

'We are very fortunate to have dedicated and competitive students in the MBA program,' St. John said. 'This recognition also speaks to the quality and rigor of the courses offered by our faculty.'

Academics, student life and admissions in the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson are outlined in a two-page article in the best business schools guide. In the profile, Princeton Review editors wrote, 'Native South Carolinians seeking the MBA will have a hard time beating the ratio of value to quality that they’ll find at Clemson University. Thanks to lower in-state tuition costs, Palmetto State residents can earn a highly regarded business degree for a small fraction of what their peers elsewhere in the country spend.'

US Senate confirms engineering Dean Esin Gulari to National Science Board

Monday, October 06, 2008

The US Senate has confirmed the appointment of Esin Gulari, dean of the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson University, to serve on the National Science Board (NSB). President George W. Bush nominated Gulari for the post along with six other distinguished scientists.

'This is a tremendous honor for me as a scientist and an engineer,' said Gulari. 'On the NSB, I will be in a unique position to make contributions on a national level. I hope that my participation will bring distinction to the University and focus a national spotlight on Clemson, and more specifically, the exciting work going on in the College of Engineering and Science.'

The NSB is an independent body of advisers to both the president and Congress on broad national policy issues related to science and engineering research and education. It also serves as an oversight body for the National Science Foundation. Members are drawn from industry and universities, representing a variety of science and engineering disciplines and geographic areas. Gulari was selected for her preeminence in research, education and public service. She will serve a six-year term to expire in May 2014.

'Congratulations to Dean Gulari,' said Clemson President James F. Barker. 'The caliber of this appointment to the highest science board in the country is a reflection of her expertise and talent as a scientist. Clemson University could not be more proud.'

Gulari is the first woman to serve as dean of Clemson University's College of Engineering and Science and its nearly 5,000 students. The college includes 14 academic departments, 23 undergraduate and 45 graduate degree programs and 11 research centers, including the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Since coming to Clemson in June 2006, Gulari has created two new units within the college. The first is the School of Computing, which has the mission to prepare students for all aspects of computing as part of a universitywide emphasis on information technology and high-performance computing. The aim is to allow for rapid development of emerging, interdisciplinary research and academic programs. The department of engineering and science education is the second unit established and is designed to improve the educational methods and pedagogy of teaching science and engineering at the university level and to reach out to K-12 education with innovative strategies in math, science and engineering.

Prior to becoming dean, Gulari served as professor and chairwoman of the chemical engineering and materials science department at Wayne State University. She has private-sector experience having served as chief technology officer of nanoSEC, a startup company formed to manufacture and market nanocomposites produced using supercritical fluid processing.

From 2000 to 2004, Gulari served at the National Science Foundation, where she was director of the Chemical and Transport Systems Division in the Engineering Directorate, and during most of that time as acting assistant director for the Engineering Directorate.

Other National Science Board nominees include: France Córdova, president, Purdue University; Bud Peterson, chancellor, University of Colorado, Boulder; and Diane L. Souvaine, professor and chairwoman, department of computer science, Tufts University. The following board members were re-nominated to serve a second term: Barry Barish, professor of physics emeritus and director, LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; Ray Bowen, president emeritus, Texas A&M University; and Douglas Randall, professor and Thomas Jefferson Fellow, University of Missouri, Columbia.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs within the College of Engineering and Science, please visit: www.clemson.edu/ces/prospective-students/degrees.html.

Clemson professor receives $800,000 Project RESULTS grant

Monday, October 06, 2008

Clemson University education professor Vivian Correa received an $800,000 grant from Project RESULTS: Roadmap to Excellence for School and University Leaders in Teaching and Scholarship. The grant is given for personnel preparation in special education.

Project RESULTS is a recently funded grant from the US Department of Education that aims to prepare six new special education doctoral students to become effective educators, researchers and school leaders in special education.

The program is four years long, with cohort support in place for the entire time. The coursework includes an expanded major in special education within the existing PhD in curriculum and instruction.

Each student will receive a fellowship that includes a $12,000 stipend per year, tuition and fees for four years and support for travel. The program will begin in January 2009.

'The project will prepare six PhD-level students to serve in leadership roles in special education,' Correa said. 'As leaders in the field, they will impact the quality of services provided for students with disabilities and their families in the state and nation. Graduates of the RESULTS program will be qualified to become faculty at institutions of higher education, to become administrators in state agencies or serve as leaders in public schools.'

The Distinguished Moore Professor of Early Childhood and Special Education, Correa received a bachelor's degree in special education from Georgia State University, a master's degree in special education from the University of Georgia and a PhD in special education from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include early childhood special education, multicultural education, teacher education and Latino families of young children.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs within the School of Education, please visit: www.hehd.clemson.edu/schoolofed/ac_grad_prgms.php.

MPA students participate in the Southeastern Conference of Public Administration

Monday, October 06, 2008

Clemson University Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduate students were well represented at the recent annual meeting of the Southeastern Conference of Public Administration (SECoPA) held in Orlando, Florida September 24-27, 2008.

MPA students Katherine Brackett and Casey Rice presented their co-authored paper entitled 'Market Reform Theory and Public Education' while MPA student Loyd Patterson presented a co-authored paper (with Dr. Bob Smith) and hosted a panel discussion entitled 'Ethics and Compliance for Government Contractors: Views from the field on Navigating, Maneuvering and Meeting Requirements and Expectations in the 21st Century.'

Having Clemson MPA students selected to present their papers at SECoPA was a hallmark for the program and a testimony to the fine scholarship and research of students pursuing the Clemson MPA. Congratulations Katherine, Casey and Loyd!

Dr. Bob Smith, chair of public administration at Clemson University, was elected to the executive committee of SECoPA at the conference and will serve a one-year term. 'This is quite the honor to be recognized by colleagues and then elected to serve on the executive committee of the southeast's premier public administration organization' Smith stated.

SECoPA was incorporated in the State of Florida in 1978, and is primarily concerned with the advancement of the art and science of public administration in the southeast and the nation.

For more information about Clemson University's graduate program in public administration, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/PubAdmin.

Interview Workshop for Graduate Students

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

The Michelin Career Center is hosting an interview workshop specifically for graduate students on Monday, October 6th from 5:30-7:00pm.

The workshop will provide students with practical tools and skills for interviewing with success at any professional or academic interview by covering basic interview questions and questions specific to academia and other career paths. It also will cover interview dress, questions to the employer as well as follow-up after the interview.

For more information, visit the Michelin Career Center's website at http://career.clemson.edu or call 864-656-6000.

National Institutes of Health Awards Clemson Bioengineer $1.5 Million to Improve Durability of Tissue Heart Valves

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Naren Vyavahare, Hunter Endowed Chair and professor of bioengineering at Clemson University, more than $1.5 million over four years to develop durable bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs).

Pig heart valveAortic valves taken from pigs are used in thousands of human heart valve replacement surgeries annually, but they have a high rate of failure due to degeneration and calcification. It is estimated more than 50 percent fail within five to 15 years of implantation. Vyavahare’s goal is to extend the biological durability of BHVs beyond 20 years.

'We’ve identified a problem where viscoelasticity is lost during tissue fixation and after implantation, and maintaining the structural integrity of the tissue matrix in the processed tissue is essential for these types of implants to work,' said Vyavahare. 'Our recent studies show that the chemical linking of neomycin to tissue, an inhibitor of the enzymes that degrade the tissue matrix, lead to significantly better stabilization of the valve tissue.'

Vyavahare says improvements in durability will allow surgeons to implant the valves in the younger patient population.

Vyavahare and his group at Clemson have studied the problem of calcification in arteries and heart valves for nine years. The long-term fatigue damage study funded by NIH is unprecedented in the BHV field. The Clemson group has collaborations with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota.

Gift from Wolseley honors Clemson alumnus David Peebles

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A $150,000 gift from Wolseley North America to Clemson University's Michelin Career Center will honor Clemson alumnus David Peebles with the naming of the David Peebles Room in the Hendrix Student Center.

Peebles, who graduated from Clemson in 1949 with a degree in economics, was the second president of Ferguson Enterprises, an operating company in Wolseley's North America Division. The David Peebles Room, located on the second floor of the Hendrix Student Center, is a multipurpose room used for meetings, student activities, receptions and special events.

'Ferguson is pleased to honor David Peebles by dedicating a room in his honor at Clemson University,' said John Stegeman, president and CEO of Ferguson. 'David has left an immeasurable legacy to Ferguson, and it is only fitting that we honor him with a legacy to Clemson students. By investing in the future of students, there is no doubt that Clemson will produce more great business minds like David Peebles.'

Under Peebles' leadership, Ferguson grew to be an industry leader by idealizing the American dream of owning and operating a business. Ferguson managers who started locations under their own names were entrepreneurs who structured their businesses based on local market demands. Peebles instituted the Management Training Program, which was designed to attract the best and brightest the work force had to offer. Peebles' philosophy of aggressive expansion and his vision of what the company could become served Ferguson well during this period of growth. By 1982, when the company was acquired by Wolseley, Ferguson had 76 locations in 11 states. Today Ferguson operates just under 1,400 locations.

The gift will be used to maintain and enhance programs the Michelin Career Center offers to students and corporate recruiters. Wolseley also will be recognized for the gift with the naming of the Wolseley Interview Room in the Michelin Career Center, located on the third floor of the Hendrix Student Center.

'The Princeton Review rated our career services in the top 10 in the nation based on student surveys,' said Flora Riley, director of the Michelin Career Center. 'This gift will enable us to continue to offer the high level of career services our students have come to expect. It will allow us to continue to serve as an effective liaison between students and the world of work. The career center serves as a bridge for companies to start the process of hiring Clemson students and recent graduates.'

Peebles, who lives in Ordinary, Va., has been honored at Clemson before with the Distinguished Service Award in 1984, the university's highest alumni honor, given to recognize service to the community and the university. A scholarship endowment also bears his name: the Peebles Endowment Fund.

______
About Ferguson and Wolseley

Headquartered in Newport News, Va., Ferguson is the country's largest wholesale distributor of plumbing supplies; pipes, valves and fittings; heating and cooling equipment; waterworks; mechanical and industrial; bathrooms and appliances; tools and safety equipment; and fire protection products. Ferguson has sales of $11 billion and 22,000 associates in nearly 1,400 service centers located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the Caribbean. 

Ferguson is part of Wolseley plc, the world's largest specialist trade distributor of plumbing and heating products to professional contractors and a leading supplier of building materials in North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Group revenues for the year ended July 31, 2007, were approximately $31.6 billion. Wolseley has approximately 75,000 employees in 27 countries. Wolseley is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: WOS) and is in the FTSE 100 index of listed companies.

Roscoe Hall Scholarship

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Amy Ratliff Hixon (EE&S Ph.D.) was awarded the Roscoe Hall Scholarship from the Savannah River Chapter of the Health Physics Society. Besides the honor of being selected as the 2008 Clemson University recipient of this award, Amy received a check for $1000 for herself and $250 for the Clemson University Student Branch of the Health Physics Society.

Clemson Bio-Energy Conference Highlights Opportunities for South Carolina Growers

Monday, September 22, 2008

If a major biofuels refinery is built in South Carolina, it likely will source raw material from Palmetto State fields, which is an enormous opportunity for the state’s growers, a Clemson University alternative energy researcher said.

Agronomist James Frederick said the burgeoning bio-energy industry could present a tremendous opportunity for South Carolina growers.Transportation costs associated with importing large quantities of sugar cane from Brazil or corn and soybeans from the Midwest into the state would be cost-prohibitive, said agronomist James Frederick, who studies the science and technology of utilizing plants for food and fuel, among other applications.

'It has to be a locally grown crop to be economically viable,' Frederick said.

In opening the 2008 South Carolina Bio-Energy Summit Sept. 18 at the Clemson University Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Frederick asked which of the locally grown feedstocks displayed on the stage were suitable for biofuels production.

Among them were corn, soybeans and wood chips, and the answer was 'all of them,' Frederick said, because biofuels likely will come from a combination of numerous crops.

The summit highlighted the diversity of feedstocks that can be produced in South Carolina for bio-energy. Industry and government leaders discussed the latest research and the future of bio-energy in the state.

The day-long event, which included a field trip to the center’s switchgrass fields, was attended by more than 130 people.

Sen. Hugh Leatherman, whose district includes Darlington and Florence counties, said the biofuels industry could provide significant economic development opportunities for South Carolina.

Bruce Fortnum, interim director of the Pee Dee research center, discusses the center’s switchgrass research during a conference field trip at the Pee Dee research center.Research to determine the best crops for biofuels production and how the state can make the most of its resources must continue, he said.

Those sentiments were underscored by John Clark, director of the S.C. Energy Office in Columbia.

Clark said that South Carolina ranks fifth in the nation for the amount of electricity used per capita. The majority of energy use in the state is in transportation fuels and industrial consumption, he said.

While the state relies heavily on nuclear power to generate electricity, it also uses a large amount of coal, and South Carolina doesn’t produce coal, Clark said.

'Biomass turns that on its head,' Clark said.

The state is home to corn, soybeans, switchgrass and a host of other crops that can be used for alternative fuels.

'Biofuels are good in every way,' Clark said. 'They’re good for energy, good for the environment and they’re good for the economy of South Carolina.'

More than 1.5 percent of transportation fuels sold in South Carolina are from biofuels, Clark said.

'And we have to keep that moving,' he said.

For more information about Clemson’s switchgrass research, visit http://agroecology.clemson.edu/switchgrass/sg.htm

Clemson Researchers Could Help Spare Future Georgetown Development from Flooding

Monday, September 22, 2008

Before the trees come down and houses rise in their places, two Clemson scientists at the Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science want to protect future developments from the risks of flooding.

Their mission is simple: control stormwater quantity and quality as if the bulldozers never moved in.

Today the test site is relatively pristine, with many natural streams and habitat; the ideal time to measure water quality and track how water moves within and across the watershed.

As part of a long-term study within Bannockburn, also referred to as the Arcadia East property, the researchers have constructed three 2-by-10 water flumes in a drainage area that measure three-fourths of a mile square.

If the site one day has homes or businesses, their research could help prevent those structures from flooding.

The Parshall flumes, named for their inventor, Ralph L. Parshall, are placed strategically throughout the watershed, with one at the watershed's headwaters, the second at its midway point and the third at the watershed outlet.

Development or not, stormwater has to go somewhere. It typically enters the soil as groundwater or results in surface stream flow, a common occurrence when the soil is saturated.

'Because this property is slated for development in the next 10 years we anticipate that as hard surfaces are added as a function of development — such as roads, buildings, parking lots — the hydrology will be affected,' Jayakaran said.

'It'll be forced to go somewhere else,' Jayakaran said.

Developers are mandated to ensure they mimic pre-development hydrological conditions to prevent flooding. But often those pre-development conditions are not specific to the site and instead are based on studies from other parts of the country.

The sudy by Jayakaran and Hitchcock will establish a baseline for future developers to follow.

And that's where the flumes come in. They provide a uniform cross-section in the stream, whereas natural stream beds are uneven and have many undulations.

By constructing the flumes to exact dimensions, the researchers can measure the amount of water that passes through them and determine the pollutant load: the amount of pollutant, such as bacteria and sediment, contained within that water volume.

At two of three locations, Hitchcock has installed automated water samplers that can be programmed to take samples at timed interval or triggered based on flow or rainfall.

Jayakaran and Hitchcock expect their findings could be transferred beyond the study site to areas of similar landscape commonly found in neighboring Georgia and North Carolina and areas of Florida.

'There are numerous coastal tracts being developed that have similar hydrology, habitats and landscapes,' Hitchcock said.

Researcher hopes to make Web more friendly to older adults

Monday, September 15, 2008

Research at Clemson University holds the promise of making the World Wide Web a user-friendly place for everyone, young and old.

Richard PakRichard Pak, an assistant professor of psychology, has received a $50,000 gift from Google to study how older adults navigate the Web and what Web site design features make searches easier. The grant will fund an extension of his research on aging and technology.

'The study of cognitive aging is all about finding out how our minds change as we get older. The results from decades of research are that some things get worse but also that some things improve with age,' Pak said. 'For example, our ability to solve abstract problems might get worse as we get older. However, at the same time, other things get better as we get older. Just by virtue of being alive longer, we ‘know’ more information.'

Pak said one example is seen in a well-known finding in the cognitive aging literature. That finding is that older adults, those age 60 and over, have better verbal abilities and general knowledge than younger adults between 18 and 27.

Pak’s recently published paper, 'Designing an information search interface for younger and older adults,' compiled his research into how these strengths might be applied to Web navigation.

'The findings are that when you take a Web site and organize it hierarchically — like how you might organize your documents on your computer with folders within folders — older adults are much slower and make more errors when they are searching for information compared to younger adults,' Pak said. 'We think that this is the case because the situation does not allow older adults to use their greater knowledge toward the situation. However, when you take that same Web site and organize it around keywords or concepts instead of folders, older adults are able to bring their wealth of general knowledge to the situation and perform almost equivalently to younger adults in the task.'

That is, older adults seem to perform better using so-called 'tag-based sites,' which are Web sites that organize their information around frequently used keywords. Pak said that while tag-based sites are still relatively new, several popular sites use tags. These include Amazon.com, Gmail.com, and the photo sharing Web site Flickr.com.

Pak said that future research into the topics of older adults’ Web use will combine objective measures, such as bringing participants into the lab to observe how many navigation errors they make, with subjective measures such as interviews and focus groups aimed at determining why older adults have trouble with technology.

'Of course, this research couldn’t happen without the willingness of older adults from the community. When we have new studies, we call our list of older adults from the area and they are always more than happy to come in to do a study,' Pak said.

Ultimately, he hopes that his work will help make Web navigation a better experience for participants like these.

'While my results are a bit far from direct application and more research is needed, eventually I’d like to figure out how to design an information-retrieval interface that is usable for people of all ages,' Pak said. 'Accessing information online is rapidly moving from convenience to necessity and if we don’t tackle issues of access, the existing digital divide will only get greater.'

World-renowned physicist to lecture at Clemson University

Monday, September 15, 2008

Physicist Antony Valentini will present his lecture, 'Quantum Mechanics and Reality: the Schism in Physics,' at this year's Sobczyk Public Lecture, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, in Tillman Auditorium at Clemson University.

Valentini will explain to a general audience the nature of quantum physics and clarify some of the myths and misconceptions surrounding it.

Valentini studied mathematics and physics at Cambridge University and received a PhD in astrophysics from the International School for Advance Studies in Trieste. He has held postdoctoral positions and the University of Rome and Imperial College London. He has several publications, his most recent including 'Hidden Variables and the Large-Scale Structure of Spacetime,' 'Extreme Test of Quantum Theory with Black Holes' and 'Black Holes, Information Loss, and Hidden Variables.'

The lecture is open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture.

The Sobczyk Public Lecture is a joint physics, math and astronomy endeavor sponsored by the Clemson University departments of physics and astronomy and mathematical sciences.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in physics, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Physics.

John Allison and Will Marre To Discuss Values-Based Leadership

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Two successful values-based business leaders will discuss strategies for meeting the leadership challenges of the 21st century. John Allison and Will Marre will participate in an annual presentation hosted by The Clemson Alliance for Ethics, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship on Thursday, October 2 at the Westin Poinsett Hotel in downtown Greenville, beginning with a reception at 5:00 p.m. followed by the presentation at 6 p.m. Dr. Bruce Yandle, dean emeritus of the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson University, will moderate the event. Allison is the chairman and CEO of BB&T Corporation. Like its leader, the company utilizes philosophical principles and values as guiding forces. A member of the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations, BB&T has more than 28,000 employees and has been recognized as one of America’s “Best Big Companies” on the Forbes Platinum 400 List for six of the last seven years. Marre is the is the co-founder and former president of the Covey Leadership Center where he translated the concepts of 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' into powerful leadership courses taught to over one million executives worldwide. Marre recently received an Emmy Award® for the learning documentary 'Reclaiming Your American Dream.' The event is a Clemson Renaissance Center activity. The Clemson Alliance for Ethics, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship is comprised of The Robert J. Rutland Institute for Ethics, The Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism and The Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Clemson students and faculty, entrepreneurs and members of the business community are all invited to attend. Registration is required to attend the event. For more information, please visit http://business.clemson.edu/Spiro/newsEven.htm.

Clemson Physics Professor Receives Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Clemson University physics professor Terry Tritt has been recognized with the 2008 Governor's Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.

In announcing the award, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said, 'This is a testament to your hard work and outstanding talent as an educator and researcher. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to further scientific research in South Carolina and throughout the world.'

Tritt has received international attention for his study of thermoelectric energy. He says that energy now lost from hot engines could save billions of dollars if it could be captured and converted into electricity. He will be a keynote speaker at the Automotive Industry's Global Powertrain Conference in Chicago in October.

'Thermoelectric energy conversion is a solid-state technology that is environmentally friendly. One of the more promising down-to-earth applications lies in waste-heat recovery in cars and trucks,' said Tritt.

Tritt maintains that more than 60 percent of the energy that goes into an automotive combustion cycle is lost, primarily to waste heat through the exhaust or radiator system.

Clemson research focuses on developing higher-efficiency thermoelectric materials that could increase savings significantly. Research into the electrical and thermal properties of new materials could reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels and has shown promise with two classes of materials: low-dimensional systems for enhanced electrical properties and increased phonon scattering that leads to inherently low thermal conductivity.

