Author Archives: Ann Treat

Winter 2016 Edition

I ♥ COFC

ParentInsider4

Above:  Amazon Fulfillment holds information session at the School of Business in September 2015 semester.  After two successful recruitment visits, Amazon has named the College of Charleston a Tier 1 university partner for recruiting talent.

Redoubling Career-ready Resources at the School of Business

Like never before, the College of Charleston is recognizing that it must dramatically enhance its preparation and positioning of students to meaningfully launch their career path.  The School of Business has embarked on an initiative to respond to this need by developing the Student Advancement Center. In collaboration with the College, business faculty, alumni, parents, friends, and donors, the Student Advancement Center (SAC) will build a portfolio of workshops and seminars, professional staff, resources, technology access, and an operating environment to prepare business majors and other professionally-minded students at the College to be “ready to work.”

Creating the SAC will require $1,000,000 in philanthropic funding, which will seed its initial establishment from 2015-2019.  Goals include:

  1. Development of a multi-year framework of professional development opportunities for undergraduates
  2. Dramatically grow the number of employers that actively and regularly consider our students for internships, co-ops, and jobs upon graduation

Donor support to date has been strong, particularly from the Business School’s Board of Governors.  To date, $623,000 in gifts and commitments have been received toward the $1 million goal.  This early support has already enabled some notable outcomes in employers growing closer to the College.  New and expanded relationships that are resulting in internship and job offers have been forged with companies such as Target, Amazon, IBM, ScanSource, BMW, George Weiss and Associates, and Michelin.

The School of Business is seeking to exceed the $1 million goal to establish the SAC before the close of the BOUNDLESS Campaign on June 30, 2016.  For more information about the Center, how you can get involved with making it a reality, and a giving call-to-action that has been issued from College of Charleston parent Joey Kaempfer, please contact Colby Rankin (843.953.3633), School of Business Director of Development.

 

CLYDE ASKS PARENTS

Clyde-Asks-Parents

Members of our Parent Advisory Council loved these recent CofC stories. We want to make sure you saw them too!

 

WHAT YOUR KIDS FORGET TO TELL YOU

Graphic - We'll Give You the Scoop!

The College of Charleston Cougar Call Center is looking for student employees to become Cougar Callers! At this on-campus job, students contact alumni, parents, and friends of the College to update them on current events and ask them for donations to support the College of Charleston Fund, Parents’ Fund, and other areas of campus.  

Here are five great reasons why your student should apply today!

  1. Cougar Callers help make an impact at the College! As a Cougar Caller, your student will secure donations that go toward scholarships, faculty and staff retention, and ensuring CofC continues to thrive. The work that they do truly makes a difference.
  2. They connect with alumni, parents, and friends. Student callers are some of the most informed students on campus with events, opportunities and knowledge of Charleston. They get to connect with a variety of people, learn about CofC and its alumni, and thank donors for supporting the College.
  3. They will learn skills and build their resumé. At this job, students develop professional skills – including communication and negotiation skills – that can help them in their future careers.
  4. The Call Center has great pay and flexible scheduling. Callers earn $9/hour and are able to pick which shifts they want to work for the entire semester. Shift hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 5 – 9 PM, and Sunday and Wednesday from 7 – 9 PM.
  5. It’s easy to apply! Interested students should visit the Cougar Call Center page or email Danielle Atkins, the Assistant Director of the Cougar Call Center, at atkinsd@cofc.edu to learn more and apply!

 

COFC UPCOMING EVENTS

There is always something happening on CofC campus for you and your student.  Mark these events down on your calendar.

THE PARENTS FUND

The Parents’ Fund supports scholarships, networking opportunities, and exceptional faculty focused on your student’s success. For more information and to donate, visit the the Parents’ Fund webpage.

Fall 2015 Edition

I ♥ COFC

republished with permission from College of Charleston Media Relations

Swipe left. Swipe right. For those growing up in the digital dating age and using the love connection app Tinder to find potential mates, these commands have become universal symbols for disapproval and appeal.

Using the swipe model popularized by Tinder, three 2012 College of Charleston graduates – David Blumenfeld, Necco Ceresani and Jordan Homan – have developed a new app that matches tech-savvy cooks with a wealth of recipes. It’s simple: Swipe left to dismiss a recipe or swipe right to save it to your cookbook.