Tritt heads up the Department of Energy's Center of Excellence in Thermoelectric Materials Research at Clemson, one of the leading laboratories for thermoelectric materials in the world. The national center focuses on the next generation of thermoelectric materials for power conversion and refrigeration. Researchers in physics, materials science and chemistry screen promising new classes of materials in order to achieve higher-performance thermoelectric materials. DOE has renewed the program with $1.5 million a year in research funding for the next three years. He also has a contract with the Air Force for work on thermoelectric materials development.

The Governor's Award for Excellence in Science honors an individual or team in the state whose achievements and contributions to science in South Carolina merit special recognition and promotes wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina. Earlier this year, Tritt received the Clemson Alumni Award for Research and the College of Engineering and Science Award for Achievement in the Sciences.

Forest Service Presidential Management Fellows Program Seeks Clemson Applicants

Friday, August 22, 2008

The federal Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program is currently offering fellowships to students interested in an exciting career with the Federal Government.

Since 1982, the Forest Service has utilized this great fellowship program to recruit and ultimately hire new employees from a variety of fields including public policy, business management and economics, biology, forestry, natural resource management and law; 12 to 15 were hired per year since 2000 and are stationed across the country holding a variety of positions within the agency. By drawing graduate students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds, the PMF Program provides a continuing source of trained men and women to meet the future challenges of public service.

The PMF program was established by Executive Order in 1977 to attract to the Federal service outstanding men and women from a variety of academic disciplines and career paths who have a clear interest in, and commitment to, excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs.

Applicants can be graduate students from various academic disciplines, but must expect to complete a degree program during the current academic year in order to be eligible. In addition, applicants must demonstrate a breadth and quality of accomplishments, capacity for leadership and a commitment to excellence in the leadership and management of public policies and programs.

For more information about the Forest Service PMF program, including fellowship description, application details and deadlines, visit www.fs.fed.us/fsjobs/pmf/index.html.

Clemson climbs to No. 22 in U.S. News ranking; University also recognized as a 'school to watch'

Friday, August 22, 2008

Clemson University is the 22nd best national public university in the country, according to the annual ranking by U.S.News & World Report. In a new category Clemson also received recognition as a school to watch.

Clemson is No. 2 among national public universities in the 'up and coming' category as 'a college that has recently made striking improvements or innovations--a school everyone should be watching,' according to the magazine.

'It is truly great news for Clemson that we are now ranked No. 22 among national public universities and second on a new list of 'up and coming' institutions,' said Clemson President James F. Barker. 'What this means to our students and alumni is that their Clemson degree is more valuable now than ever. For faculty and staff it means we will continue to recruit great students and be even more competitive for grants and so forth.

'What it means to all of us is that Clemson can work together to achieve anything,' Barker added. 'We set our sights very high, and we are close to making our vision a reality. For that I have to thank all parts of the Clemson family.'

The No. 22 ranking is the university's highest ranking to date. Last year, Clemson was No. 27 among the 164 public, doctoral-granting institutions in the country. The climb in the rank is attributed to improvement in a number of areas at Clemson: the graduation rate has gone up from 75 percent to 78 percent; the freshman retention rate is up from 88 percent to 90 percent; and alumni giving increased from 27 percent to 28 percent. The university has more classes with fewer than 20 students and more freshmen--52 percent--in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.

Clemson's 'Writing Across the Curriculum' initiative once again was singled out. Colleges cited in the 'Writing in the Disciplines' category make writing a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.

Clemson's undergraduate engineering program ranked No. 51 among those at all universities, up from 57 last year.

U.S.News & World Report rankings are based on statistical measures, such as student SAT scores, graduation rates and faculty salaries, as well as a subjective measure of academic reputation. The list of public doctoral-granting institutions ranks universities across the country that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

America's Best Colleges 2009 will be published in the U.S.News & World Report magazine to be on newsstands Monday, Aug. 26.

Clemson climbs to No. 22 in U.S. News ranking; University also recognized as a 'school to watch'

Friday, August 22, 2008

Clemson University is the 22nd best national public university in the country, according to the annual ranking by U.S.News & World Report. In a new category Clemson also received recognition as a school to watch.

Clemson is No. 2 among national public universities in the 'up and coming' category as 'a college that has recently made striking improvements or innovations--a school everyone should be watching,' according to the magazine.

'It is truly great news for Clemson that we are now ranked No. 22 among national public universities and second on a new list of 'up and coming' institutions,' said Clemson President James F. Barker. 'What this means to our students and alumni is that their Clemson degree is more valuable now than ever. For faculty and staff it means we will continue to recruit great students and be even more competitive for grants and so forth.

'What it means to all of us is that Clemson can work together to achieve anything,' Barker added. 'We set our sights very high, and we are close to making our vision a reality. For that I have to thank all parts of the Clemson family.'

The No. 22 ranking is the university's highest ranking to date. Last year, Clemson was No. 27 among the 164 public, doctoral-granting institutions in the country. The climb in the rank is attributed to improvement in a number of areas at Clemson: the graduation rate has gone up from 75 percent to 78 percent; the freshman retention rate is up from 88 percent to 90 percent; and alumni giving increased from 27 percent to 28 percent. The university has more classes with fewer than 20 students and more freshmen--52 percent--in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.

Clemson's 'Writing Across the Curriculum' initiative once again was singled out. Colleges cited in the 'Writing in the Disciplines' category make writing a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.

Clemson's undergraduate engineering program ranked No. 51 among those at all universities, up from 57 last year.

U.S.News & World Report rankings are based on statistical measures, such as student SAT scores, graduation rates and faculty salaries, as well as a subjective measure of academic reputation. The list of public doctoral-granting institutions ranks universities across the country that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

America's Best Colleges 2009 will be published in the U.S.News & World Report magazine to be on newsstands Monday, Aug. 26.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission awards more than $500,000 to Clemson

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has awarded more than $500,000 in grants to Clemson University's environmental engineering and earth sciences department to help broaden the pool of candidates needed in the environmental and safety arena of a burgeoning nuclear industry.

The U.S. NRC Nuclear Education Fellowship Grant is for $398,932, awarded to scientists Timothy DeVol, Robert Fjeld and Brian Powell.

'Because of a renewed interest in nuclear power in this country and the world, this grant will be used for funding graduate students who will become the next-generation nuclear workforce, specifically in radioactive waste disposal, radiochemistry and the environmental aspects of nuclear power generation,' said DeVol. 'Expertise in these areas is a critical issue because of attrition as well as possible expansion of the nuclear power industry. Nuclear power is one part of an integrated approach to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and strive toward energy security.'

The NRC awarded a second grant of $125,151 for nuclear education and curriculum development with a goal of understanding and protecting the public and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation.

'The Nuclear Education and Curriculum Development Grant that we received last year was used to update much needed radiation-detection and measurement equipment for the teaching laboratories,' said DeVol. 'This year, we'll be developing a new course as well as expanding another course with advanced portable radiation spectroscopy systems that will be purchased with the grant. Grants like these keep our students at the cutting edge of technology but with a fundamental understanding of the underlying principles.'

The Nuclear Environmental Engineering and Science (NEES) program is a graduate-only academic program established in the 1980s within the department of environmental engineering and earth sciences at Clemson. It is a combination of classroom and laboratory instruction and research. The NEES program focuses on the environmental aspects of nuclear technologies, including environmental health physics, radioactive waste processing, environmental risk assessment, environmental radioactivity, radiation detection and measurement, environmental radiochemistry and environmental remediation.

For additional details, go to www.ces.clemson.edu/eees/programareas.htm.

Clemson opens 116th academic year with Victor Hurst Convocation

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Faculty and staff at Clemson University were encouraged to nurture their spirit for research and discovery as they began the 116th academic year at the university Tuesday.

Lynn K. Pershing, professor emeritus in the department of dermatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, delivered the keynote address 'Process and Communication: Pillars to Expediting Discovery into Commercialization' at the Victor Hurst Convocation at Clemson.

'There are several key elements to successfully taking an idea through research and to application,' said Pershing, who has more than 25 years of experience in academic medicine. 'Don't limit yourself. Take unexplored paths.

'Also find your passion and be at the right place at the right time,' she added.

Pershing's passion and persistence led to a patented device that, when placed on a mole or other superficial skin mark, can detect with accuracy almost equal to that of a traditional biopsy whether or not a skin mark is cancerous without the invasiveness of surgery.

'I was stubborn enough to make my own path,' Pershing said. 'Researchers should be willing to take calculated risks and look into new funding methods. The road less traveled is less competitive and can provide more opportunity.'

'Clemson is a place where intellectual development goes hand in hand with research and economic development,' President James F. Barker said in his address to the convocation. 'We believe research and education must co-exist, must reinforce each other. They must be in balance.'

Clemson professor Robin Kowalski received the Prince Award for Innovation in Teaching at the convocation. The annual award is named for Clemson President Emeritus Philip Prince and recognizes outstanding teachers who demonstrate creative and novel teaching methods in the classroom.

Kowalski is a psychology professor whose research into bullying and cyber bullying has been quoted and studied worldwide. She has degrees in psychology from Furman University, Wake Forest and UNC-Greensboro.

In 2005 Kowalski received Clemson's Mentoring Award of Distinction, the College of Business and Behavioral Science Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Psi Chi Teaching Award.

Noted newsman, USC communications school dean to speak at Clemson

Monday, August 18, 2008

University of South Carolina communications dean and veteran CNN correspondent Charles Bierbauer will present 'Saturation Point: The Multimedia Tsunami of Election 2008' at Clemson in September.

Bierbauer kicks off the Calhoun Lecture Series on Sept. 9 at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on the Clemson University campus. His presentation begins at 7:30 p.m. and the public is welcome to attend. There is no charge for presentation.

Bierbauer will speak about how the public has gained its information, including the significantly increased impact of the Internet on the upcoming election.

Bierbauer became the first dean of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies when it was created in 2002. He came to the University of South Carolina after an award-winning, globetrotting journalism career.

From 1981 to 2001, Bierbauer was a correspondent for CNN in Washington. For nine years, he covered the Reagan and Bush administrations as CNN's senior White House correspondent. He joined CNN as its Pentagon correspondent, covered five presidential campaigns from 1984 to 2000, and spent five terms as the network's Supreme Court correspondent.

This year's Calhoun Lecture Series will be the first since the death of Dr. William H. Hunter, a devoted founder of the program. Dr. Hunter believed that it was vital to a rigorous education that students be exposed to provocative, thoughtful views by bringing nationally and internationally recognized figures to campus to be challenging and challenged in a lively exchanges of ideas.

Clemson scientists put a (nano) spring in their step

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Electronic devices get smaller and more complex every year. It turns out that fragility is the price for miniaturization, especially when it comes to small devices, such as cell phones, hitting the floor. Wouldn't it be great if they bounced instead of cracked when dropped?

A team of Clemson University researchers, led by Apparao Rao, professor of physics, has invented a way to make beds of tiny, shock-absorbing carbon springs which possibly could be used to protect delicate objects from damaging impacts. With collaborators at the University of California at San Diego, the team has shown that layers of these tiny springs called coiled carbon nanotubes, each a thousand times smaller than a human hair, can act as extremely resilient shock absorbers.

The corresponding scalebar is in the unit of 1 micrometer (a millionth of a meter) and a nanometer (a billionth of a meter).

Similar coiled carbon nanotubes have been made before, yet Clemson researchers say this method is unique since beds of coiled carbon nanotubes can be grown in a single step using a proprietary hydrocarbon-catalyst mixture.

The group also envisions coiled nanotubes in soldiers body armor, car bumpers and bushings and even as cushioning elements in shoe soles.

'The problem we have faced in the past is producing enough of these coiled carbon nanotubes at a reasonable cost to make a difference,' said Rao. 'Because our current method produces coiled nanotubes quickly in high yield, it can be readily scaled up to industrial levels. After formation, the coiled nanotubes can be peeled off in one piece and placed on other surfaces to form instant cushioning coatings.'

In earlier studies, Rao and his team, along with UCSD collaborators, tested more conventional straight carbon nanotubes against coil-shaped nanotubes. When a stainless steel ball was dropped onto a single nanotube layer, the coiled nanotubes completely recovered from the impact, while the straight ones did not.

'It's like an egg toss,' said Rao. 'If you move your hand backward as you catch the egg and increase the time of contact over which the impact occurs, the impact will be less forceful and the egg will not break. It is the same phenomenon experienced in catching a baseball.'

In previous work, Rao's group developed a process that coaxes a traditionally straight carbon nanotube to split into a 'Y' shape. When powered by electrical voltages, the Y-branched nanotubes behave like tiny switches or transistors that process information.

'Our studies with carbon nanotubes have been ongoing for quite some time,' said Rao. 'Each step along the way has led to the next breakthrough, and each time we've learned more about how they grow and what their applications could be. We believe that carbon nanotubes have tremendous potential for the lives of each one of us.'

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in physics, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Physics.

Master Planners Selected for the Clemson University Restoration Institute

Monday, August 11, 2008

Part of the former Charleston Navy base is moving toward its new mission: a high-tech research center for Clemson University.

The university has selected Burt Hill Inc., a planning, architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Washington, to develop a master plan for the Clemson University Restoration Institute.

Burt Hill is highly regarded for its experience and qualifications, ranging from architecture and master planning to ecological restoration and economic development. Thirteen teams submitted qualification statements for this project.

Selecting a master planner is a significant step in a process that will transform a brownfield site into an 86-acre state-of-the-art park, said Alan Godfrey, the Restoration Institute’s director of real estate and financial affairs.

Burt Hill’s team will work closely with university faculty and staff to develop an inter-disciplinary research park that encompasses the Restoration Institute’s six focus areas: advanced materials, methods and processes; community revitalization; historic preservation and materials conservation; renewable energy; resilient infrastructure; and restoration ecology.

'Burt Hill will help lay the foundations of what will be an innovative campus in North Charleston,' Godfrey said. 'This planning process is just the beginning.'

Planning and initial design work is expected to take about a year to complete.

Burt Hill previously worked with the Noisette Co. at the Navy base. The Clemson site will involve partnerships with local and national firms to help develop the master plan.

Davis & Floyd of North Charleston will address issues related to civil engineering, land surveying, site utilities and cost estimating. DesignWorks of Charleston will assist with site planning and landscape architecture.

More specialized firms, such as Tidewater Environmental of John’s Island and Washington-based ERA Associates, will deal with business market analysis and ecological restoration, respectively.

Harry Gordon, Burt Hill’s chairman and chief operating officer, said he is proud the company was selected to develop the North Charleston campus.

'Clemson’s leadership in research that enhances the restoration economy fits perfectly with Burt Hill’s business direction and we are excited to be a part of the institute's endeavors in defining its campus,' Gordon said.

In addition to Burt Hill, in July, Mount Pleasant-based architectural firm McKellar & Associates was chosen to renovate the first two buildings that will become key elements of the Institute.

McKellar will provide design services to transform a former Navy barracks, known as Building 658, and the historic Building 590A — the former U.S. Coast Guard station — into modern facilities. The two buildings were built in 1964 and 1934, respectively.

The Restoration Institute is the first formal academic organization focused on the restoration economy, bringing together experts and researchers and to drive economic growth through restoration industries and technology.

When developed, the site will offer laboratories and facilities for public-private partnerships, research and development outlets involved in restoration processes and Clemson research and graduate education.

For more information on the Restoration Institute and the North Charleston Research Park, go to www.clemson.edu/restoration.

Clemson Mechanical Engineering Alumnus Establishes Endowment

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

David A. Brown, P.E., a 1966 mechanical engineering graduate of Clemson University, has established a $100,000 endowment for the department. The David A. Brown ’66 Endowed Scholar Position will provide support for an outstanding mechanical engineering faculty member in the College of Engineering and Science.

“Clemson has always been known for the quality of its undergraduate teachers,” said Brown. “Having spent time at Clemson as a married student where both of us earned our degrees and paid for our education, we experienced the caring nature of the faculty and the local Clemson family. This has prompted my desire to give back to Clemson in a manner that supports the faculty.”

“The generosity of Mr. Brown is greatly appreciated. Such endowments enable us to attract and retain faculty members of the highest caliber,” said mechanical engineering department chairman Imtiaz Haque. “And of course top faculty make a tremendous difference in the education of our students.”

Brown serves on the Clemson University Foundation board and is an active member of the nominations and finance committees. He is a past member of the Alumni National Council and earned a master’s degree from the University of Florida in nuclear engineering. His company, United Mechanical Corp., a mechanical contractor serving both the commercial and industrial markets in the Carolinas, is located in Charlotte.

Clemson Featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education

Monday, July 28, 2008

Clemson University’s goal to be a top-20 public university without sacrificing educational quality is the subject of an article in the latest issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

The article by Chronicle staff writer Paul Fain focuses on Clemson’s cautious but strategic approach to reaching that goal – something he says is unusual in higher education.

The article, “Clemson U. Balances Growth With Focus/A public institution nurtures strength, avoids trendy new programs,” is being published in the July 25 of the Chronicle and is posted online at http://chronicle.com/weekly/v54/i46/46a00102.htm.

Fain writes that Clemson is staying true to its roots as an agricultural college while focusing on eight academic emphasis areas, research and technology. He also writes about the administration’s desire to maintain the size of its student body, recruit top-notch students and its mission to improve the state’s economy.

Fain conducted interviews for the article when he visited the campus this spring. He became interested in writing about Clemson after meeting with Barker when he was on a trip to Washington, where the Chronicle is based.

Clemson Hires Industry Leader as Fourth Endowed Chair for CU-ICAR Automotive Engineering Program

Monday, July 28, 2008

A leader in the complex field of automotive systems integration will join the Clemson University faculty as BMW Endowed Chair in Systems Integration in the automotive engineering graduate program at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Paul VenhovensPaul Venhovens comes to the university from BMW’s Research and Development headquarters in Munich, Germany, where he worked in the field of systems integration since joining the company in 1995. He most recently served as the leader for Functional Concept Design for the 1 and 3 series with responsibility for functional design and integration of vehicle safety, NVH (noise/vibration/harshness), durability, performance, fuel economy and vehicle dynamics.

Imtiaz Haque, Clemson’s mechanical engineering department chairman, to whom Venhovens will report, said the university’s decision process for this position was the most challenging of the four CU-ICAR-related chairs funded by the state and private investors in 2003 as part of the S.C. Centers of Economic Excellence program.

'Systems integration is the unique focus, one might say the ‘brand’ of CU-ICAR research and education efforts,' Haque said. 'The graduate engineering program is designed to meet the complex needs of the worldwide automotive industry and ultimately of consumers by conducting cutting-edge research into the process of integrating the many systems and people that result in the automobile of today and of the future.

'It was essential that we find an individual with both academic and industry perspective to lead our team, to provide our students with a depth of understanding of both academic and industry environments and to deliver on the promise that CU-ICAR will be the premier automotive and motorsports research and educational facility in the world. In our five-year search, Dr. Venhovens stood out as the candidate who clearly fulfills our needs. We are very excited about the broad range of experience he brings to the program.'

In addition to Venhovens, the other CU-ICAR endowed chairs include Tom Kurfess, BMW Endowed Chair in Manufacturing and director of the Carroll A. Campbell Graduate Engineering Center at CU-ICAR (hired in 2005); John Ziegert, Timken Endowed Chair in Automotive Design and Development (hired in 2006); and Todd Hubing, Michelin Endowed Chair in Vehicular Electronic Systems Integration (hired in 2007).

Venhovens received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 1993 from Delft University of Technology in his home country of the Netherlands. Before joining BMW, he conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the area of simulation and control design for ITS (lane departure warning and control) applications.

At BMW his experiences ranged from supervising research projects in Driver Assistance Systems and software engineering at such major universities as Stanford, UMTRI and the University of California-Berkeley, to developing new methods of testing and software tools for functional integration of BIW (literally body-in-white, refers to the basic steel vehicle frame before any components are added), chassis and drivelines to mitigate noise, vibration and harshness.

Tom Kurfess, who chaired the search committee that recommended Venhovens for the position, said he and faculty colleagues welcome the perspective Venhovens brings.

'The concept of this program, with a campus that includes both academic and industry partners in daily contact, offers students, faculty and our partners the best of both worlds,' Kurfess said. 'Adding Dr. Venhovens — with his impressive automotive-industry experience — to the Clemson team gives us additional strength in educating the automotive engineers of the future. We welcome his expertise and believe his presence will attract many young researchers to our program.'

Clemson Hires Industry Leader as Fourth Endowed Chair for CU-ICAR Automotive Engineering Program

Monday, July 28, 2008

A leader in the complex field of automotive systems integration will join the Clemson University faculty as BMW Endowed Chair in Systems Integration in the automotive engineering graduate program at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Paul VenhovensPaul Venhovens comes to the university from BMW’s Research and Development headquarters in Munich, Germany, where he worked in the field of systems integration since joining the company in 1995. He most recently served as the leader for Functional Concept Design for the 1 and 3 series with responsibility for functional design and integration of vehicle safety, NVH (noise/vibration/harshness), durability, performance, fuel economy and vehicle dynamics.

Imtiaz Haque, Clemson’s mechanical engineering department chairman, to whom Venhovens will report, said the university’s decision process for this position was the most challenging of the four CU-ICAR-related chairs funded by the state and private investors in 2003 as part of the S.C. Centers of Economic Excellence program.

'Systems integration is the unique focus, one might say the ‘brand’ of CU-ICAR research and education efforts,' Haque said. 'The graduate engineering program is designed to meet the complex needs of the worldwide automotive industry and ultimately of consumers by conducting cutting-edge research into the process of integrating the many systems and people that result in the automobile of today and of the future.

'It was essential that we find an individual with both academic and industry perspective to lead our team, to provide our students with a depth of understanding of both academic and industry environments and to deliver on the promise that CU-ICAR will be the premier automotive and motorsports research and educational facility in the world. In our five-year search, Dr. Venhovens stood out as the candidate who clearly fulfills our needs. We are very excited about the broad range of experience he brings to the program.'

In addition to Venhovens, the other CU-ICAR endowed chairs include Tom Kurfess, BMW Endowed Chair in Manufacturing and director of the Carroll A. Campbell Graduate Engineering Center at CU-ICAR (hired in 2005); John Ziegert, Timken Endowed Chair in Automotive Design and Development (hired in 2006); and Todd Hubing, Michelin Endowed Chair in Vehicular Electronic Systems Integration (hired in 2007).

Venhovens received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 1993 from Delft University of Technology in his home country of the Netherlands. Before joining BMW, he conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) in Ann Arbor, Mich., in the area of simulation and control design for ITS (lane departure warning and control) applications.

At BMW his experiences ranged from supervising research projects in Driver Assistance Systems and software engineering at such major universities as Stanford, UMTRI and the University of California-Berkeley, to developing new methods of testing and software tools for functional integration of BIW (literally body-in-white, refers to the basic steel vehicle frame before any components are added), chassis and drivelines to mitigate noise, vibration and harshness.

Tom Kurfess, who chaired the search committee that recommended Venhovens for the position, said he and faculty colleagues welcome the perspective Venhovens brings.

'The concept of this program, with a campus that includes both academic and industry partners in daily contact, offers students, faculty and our partners the best of both worlds,' Kurfess said. 'Adding Dr. Venhovens — with his impressive automotive-industry experience — to the Clemson team gives us additional strength in educating the automotive engineers of the future. We welcome his expertise and believe his presence will attract many young researchers to our program.'

Clemson Announces $79.5 Million in Private Gifts for 2007-2008

Monday, July 28, 2008

Private gifts to Clemson University totaled $79.5 million in the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

The total includes $58.5 million given to the Clemson University Foundation to support academics and $21 million to IPTAY.

The foundation received $38.5 million in cash, $4.58 million in pledges and $2.65 million in gifts-in-kind. These totals include $4.6 million raised for athletic capital projects. Clemson also added $12.8 million to its inventory of planned gifts.

Clemson saw an increase in alumni donations, with 28.5 percent making gifts. This percentage continues to keep Clemson ranked among the top in the country in alumni participation. Alumni gave a total of $11.5 million to the Clemson University Foundation, a 20 percent increase over last year’s amount.

“We are very grateful to our donors for their support of our students, our faculty, our facilities and for helping to enhance the overall Clemson experience,” said Brian O’Rourke, director of development and alumni affairs. “Their investments are making a difference every single day on our campus.”

The number of corporations making gifts to Clemson also is on the rise, with 1,051 corporations giving to the university, up from 842 last year.

Highlights of the year include a $1 million gift from Milton and Betty Holcombe of Dallas for the Milton W. Holcombe Electrical and Computer Engineering Department; $1.5 million from Carolina First, given through The South Financial Group Foundation, for a gallery at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research; $1 million from AdvanceSC and $1 million from Duke Energy for an advanced materials innovation center; a building and land valued at $1.6 million from Michael Cheezem and family that will house the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI); $1 million from the Osher Endowment to support OLLI; and $1.25 million from Sam and Patricia Deal of Holden Beach, N.C., to support research on alternative energy.

IPTAY, which raises money for athletic scholarships, raised $21,018,962, an increase of $5.6 million over last year, due in part to the new seat-equity plan.

“Our donors are our most valuable asset. We recognize this fact and sincerely thank them for their benevolence. Supporting student-athletes is a great way to support Clemson and to impact the life of another human being,' said Bill D’Andrea, senior associate athletic director for external affairs. “The seat-equity plan was not designed or implemented to raise more revenue, but rather to ensure equity among our donors and their eligibility for seating and parking. The competitive element of this process reflects the competitive spirit of athletics, while also providing increasing revenue streams to support our individual student-athletes. Our donors continue to support our student-athletes and our main purpose.”

IPTAY’s membership stands at 16,256, a slight increase from last year.

“The fact that our membership has increased speaks a great deal to our donors’ devotion, loyalty and passion for Clemson,” said D’Andrea.

IPTAY is the oldest athletic fundraising organization of its kind in the country and will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year.

EPA names Clemson a Center of Excellence for Watershed Management in South Carolina

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Clemson University has been recognized as a Center of Excellence for Watershed Management by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is only the third such center to be designated in the Southeast and the first center in the nation that focuses on using remotely sensed monitoring data, enabling scientists to collect and analyze information through this type of data network.

Students use water column to calibrate instruments.Clemson officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the EPA and the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) during a ceremony on the university campus. The center is part of Clemson University’s Restoration Institute.

'This designation recognizes our shared commitment to restore and protect South Carolina’s watersheds,' said Jim Giattina, EPA Region 4 Water Management Division director. 'EPA and our partners, like Clemson and S.C. DHEC, are taking a broader approach to managing water resources by looking at watersheds more holistically.'

'The Restoration Institute’s work in protecting South Carolina watersheds is vital to our future,' said Clemson Vice President John Kelly. 'This center can be an important resource for local governments, industries and community groups who recognize the need for a comprehensive approach to water management.'

Students construct a flume to measure stream flows.Gene Eidson, director of Clemson Restoration Institute’s ecology program, said the center will provide innovative resources to support development of cost-effective watershed management for communities throughout the state.

'At this challenging time for water resources, we are very excited about the additional coordinated resources such a center will bring to our watersheds,' said Eidson. 'We’re committed to connecting graduate students and additional resources directly to watersheds where the groundwork is being done.'

The center is taking a leadership role in water resources and watershed issues in South Carolina and is developing strong partnerships with other institutions and agencies. An example of this commitment is organizing a statewide water resources conference Oct. 14-15 at the Charleston Area Convention Center.

Installing instruments to measure stream water levels.'S.C. DHEC is very excited to be part of this MOU. The Center for Watershed Excellence is the first of its kind in South Carolina, and we as an agency believe it will increase awareness and facilitate improvement in water quality across the state,' said David Wilson, DHEC Water Bureau chief. 'The center will provide excellent resources to various stakeholder groups, regulated entities, academia and any other parties interested in maintaining and improving water quality in South Carolina. We believe that this agreement is a testament to our commitment to working collaboratively to protect and restore water bodies throughout South Carolina.'

One of the major projects being developed by the Clemson center is the cyber infrastructure-based digital watershed.

'Having real-time data to monitor environmental characteristics - water quality, storm-water runoff, even tree growth - from any Internet access point can improve watershed management,' said Eidson. 'This system of remote sensors will provide real-time information to the public, scientists and professional environmental managers. The system will provide hands-on practical information to help promote objective, science-based discussions about economic growth and the environment. For South Carolina to prosper, both economics and ecology must be considered together and ultimately shift the paradigm of river management.'

Measuring to deploy a water-quality sensor.The university awarded a $1.5 million grant to the Center for Watershed Excellence to develop the cyber platform and four demonstration projects. These projects include real-time monitoring of 215 miles of the Savannah River watershed, a low-impact development project in Georgetown County that is part of the Program of Integrated Study for Coastal Environmental Sustainability, a small watershed project at Lake Issaqueena in the Clemson Forest in Pickens County. Another is a segment of the Saluda River Watershed in Greenville County that is part of the Changing Land Use and the Environment program. The cyber-infrastructure network will be in place and online by October 2008. The platform will host regional projects, watershed group projects and other resources.

In addition to the digital watershed program, the center is working with the City of Aiken, S.C., and Hitchcock Woods Foundation to formulate an ecological restoration master plan for the Sand River. This plan will describe the existing ecological conditions and prioritize individual restoration and remediation projects for the area.

Another project is the Pickens County Strategic Water Supply Plan. This project brings together all water-supply groups in Pickens County to formulate a 20-year plan to address population growth and water needs.

To become a recognized Center of Excellence, the institution must demonstrate technical expertise in identifying and addressing watershed needs; involve students, staff and faculty in watershed research; have the capability to involve the full suite of disciplines needed for all aspects of watershed management; be able to become financially self-sustaining; deliver and account for results; be willing to partner with other institutions; and receive support from the highest levels of the organization.

Some of the benefits of being a recognized Center of Excellence include receiving EPA technical assistance where needed (from instructors, speakers, etc); being able to promote the Center of Excellence to stakeholders; having EPA letters of support for grant opportunities; and identifying opportunities for Center of Excellence involvement in local and regional watershed issues.

For decades, the EPA protected the nation’s lakes, rivers and wetlands by regulating specific points of pollution; the most common of these being sewage treatment plants and factories. Although this approach led to the successful cleanup of many waterways, others still remain polluted from sources not as easily regulated, such as more subtle sources include farms, streets, parking lots, lawns, rooftops and other surfaces that come in contact with rainwater. Today, the EPA takes a broader approach to water protection, looking at both the individual waterway and the watershed in which it is located.

Started in 2007, the EPA Region 4 Centers of Excellence for Watershed Management Program works with colleges and universities from across the Southeast to provide hands-on, practical products and services for communities to identify watershed problems and solve them. Each EPA-designated center actively seeks out watershed-based stakeholder groups and local governments that need cost-effective tools for watershed scientific studies, engineering designs and computer mapping, as well as assistance with legal issues, project management, public education and planning.

The Clemson center has formed partnerships with groups across the state, including: Coastal Carolina University; the College of Charleston; the Medical University of South Carolina, biomedicine and environmental sciences; the University of South Carolina School of the Environment; NOAA-Hollings Marine Laboratory and Coastal Service Center; the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Water Bureau and Ocean and Coastal Resource Management; the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Hydrology and Marine Research; and the USDA Forest Service. The center also is teaming up with other groups at Clemson University, including Computing and Information Technology and the Genomics Institute.

For more information on the Center for Watershed Excellence at Clemson University: www.clemson.edu/restoration/ecology/.

For more information on EPA priority watersheds in the Southeast: www.epa.gov/region4/water/watersheds/priority.html.

Student Insurance Plan Upgrades Announced

Monday, July 07, 2008

The insurance plan available to graduate students for the coming academic year will feature three upgrades sought by the Graduate Student Government. The pharmacy benefit has increased to $1,000 per year; the dental benefit includes two cleanings per year; and a $300 wellness benefit are now included.

Clemson University requires all full-time (9 hours or more), on-campus graduate students to have health insurance coverage. All international graduate students are required to have health insurance, as well.

Students with assistantships recieve a subsidy to pay most of the cost of the student insurance plan.

For more information on the new plan visit:
Student Insurance Plan

Gartner Receives Award from Top Business Journal

Friday, June 27, 2008

Dr. William (Bill) Gartner, Spiro Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership and professor of management in the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson University, received an Outstanding Reviewer Award for 2008 for his service to the Journal of Business Venturing.

The Journal of Business Venturing is the eleventh most influential journal in the business category of the Social Science Citation Index, which measures the scholarly importance of journals. “Our success depends on the quality of our reviewers and among our well-qualified, talented pool, Bill was one of our truly top reviewers. We very much appreciate his service,” said Dean A. Shepherd, Randall L. Tobias Chair in Entrepreneurial Leadership at the Kelley School of Business (Indiana University) and associate editor of the Journal of Business Venturing.

According to Shepherd, over and above being thorough, Gartner was also fair. His reviews contained a balance between general and detailed comments. These comments also pointed out current problems and deficiencies as well as specific suggestions for improving the manuscript. His suggestions were specific on how the authors could improve the paper and bring it closer to publication. 'Dr. Gartner is one of our most distinguished scholars, having been recognized internationally for excellence in research. This recent recognition is evidence of his role as a thought leader who gives of his time to advance the study of entrepreneurship,” said Dr. Caron St. John, associate dean of graduate programs and research in the College of Business and Behavioral Science.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in managment, visit http://www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Management/index.php

Clemson urban planning program ranked among nation's best

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs ranks Clemson University's program among the best in the nation.

Clemson is ranked seventh in the nation among programs that do not offer a PhD, and 10th in the South among all graduate programs.

The city and regional planning program at Clemson is offered through the department of planning and landscape architecture. The professional master's degree program emphasizes sustainable land development while recognizing the balance of physical, economic, financial, social and policy dimensions of planning. Students pursue specializations in areas such as development planning, environmental and land-use planning, urban design and transportation planning.

Other non-PhD programs ranked highly by Planetizen include California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and California State Polytechnic University in Pomona in the No. 1 and 2 spots, followed by University at Buffalo-State University of New York, University of Minnesota, Michigan State University and University of Virginia.

Among a 14-state Southern region, Clemson's program ranked 10th, in company with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

Clemson University also has one of the 10 best graduate programs in historic preservation, according to Planetizen, which listed Clemson, Columbia University, Cornell and the University of Southern California among the 10 best. The institutions were not ranked by number in that category. Also, Clemson was No. 4 in a ranking of financial aid per student.

'We are pleased with the company we are keeping with increased national recognition for the program,' said James B. London, who was director of the graduate program until his recent appointment as associate dean for research and graduate studies. 'We are proud to deliver a program that prepares professionals who lead communities into the future.'

Planetizen enlisted the help of a professional opinion research firm to survey hundreds of professionals, educators and students to produce the 2009 Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs.

Planetizen is a news and information resource for the urban planning, design and development community. The Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs is published by Planetizen Press, a division of Urban Insight Inc.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in city and regional planning, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CRP/index.php.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in historic preservation, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/HistPres/index.php.

Clemson bioengineers inducted as fellows in prestigious societies

Friday, June 20, 2008

Two Clemson bioengineers have been inducted as fellows in biological engineering societies.

Clemson University bioengineer Martine LaBerge has been inducted as a Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering at the World Biomaterials Congress in Amsterdam.

The international honor is reserved for accomplished members and role models in the field of biomaterials science and engineering.

In addition to being professor and chairwoman of the department of bioengineering at Clemson, LaBerge is president of the Society for Biomaterials. The organization is a professional society that promotes advances in all phases of materials research and development through cooperative educational programs, clinical applications and professional standards in the biomaterials field.

Her current research projects include the investigation of the wear performance of total knee-joint replacements, total knee-joint design and dynamic contact mechanics, as well as the mechanisms of friction, lubrication and wear of vascular implants.

Also in the department of bioengineering, Shalaby W. Shalaby, adjunct professor, was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. He was recognized for his pioneering role and innovation in the field of polymeric medical devices.

The College of Fellows consists of outstanding bioengineers in academia, industry and government. These leaders in the field have distinguished themselves through their contributions in research, industrial practice and education. The College of Fellows leads the way in technological advancement, advocating for public policies facilitating progress in medical and biological research and development to benefit the public. Since 1991, AIMBE Fellows have helped to revolutionize medicine, engineering and related fields that enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in bioengineering, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Bioeng/index.php.

Call for Presentations: Seventh National Conference on Best Practices in Black Student Achievement

Thursday, June 19, 2008

The Seventh National Conference on Best Practices in Black Student Achievement will be held on January 25-27, 2009 and is accepting presentation proposals until July 7, 2008.

This conference offers a 'how-to' approach that focuses on the nuts and bolts of programs with a proven record of success. It consistently attracts many of the country's top leaders and advocates for black students. You are encouraged to attend and/or send in a proposal to be one of this year's featured speakers.

Share your expertise. Present Clemon's best-practice programs that help African-American students succeed.

To learn more about the conference or how to submit a proposal, visit www.clemson.edu/bestpractices.

CU-ICAR partners with Okuma, Morris South to support automotive engineering education and research

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Clemson University and Okuma America Corp. announced a partnership that includes investments by Okuma and Morris South, Machine Tool Systems of $1.5 million in the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR).

Consignment of $1.1 million of Okuma machine tools and $400,000 in training and support from Morris South will benefit post graduate-level education and research in areas that include automotive, industrial automation, production launches and proposal development.

Okuma America Corp. is the US-based affiliate of Okuma Corp., a world leader in the development of computer numeric controls and machining technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Okuma and regional distributor Morris South will provide equipment and support services for the automotive engineering research and graduate education programs in the Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center (CGEC), the academic anchor for CU-ICAR. Okuma also will provide an annual internship with the company for a student enrolled in the automotive engineering graduate program.

CGEC Director Tom Kurfess announced the first Okuma intern, Chan Wong, already is working in the company's US headquarters in Charlotte, NC. He noted that with locations throughout the world, Okuma offers students outstanding internship opportunities.

Instead of donating specific equipment, Okuma is providing state-of-the-art equipment in a consignment agreement that will continuously upgrade equipment for new versions as improvements are made. The arrangement also enables the CU-ICAR team to effectively tailor their capabilities to meet industry needs by working with Okuma to identify and provide the best possible equipment for newly initiated research and education projects.

'Okuma is committed to making sure our students and faculty have access to the latest technology,' Kurfess said. 'They have allowed us to avoid obsolescence, one of the biggest problems we face in terms of equipment. We do not have to dispose of or replace equipment; they will update as new generations of this machinery become available. The assurance that they will be working on the latest equipment from one of the world's most outstanding machine tool companies is extremely important for our current and potential students, and it is also important for those who will be hiring our graduates. We are very grateful for the very generous terms of this agreement.'

The Okuma equipment will be used in both research and education programs, according to Kurfess. Research applications will include machining, metrology and machine-integration research projects--such as National Science Foundation and US Army machining projects--as well as serving as available resources for developing new proposals. The equipment will be integrated directly with graduate engineering classes such as automotive manufacturing processes, production preparation and launch and industrial automation. The faculty will use the equipment to provide demonstrations and data to reinforce class concepts.

After spending many years in the automotive industry, Bob Kral, vice president of operations for Okuma America, sees extensive value in automotive industry research.

'As a car guy, I know how important it is to find those new innovations that break through the technological barriers we are particularly facing now in the domestic market. Okuma appreciates the opportunity to be a part of a premier global initiative that supports research for advanced manufacturing and promotes higher learning.'

Kurfess said the partnership with Okuma and Morris South will improve the automotive engineering graduate program significantly by providing practical reinforcement of modeling and control concepts.

'It improves our capabilities to enable research in advanced machining and machining control areas, which is critical to automotive manufacturing,' he said. 'Through the expert support the companies will provide students will also interact with some of the machine tool industry's top control-system developers. Additionally, domestic and international internships are a critical part of our graduate program, and this partnership offers our students tremendous opportunity. We look forward to working with these outstanding companies.'

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in automotive engineering, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/AutoEng/index.php.

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Okuma America Corp.
As a world leader in the development of computer numeric controls and machining technology, Okuma machines are known for their power, control, reliability and repeatability. Okuma offers vertical and horizontal machining centers, lathes, double-column machining centers, grinders and wheel machines to meet a wide range of industry needs.

Located in Charlotte, Okuma America is the US-based affiliate of Okuma Corp. which was founded in 1898 in Nagoya, Japan. Okuma builds machines that have the balance of power, speed and size to meet most any application--machines that can hold tight tolerances, perform sophisticated cuts and create precision-crafted parts. Only Okuma engineers and builds each component on every machine, including the Automatic Tool Changer, motor/drive/encoder, base casting, turret, spindle and the Microsoft Windows-based THINC-OSP control with its 40 GB open architecture plug-and-play capability.

Providing superior service and support through the Okuma CARE program, 44 distributor partners also provide One Source sales, service, training, engineering and more throughout North and South America. Okuma initiated Partners in THINC to meet the evolving needs of industry as a one-stop facility and concept. More than 30 collaborating partners from ABB to Zoller work under the same roof to provide advanced-technology solutions to customers.

Visit www.okuma.com or www.partnersinthinc.com for more information.

Morris South
Located in Charlotte, Morris South, Machine Tool Systems has been serving Southeast manufacturers for more than 25 years. Morris South, Machine Tool Systems offers the full line of Okuma products; fully automated turnkey solutions, manual lathes, mills, electronic lathes, transfer equipment and CMMs. Visit www.morrissouth.com for more information.

CU-ICAR
The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research is an advanced-technology research campus where university, industry and government organizations engage in synergistic collaboration. With more than $200 million in commitments, it represents the ultimate public-private partnership, directly fueling a knowledge base critical to the automotive industry.

CU-ICAR is strategically located in the rapidly growing southeastern automotive and motorsports region. The 250-acre campus in Greenville, SC, is midway between Charlotte and Atlanta on the Interstate 85 corridor. This is where Clemson University offers the nation’s only PhD in automotive engineering, contributing to the University's continued climb in national reputation. For more information, visit www.cuicar.com.

Clemson's Habitat for Humanity named Campus Chapter of the Year

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Clemson University's Habitat for Humanity chapter has been named Campus Chapter of the Year by Habitat for Humanity International.

Clemson's chapter was selected for its strong relationship with the Pickens County Habitat for Humanity affiliate and for being a leader in green building practices.

Last year the chapter sponsored a design contest with Clemson's Emerging Green Builders as a service-learning project for architecture, landscape architecture and construction science students. Students designed environmentally friendly houses, and the winning design, named 'Green House,' was constructed at 101 Zion Street in Easley. The chapter now is working on a house that will apply for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. That house is under construction at 225 Stephens Road in Clemson. It will be the first Habitat house in South Carolina to be LEED certified.

'This award is certainly a testament to the dedication of Clemson students to provide affordable housing to the local community. I am honored to be a part of this enthusiastic group of student leaders who do not settle for mediocrity,' said Chelsea Reighard, 2007-2008 president of Habitat for Humanity at Clemson and a Clemson native who graduated in May with degrees in genetics and language and international health.