Tender appears to be capitalizing on the cooking behaviors of Millennials, who, according to a recent study by Google, are more likely to cook with the assistance of their phones than with printed recipes. The app is gaining attention, and was recently highlighted by the Today Show.

Tender pulls recipes from Internet blogs to create its database. The suggested recipes can vary from pigeon breast with red wine gravy to vegetarian buffalo cauliflower dip.
It was a shared love of food and cooking that first brought the Tender trio together during freshman year at CofC. Their culinary concoctions ranged from the ever-humble Ramen noodles to Ceresani’s favorite, shepherd’s pie.

After graduation, the alumni found themselves in Boston working at software companies. Ceresani, who majored in international business and previously worked in Charleston restaurants including FIG and Hall’s Chophouse, first suggested the idea for a cooking app.

After hunkering down during the recent harsh winter, they emerged with Tender, which hit the App Store last week and quickly amassed over two million swipes!

Prior to Tender, all of the alums had dabbled in entrepreneurial ventures: While at the College majoring in computer science, Homan developed a few game apps that were available in the app store, Blumenfeld started a college-focused online media company called The Campus Companion with his brother Jon Blumenfeld ‘10, and Ceresani has worked in modeling and also co-anchored a TV news project focused on entrepreneurship and business.

The trio’s academic experiences at the College provided an excellent foundation for their latest entrepreneurial foray, says Blumenfeld, who majored in international business.

“CofC definitely prepared us for the world of business, development and entrepreneurship by teaching us to execute and obviously giving us an invaluable educational foundation from which to continue building and learning.”

To see original story visit the College Today.

 

CLYDE ASKS PARENTS

Clyde-Asks-Parents

Members of our Parent Advisory Council loved these recent CofC stories. We want to make sure you saw them too!

 

WHAT YOUR KIDS FORGET TO TELL YOU

Graphic - We'll Give You the Scoop!

republished with permission from College of Charleston Media Relations

Meet our new executive vice-president for student affairs:  Alicia Caudill!

Alicia Caudill officially began her service as the new executive vice president for student affairs at the College of Charleston on July 16, 2015. Caudill came to the College from the University of West Georgia where she served as associate vice president for student life and dean of students.

Caudill, a native of Ohio, received her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Otterbein University, a master’s degree in student personnel services from the University of South Carolina, and a doctoral degree in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia.

The College Today recently sat down with Caudill to learn more about who she is as well as her plans and goals at the College.

Q: First off, how do you pronounce your first and last names?

A: I have had it pronounced in all kinds of ways, and I do not take offense. It’s hard to say! So, here’s what I explain: Alicia rhymes with Tricia; Caudill (as I am from Ohio originally) is pronounced as Ku Dill. Emphasis on the Ku – the “u” is the short u sound.

Q: What excites you about your new position at the College?

A: The opportunity to work at a world-class institution with amazing students, staff and faculty.

Q: What are your top priorities?

A: In my initial months: Listening, learning, meeting as many students as possible, attending as many events as I can and working with the team in student affairs to determine the vision and direction for the division as we move forward.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing college students today?

A: I think challenges vary for each student. So, for individual students their greatest challenge is what is facing them. As such, I try to be careful to acknowledge that first. However, in general, I think challenges facing students include: becoming connected to the College, financial concerns, health concerns, balancing academic life, social life, and personal life, finding mentors and creating healthy friendships and relationships.

Q: What do you want the student experience at the College to be?

A: My undergraduate experience at Otterbein University truly changed my life. It helped me figure out who I was and who I wanted to become. I have incredible memories of my time with friends, my academic experiences and my leadership opportunities. When I walk on campus, I still feel that love and connection. I do not wish for CofC students to have my same experience, but what I want to create is the opportunity for our students to FEEL about the College the way I felt as an undergraduate at Otterbein. I want to work with students to continue to build on the traditions, programs and experiences we have here to make sure the College is responsive to the students and the positive experience they wish to have.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: Spending time with friends and family, travel, trying different restaurants and tourist activities, reading (especially at the beach), seeing movies, yoga and CrossFit.

Q: What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?

A: I’m a Netflix binge watcher – currently I’m catching up on “Scandal.”

Q: What advice do you have for students at the College?

A: Set healthy and specific goals for yourself academically, personally and socially and work to achieve them. Ask questions and ask for help whenever you feel like you need it; if you don’t know where to start, come to any department in student affairs and we can assist you. Try new things that challenge you to meet new people and have new experiences. And, be the first person to say hello to students, faculty and staff as you meet them on campus.