The award comes with a $20,000 grant that the chapter can use to participate in a Global Village trip to another country.

'This grant will allow our chapter to reach beyond our corner of South Carolina and give Clemson students an opportunity to fulfill Habitat for Humanity's mission in an international setting,' Reighard said.

The LEED house will be the chapter's 27th house. The chapter has built more houses than any other campus Habitat for Humanity chapter in the nation.

Clemson's Habitat for Humanity chapter also was honored this year by Clemson's community service office with the Outstanding Service Collaboration Award for its partnerships with the Pickens County Habitat for Humanity chapter and YouthBuild, a local organization that works with high school dropouts.

For more information about Clemson's chapter of Habitat for Humanity, please visit http://people.clemson.edu/~habitat.

Liska to head construction science and management

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Roger W. Liska has been tapped to chair the construction science and management department in Clemson University's College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.

Liska has more than 35 years of experience in construction and construction education, including 23 at Clemson University. He chaired the department once before and returned to the faculty to serve as director of its Center for the Improvement of Construction Management and Processes, a position he still holds.

Dean Clifton S.M. 'Chip' Egan awarded the post to Liska again after a university committee conducted a national search.

Liska has developed and taught more than 300 continuing education courses for the construction industry worldwide, including in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and China. He helped develop and currently facilitates and teaches in the Supervisor and Project Manager Academies in conjunction with the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

The professor is the author of numerous books, articles and research reports on management, education, safety and training in the construction industry. Liska chairs the board of governors for the American Institute of Construction Constructors Certification Commission. He is past national president of both the American Institute of Constructors and the American Council for Construction Education and serves on the boards of both organizations. He is co-founder of the Construction Industry Cooperative Alliance and is a Fellow in the American Institute of Constructors, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Building in the United Kingdom.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in construction science and management, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CSM/index.php.

Clemson supercomputing power ranks 62nd among sites in the world

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Clemson University has made its first appearance on the list of the top 500 supercomputing sites in the world, debuting at number 62.

The 31st edition of the TOP500 list was released Wednesday at the International Supercomputing Conference in Dresden, Germany. Since 1993, the list has been produced twice a year and is the most extensive survey of trends and changes in the global supercomputing arena.

'Clemson is on the move in a big way,' said Jim Bottum, Clemson's vice provost and chief information officer. 'In a very short period of time we have moved from outside the top 500 computing sites in the world to solidly within the top 75. That is tremendous progress toward Clemson's goal of becoming a top-20 public university, but even more important is how this enables and empowers our faculty, students and staff to conduct competitive, engaging and collaborative work in a global environment.'

Bottum said he was brought to Clemson to build a world-class cyberinfrastructure for education, research and service. However, he maintains that enabling learning and discovery is more than just offering compute cycles; it requires creating a collaborative environment where IT specialists work in partnership with faculty and students to create an advanced cyberinfrastructure that serves the needs of a multi-disciplinary set of programs.

The Palmetto Cluster, for which Clemson is ranked 62nd, is an example of the collaborative partnerships driving Clemson’s progress. It also enables research and other computationally intense work that could not be done prior to the development of the system.

'This ranking recognizes Clemson's new role as a leader in campus-based high-performance computing systems,' said Jim Pepin, Clemson's chief technology officer. 'Plus, our academic community is now equipped to compete for and win contracts and grants that were previously out of reach.'

For more information on the top 500 supercomputing sites go to www.top500.org/. Read more about the development of the Palmetto Cluster here. For information about CCIT visit www.clemson.edu/ccit/.

Clemson University breaks ground for advanced materials innovation center

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Clemson University Thursday broke ground for a center that will anchor a research and innovation complex at the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center technology park in Anderson County. The complex will enhance opportunities for Anderson County to take a leading role in the state’s advanced-materials industry.

Rendering by The Boudreaux GroupLocated on SC 187, a stone's throw from Interstate 85, the innovation center will serve as a high-tech business incubator, providing space for advanced materials-related start-up companies and so-called 'landing parties,' companies exploring the viability of locating new businesses or relocating existing businesses in the area.

Clemson University President James F. Barker said the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center already offers tremendous value to advanced-materials businesses.

'The state-of-the-art Advanced Materials Research Laboratory features exceptional research laboratories and equipment and one of the finest electron microscope facilities in the nation,' Barker said. 'Even more important, however, is the intellectual power housed here. An interdisciplinary group of scholars in such fields as chemistry, physics, photonics and other materials science and engineering disciplines is increasing the body of knowledge and educating the graduate students who will become the next generation of leaders in their fields.'

Completion of the new facility, he noted, will complete the 'innovation chain' from basic research to the startup companies that take a discovery to the marketplace.

'The location so near Interstate 85, in the heart of the eighth-largest regional economy in the world, offers the advanced-materials industry many advantages, and we look forward to significant growth and collaboration,' he added.

Barker praised the commitment of Duke Energy and AdvanceSC to the project. Each contributed $1 million toward the innovation center.

'Today we celebrate the dedication of these two organizations to the economic health of South Carolina and to the Anderson community,' he said. 'Their support is essential to the success of the innovation center and to the growth of the advanced materials industry in this area.'

Barker said the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center follows the same economic development model that created the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville.

'It takes the focus and commitment of everyone in the state--business, academic and government entities--to move South Carolina ahead economically,' Barker said. 'The economic-development model we have followed matches academic strength with the needs and goals of private industry in the state with support from public and private sources.'

The state of South Carolina provided $5 million toward construction of the building through the South Carolina Research University Infrastructure Act. Innovate Anderson, a public-private partnership focused on stimulating economic growth in Anderson County, purchased the remaining property in the Advanced Materials Center for $1.3 million for recruitment and development of advanced materials-related business.

Ellen Ruff, president of Duke Energy Carolinas, noted that company's interest in the economic health of the region and the importance of maintaining a manufacturing base.

'When I visit with customers, they make it very clear that for manufacturing to thrive in the region, they must have a strong academic knowledge base, a well-trained workforce and reliable, cost-effective energy. This initiative brings those three priorities together into a partnership where everyone benefits,' Ruff said.

Carol Burdette, president of the AdvanceSC board of directors, said the board voted unanimously to support the innovation center project.

'AdvanceSC remains very excited and honored to assist in the creation of this new innovation center,' Burdette said. 'This facility well represents three of the main focus areas of our organization: education, economic development and manufacturing competitiveness, and we look forward to seeing the impact it will have across the entire region.'

Mike Panasko, president of Innovate Anderson, said Anderson County leaders are poised to make the most of the opportunity the innovation center provides.

'The Innovation Center is a great example of what it takes to build your community's future in a progressive and positive manner. The impact this facility will have on raising not just Anderson County's value, but the region and state as well, is tremendous,' he said.

Chris Przirembel, Clemson's vice president for research and economic development, added that the South Carolina Research Authority will build a $4-million companion facility adjacent to the innovation center to house SCRA contract and classified research.

'The financial commitment by SCRA was a very important element in matching the research infrastructure funds and making this entire project possible,' Przirembel said.

'We are pleased to join with Clemson University and our private partners to fulfill the vision of our legislators in delivering this Innovation Center,' said SCRA CEO Bill Mahoney. 'Our partnership will provide two side-by-side facilities that will accelerate discovery and commercialization of advanced materials for both military and corporate applications, and help generate higher-paying, knowledge-based jobs in South Carolina.'

Construction of the complex is expected to be complete by August 2009.

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About Duke Energy
Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the United States, supplies and delivers energy to approximately four million US customers. The company has approximately 36,000 megawatts of electric-generating capacity in the Midwest and the Carolinas and natural gas-distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. Duke Energy also has more than 4,000 megawatts of electric-generating capacity in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate company. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. For more information go to www.duke-energy.com.

About AdvanceSC
AdvanceSC supports education, economic growth, existing manufacturing and public-assistance agencies in Duke Energy’s South Carolina service area. Established as a limited-liability company by Duke Energy in 2004, AdvanceSC is funded with profits from the company's Bulk Power Marketing program and is managed by a board of Upstate South Carolina leaders.

About Innovate Anderson
Innovate Anderson is a public-private non-profit organization formed by Anderson County, the City of Anderson, the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and private businesses to encourage economic development in Anderson County. Innovate Anderson is an important catalyst for future-oriented economic development strategies that will help Anderson County compete in a challenging global economy.

About SCRA
SCRA is a global leader in applied research and commercialization services with offices in Anderson, Charleston and Columbia. SCRA collaborates to advance technology. SCRA provides technology-based solutions with assured outcomes on behalf of industry, government and research universities like Clemson University, the University of South Carolina and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Endowed Chairs Review Board approves two new Centers of Economic Excellence at Clemson

Monday, June 09, 2008

On Monday, June 9, Clemson University received $4 million from the South Carolina Endowed Chairs Review Board for two new Centers of Economic Excellence with endowed chairs for each of the programs. The state funding must be matched with private funds for a total value of $8 million.

The Cyber-Institute Center of Economic Excellence at Clemson University combines faculty expertise in computer and electrical engineering with Clemson's growing computing power to create a strong research program, industrial partnerships and technology-transfer opportunities. The center will enhance the University's competitiveness in research areas that rely on storage, processing and transmitting large amounts of data. Clemson expects the center to provide rapid computational prototyping and to serve as an educational and testing facility.

The new endowed chair will be a faculty member in the department of electrical and computer engineering but will report to Clemson’s vice provost for computing and information technology and will be housed in the Information Technology building at the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center. This collaboration between the academic department and the University's computer infrastructure was noted by the review board as a positive factor in the potential for success.

The Center of Economic Excellence in Optoelectronics will strengthen Clemson's photonics research program that exists in the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies. The proposed chair, which will be housed in the department of electrical and computer engineering, will lead that department's initiative in hiring additional optoelectronics faculty members.

The addition of a $4 million chair to an already internationally reputable program will enable Clemson to recruit a world-class faculty leader to the state and to the collaborative research environment that the review board noted as a particular strength of Clemson's proposal.

'Taken individually, these centers and associated chairs represent significant advancement in research strength for Clemson University,' President James F. Barker said. 'Together they show the kind of synergy we have come to expect from our interdisciplinary approach and an efficiency in combining our research strengths with the objectives and needs of the public and private sectors. We intend to be good stewards of the investment in Clemson University by the state of South Carolina through this funding and by the private sector that will provide matching funds. We are very grateful that the review board saw the strength of these proposals, and we are eager to move forward with what they will enable us to do at Clemson.'

Clemson also was included in a $5-million funding package that supports a Center of Economic Excellence in Advanced Tissue Biofabrication led by the Medical University of South Carolina with endowed chairs at MUSC, Clemson and the University of South Carolina. The center will focus on collaborative and multidisciplinary studies combining computational and development biology and bioengineering with a focus on vascular regeneration as a basis for tissue generation.

Clemson civil engineering students drive away as Traffic Bowl champions

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Members of the Clemson University chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) are 2008 Traffic Bowl winners. They competed at the Southern District ITE Annual Meeting in Charleston against nine other university teams in a 'Jeopardy' style competition known as the William H. Temple Scholarship Challenge that tests their road engineering mettle.

Graduate students Sukumar Anekar and Swathi Korpu and PhD student Priyank Alluri from the Clemson department of civil engineering represented the state of South Carolina in the competition. To bring home first prize and a $3,000 scholarship, the students defeated other teams from North Carolina State, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia in the preliminary round and Georgia Tech, Southern Polytech and Mississippi State in the final round. The finals had an audience of more than 200 transportation professionals who attended the conference.

For the fifth year in a row, Clemson also took home the Southern District ITE Outstanding Student Chapter Award. Clemson is in the running for the International ITE Student Chapter Award. The award is based on all the activities of the chapter for the previous year.

'We received tremendous feedback on the performance of all of our students in the competition,' said student chapter faculty adviser and associate professor of civil engineering Wayne Sarasua. 'This is a wonderful testament to our civil engineering program at Clemson.'

Assistant professor of civil engineering Jennifer Ogle is co-adviser of the chapter. The Clemson student chapter has more than 20 members from a variety of majors.

One of the activities of the Clemson ITE chapter this year was to perform a pedestrian safety study on the university campus. The chapter, along with students from psychology and civil engineering, monitored 50 intersections and crossings, then made short-term and long-term recommendations to Clemson officials for safety improvements.

ITE is a professional society of transportation engineers, planners and other professionals in more than 70 countries. The goal of the Clemson student chapter is to introduce students to the transportation profession and supplement their classroom and laboratory experiences.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in civil engineering, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CivilEng/index.php.

Road to security and safety: civil engineering student studies communication alternatives with Eisenhower Fellowship

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Yan Zhou, a Clemson PhD student in civil engineering, aims to keep traffic flowing in emergencies. To study the possibilities, Zhou has received the 2008 Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship that will provide an estimated $103,500 to research the issue.

Currently, intelligent transportation systems use video cameras, traffic sensors, message signs and advisory radios to monitor and control highway traffic in real time with the aid of wired and wireless communication infrastructure. A single failure can cause a domino effect that results in chaos. Public agencies have a mission to ensure that communication infrastructure not only is in place, but is reliable during extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes and floods.

To meet this requirement, new generation communication alternatives could be the answer to keeping systems up and running efficiently without the risk of failure during emergencies.

'Yan Zhou's work will focus on finding systematic methods for assessing the cost, reliability and adequacy of communication alternatives for transportation system safety and security,' said Ronnie Chowdhury, Clemson civil engineering assistant professor and adviser. 'It is an extremely important work that could mean the difference between life and death or serious injury to travelers during a highway incident or evacuation where prompt response is essential.'

The Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship provides funding for the pursuit of master's degrees or doctorates in transportation-related fields. The objective of this highly competitive award is to attract qualified students to the fields of transportation education and research and advance transportation workforce development. The program is intended to help upgrade the scope of knowledge of the transportation community in the United States and encompasses all modes of transportation.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in civil engineering, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CivilEng/index.php.

Dr. Shelie Miller and her students submit successful grant proposals

Monday, May 26, 2008

Dr. Shelie Miller received $9,846 from the South Carolina Renewable Energy grant program (SC USDA) to assist in planning activities for the Clemson switchgrass program (co-PI: Jim Frederick). The South Carolina Renewable Energy grant program also funded a grant for $143,523 for a project 'Examining the Potential Productivity and Site-Specific Management Needs of Switchgrass on the Coastal Plain' for which Dr. Miller serves as a co-PI (PI: Jim Frederick, Co-PIs: Shelie Miller, Francis Raey-Jones).

Clemson University Service Alliance ATREC Program funded the research project, 'Landscapes for Learning on Dominica' with $7,500. Dr. Shelie Miller serves as a co-PI on the project. (PI: Brenda Vander Mey, Co-PIs: Shelie Miller, Hanna Bornholdt).

Students from EES 486/686 Pollution Prevention and Industrial Ecology wrote a successful proposal for $10,000 to the EPA People, Planet and Prosperity program to address the solid waste management problem of waste tires on the island of Dominica. Dr. Shelie Miller served as principal investigator for the team of students consisting of Jim Chamberlain (PhD, EEES), Roger Flynn (PhD, Policy Studies) and Laurie Robbins, (MS, Construction Management). The team received Honorable Mention at the 2008 EPA People, Prosperity and Planet National Sustainable Design Expo held in Washington DC on Earth Day.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in environmental engineering and science, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/EnviroEng/index.php.

Clemson Astronomy Graduate Student Helps Report on Death of a Star in Nature

Thursday, May 22, 2008

No core-collapse supernova has ever been seen at the time of the explosion until now.

Ginger Bryngelson and Hala Eid run a telescope at Kitt Peak. Ginger Bryngelson, a Clemson University physics and astronomy graduate student is part of the team that observed and compiled data on supernova SN2008D in a galaxy 90,000 light years away from Earth. Usually not seen until one to three weeks after an explosion, this supernova was captured immediately by the Swift X-ray Telescope as the star exploded and emitted a bright outburst of X-rays.

Bryngelson's and the group's observations and research on the birth of the supernova is featured in Thursday's issue of Nature in an article titled: 'An extremely luminous X-ray outburst at the birth of a supernova.'

The unprecedented observation has the potential to alter the way scientists view exploding stars. Until now a supernova's first moments have been shrouded in mystery.

'Seeing a core-collapse supernova this early on is unprecedented,' said Bryngelson. 'Core-collapse supernovae are stars that are so massive they explode because they can't support their own weight. Not a lot is known about the early explosions. My part in this research was to look at how quickly the light in the optical energy bands diminished after the explosion. And from that we can determine what physical and chemical processes are occurring.'

A long list of researchers from across the world contributed to this study. They include researchers from Princeton University, Max-Planck Institute in Germany, the University of Chicago, the University of California-Berkley and the University of Texas at Austin, among others. Bryngleson collaborated with Peter Milne of the University of Arizona using data obtained with the Super-LOTIS Telescope. Clemson astrophysicist Mark Leising is Bryngelson's adviser.

Bryngelson is the daughter of June and Jay Bryngelson of Waco, Texas.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in physics, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Physics/index.php.

Management PhD Students Receive Recognitions

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Doctoral students in the Department of Management have received recognition both on- and off-campus during the Spring 2008 semester. Pamela Galluch and Samuel Otim were awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award Fellowship. Nick Roberts was awarded the University Graduate Teaching Award.

Galluch and Roberts were also accepted to the Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) consortium. Clemson was the only school in the world to have two students accepted to the AMCIS doctoral student consortium.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in management, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Management/index.php.

Roth Named One of the Most Productive MS/POM Scholars in Nation

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Dr. Aleda Roth, Burlington Industries Professor of Supply Chain Management, was ranked as the eleventh most productive research scholar in the world in the management science/production and operations management (MS/POM) field by the H-index ranking analysis of 1,376 MS/POM professors in the United States.

The unpublished study by researchers at DePaul University compile the H-index, which provides an estimate of the importance, significance and broad impact of a scholar's academic achievement.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in management, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Management/index.php.

Clemson Awards First PhD in a Humanities Field

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The rhetorics, communication and information design (RCID) PhD program at Clemson University awarded its first doctoral degree on May 9 to John 'Mac' McArthur. This degree is the first PhD awarded by the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities in the history of Clemson University, as well as the first for the innovative and transdisciplinary RCID program.

This marks a significant step in Clemson's evolution as it joins the ranks of other top-20 universities across the nation with similar doctoral programs. McArthur states, 'The RCID collaborations encompassing art, digital media, communication and writing are on the cutting edge of academic exploration. This type of study is advancing Clemson University as a center for innovative approaches to the study of the humanities.'

McArthur successfully defended his dissertation entitled, 'Instructional Proxemics: Creating a place for space in instructional communication discourse' on Friday April 11, 2008 and was recommended for graduation by his committee. 'Instructional Proxemics' blends the study of theories in instructional communication; space and proxemics; and information/user-experience design to investigate the influence of space on the interactions of students and teachers as mutual learners.

In a message to the Clemson administration, Dr. Andy Billings, chair of this dissertation committee, wrote that this dissertation is 'an excellent example of the type of work that can be produced at the doctoral level in this field.' Alongside Dr. Billings, Dr. Bryan Denham (Communication Studies), Dr. Bill Havice (College of Health, Education and Human Development) and Dr. Sean Williams (English, Professional Communication) served as members of the dissertation committee.

The defense, held in the Class of 1941 Studio, was attended by more than 25 members of the RCID family who rallied to support their colleague on this momentous day for the program. This success is just the beginning of a bright future for the RCID community at Clemson.

For more information about Clemson's RCID graduate program, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/RCID/index.php.

RCID Student Honored with Invitation to Los Angeles Workshop

Monday, May 19, 2008

Justin Hodgson, a PhD student in the rhetorics, communication and information design (RCID) program, has been invited to participate in 'The Institute for the Future of the Book workshop' on Sophie (software program for writing and reading rich media documents in a networked environment) at USCal, Los Angeles on May 27-30. Specifically, he will be working with a group in the Institute for Multimedia Literacy (IML) in the School of Cinematic Arts.

Hodgson will write/develop his dissertation titled, 'Logos of Possibilities: Rhetorical Inventions/Inventional Rhetorics,' both in print literacy for the Graduate School and in electronic literacy using Sophie to demonstrate the differences between paper/PDF files and a multimedia dissertation that still meets all the required scholarly conventions of a dissertation.

'Learning to use the multimedia platform of Sophie as another option to my scholarship should allow for a 'historical' examination of the potentialities and limitations of a text-based print dissertation with those of a multimedia/multimodal creation. Engaging in this dualistic approach, and attempting to articulate my ideas in both the 'traditional' dissertation platform and the multimedia platform, will allow me to not only fulfill my requirements here at Clemson (in terms of my dissertation work), but also open a way for engaging the very technologies (and their possibilities) that my research on rhetorical invention is examining,' said Hodgson.

'The competition was tough across the country and one of our students-one of two across the entire country-was selected. This says great things about our students and the program itself,” said Hodgson’s committee chair and RCID program coordinator, Dr. Victor Vitanza.

For more information about Clemson's RCID PhD program, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/RCID/index.php.

New Fellowship Opportunities for Automotive Engineering Graduate Students

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Clemson University is pleased to announce three new graduate fellowships available for students majoring in automotive engineering through the department of mechanical engineering within the College of Engineering and Science.

These fellowships offer PhD students individual supplements of $10,000 a year in addition to the graduate stipend and benefits package. The awards are performance based and renewable for up to three years.

Students who receive these fellowships will study and conduct research at the new Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center (CGEC) at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research. The CGEC is a 90,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility housing a set of automotive testing resources valued at over $10 million. The CGEC provides graduate students the best possible educational experience as they prepare for international internships, and ultimately, careers in the automotive sector (OEM and suppliers). The facility is home to advanced automotive engineering research and development in conjunction with international corporate partners, including BMW, Michelin, Timken, Sun Microsystems and Mazda.

Sponsored by the Mazda Foundation, the fellowships will be available in Fall 2008. You can learn more about the program by going to www.ces.clemson.edu/me/automotive/ or by contacting our graduate student coordinator at tierraj@clemson.edu or 864-283-7230.

MEd Student Named Teacher of the Year in Anderson School District

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Jenna Hallman, current student in Clemson's administration and supervision MEd program and science teacher at Calhoun Academy for the Arts in Anderson School District 5, has been named South Carolina Teacher of the Year. State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex made the announcement at a banquet at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center that honored the state's 83 district teachers of the year on April 25.

Hallman was told throughout her childhood that she should become a teacher, but she wanted to be a lawyer. A job at a daycare center while she was in college provided the turning point in her life. Reflecting on that experience, Hallman said, 'I was lucky enough to have a director and a head teacher who saw me for what I was-a teacher in a confused young adult's body.'

As State Teacher of the Year for the 2008-09 school year, Hallman will represent South Carolina's 50,000 teachers and participate in a yearlong residency at the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement (CERRA). She also receives a $25,000 cash award, a 2007 BMW Z-4 roadster to use for the year and a SMART board (an interactive whiteboard that turns a computer and projector into a teaching and presentation tool). She will participate in Leadership South Carolina and attend Notre Dame's prestigious three-day Excellence in Teaching Symposium. In addition, she was awarded a Dell laptop computer, a set of Michelin tires and a ring from Jostens.

'Jenna truly believes that every child can experience success,' Rex said. 'She uses a variety of strategies to help her students connect science to other subjects and real life. She’s champion of young people and a strong advocate for public education.'

Four Honor Roll teachers who were finalists for the award each received $10,000, a Dell computer, a set of Michelin tires and a Jostens ring. Each district teacher received $1,000, and all 83 district nominees received various gifts donated by corporate sponsors.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in administration and supervision, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/AdminSuper/index.php.

Clemson and Ain Shams University students team up to create plans for Giza

Friday, May 02, 2008

Egyptian architecture students arrive in Clemson Sunday to team up with their Clemson University partners in landscape architecture to make plans for one of the most sacred sites of the ancient world.

Ain Shams University students from Cairo will spend 10 days on campus and touring South Carolina as they work with their Clemson counterparts on a proposal for an area at the foot of the Giza plateau, home to the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The ongoing partnership reaches a significant milestone this summer when Clemson and Ain Shams professors present their plans to the governor of Giza, who has the authority to implement the ideas.

The transcontinental collaboration started in 2006 when students from the two schools teamed up to provide design solutions to challenges in Luxor, Egypt, where the Avenue of the Sphinxes along the Nile River has experienced centuries of unplanned urban growth. Their proposal for Luxor is currently in the hands of Ahmed Nazif, prime minister of Egypt.

Much like the challenge in Luxor, the students' current project is to find solutions to a rapidly changing urban fabric, this time in an area in the very shadow of the world's most famous pyramids.

According to Clemson landscape architecture professors Hala Nassar and Rob Hewitt, the pyramids of Giza are on top of one plateau, and the future site of the New Grand Egyptian Museum is on another nearby plateau. Between them and to the east a sprawling and unplanned fabric has developed over the past 50 years.

According to Nassar, who used her academic contacts in Egypt to establish the collaboration, the students and their faculty leaders are seeking practical solutions to the unplanned sprawl, but solutions that will remain sensitive to the cultural and economic needs of the residents.

'This is an amazing opportunity for the students of these two universities, a chance to have an impact on an ancient site,' Nassar said. 'They're working and studying in a place where they leave their footprints on thousands of years of civilization.'

This is the second trip to Clemson for the Ain Shams architecture students. The landscape architecture students of Clemson University have made three site visits to Egypt--in February 2007, July 2007 and February 2008--where they visited Luxor, Giza and Cairo.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in landscape architecture, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/LandArch/index.php.

Clemson Grad Students Win Prestigious NSF Awards

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Two Clemson University graduate students have received the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious fellowship, the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF), and three more Clemson students received honorable mention in the award process.

Materials engineering major Alexandra L. Foguth of Central and Holly C. Tuten, an entomology major from Clemson, were awarded fellowships, which provide a $30,000 annual stipend and a total award of up to $121,000 per student. Lisa N. Cox, a biological sciences major from Evans, Ga.; Amanda F. Land, a biochemistry major from Clemson; and Mary K. Watson, a biosystems engineering major from Summerville, all received honorable mention.

“Overall, the acceptance rate is about one in 10. But when you figure in the huge numbers of NSF-GRFs that are awarded to students at the top five or 10 universities in the country, the actual acceptance rate for all other schools combined is more like one in 50,” said Bruce Rafert, vice provost and dean of the Graduate School. “To have two recipients and three honorable mention students from Clemson is an outstanding achievement.”

All of the Clemson students recognized are women, Rafert said. 'This is an indication that Clemson is a great place for women in science to pursue their graduate degrees.” The Graduate School provides individual and group guidance for students submitting GRF proposals. Since the program was established, Clemson has had at least two recipients each year.

Clemson alumni who obtained their undergraduate degrees at Clemson and moved on to graduate school elsewhere also were well-represented in the GRF awards this year. Four received GRFs and five earned honorable mention.

Clemson Astrophysics to Collaborate with SC State to Boost Minority PhDs

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Clemson University astronomy researchers will collaborate with South Carolina State University (SCSU) to build and reinforce a program of forefront astronomy research at SCSU as part of a $2 million-plus National Science Foundation award to expand the program. For its part, Clemson will receive $319,000 of the award.

'Our goal is to pave a pathway for SCSU's students and for those from other predominantly minority colleges and universities to PhDs in physics and astronomy at Clemson and elsewhere,' said Mark Leising, astrophysics professor and principal investigator on the project at Clemson. 'These students are hugely underrepresented among doctoral students in the physical sciences.'

Leising says Clemson's role is to collaborate with SCSU, provide research projects and observing opportunities for their students and prepare and mentor those who come to graduate school.

'There are bright students interested in science at universities like SCSU, but few go on to get doctorates and become leaders in the physical sciences. Our experience is that students who get the chance to participate in forefront research, discovering new knowledge rather than just reading about it, are more likely to pursue a career in science,' said Leising.

Clemson will offer the expertise of its astronomy faculty and access to observing facilities, including its part of the 36-inch diameter SARA telescope along with some of its time on the four-meter diameter Mayall telescope, both on Kitt Peak in Arizona. Students will research the largest explosions in the universe, the production of the elements in stars, the formation of solar systems and exotic double-star systems.

For more than 100 years, the disciplines of engineering, science and textiles have been at the heart of Clemson University as it strives toward excellence and leadership. Today, Clemson is a nationally recognized research university where approximately 5,500 students are enrolled in engineering and science undergraduate and graduate courses.

For more information on physics and astronomy at Clemson, go to http://physicsnt.clemson.edu/.

Steele Wins Prestigious NVIDIA Fellowship for the Third Time

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Jay Steele, a graduate student in Clemson’s computer science program has won his third $25,000 NVIDIA fellowship. In its 7th year, the NVIDIA Fellowship Program attracts an exclusive group of researchers and scientists from all over the world who are working to solve complex visual computing challenges.
“The NVIDIA Fellowship Program recognizes and supports excellence in visual computing research in universities worldwide, fostering communication and innovation between NVIDIA's R&D team and outstanding students and professors,” stated Dr. Kirk. “Selecting our recipients was an incredibly difficult task this year as we saw a record number of applications for the program. I am very pleased with the committee’s recommendations and look forward to working with these very bright and talented individuals.”
Congratulations to the 2008 Fellowship recipients: Jay Steele, Clemson University; Milos Hasan, Cornell University; Gregory Diamos, Georgia Institute of Technology; Kanupriya Gulati, Texas A&M University; Vasily Volkov, University of California, Berkeley; Shubhabrata Sengupta, University of California, Davis; Toshiya Hachisuka, University of California, San Diego; Adam O'Donovan, University of Maryland, College Park; Derek Juba, University of Maryland, College Park; and Michele Cash, University of Washington.
Steele’s research centers on using Lattice-Boltzmann (LB) methods to model fluid flows and associated transport phenomena. An example of an application is the development of realistic visual animations of clouds.
For more information about Steele's research visist http://www.cs.clemson.edu/~jesteel/.

Clemson's Muth receives international fellowship

Friday, April 25, 2008

Eric Muth, a psychology professor at Clemson University, has received a Humboldt Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Foundation.

The foundation is a non-profit organization established by the Federal Republic of Germany for the promotion of international research cooperation. It enables highly qualified scholars not living in Germany to spend extended periods for research in Germany and promotes the ensuing academic contacts.

The fellowship will support a year of research. Muth will work with his German sponsor, Paul Enck, director of research of the Department of Internal Medicine, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the University Hospitals Tubingen.

Muth and Enck will research eating disorders.

'I am very excited about the opportunity to build international collaborations and get reacquainted to a research area that I have been away from for some time,' Muth said.

As a graduate student, Muth worked in the area of gastrointestinal psychophysiology and completed a dissertation examining factors that influence functional dyspepsia, a disorder of the upper gastrointestinal tract associated with symptoms such as nausea and bloating with no apparent physiological cause. However, following graduate school, he spent three years in the US Navy as an aerospace experimental psychologist working on applied human factors problems.

'Much of the research I have completed here at Clemson has been a continuation of that applied human factors work,' he said. 'Recently, Dr. Adam Hoover, my collaborator here at Clemson, and I have become interested in developing biofeedback devices to help individuals become more aware of their physiological need to eat. My fellowship and collaboration with Dr. Enck will form the basic science foundation for the applied work we are doing here at Clemson.'

Muth will examine the utility of a 'water load test' to differentiate between genders, eating patterns and healthy subjects versus patients with eating disorders and obesity. The long-term goal of this work, according to Muth, is to determine if the maladaptive component of an eating disorder or obese patient's eating pattern is perceptual, physiological or both. This would potentially allow for treatment to be focused on correcting the perceptual, physiological or mixed problem. For example, individuals with maladaptive eating patterns could be given biofeedback from their stomach's electrical rhythms and trained to pay more attention to their physiological state, allowing them to adopt a better eating pattern.

Clemson Vice President for Research and Economic Development Chris Przirembel said the Humboldt Research Fellowship is highly competitive and awarded only to researchers who are recognized internationally for their academic qualifications.

'It is an honor for Clemson University to have one of our faculty members receive this internationally prestigious fellowship,' he said. 'We look forward to seeing the results of professor Muth's work and the long-term impact of the associated collaborative research programs.'

The Humboldt Foundation promotes an active worldwide network of scholars. Individual sponsorship during periods spent in Germany and longstanding follow-up contacts have been hallmarks of the foundation's work since 1953. For more information go to http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/index.htm.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in psychology, please visit: www.clemson.edu/psych/graduate/index.htm.

Hodges named director of the School of Computing

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Larry F. Hodges has been named director of the School of Computing in the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson University effective July 1. Hodges comes to Clemson from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he serves as professor and chairman in the department of computer science.

'Education in computing is as much about learning how to think critically about issues and how to solve problems as it is about how to create and use technology,' said Hodges. 'The technology is continually changing, but the problem-solving skills learned in computing classes can serve a student throughout life.'

The School of Computing at Clemson was formed in 2007 as part of Engineering and Science Dean Esin Gulari's mission to prepare students for all aspects of computing and as part of a university-wide emphasis on information technology and high-performance computing to allow for rapid development of emerging, interdisciplinary research and academic programs.

'Larry Hodges, in the position of director of the School of Computing, brings to Clemson a tremendous vision,' said Gulari. 'The goals are to maintain a nationally competitive computer science division that is a leader in the definition and advancement of emerging academic fields in computing through the development of divisions that integrate computation with the arts, humanities, sciences and engineering.'

The School of Computing initially will focus on three divisions: computer science, computational arts and human-centered computing.

'Human-centered computing is a new area in that it is concerned with understanding both how to make computational technologies more useable and how computational technologies affect society,' said Hodges. 'This new area will develop strong ties with existing programs on campus, such as industrial engineering; electrical and computer engineering; engineering and science education; CU-ICAR; and the disciplines that study human behavior, such as psychology and sociology.'

According to Hodges, computational arts will leverage the interdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts program in digital production arts, which has successfully launched many Clemson graduates into animation careers.

Hodges has a record of helping build successful programs in computing and in collaborating with researchers from other disciplines and backgrounds. He was a founding member of the Graphics, Visualization and Usability (GVU) Center at Georgia Tech, where he and collaborator Barbara Rothbaum of Emory University developed virtual reality exposure therapy to help patients with anxiety disorders, such as a fear of heights, overcome their phobias.

'In computer science, it is unusual for people to write and say to you that your research has transformed their lives. The best part of this work has been the number of patients who have said virtual reality therapy changed their lives for the better,' said Hodges.

Hodges received his PhD from North Carolina State University in 1988. His research in 1995 investigating the use of virtual reality in treating phobias garnered international attention. In 2006 he received the IEEE Virtual Reality Career Achievement Award for his contributions to clinical virtual reality.

In addition to his research work in clinical applications, Hodges has maintained an active research agenda in numerous other areas of virtual reality, visualization and 3D user interface design with more than 150 published papers. He has served as general chairman of both the IEEE Virtual Reality Conference and the ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology. He currently serves on the steering committee of the IEEE VR Conference and on the Editorial Board of IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in computer science and digital production arts, please visit the following sites, respectively:
www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CompSci/index.php
www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/DPA/index.php

Mechanical Engineering Professor Receives Recognition

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Dr. Lin Ma was recently recognized by the Journal of Aerosol Science--one of the most prestigious international journals on aerosol-related topics--when his paper, 'Measurement of Aerosol Size Distribution Function using Mie Scattering-Mathematical Considerations' was ranked ninth out of the top 25 'Hottest Articles.'

Dr. Ma is an assistant professor in mechanical engineering, and the Department is very proud of this recognition of his work. This is the second article in 2008 to come out of the mechanical engineering department and receive national/international acclaim. Dr. Jim Qiao's paper was recently recognized as one of the best of 2007 in the Journal of Physics.

The Graduate School would like to congratulate Drs. Ma and Qiao and thank them for being such great representatives of Clemson.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in mechanical engineering, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/MechEng/index.php.

School of Materials Science and Engineering director recognized

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Kathleen Richardson, director of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University, has received a rare double honor.

She has been elected to the grade of Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). SPIE Fellows are recognized for their achievements and for making outstanding contributions in the field of optics, electro-optics or related scientific, technical or engineering areas. SPIE is an international society representing 138 countries advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light.

Richardson was recognized for making important technical contributions to the field of optical materials science and engineering, in particular to understanding the properties and performance of infrared glass and other optical materials. She is recognized for her efforts in ion-exchange strengthened laser glass, infrared glass material development and photo-induced structural modification of amorphous materials. She also was commended for her longstanding contributions to optical science and engineering education, especially for her efforts with K-12, and undergraduate student research.

An active member of SPIE, Richardson is also a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society and a Fellow of the Society of Glass Technology.

Richardson also has received the Scholes Award and recently presented the annual Samuel R. Scholes Award Lecture at her alma mater, Alfred University. The lecture is given each year by a distinguished glass scientist or engineer invited for his or her contributions to the field. Prior award winners span the international glass community and are among past and present leaders in the field.

'These are two very prestigious awards for Dr. Richardson, and they underscore the strength and depth of the School of Materials Science and Engineering here at Clemson,' said College of Engineering and Science Dean Esin Gulari.

Richardson joined Clemson in 2005 from the University of Central Florida's College of Optics and Photonics. She graduated from Alfred University with a bachelor of science degree in ceramic engineering in 1982, a master of science degree in glass science in 1988 and a PhD in ceramics in 1992.

For more than 100 years, the disciplines of engineering, science and textiles have been at the heart of Clemson University as it strives toward excellence and leadership. Today, Clemson is a nationally recognized research university where approximately 5,500 students are enrolled in engineering and science undergraduate and graduate courses. There are 350 faculty members in the College of Engineering and Science.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in materials science and engineering, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/MSE/index.php.

Clemson architecture captures two of six national NCARB prizes

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Clemson University School of Architecture has won two of the six national 2008 NCARB prizes for creative integration of practice and education.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) awards the annual prize each year for projects that show a creative marriage of classroom ideas and real-life challenges.

One of Clemson's winning entries explored how innovative architecture improves healthcare environments. The other localized global climate change by illustrating how Charleston's historic peninsula might be defended against the twin threats of rising sea level and increased storm severity.

To illustrate the work of the Architecture + Health program at Clemson, three projects were entered as examples:

* a proposal for a green health clinic for the Joseph P. Sullivan Center linked programming, health administration and studio courses
* a patient room prototype brought together architecture, industrial design and fine arts students
* a studio/seminar explored a New Orleans project to rebuild medical facilities lost to Katrina. Students twice visited the 74-acre site in New Orleans and helped officials and the community visualize plans for a new medical center planned by Louisiana State University and the Department of Veterans Affairs. In all of these Architecture + Health projects, students interacted with professionals in a variety of ways.

David J. Allison is director of the Architecture + Health program. He worked with associate professor Dina Battisto and professor Stephen Verderber on the submitted projects.

The NCARB Prize to the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston was earned on the strength of its study 'Global Climate Change and the Charleston Peninsula.'

Based on the January 2007 report of the International Panel on Climate Change, students worked with scientific consultation from Greg Carbone of the University of South Carolina’s department of geography to examine the primary urban design impact on the peninsula. They produced proposals at four levels of magnitude that showed how planners could manage increasingly severe storm events, a rising water table and the incursion of seawater.

The Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston is under the direction of Robert Miller, professor and architect. Ray Huff, assistant professor and a practicing architect in Charleston, helped lead the project.

Each of the prizes earned $7,500. The $25,000 grand prize went to California State Polytechnic University. Other winners were Arizona State, Savannah College of Art and Design and a joint submission from the University of Arkansas and Washington University in St. Louis.

NCARB is a non-profit federation of architectural licensing boards. The NCARB Prize for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy supports excellence and innovation. Submissions must represent unique efforts to integrate education and practice while allowing students to earn academic credit.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in architecture, visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Arch/index.php.

Two Clemson students receive Google scholarships

Monday, April 14, 2008

Two students from Clemson University's School of Computing received the 2008 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship: Sally Wahba, a second year PhD student from Cairo, Egypt; and Yvon Feaster, a senior in computer information systems from Clemson.

The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship was created to encourage women to excel in computing and technology and become active role models and leaders. Scholarships are awarded based on the strength of candidates' academic background and demonstrated leadership. Wahba and Feaster both received a $10,000 scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. Remaining finalists received $1,000 each.

'I didn't expect to get the scholarship because all those who received it from previous years were from the top 10 universities, and less than 10 percent of those who apply received it,' said Wahba. 'I was extremely happy when a representative from Google called me to inform me I received the scholarship. It was a great sense of satisfaction and I'm assured that I'm going in the right path in my career.'

In order to receive the scholarship, applicants must fulfill the following requirements: be entering their senior year of undergraduate study or be enrolled in a graduate program in 2008-2009 at a university in the United States; major in computer science, computer engineering or a related technical field; be enrolled in full-time study in 2008-2009; and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5.

'I feel extremely honored to have been selected for this scholarship. Anita Borg was a champion advocate for women in the science and technology field, and I commend Google for honoring her life work with these scholarships,' Feaster said.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in computer science and computer engineering, please visit (respectively): www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CompSci/index.php
www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CompEng/index.php

New Healthcare Genetics Program: Q&A with Dr. Julie Eggert, Program Coordinator

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Approved in January by the state Commission on Higher Education and given the green light last month by the academic accrediting agency Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Clemson's healthcare genetics program will take an interdisciplinary approach to scholarly work in both genetics and healthcare.

To obtain a better sense of this exciting program--the first of its kind in the nation--and to build on a recent article, Dr. Julie Eggert, program coordinator for heathcare genetics, answered some additional questions.

How would you define 'healthcare genetics'?
This is a degree for persons who have an interest in genetics AND healthcare. With the completion of the sequencing of the human genome we are going to see new roles and jobs created for persons who have this degree. In addition, there are three cognates (tracks) for their specialization. The first is translational or 'bench to bedside;' the second is interventionist for persons wanting to work with patients, families and/or communities with a genetics/genomics problem; and the third is the 'bioethics/policy' track which is much behind the technology of genetics.

What was the main catalyst to get this program up and running?
We've been working on it for almost 3 years. The School of Nursing has been interested in developing a PhD program since the 1970's. We mailed a survey to areas of NC, TN and GA in addition to the SC Upstate in the spring of 2006 to determine if there was nursing interest in a PhD. We had a phenomenal 'YES!' response, so we initiated the full application process.

What sorts of students will the program look for?
Students in the life sciences with a special interest in genetics and a desire to be in the healthcare environment. Individuals with an interest in learning to develop a program of research. One of our desires was to focus on the healthcare needs/disparities in SC, so there is plenty just in our state to keep our students and graduates busy!

Are there particular undergraduate degrees or master's degrees preferred in students interested in the program?
Life sciences, including nursing. Others might be biochemistry, psychology, genetic counseling or bioengineering. Students can apply for the program even if they don't have a master's degree.

Have there been any new developments in the past few months?
We've had MANY inquiries. It has surprised us that most are from interdisciplinary students and not nurses. We had anticipated that most of our applicants would be graduates from nursing programs.

The healthcare genetics program expects to enroll six students in the first year and grow to about 20 over the next four years. For more information about Clemson's School of Nursing and its programs, visit www.hehd.clemson.edu/nursing.

Flowers Earns Prestigious Award for Scholars of Color

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Clemson University's Lamont A. Flowers recently was named the 2008 recipient of the Scholars of Color Early Career Contribution Award by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) at its annual meeting in New York.

Lamont A. Flowers Flowers is a Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education and executive director of the Charles H. Houston Center for the Study of the Black Experience in Education.

The award is given to scholars who have made significant contributions to the understanding of issues which disproportionately affect minority populations and minority scholars who have made a significant contribution to educational research and development within the first decade after receiving their doctoral degrees.

'This award signifies to all that Dr. Flowers is a scholar of note and a voice within the research community. We are proud to have him at Clemson University and in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education,' said Michael J. Padilla, director of the school and associate dean for educational collaborations.

Flowers' research and scholarship is focused on the experiences of African Americans from pre-kindergarten through college. He has authored or co-authored more than 65 scholarly publications.

The AERA annual meeting was March 23-27 in New York. AERA is an international professional organization with a primary goal of advancing educational research and its practical application.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in educational leadership, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Edlead/index.php.

Clemson professor named to regional restoration ecology society board

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

The Coastal Plain Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration elected Gene Eidson March 19 to represent South Carolina on its executive board.

Eidson joins other restoration ecology scientists, landscape architects and engineers from more than seven southeastern states to serve on the executive board.

'We are proud to have Gene on our board and look forward to a strong collaborative partnership with Clemson and all the exciting work they are doing in the field,' said Randy Mejeur, president of the society.

Eidson is a professor in the biological sciences department at Clemson and director of restoration ecology for the Clemson University Restoration Institute.

Edison has been nationally recognized for his restoration work at the Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, a 6,000-acre floodplain swamp in Augusta, Ga. He has also led the restoration of 2,000 acres at the Kennecott-Ridgeway Gold Mine in Ridgeway, S.C. Both venues offer educational and research facilities for students in grades K-12 and in undergraduate and graduate college courses, as well as for public outreach. He is the founder of the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, where much of his research continues.

The Clemson University Restoration Institute hosted the chapter's annual symposium and membership meeting at the Madren Conference Center at Clemson March 18-19.

Keynote speaker Valerie Wilson, executive director of the BeltLine Partnership, in Atlanta spoke on the power of community engagement when seeking support for restoration and redevelopment projects.

The partnership supports the BeltLine, which is planned to combine greenspace, trails, transit and new development along 22 miles of historic rail segments that encircle Atlanta’s urban core.

This nationally recognized restoration project addresses brownfield remediation, affordable workforce housing, sustainable land use and economic development.

Wilson said that the benefits of this restoration project are manifold.

'Not only will we clean up the neighborhoods, but we will conserve them for years to come and connect these neighborhoods in new ways that will promote economic development and a greater sense of community pride.'

The $2.8 billion project would not have been possible without significant community engagement. Thousands of citizens have participated in tour, neighborhood clean-up and planning meetings thus far.

'This is the kind of community engagement we need to galvanize local residents for the projects spearheaded by the Restoration Institute across the state and beyond,' Eidson said.

For more information on the Restoration Institute, go to: www.clemson.edu/restoration.

For more information on the Coastal Plain Society for Ecological Restoration, go to: www.ser.org/content/Plain.asp.

For more information about the Atlanta Beltline Partnership, go to: www.beltline.org/.

Clemson's Jim Bottum elected to national Internet2 board

Friday, March 28, 2008

Jim Bottum, vice provost and chief information officer (CIO) at Clemson University, has been elected to the board of trustees for Internet2 (I2), the nation's leader in the deployment and use of Internet technologies for the research and education community.

Jim BottumInternet2 brings US researchers and the academic community together with technology leaders from industry and government around the world for collaboration on work that can have a fundamental impact on the Internet and how it enables both research and education.

'We are extremely gratified to have Jim representing Clemson and the state in such a visible and impactful position,' said Clemson President James F. Barker. 'The work that Clemson is doing in cyberinfrastructure not only positions us as a national player; it is garnering international recognition that Clemson is an innovative leader in the areas of IT-enabled research and education.'

Bottum is the only generally elected CIO representative on the board, which includes university presidents from top-tier schools like California Institute of Technology, Princeton and Carnegie Mellon. Internet2 members represent a wide range of research and academic disciplines from more than 300 member institutions, including leading US universities, corporations, government research agencies and not-for-profit networking organizations.

Full details on the I2 elections and a complete listing of the I2 board members are at www.internet2.edu/elections.

AT&T, Clemson University celebrate CU-ICAR collaboration and Clemson announces AT&T Auditorium

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Clemson University Tuesday announced a multi-year collaboration with AT&T at the Greenville-based Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). The partnership represents an investment by AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) of more than $2.4 million in the unique research campus since its inception in 2003.

Clemson President James Barker and AT&T Executive Bob Ferguson 'CU-ICAR is an investment in the future of our state and region,' said Clemson President James F. Barker. 'By leveraging the strengths of Clemson's engineering programs and the automotive expertise present in our state, we can, with AT&T's continuing partnership, enhance economic development, educate tomorrow's engineers today, and bring more good jobs and high technology expertise to South Carolina and South Carolina residents.'

AT&T's multi-year gift includes both financial contributions from AT&T Inc and the AT&T Foundation, the company's corporate philanthropy organization, as well as infrastructure support. Clemson also announced that the auditorium in the Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center will be named the AT&T Auditorium. The Campbell Center is home to master's and doctoral degree programs in automotive engineering. It is the anchor of CU-ICAR Technology Neighborhood One, the first area of the 250-acre campus to be developed.

'In South Carolina, we compete in a global marketplace, and maximizing our opportunities is vital to our success and that of the next generation. CU-ICAR takes that challenge seriously. It builds upon the existing strengths of our great state, developing new ideas, new products and services and a new generation of high-technology workers,' said AT&T South Carolina President Pamela Lackey. 'We are pleased to be a part of CU-ICAR and its work and mission and look forward to the collaboration announced today for our future.'

At the preview of the AT&T Auditorium that is designed to showcase the automobile, guests were invited to view the Number 31 AT&T Chevrolet, which is driven competitively by Jeff Burton of Richard Childress Racing. The race car is the first vehicle to be displayed in the auditorium.

For more information, visit: www.clemson.edu/autoresearch.

Clemson biophysicist recognized with NSF CAREER Award

Monday, March 24, 2008

Clemson biophysicist Pu-Chun Ke has received a $400,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award and other international recognition for his research into the self-assembly of carbon nanomaterials in living systems and how they impact human health and the environment.

In his research, Ke discovered that certain mammalian colon cancer cells contract when cell membranes interact with nanoparticles. This experiment offered a first-hand look at how nanomaterials interact with cell membranes and may trigger toxicity. His research also looks at how nanoparticles coated with different matter react in different aquatic solutions and in the food chain.

Nanoscience is the study of how materials behave when their dimensions are reduced to the nanoscale: 100,000th the size of a single human hair.

'With the mass production of nanomaterials in research labs and on the consumer market it has become imperative to understand the potential impact of these materials after they are incorporated into biological systems or discharged into the environment,' said Ke, who is a professor in the department of physics and astronomy. 'A major effort in our lab is to decipher the behaviors of nanomaterials in living systems and relate the biophysical studies to practical issues, such as gene- and drug-delivery and toxicity.'

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of the early career-development activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organizations.

Ke and his research interests also were featured recently on the flagship page of Nature.com. The Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter named a review paper, 'Carbon Nanomaterials in Biological Systems,' that he wrote with collaborator Rui Qiao, a professor of mechanical engineering, one of its top papers of 2007. According to the journal, the selection includes the papers and review articles that are considered the very best contributions from 2007--those with the highest importance and that receive the highest number of downloads.

'These are great and much deserved honors for Pu-Chun Ke,' said associate vice president for research and economic development John Ballato. 'Given the accelerating pace of scientific advancements in today's technology-driven world, it's always a fight to stay at the cutting edge of the state of the art. This international recognition clearly points to the caliber of Dr. Ke's research and further validates Clemson's strength in advanced materials.'

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in physics, visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Physics/index.php.

Clemson faculty present master plan to Egyptian prime minister

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Two members of Clemson University's landscape architecture faculty joined colleagues in Egypt on Saturday, March 22, to present the Egyptian prime minister a plan to restore one of the world's great historic sites.

If Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif approves the plan put together by Clemson and Ain Shams University students and faculty, he could push through the funding required for implementation.

Hala Nassar and Robert Hewitt joined their counterparts from Ain Shams to present the architecture and landscape architecture plans.

The two universities have collaborated since 2006 on a master plan that would restore and rejuvenate two temples and the Avenue of the Sphinxes in the city of Luxor, including a waterfront area on the Nile River.

The ancient temples of Luxor and Karnak are connected by an avenue lined with ram-headed sphinxes. Much of the ancient site has fallen to ruin or been overrun by centuries of encroachment. Much of the two-mile avenue is covered in layers of unplanned and haphazard sprawl.

The idea for the universities to collaborate emerged when Nassar returned to Egypt to visit family and colleagues. She discovered that Ain Shams has a great architecture program, but no landscape architecture tradition, which is one of Clemson's strength disciplines. The master plan presented to Prime Minister Nazif included architecture and landscape architecture elements.

Clemson students first visited the site in Luxor in 2007, when they and their Ain Shams counterparts documented current conditions. Their challenge was to find a solution to preserving the ancient area while remaining sensitive to the needs of modern inhabitants.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in landscape architecture, visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/LandArch/index.php.

CU-ICAR partners with first Asian OEM: Mazda

Thursday, March 20, 2008

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) has announced Mazda North American Operations, headquartered in Irvine, CA, will be the first Asian Original Equipment Manufacturer to partner with CU-ICAR.

The announcement was made at the Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center on the CU-ICAR campus with Mazda representatives.

The Mazda Foundation will provide an initial pledge of $30,000 to CU-ICAR for the Mazda Annual Graduate Fellowships program. The fellowships are performance-based and renewable for up to three years for a potential total of $90,000. In addition, the company will donate a CX-7 crossover SUV, drive trains, sub-assemblies and other components to be used as learning tools by Clemson students and faculty.

'We are delighted to welcome Mazda to CU-ICAR,' said Esin Gulari, dean of the College of Engineering and Science at Clemson. 'The strength and visibility of the Mazda brand worldwide makes this a key partnership, and we look forward to having our students interact and learn from this automotive leader. This connection with Mazda will open many doors for them as they continue into their careers. The fellowships are critical to the success of our program and the availability of Mazda automotive products for real-world study is invaluable. We look forward to a long and productive relationship.'

As part of the agreement, three $10,000 fellowships will be provided to graduate students majoring in automotive engineering through the department of mechanical engineering within the College of Engineering and Science.

'We are thrilled to affiliate with this dynamic new research facility with support from both the Mazda Foundation and Mazda North American Operations. The work that the CU-ICAR graduate students undertake now will lay the foundation for groundbreaking advancements in the automotive industry in the future,' said Robert Davis, senior vice president, Product Development and Quality, for Mazda North American Operations and a 1985 Clemson graduate.

Known for creating cars that are stylish, insightful and spirited, as well as affordable and fun to drive, Mazda infuses the 'soul of a sports car' into every vehicle it builds, Davis said.

Mazda North American Operations oversees the sales, marketing, parts, accessories and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada and Mexico through nearly 900 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc., located in Ontario, and in Mexico by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

As the corporate foundation of Mazda North American Operations, the Mazda Foundation has awarded nearly $6 million to worthwhile causes across the United States since its inception and initial awards in 1992. Reflecting Mazda's commitment to youth and education, the new fellowship program at CU-ICAR joins several other college scholarship programs sponsored by the Mazda Foundation. These include scholarship programs at Dillard University and University of North Carolina at Pembroke as well as a scholarship program funded through the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

CU-ICAR is a new model for economic development in South Carolina, matching Clemson's strengths in automotive engineering with the state's strong automotive economic cluster. Located in the heart of the Interstate 85 corridor, midway between Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, GA, CU-ICAR is ideally situated in the Southeastern automotive and motorsports economy.

CU-ICAR is a 250-acre 'technopolis' where BMW, Michelin, Timken, Sun Microsystems and other corporate partners are joining with Clemson to focus on automotive research and other transportation and advanced-manufacturing issues.

The state of South Carolina also is a key partner, having created legislation to support economic development and innovation. For example, the Research Centers of Economic Excellence Endowed Chairs Program matches private funding to recruit top faculty. CU-ICAR has four endowed chairs created through the program. Three of these chairs, along with five junior faculty positions, have been filled. These faculty members, along with other faculty from the main campus, form the academic team for one of the nation’s most exceptional master’s and doctoral degree programs in automotive engineering. The doctoral program is one of the first in the country.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in automotive engineering, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/AutoEng/index.php.

Mechanical engineer recognized with honors

Friday, March 14, 2008

Imtiaz Haque, department chair and professor of mechanical engineering, has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The fellow grade is the highest elected grade of membership within ASME and recognizes significant engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.

Haque has conducted research on the dynamics of vehicle systems since 1975, contributing to a fundamental understanding of the behavior of rail and automotive systems. He is a long-time member of ASME and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).

With industry leaders and faculty at Clemson, Haque has led the effort to develop an exceptional graduate program in automotive engineering along with the development of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) campus. This has resulted in a unique curriculum that is currently ranked as a top international automotive engineering program in the country.

'This is a very deserved honor for Dr. Haque from ASME,' said Esin Gulari, dean of the College of Engineering and Science. 'This is the most highly recognized organization in mechanical engineering and Dr. Haque has made tremendous contributions to the field. It is a pleasure to see him achieve the rank of fellow.'

Haque has served as a major research advisor to 80 PhD, master's and undergraduate students and to six post-doctorate and research scholars. He is the author or co-author of more than 100 peer-reviewed papers.

For more about Clemson's graduate programs in mechanical engineering, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/MechEng/index.php.

Clemson MBA candidates support Special Olympics North Carolina

Thursday, March 13, 2008

A team of 16 Clemson University MBA candidates will travel to Duke University to compete in events such as swimming, running and even briefcase tossing to help raise funds for Special Olympics North Carolina. The event is will be held April 4-6, 2008.

Clemson's MBA Program is participating in the 20th annual Duke MBA Games, along with MBA teams from the University of Chicago, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University.

Interim director of the full-time Clemson MBA program Jani Spede, who will travel with the students to the event, said, 'I am thrilled that our MBA candidates are participating in this rewarding event--it will give our candidates a better understanding of social stewardship, which is maturing in corporations. At the same time, it will provide everyone involved the opportunity to further develop team and interpersonal skills while directly impacting the lives of Special Olympians.'

Building on the leadership and teamwork skills developed in the classroom, MBA candidates will team up with several Special Olympians to compete in the events. The weekend's events will also include networking and socializing events in the Durham area.

Chris Bauer, president of the Clemson MBA Student Association, said, 'As we continue to build the reputation of the program, it is important for Clemson MBA's to show our support for worthy causes. Participating in events similar to the Duke MBA Games not only begins to establish the kinds of positive associations found among highly-ranked programs, but these opportunities also give our MBA’s a chance to network with other future leaders of the business community.'

The Clemson MBA Student Association is organizing Clemson's participation in the event, and the group is also investigating local social awareness activities for next year.

The Duke MBA Games have raised more than $1.6 million since its inception in 1988. Special Olympics North Carolina is a volunteer-driven organization that involves more than 38,000 athletes in competition through 20 sports and supports children and adults with disabilities.

To sponsor the Clemson MBA program in the event, visit: http://www.firstgiving.com/mbagames-clemson.

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About the Clemson MBA
As the largest graduate program in Clemson University's College of Business and Behavioral Science, the Clemson MBA program ranks in the top 20 percent of AACSB International-accredited programs nationwide, according to U.S. News & World Report. The innovative MBA program prepares business professionals for senior-level management positions in the global marketplace. Whether enrolled in the full-time, on-campus program (typically completed in 18-24 months) or the flexible, part-time working-professionals program (offered in the evenings in Greenville), Clemson MBA professionals gain an analytical, theoretical, strategic and real-world perspective on leading businesses. Classes are taught in-person, creating an engaging environment in which to learn among a diverse, team-like class culture.

Uniquely, about 50 percent of MBA candidates in the full-time program are awarded graduate assistantships, many of which include the opportunity to serve as business opportunity analysts who work on an array of projects for inventors, entrepreneurs and established businesses.

Numerous dual-degree options also are available, as are study abroad programs in Belgium, China and Italy.

For more information about the Clemson MBA, visit www.clemson.edu/mba or e-mail MBACareers@clemson.edu.

Clemson hires development director for Restoration Institute

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Clemson University has hired Elizabeth Colbert-Busch as the director of development for its Restoration Institute in North Charleston. Her role will be to work with individuals and corporations to build relationships that will help develop the institute.

Elizabeth Colbert-Busch Colbert-Busch comes to Clemson from the Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) where she was director of sales and marketing for the company’s South Atlantic region. In that position, she was responsible for all trade lane development and implementation of the regional business plan, budget objectives and financial goals, as well as promoting international maritime relations and business activity for the region.

“With her solid background in the corporate world and her passion for higher education, Elizabeth will be a tremendous asset to the university-wide efforts of Clemson’s Restoration Institute,” said John Kelly, executive director of the institute.

Colbert-Busch graduated from the College of Charleston in 1988 with a degree in intermodal transportation and logistics management. After completing a South Carolina State Ports Authority business development internship, she worked in Washington, D.C, to complete her studies on government maritime relations. She joined the OOCL staff in November 1988.

She was the aide to Henry L. Wen, vice president of public affairs for Associated Maritime Industries Inc., the liaison between OOCL and federal and state governments. She served as chairwoman of the 2006 S.C. International Trade Conference, chairwoman of the Maritime Association Port of Charleston and member of the board of directors of the Propeller Club Port of Charleston, which named her regional member of the year. She was a founding member of the Charleston Women in International Trade and was the first woman voted by the industry as the National Transportation Week Leader of the Year.

Colbert-Busch has served on the College of Charleston’s Business College Alumni Advisory Board and currently serves on the college’s Intermodal Transportation and Logistics Management Program Advisory Committee. She has lectured on ocean transportation and intermodalism, market economy and trends, homeland security industry challenges and recently published an industry article on improving the cargo throughput process under industry dynamic growth and demand on U.S. infrastructure.

She is married to Claus Wyman Busch III and has three children – Mary Legare Middleton, Robert Walker Legare Jr. and Catherine Ann Legare – and two grandchildren.

Clemson rolls out first PhD program in health-care genetics

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Clemson University will offer the country's first interdisciplinary PhD program in health-care genetics.

Approved in January by the state Commission on Higher Education and given the green light this month by the academic accrediting agency Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the program takes an interdisciplinary approach to scholarly work in genetics and health care.

Graduates of the program will find careers in a broad range of professions from genetic epidemiology to industry research. The program also will prepare university professors in nursing and other disciplines.

'The impact of genetics on health care has the potential to be greater than any earlier scientific advancement. For all of that promise to meet its full potential, health-care providers and scientists must work together in developing new skills and practices,' said Rosanne Pruitt, director of the Clemson University School of Nursing. 'This PhD in health-care genetics will help build that collaborative culture by pulling on expertise from many disciplines.'

The program will be housed in the School of Nursing, but tap deeply into other areas of the university and off-campus partners like the Greenwood Genetics Center, Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and the University of Iowa. On-campus partners include the Clemson University Genomic Institute; the Strom Thurmond Institute; the Eugene T. Moore School of Education; the departments of psychology, political science and genetics and biochemistry; and the LPN to Professor program, which includes AnMed Health, Oconee Memorial Hospital, Palmetto Baptist Hospital and Cannon Memorial Hospital with the Duke Endowment.

'In recent years, a surge of new information and research in genetics has outpaced policies and practices,' said Julie Eggert, doctoral program coordinator for the School of Nursing. 'We plan to facilitate interdisciplinary development and application of ethical guidelines and health policy in genetics while translating the expanding knowledge of genetics from 'bench to bedside.''

The program expects to enroll six students in the first year and grow to about 20 over the next four years.

For more information about Clemson's School of Nursing and its programs, visit www.hehd.clemson.edu/nursing.

Katsiyannis Honored with Leadership Position

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Antonis Katsiyannis, a professor of special education at Clemson University, has been elected as the president of the National Council for Children with Behavior Disorders.

The Council for Children with Behavior Disorders (CCBD), a national organization, is dedicated to supporting the professional development and enhancing the expertise of those who work on behalf of children with challenging behavior and their families. CCBD is committed to students who are identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders and those whose behavior puts them at risk for failure in school, home, and/or community. CCBD supports prevention of problem behavior and enhancement of social, emotional, and educational well-being of all children and youth.

For more information about Professor Katsiyannis, visit his website at http://people.clemson.edu/~antonis.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in special education, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/SpecialEd/index.php.

Science as Art 2008 -- Submission Deadline Extended

Monday, March 10, 2008

The deadline for entry submission is now Friday, March 14.

Visual representations of science and technology provide a valuable connection between scientists, artists and the general public. For the past two years, 'Science as Art' has challenged Clemson University students, faculty and staff to share the powerful and inspiring visual images produced in our laboratories, workspaces and learning environments. The results have been impressive and have drawn the attention of scientists, artists and members of the community. The winning entries were featured in Clemson World, and are on display in Rhodes Engineering Research Center and Holtzendorff Hall.

Clemson students, faculty and staff are once again invited to submit original works to Science as Art 2008. Entries can be produced by individuals or teams; multi-disciplinary collaboration is encouraged. While images need not be research-based, they should convey a significant or captivating scientific concept or event.

Categories for entries include photographs, illustrations, electronic media (interactive and non-interactive, including video) and explanatory graphics. Winners in each category will be awarded gift certificates to Clemson Variety and Frame.

Entries will be judged by a panel of artists and scientists from the community, based on visual impact, effective communication, and freshness and originality. A 'People's Choice' award will be given based on a campus-wide poll of the entries. All entries will be displayed in the library April 7 through May 9, and winners in five categories will be honored at the Sigma Xi spring banquet on Tuesday, April 8 and rewarded with $50 gift certificats to local merchants.

Sponsors for this event include the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films; the Provost's office; the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities; the College of Engineering and Science; the College of Business and Behavioral Sciences; the College of Health, Education and Human Development; and the Clemson chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.

For entry forms and more information, go to the Department of Engineering and Science Education website, www.clemson.edu/ese/cp/saa, or contact Lisa Benson at lbenson@clemson.edu.

Science as Art --

Monday, March 10, 2008

On April 1, 5:00 - 6:30 pm at the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory in Pendleton, all those who submit entries to the 'Science as Art 2008' contest, along with the judges and the general public, are invited to a reception and exhibit of all Science as Art 2008 entries.

Wine, cheese and heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served. For directions visit www.clemson.edu/research/ottSite/ottDirections.htm.

For more information about Science as Art 2008 and this event, visit www.clemson.edu/ese/cp/saa/, or contact Lisa Benson at lbenson@clemson.edu.

This event is sponsored by the Clemson University Research Foundation.

White-Collar Crime Symposium

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

As white-collar crimes become more prevalent, leaders in the business and academic arenas are taking notice. Three experts will share their insights at the White Collar Crime Symposium to be held on March 26, 2008 at 3:00pm in the Strom Thurmond Institute auditorium on the campus of Clemson University.

This free event is open to the public.

Dr. D. Quinn Mills of the Harvard Business School will speak on accounting and financial fraud. Mills is the author of Buy, Lie and Sell High: How Investors Lost Out on Enron and the Internet Bubble, which analyzes the accounting scandals of 2001-2003.

Dr. Stanton E. Samenow is a criminologist and psychologist in private practice as well as author of Inside the Criminal Mind. Samenow, who frequently appears on national radio and television broadcasts, will discuss criminal behavior, emphasizing the similarities between 'criminals in the suites' and 'criminals in the streets.'

Dr. Terry Leap, professor of management at Clemson University and author of the newly released Dishonest Dollars: The Dynamics of White-Collar Crime, will address future issues affecting white-collar crime.

The event is sponsored by the College of Business and Behavioral Science and the Robert J. Rutland Institute for Ethics at Clemson University.

For more information about the white-collar crime symposium and to RSVP, email Dr. Terry Leap at tleap@clemson.edu.

Challenge of the Sphinxes

Monday, February 25, 2008

Planning and landscape architecture students from Clemson are helping preserve humanity's distant past in Luxor, Egypt.

As part of an ambitious push to restore and rejuvenate the two temple complexes, as well as the Avenue of Sphinxes and the surrounding city of Luxor, government officials in 2006 invited American students from Clemson University to join Egyptian students from Ain Shams University in Cairo to collaborate on a master plan for the city of Luxor.

During the spring 2007 semester, the first steps of this project were taken by Clemson students as those enrolled in the landscape architecture urban design studio began work with students at Ain Shams in parallel studio courses. The Clemson students visited Egypt in February 2007 to see Luxor first-hand and engaged in an urban analysis of the city. They also met their collaborators at Ain Shams University. Upon their return, students in the studio course worked to provide a variety of urban design solutions for key areas of the city. In particular, these students worked on landscape designs that complement the architectural plans of the Ain Shams studio; their work primarily addressed the temple and avenue areas but also included landscape development plans for the west bank of the Nile, including the Valley of the Dead.

For the full-text article in Clemson World, visit www.clemson.edu/clemson-world/2008/winter/article5.html.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in these fields, visit the appropriate websites below:
*City and Regional Planning - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/CRP/index.php
*Environmental Design and Planning - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/EDP/index.php
*Landscape Architecture - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/LandArch/index.php

NSF's Kilgallin to discuss ethics at Clemson colloquium, Greenville program

Thursday, February 21, 2008

William Kilgallin, head of investigative legal and outreach for the National Science Foundation's Office of Inspector General, will be the 2008 Presidential Colloquium speaker at 3 p.m., Tuesday, March 4, in the Self Auditorium of the Strom Thurmond Institute at Clemson University.

Kilgallin will address 'Research Ethics Today' during the colloquium, which is free and open to the public.

While in the Upstate, Kilgallin will address 'Research Ethics and the Private Sector' during a program at the Commerce Club in Greenville at 11:30 a.m. on March 4.

Both events are co-sponsored by the Rutland Institute for Ethics, the Clemson Graduate School and the Clemson Office of Research and Economic Development.

Kilgallin serves as legal adviser to the associate inspector general for investigations, supervises the investigative legal section and provides legal advice to the Office of Investigations on issues that arise in the investigation of all civil, criminal and administrative allegations of wrongdoing (including research misconduct) involving NSF activities. He also oversees outreach efforts, which are designed to develop and improve partnerships with institutions, the foundation and members of the research and education communities.

Prior to working for NSF, Kilgallin served as a member of the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 21 years, where he served as executive officer for the US Army Trial Defense Service and chief of international law for the United States Central Command. Prior to that, he worked in intelligence law, managed two large legal offices and litigated at the trial and appellate levels.

Kilgallin received a bachelor's degree in political science from The Catholic University of America. He received his law degree from Hofstra University School of Law and his LLM from the Judge Advocate General’s School at the University of Virginia.

For more information about both programs--including registration information--please visit: www.clemson.edu/ethics/events/kilgallin.php.

Clemson Researchers Develop Nanoparticle Chicken Feed

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Poultry is big business in South Carolina and Clemson University scientists are using nanotechnology to keep the birds and consumers healthy.

The researchers are developing drug-free ways to keep chickens and humans from contracting illnesses.

More than 200 million broilers and layers are raised in the Palmetto State. The industry has moved toward bigger broiler farms with flocks of between 150,000 and 300,000 birds becoming common.

Chickens are susceptible to disease. An illness in a handful of birds can spread throughout a facility housing thousands. Vaccines and medications can be effective but pose risks to growers and consumers. Each flock has particular health and immunity profiles, so chicks from different breeders do not respond to vaccines and diseases the same way. What’s more, bacteria can build up 'antibiotic resistance' making the drugs less effective.

For consumers, poultry can harbor bacteria, viruses and fungi that do not affect them but do cause human illnesses, especially when poultry is undercooked or mishandled during food preparation.

Researchers are looking for drug-free alternatives. Clemson scientists have made a promising discovery using nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is tiny science--working with materials 1/100,000th the size of a human hair. Scientists are seeking to shrink materials down to the scale of atoms, creating particles that show promise for making better medicines, faster computers and safer foods.

Jeremy Tzeng and Clemson colleagues Fred Stutzenberger, Robert Latour Jr. and Ya-Ping Sun have built nanoparticles that mimic the host cell surface in poultry and locks to the targeted pathogens. The particles then bind together and are purged through the bowel. Tzeng calls it 'intelligent chicken feed.'

'If we use this physical purging, physical removal, we are not using antibiotics so the chance of the microorganism becoming resistant to it is really small,' Tzeng said.

To protect the discovery, Clemson technology transfer officials are patenting it. Tzeng says that it will take more research and testing before the nanoparticle is ready to be used, but in the not-so-distant future, chickens and humans may live better lives due to intelligent chicken feed.

For more information on Clemson's related graduate programs, visit the appropriate link below:
*Biological Engineering - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Bioeng/index.php
*Biological Sciences - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/BioSci/index.php
*Chemistry - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Chemistry/index.php
*Microbiology - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Microbio/index.php

Antonis Katsiyannis named Co-Editor of Prestigious Journal

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Antonis Katsiyannis, professor of special education in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education, was recently named co-editor of the Journal of Disability Policy Studies.

The Journal of Disability Policy Studies addresses compelling, variable issues in ethics, policy and law related to individuals with disabilities. A major focus is quantitative and qualitative policy research. Articles have implications in fields such as education, law, sociology, public health, family studies, medicine, social work and public administration. Occasional special series discuss current problems or areas needing more in-depth research, for example, disability and aging, policy concerning families of children with disabilities, oppression and disability, school violence policies and interventions, and systems change in supporting individuals with disabilities. The journal is published by the Hammill Institute on Disabilities and SAGE Publications.

The Graduate School would like to congratulate Professor Katsiyannis on his distinguished honor and thank him for being such a wonderful representation of Clemson University.

For more information about the Journal of Disability Policy Studies, please visit: http://dps.sagepub.com.

For more information about Professor Katsiyannis, visit his website: www.hehd.clemson.edu/schoolofed/dir_fac_profile.php?uName=antonis.

For more information about Clemson's graduate program in special education, please visit: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/SpecialEd/index.php.

Clemson's Cyberinfrastructure Enhancement Efforts Featured in "Storage Magazine"

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Clemson University was prominently featured in the cover story for Storage Magazine, January 2008 edition. Alan Radding, contributing writer for Storage Magazine, interviewed Jim Bottum, Jim Pepin and Mike Canon about key investments in cyberinfrastructure that are establishing Clemson as a national leader in education, research, high performance computing and innovation. These investments are propelling us towards the 'Top 20' and we congratulate all of the IT employees who are helping Clemson reach such goals and achievements.

The full article is located at: http://ccit.clemson.edu/about/VP_CIO/Storage_Magazine.pdf

Call for Entries: Science as Art 2008

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Visual representations of science and technology provide a valuable connection between scientists, artists and the general public. For the past two years, 'Science as Art' has challenged Clemson University students, faculty and staff to share the powerful and inspiring visual images produced in our laboratories, workspaces and learning environments. The results have been impressive and have drawn the attention of scientists, artists and members of the community. The winning entries were featured in Clemson World, and are on display in Rhodes Engineering Research Center and Holtzendorff Hall.

Clemson students, faculty and staff are once again invited to submit original works to Science as Art 2008. Entries can be produced by individuals or teams; multi-disciplinary collaboration is encouraged. While images need not be research-based, they should convey a significant or captivating scientific concept or event.

Categories for entries include photographs, illustrations, electronic media (interactive and non-interactive, including video) and explanatory graphics. Winners in each category will be awarded gift certificates to Clemson Variety and Frame.

The deadline for submitting an entry is March 7, 2008. Entries will be judged by a panel of artists and scientists from the community, based on visual impact, effective communication, and freshness and originality. A 'People's Choice' award will be given based on a campus-wide poll of the entries. All entries will be displayed in the library during April, and winners in five categories will be honored at the Sigma Xi spring banquet on Tuesday, April 8.

Sponsors for this event include the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films; the Provost's office; the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities; the College of Engineering and Science; the College of Business and Behavioral Sciences; the College of Health, Education and Human Development; and the Clemson chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.

For entry forms and more information, go to the Department of Engineering and Science Education website, www.clemson.edu/ese/cp/saa, or contact Lisa Benson at lbenson@clemson.edu.

Free Lecture on the History and Science of Hurricanes to be given by Dr. Kerry Emanuel

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Are you intrigued by the connection between extreme weather and global warming? You should consider attending the lecture and discussion of this very important and timely topic by the 2008 Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer, Dr. Kerry Emanuel.

The free lecture entitled, 'Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes' and subsequent discussion will take place in McKissick Theater (Hendrix Center) on March 7, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Emanuel, an atmospheric scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studies tropical meteorology and climate, with a specialty in hurricane physics. His interests also include cumulus convection and advanced methods of sampling the atmosphere in aid of numerical weather prediction. He is the author or co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and two books, including Divine Wind: The History and Science of Hurricanes, recently released by Oxford University Press and aimed at a general audience. It received the 2007 Louis Battan Author's Award from the American Meteorological Society. He was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 Influential People of 2006, and was highlighted in Time's April 2006 issue: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187251,00.html

World-Renowned Bioengineers to Record History of Medical Inventions

Thursday, February 14, 2008

If you have contact lenses, an artificial hip joint, a dental implant, a mechanical heart valve or just about any medical device in your body, you can thank a bioengineer.

To commemorate the contributions of bioengineers that have benefited so many since the 1960s, Clemson University hosts the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) History Summit Feb. 20-22 at the Madren Center. The society's founders and past presidents, an international group, will gather to record an audio history of the society and origins of bioengineering inventions and devices from the last four decades.

'This is an unprecedented gathering of the greatest minds in bioengineering,' said Martine LaBerge, chairwoman of the department of bioengineering and president of the SFB. 'It is a great honor for Clemson University to host this memorable event where the enthusiasm of participating past presidents and founders of the SFB is only surpassed by their dedication for a field that is the cornerstone of medical technology today.'

Recording sessions take place from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Teleconference Room.

The outcome of the summit will be the audio recording and the publication of a monograph that captures the historical background of the society to be shared and built upon by present and future bioengineers.

'We are, in essence, passing the torch,' said Samuel F. Hulbert, chairman of the event and president-emeritus of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He also is the founder and a past president of the SFB. 'The outcome of this summit will assure that the SFB's rich past and the foundation for an exciting future is not forgotten.'

The SFB is the premier professional society that promotes advances in all phases of materials research and development by encouraging cooperative educational programs, clinical applications and professional standards in the biomaterials field. More than 1,500 members worldwide represent industry, medicine, academia and regulation.

The SFB has been a pillar in Clemson University's international reputation as the landmark for the field of biomaterials. In 1969, Clemson hosted the first in a series of annual symposia that lead to the founding of the Society for Biomaterials in 1974. The SFB annually recognizes three outstanding researchers in the field through the prestigious Clemson Award for Contributions to Literature, the Clemson Award for Basic Research and the Clemson Award for Applied Research.

For information about the C. William Hall Biomaterials Documentation Center and the SFB History Summit at Clemson, go to: www.ces.clemson.edu/Hall_CTR/news.html.

For information on the Society for Biomaterials, go to www.biomaterials.org.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in bioengineering, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Bioeng/index.php.

Call For Entries: CUroar Student Video Contest

Monday, February 11, 2008

Who out there has lots of Clemson Tiger pride? Share it with the world through the CUroar student video contest.

This contest is a great way for full-time Clemson students to showcase their creativity through 90-second videos that answer one of the following questions:

-What you have learned at Clemson University?
-Why did you choose Clemson University?
-How have you found your place at Clemson University?
-Why does your blood run orange?
-What is special about Clemson University?

Three winners will be selected from all entries for two grand prizes of $500 each and one audience-choice prize of $500. The audience choice will allow people to vote online for their favorites, between February 20 and 22. Winners will be notified by February 25.

Some general rules include:
-The contest is open to current full-time undergraduate or graduate Clemson students who are at least 18 years old.
-Entries must be no longer than 90 seconds.
-Teams are allowed.
-Multiple entries are allowed (up to five).
-Videos are accepted until 4:30 p.m. EST on February 15, 2008.
-To enter a video in the contest, submit the signed Official Contest Rules/Entry Form and Release with your video on DVD or CD format to 114 Daniel Drive (Littlejohn House), Clemson, SC 29631, ATTN: Dave Dryden.

For official contest rules and more information, visit www.clemson.edu/curoar.

Physics Professor Highlighted on Prestigious Journal's Website

Monday, February 11, 2008

Dr. Pu-Chun Ke, professor of physics, was recently profiled on the website for the journal, Nature--one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world.

For Dr. Ke's full profile on the website for Nature, visit http://network.nature.com/profile/ke.

For more information on Clemson’s graduate programs in physics, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Physics/index.php.

Clemson's Spiro Institute Sponsors Entrepreneurial Awards Competition

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

College students who operate businesses while attending school have the opportunity to compete for $3,000 in prizes in the ninth annual South Carolina Collegiate Entrepreneurship Award competition sponsored by the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University.

The deadline for entries is Feb. 29. The award winner and runner-up will be recognized at the statewide U.S. SBA small business awards program in Columbia on April 1.

'The Spiro Institute's mission includes outreach programs that promote entrepreneurial activity,' said Spiro Institute associate director Kim Dawson. 'By organizing this competition, we are able to reward and encourage these creative student entrepreneurs.'

Both undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in South Carolina colleges are eligible to compete. Previous years' applicants have come from schools including Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, The Citadel, Anderson University, Presbyterian College, Charleston Southern University, Wofford College, Erskine College, Columbia College, Greenville Technical College and Midlands Technical College.

'As in past years, we expect to receive entries from students at schools all across the state representing a broad range of businesses from Internet-based specialty sales to jewelry boutiques,' said Dawson. 'This competition is a way to recognize students who have succeeded in running a small business while maintaining a full academic schedule.'

The application for the 2008 South Carolina Collegiate Entrepreneurship Award is available online from the Spiro Institute website at: http://business.clemson.edu/Spiro/index.htm.

For more information, contact the Spiro Institute at (864) 656-7235 or spiro@clemson.edu.

Clemson researchers team up with Michelin to advance tire technology

Monday, February 04, 2008

A Clemson University research team affiliated with the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research will receive $1.9 million to develop new technology with Michelin North America, one of CU-ICAR's founding partners. The project will focus on reducing automotive tire rolling resistance, improving vehicle fuel economy. Michelin chose Clemson to conduct a significant portion of the research after a competitive bid process for universities.

This award is the direct result of academia and industry working together to create innovative solutions for one of the most pressing problems of our time, the global energy crisis,' said Tom Kurfess, Clemson researcher on the project and director of CU-ICAR. 'It is an important partnership because no one individual could accomplish this alone.'

The project will engage the talents of more than 20 professors, graduate and undergraduate students. These mechanical engineering professors are working on the project:

* Tom Kurfess, holder of the BMW Chair in Manufacturing, focusing on manufacturing issues;

* John Ziegert, holder of the Timken Chair in Automotive Design and Development, focusing on design issues;

* Georges Fadel, focusing on integration issues;

* Paul Joseph, focusing on material modeling and design issues;

* Joshua Summers, focusing on design issues; and

* Laine Mears, focusing on manufacturing issues.

Michelin North America and Clemson University officials at the research agreement event.Michelin was one of the first partners in CU-ICAR, funding an endowed chair and associated laboratory in February 2004.

CU-ICAR is a new model for economic development in South Carolina, matching Clemson’s strengths in automotive engineering with the state’s strong automotive economic cluster. Located on the Interstate 85 corridor between Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, GA, CU-ICAR is situated in the center of the Southeastern automotive and motorsports economy.

The 250-acre 'technopolis' is where BMW, Michelin, Timken, SUN, SAE and other corporate partners are joining with Clemson to focus on automotive research and other transportation and advanced manufacturing issues.

The state of South Carolina also is a key partner, having created legislation to support economic development and innovation. For example, the Research Centers of Economic Excellence Endowed Chairs Program matches private funding to recruit top faculty. CU-ICAR has four endowed chairs created through the program. Three of these chairs, along with five junior faculty positions, have been filled. These faculty members, along with other faculty from the main campus, form the academic team for one of the nation's most exceptional master's and doctoral degree programs in automotive engineering. The doctoral program is one of the first in the country.

For more information about a degree in automotive enginnering, visit http://www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/AutoEng/.

Ballato Named Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development; to Champion Advanced Materials for Clemson

Friday, February 01, 2008

Clemson University professor John Ballato, a leading international scholar in optical materials, has been appointed to serve as associate vice president for research and economic development focusing on advanced materials.

Vice President for Research and Economic Development Chris Przirembel said Ballato is charged with being the University-wide champion for research and economic development in advanced materials. He will explore opportunities for major research initiatives and work with faculty to facilitate collaboration through interdisciplinary research teams. He also will coordinate Clemson's role in a major economic development initiative in the Advanced Materials Center in Anderson County, formerly Clemson Research Park.

With the final funding approval by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board for its 28,000-square-foot Innovation Center, Clemson anticipates construction will begin this summer. The Innovation Center is part of a research complex to support and assist private industry and leverage Anderson County's ability to attract advanced-materials companies.

'We are fortunate to have John take on this critical role,' Przirembel said. 'Advanced materials are a key research area at Clemson, last year accounting for one-fourth of the external funding the university received for research. John's knowledge of the field and his experience and success in competitive grants will be of great assistance. He also understands and appreciates the importance of industry collaboration in moving research from the university to the marketplace, and we look forward to increased activity in that area under his leadership.'

A professor of materials science and engineering at Clemson, Ballato also directs COMSET, the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies, which is a South Carolina Research Center of Economic Excellence. He earned a bachelor's degree in ceramic science and engineering and a PhD in ceramic and materials engineering from Rutgers University.

He has received numerous awards for teaching and research, most notably the Schwartzwalder-PACE Award from the National Institute of Ceramic Engineering recognizing 'the nation's outstanding young ceramic engineer whose achievements have been significant to the profession and the general welfare of the American people.'

Ballato was chosen as a Liberty Fellow (2005). The Liberty Fellowship program inspires values-based leadership among young South Carolina leaders. In 2006, Ballato was selected as the Distinguished Young Alumnus for Rutgers University's Graduate School and also was selected as the faculty representative to Clemson's board of trustees.

He has published more than 120 archival publications and been a principal investigator on $40 million worth of sponsored programs, gifts and contracts. Ballato is an associate editor of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society and an active participant on the 'Optoelectronic Glasses' technical committee for the International Commission on Glass.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in materials science and engineering, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/MSE/index.php

Clemson University Innovation Center Receives Final Funding Approval

Friday, February 01, 2008

The State Budget and Control Board Thursday gave final approval to Clemson University's request for $5 million to start construction of a new Innovation Center at the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center, formerly Clemson Research Park. The board's action gives the green light for a plan that offers significant economic development potential for Anderson County. The approval is the final step in a process that began with the South Carolina Centers of Economic Excellence Review Board approval of the project for funding through the South Carolina Research Infrastructure Act.

'We are extremely pleased that the Budget and Control Board recognized the value of this project and the economic benefit it offers Anderson County, the Upstate and all of South Carolina,' said Chris Przirembel, Clemson's vice president for research and economic development.

Advance SC, funded through Duke Energy, provided $1 million for construction of the Innovation Center, and the Duke Energy Foundation provided a $1 million endowment to support the operation and maintenance of the building.

'We are especially grateful to Advance SC and Duke Energy for their generous support in addition to the partners previously announced. The public-private partnership and local investment in the Advanced Materials Center sends a strong message that this area welcomes the advanced materials industry,' Przirembel said.

'This exciting project fits perfectly with Duke Energy's focus on regional economic development and our effort to attract advanced-technology research and industry to the Carolinas. I believe the benefits of this type of collaboration will be significant for our customers and communities,' said Ellen Ruff, president of Duke Energy Carolinas.

Advance SC board president Carol Burdette said, 'Our board voted unanimously to support this project because we believe Clemson University is creating an unprecedented opportunity for economic development with this initiative and we are excited to be a part of it.'

Through their investment in the Innovation Center, Advance SC and Duke join forces with previously announced partners Innovate Anderson (formerly the Anderson County Development Partnership) and the South Carolina Research Authority, as well as Clemson, to create a strategy and a funding package to make the area a hub for the high-technology advanced-materials industry that is characterized by high-paying jobs. Innovate Anderson invested $1.3 to purchase the remaining available property in the Advanced Materials Center for potential use by private industry. The South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA) provided $4.3 million for a building to house SCRA contract and classified research.

The Innovation Center is part of a research and development complex that will leverage Anderson County's ability to attract advanced-materials companies. The 28,000-square-foot facility will house fledgling high-technology companies that focus on such advanced materials as photonics (the practical application of light), nanotechnology (atom-sized technology) and biomaterials. It will provide space for entrepreneurial start-ups and Clemson University spin-off companies and for larger companies considering relocating to South Carolina. The center will be adjacent to the Advanced Materials Research Lab, where faculty and students study everything from fuel-cell membranes for cars to faster, more efficient technology for computers. The SCRA building completes the complex.

Przirembel said he has named John Ballato, a Clemson professor with significant experience in advanced-materials research and industry relations, as associate vice president for research and economic development to shepherd Clemson's advanced-materials initiatives. (See related story: Ballato named associate vice president for research and economic development.)

Innovate Anderson Executive Director Mike Panasko said, 'From research support to space for business start-ups to support for marketing and other services, the Advanced Materials Center will be basically a destination location for this industry. We are excited to be moving forward.'

'The combination in Anderson of Clemson's Innovation Center and Advanced Materials and a limited access SCRA Facility will provide one of the world's top research and commercialization sites for advanced materials,' said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO. 'The best skill sets, facilities and equipment available to develop and apply advanced materials will be concentrated around one plaza, conveniently enabling our resulting collaborations to compete with anyone.'

"Double Dipping" Research Garners National Attention

Friday, February 01, 2008

Inspired by an episode of Seinfeld, food science professor and program coordinator for Clemson's graduate programs in food technology and food, nutrition, and culinary sciences, Dr. Paul Dawson, along with a group of his students looked to settle the debate: does double dipping actually spread bacteria and germs?

They assembled volunteers and used wheat crackers and sample dips. Ultimately, they found that in just a few double dips, about 10,000 bacteria were transferred from the eater's mouth to the remaining dip sample.

The results of the group's research are scheduled to be published in the journal Food Safety within the next six months, but for now, national attention has been given to this interesting research study. A link to an article appearing on CNN.com is below:

www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/02/01/double.dipping.ap/index.html

A link to NPR's phone interview with Dr. Dawson is below:

www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18643879&ft=1&f=1

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in food technology and food, nutrition, and culinary sciences, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Food/index.php

CU-ICAR announces partnership with INTEC

Friday, February 01, 2008

The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) has announced INTEC U.S. Inc., a German software company headquartered in Munich (INTEC GmbH), has selected the CU-ICAR campus as headquarters for its first U.S. presence. A technology leader in software for the automotive industry, INTEC will provide multi-body and real-time simulation software to CU-ICAR graduate students and professors.

'The new environment we see being created here at CU-ICAR, the academic research coupled with industrial partnership, creates tremendous collaboration potential. It is the environment we want to be in to introduce our products and services to the automotive sector and other industries in the United States,' said INTEC founder and President Alex Eichberger.

INTEC's SIMPACK software will support the development of mechanical or mechatronic devices. It can be used for such simple mechanisms as door latches or complex full-vehicle models that include cars, airplanes, wind turbines, trains and engines. It is currently being used by such companies as BMW, Daimler, Bombardier and Bosch.

'This is cutting-edge technology in automotive and aerospace design,' said mechanical engineering chairman and professor Imtiaz Haque. 'We will be able to do virtual prototyping and testing research that will support the auto industry in developing processes that get vehicles to market more efficiently with greater cost-savings.'

'SIMPACK will aid in the advancement of the emerging area known as mechatronics,' said John Ziegert, the Timken Chair in Automotive Design and Development and professor of mechanical engineering. 'It's the combination of mechanics, electronics, control engineering and computing that makes it possible to attain simpler, more economical, reliable and versatile systems.'

INTEC hopes to spawn 15 software technology jobs at its CU-ICAR campus location in the next five years.

The South Carolina Department of Commerce and the state of South Carolina have partnered with Clemson to recruit investment and build CU-ICAR to be an economic development agent utilizing Clemson's strengths in automotive engineering to grow the state’s automotive industry and related fields

'INTEC's advanced-technology application spans both basic and complex mechanisms and is being used by automotive leaders throughout the world,' said South Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Joe Taylor. 'The company's decision to locate in South Carolina further demonstrates the strengths of our state's economy and the potential towards growing South Carolina’s knowledge-based economy with high-tech and high-paying jobs.'

CU-ICAR is a new model for economic development in South Carolina, matching Clemson’s strengths in automotive engineering with the state’s strong automotive economic cluster. Located in the heart of the Interstate 85 corridor, midway between Charlotte, NC, and Atlanta, GA, CU-ICAR is ideally situated in the Southeastern automotive and motorsports economy.

CU-ICAR is a 250-acre 'technopolis' where BMW, Michelin, Timken, Sun Microsystems and other corporate partners are joining with Clemson to focus on automotive research and other transportation and advanced-manufacturing issues.

The state of South Carolina also is a key partner, having created legislation to support economic development and innovation. For example, the Research Centers of Economic Excellence Endowed Chairs Program matches private funding to recruit top faculty. CU-ICAR has four endowed chairs created through the program. Three of these chairs, along with five junior faculty positions, have been filled. These faculty members, along with other faculty from the main campus, form the academic team for one of the nation's most exceptional master's and doctoral degree programs in automotive engineering. The doctoral program is one of the first in the country.

Clemson engineer receives National Science Foundation CAREER Award for laser-assisted cell printing research

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Laser-assisted living cell-printing research at Clemson University has gotten a boost with a $400,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award to mechanical engineering professor Yong Huang, director of the Clemson Advanced Manufacturing and System Integration Laboratory.

The safe and efficient implementation of cell printing from this study may enable its wide application in both organ printing and rapid prototyping of cell-based products, which may someday assist in production of on-demand human organ manufacturing for organ transplant patients.

'I am honored to be selected for this award,' said Huang. 'With my many collaborators, we are extremely excited about exploring and improving cell viability in laser-assisted cell printing using manufacturing sciences and tools. Our long-term goal is to ensure a damage-free living cell and protein-printing process for numerous applications, including organ printing.'

Huang says the study will help bridge research collaboration between manufacturing science and biomedical research. He also says the integration of engineering education with biomedical manufacturing research will attract underrepresented and minority students and promote engineering to a broader population.

The cell printing study of Huang's group has attracted national attention. A scholar paper on the modeling-cell droplet and hydrogel-coating impact process in cell printing was among those selected for the prestigious 2007 North American Research Institution of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Outstanding Paper Award.

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of the early career-development activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organizations. The award description states the activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education.

For more information about a degree in mechanical engineering, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/MechEng.

The Charles H. Houston Center Supports Graduate Student Development at Education Research Conference

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The Charles H. Houston Center for the Study for the Black Experience in Education will co-facilitate a professional development course at the 2008 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in New York, NY on March 23 from 9:00 to 6:00pm. The course, The Asa G. Hilliard III and Barbara A. Sizemore Research Course on African Americans and Education, was developed by Dr. Lamont A. Flowers, the Charles H. Houston Center's executive director and distinguished professor of educational leadership, in collaboration with Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson, associate professor of higher and postsecondary education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The course aims to introduce graduate students to the fundamentals of developing a research agenda and career focused on conducting research on African Americans and education, and to encourage the next generation of scholars to carefully examine the myriad issues impacting the African American experience in education. It honors the lives and legacies of researchers Hilliard and Sizemore who both made unique contributions which extend throughout the world. Their collective research and scholarship emphasized equal educational opportunity for African Americans and social justice.

According to Dr. Flowers, 'The course is designed for graduate students interested in learning more about the benefits and strategies of conducting research on the Black experience in education.'

Clemson University graduate students interested in participating in this great course are encouraged to apply at http://aera.net/opportunities/?id=4648. The course fee is $100, and all applications are due by Thursday, January 31.

For more information about AERA, visit: http://aera.net.

For more information about Clemson’s Charles H. Houston Center visit: www.clemson.edu/houston/quick_links/Charles_H_Houston.htm.

Chemistry Graduate Student Invited to Speak at Bioinorganic Gordon Conference

Monday, January 28, 2008

Clemson chemistry graduate student Erin Battin has been invited to speak at the Graduate Research Seminar in Bioinorganic Chemistry held in conjunction with the Metals in Biology Gordon conference. Because attendance at the Metals in Biology Gordon conference is limited to approximately 130 scientists and is typically oversubscribed, a joint conference for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers was started in 1996 to allow student participation. For the Jan. 31 to Feb. 3, 2008 conference held in Ventura, CA, Erin Battin will be one of only 19 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from around the world invited to give seminars describing their research in the field of metals in biology.

Ms. Battin, a PhD student with assistant professor Julia Brumaghim, will speak about her work with antioxidant compounds in a seminar entitled, 'A Comparison of Sulfur and Selenium Antioxidant Activity: Prevention of DNA Damage by Metal Binding.' Her work explores metal-mediated oxidative DNA damage and how sulfur and selenium antioxidants prevent this damage through interactions with the metal ions that generate damaging oxygen radical species.

Oxidative damage to DNA and oxidative stress are underlying causes of cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases and aging, and it is believed that antioxidant drugs or supplements could treat or prevent these diseases. The Brumaghim group investigates how oxidative DNA damage is promoted by iron and copper, and how antioxidant compounds can prevent this damage. Brumaghim group researchers have found that several different classes of antioxidants, such as those in fruits, vegetables, wines and teas act in part due to their metal-binding abilities. Understanding how these antioxidants prevent DNA damage will lead to identification of more effective antioxidants to treat and prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in Chemistry, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Chemistry/index.php

Professor elected president of South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children

Monday, January 28, 2008

Dee Stegelin, a professor of early childhood education at Clemson University, has been elected president of the South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (SCAEYC).

The organization is the state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the largest advocacy organization in the United States for young children. Stegelin will serve a two-year term.

One of her main goals for the upcoming year include broadening the membership by including more students majoring in early childhood education, Head Start teachers and staff, 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten teachers and child-care professionals.

Stegelin also said she hopes to increase the visibility of the organization, collaborate with other professional organizations to advocate for legislation and policy issues for young children and their families and work toward raising standards in all child care, public school and other early childhood learning settings.

'We are advocating for stronger programs for young children during this political year that is placing an emphasis on the value of early childhood education as an economic investment,' she said.

The SCAEYC board meets bi-monthly and also sponsors a statewide conference held in Columbia each October, providing state-approved training for early childhood teachers, students and professionals.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in education, please visit www.hehd.clemson.edu/schoolofed/ac_grad_prgms.php

National economist Ratajczak schedules Clemson Renaissance Center lecture

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Donald Ratajczak, one of the country's leading economic forecasters, will speak on the U.S. economic outlook at a reception and dinner beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at The Poinsett Club in Greenville.

Ratajczak is well known for his insights into the U.S. economy and is often interviewed and quoted in The New York Times, Business Week, Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, CNN, NBC and CNBC.

The reception, dinner and lecture are sponsored by The Piedmont Economic Club, Morgan Keenan & Company and Clemson University's Renaissance Center, a unit of the College of Business and Behavioral Science.

Ratajczak works with Morgan Keegan & Company as its exclusive consulting economist and serves as Regents Professor Emeritus of Economics at Georgia State University. He retired in 2000 after 27 years as director of the Economic Forecasting Center in the J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

Ratajczak received his bachelor's degree from Haverford College and his doctorate in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is among the most accurate economic forecasters of the U.S. economy, according to a survey by USA Today and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The dinner and reception are $65. The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and lecture at 6:30 p.m. For information contact the Clemson University Renaissance Center at (864) 370-3038 or The Piedmont Economic Club at (864) 250-9252.

Global Change Education Program Applications

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

The Global Change Education Program (GCEP) promotes undergraduate and graduate education/training in support of Department of Energy global change research activities. Global change research encompasses a variety of technical areas including atmospheric sciences, ecology, global carbon cycles, climate modeling, and terrestrial processes.

The GCEP is currently accepting applications for the ten-week Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) and the Graduate Research Environmental Fellowship (GREF), which is only available to those students who have successfully completed at least one year of graduate school.

For more information, visit www.atmos.anl.gov/GCEP/. The application deadline is February 4, 2008. Contact Barbara Dunkin at (865) 574-6440 or barbara.dunkin@orau.org if you have any questions.

Allison named among 20 making a difference in health design

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

HEALTHCARE DESIGN magazine has named Clemson University architecture professor David Allison one of 'Twenty Who Are Making a Difference' in the health-care design field.

Allison is director of Clemson's graduate program in architecture and health. He also is director of a new project establishing the Center of Economic Excellence (CoEE) in Health Facilities Design and Testing.

'There is no debate that David has had a tremendous impact on the health-care design profession over the last 25 years,' the HEALTHCARE DESIGN story says. 'As an architect, David is passionate in his role as an educator, not only to his students in the graduate architecture program in healthcare studies at Clemson University, but to his professional colleagues nationally.'

The magazine says Allison is a 'visionary leader using an interdisciplinary approach to research the impact the built environment has on patients, families and staff.'

Allison was nominated for the honor by Kathy L. Bell of The S/L/A/M Collaborative, an architecture, engineering and planning firm with offices in Atlanta, Boston and Glastonbury, Conn. Bell is a Clemson alumna, though not a former student of Allison's.

As director of Graduate Studies in Health + Architecture at Clemson, Allison leads one of only three professional degree programs in the nation with a concentration in the design of health-care architecture.

The CoEE in Health Facilities Design and Testing will conduct design-research projects using experts from a variety of disciplines ranging from architecture, psychology, materials science and computer science.

Healthcare Design published the 'Twenty Who Are Making a Difference' in the December issue, which can be viewed online now at www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com.

For more information about a degree in architecture, visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Arch/.

Allison Named Among 20 Making a Difference in Health Design

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

HEALTHCARE DESIGN magazine has named Clemson University architecture professor David Allison one of 'Twenty Who Are Making a Difference' in the health-care design field.

Allison is director of Clemson's graduate program in architecture and health. He also is director of a new project establishing the Center of Economic Excellence (CoEE) in Health Facilities Design and Testing.

'There is no debate that David has had a tremendous impact on the health-care design profession over the last 25 years,' the HEALTHCARE DESIGN story says. 'As an architect, David is passionate in his role as an educator, not only to his students in the graduate architecture program in healthcare studies at Clemson University, but to his professional colleagues nationally.'

The magazine says Allison is a 'visionary leader using an interdisciplinary approach to research the impact the built environment has on patients, families and staff.'

Allison was nominated for the honor by Kathy L. Bell of The S/L/A/M Collaborative, an architecture, engineering and planning firm with offices in Atlanta, Boston and Glastonbury, Conn. Bell is a Clemson alumna, though not a former student of Allison's.

As director of Graduate Studies in Health + Architecture at Clemson, Allison leads one of only three professional degree programs in the nation with a concentration in the design of health-care architecture.

The CoEE in Health Facilities Design and Testing will conduct design-research projects using experts from a variety of disciplines ranging from architecture, psychology, materials science and computer science.

Healthcare Design published the 'Twenty Who Are Making a Difference' in the December issue, which can be viewed online now at www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=E3034AA1287943918691668CCAE6B13B.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in architecture, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Arch/index.php

Focus the Nation: Opportunities for action

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Clemson University will host the kickoff for Focus the Nation, the largest teach-in in US history in which more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the country will focus on global warming solutions.

The Clemson event on Jan. 25 will feature national Focus the Nation founder and director Eban Goodstein speaking at Tillman Hall at 7:30 p.m. Goodstein's presentation will be followed by an open discussion about global warming and ways to end the problem. This event is open to the public with no admission charge.

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Keynote Address

Focus the Nation founder and director Eban Goodstein will set the stage for a national discussion in this kick-off address at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, in Tillman Hall auditorium. Goodstein's presentation will be followed by an open discussion about global warming and ways to end the problem.

This event is open to the public with no admission charge. Students and faculty are encouraged to attend and participate in this 'Green Democracy' experiment.

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Choose Your Future -- Vote on Priorities for Action

As a key part of Focus the Nation, students and citizens across the country can vote on five priorities for action. Students can vote Jan. 21-25 on 'Choose Your Future' policies for addressing global warming at www.focusthenation.org. Everyone can vote, but college students will be eligible for one of three $10,000 scholarships.

Voting will officially close on Feb. 12, and focus teams will deliver this campus- and citizen-endorsed agenda to congressional offices across the nation, on Feb. 18, when members of congress are back in their districts for the Presidents Day recess.

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Focus the nation presents many opportunities for faculty, staff and students to become involved in this effort. For more detailed information, visit:

National Focus the Nation at www.focusthenation.org

Former President of BMW to Direct International Programs in College of Business and Behavioral Science

Monday, January 14, 2008

According to Dean Claude Lilly, the College of Business and Behavioral Science is moving forward with plans to internationalize the educational and networking opportunities for the college. As an integral part of that plan, Dr. Clemens Schmitz-Justen has joined the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson University as the director of international programs.

Schmitz-Justen notes that internationalization is an important aspect of the Clemson vision, and he sees great potential for adding to the international visibility of the university. In his role as director of international programs, he will bring a new focus to the international relationships of the College and work to strengthen ties and working relationships with business schools around the world.

“We are excited to have Clemens join the College. His international experiences in corporate and academic realms will greatly benefit our students as they enter the global workforce and support the ongoing international affiliations of the faculty,” says Lilly.

With substantial international experience throughout his corporate career, Schmitz-Justen served as president of BMW Manufacturing LLC in Spartanburg, SC. He is also heavily affiliated with the European academic community, and he holds an adjunct professorship with Chemnitz Technical University in Germany. He received a manufacturing engineering degree from Technical University of Aachen.

For more information contact:

Dr. Clemens Schmitz-Justen
Director of International Programs
College of Business & Behavioral Science
Email: csj@clemson.edu

Amanda Brock
Director of Marketing Communications
College of Business & Behavioral Science
Phone: (864) 656-5970
Email: brock4@clemson.edu

Call for Participation - Innoventure 2008

Monday, January 14, 2008

Graduate students and faculty are invited to participate in Innoventure 2008, where individuals with innovative ideas forge personal relationships with those with expertise, resources or customers.

The conference, sponsored by Swamp Fox, will take place at the Carolina First Center in Greenville running from March 25 at 7:45am until March 26 at 3:00pm. The current plans of the Conference call for an emphasis on sustainability. Students and faculty should keep that in mind when preparing their presentations.

For students, this conference will provide access to local and regional hiring opportunities. For faculty, chances for sponsored research, and possibly, consulting. Those who choose to participate by taking part in a poster presentation will have their entrance fee waived.

InnoVenture features:
1. Elevator pitches by entrepreneurial companies to investors
2. Presentations by Anchor organizations of innovation priorities
3. The Innovation Hall with around 100 exhibits by participants.

For more information on Innoventure and registration, visit www.swampfox.ws/event/innoventure-2008.