Q: What activities were you involved as an undergraduate?

A: At Otterbein University, I was a resident assistant (RA), a tour guide, an editor for the arts section of our newspaper, an orientation leader and head staff member of Orientation, a member of many different organizations and a leader in my local sorority – Epsilon Kappa Tau (Otterbein has the oldest local Fraternity and Sorority Life system in the country). I also completed two internships and studied abroad in Dijon, France.

My undergraduate experience really shaped me, and I continue to give back to my college. I have served on the Alumni Council for eight years and was recently named as that Council’s representative to the Otterbein University Board of Trustees.

Q: How do you plan on getting to know CofC students and how can they interact with you?

A: I will be creating some listening student groups that I will meet with each month to learn more about the student experience and student needs.

There is also a Welcome Week event, “Alicia in Wonderland”, that will be held on Sept. 3, 2015, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Stern Center Gardens.

I have also created a presence on social media where students can interact with me: You can find me at College of Charleston EVP Student Affairs on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @cofcevpsa.

Students also are welcome to schedule time to come and meet with me by calling my office at 843.953.5522. Also, I can be reached via email at caudillad@cofc.edu.

 

COFC UPCOMING EVENTS

There is always something happening on CofC campus for you and your student.  Mark these events down on your calendar.

 

THE PARENTS FUND

The Parents’ Fund supports scholarships, networking opportunities, and exceptional faculty focused on your student’s success. For more information, visit the the Parents’ Fund webpage.

Spring 2015 Edition

I ♥ CofC

insider-sharktank

republished with permission from College of Charleston Media Relations

When Kevin Waltermire ’03 appears on ABC’s Shark Tank on February 6, 2015 to pitch his product, The BevBoy (a koozie that floats and stays upright in the water) it will be his second experience in a shark tank.

Waltermire, who graduated first from the College of Charleston with a bachelor’s degree in history and then from the College’s One-Year Global MBA Program in 2011, had his first shark tank experience in the MBA’s capstone course. Waltermire’s One-Year Global MBA classmates pitched ideas to Charleston-based business people for valuable feedback on their ideas as well as their presentation style.

“It would make for a better story if I’d won!” Waltermire said. Instead he participated as an audience member, as he had already been hired for a job in Shanghai. In the scheme of things, though, Waltermire is focused on the more important shark tank – the one on network television. Here are a few things he’s learned from preparing for and appearing on the hit reality show:

  1. You might black out – and that’s ok.Despite being nervous, Waltermire rocked his appearance on Shark Tank – at least that’s what he was told. “When I walked off set all the producers were waiting and they hugged and high fived me and said ‘Kev, you killed it!’ I was like, ‘Really, because I don’t remember anything!’” he said. “It was so stressful to face the Sharks that I felt totally exhausted and I didn’t remember specifics from the taping for a couple of days!”
  1. Use props.When Waltermire pitched The BevBoy to the sharks, he knew he’d have to put them in the mindset of needing the product. So, “I had a buddy come on with me and we set up a real hot tub on the set. That way the Sharks could see the need for the product and how it was used.”
  1. Prepare for the long haul.Waltermire explained, “About a full year passed between when I first applied for the show on ABC’s website and when I actually filmed my appearance. Four months went by before they reached out to me for a phone interview, then I had to submit three professionally produced videos, then I had to create a mock-pitch. Once the producers approved those, they flew me to Los Angeles for the episode and I still had to jump through several hoops before filming.”
  1. You are your company.“There are two types of investors,” Waltermire said. “Those who invest in the horse and those who invest in the jockey. In this case, the horse is the product or company you’re pitching, and you are the jockey. Based on the questions the Sharks asked me, I would guess that they’re investing in the jockey. They want to know about your idea and your numbers and all that, but mostly they care about your vision and how committed you are to that vision. They need to see that you’ll fight for it.”
  1. Use your nerves as motivation.“I noticed that the Sharks on Shark Tank really rip people apart when they get their valuation wrong,” Waltermire said. “Your valuation is based on a lot of factors, and determining it is a delicate balance between your actual sales numbers (among other things) and your potential for growth in your market.”

Waltermire continued, “While I didn’t want to come right out and value my company at $1 million – in part because, as a new company we only had about $10,000 in sales – I knew that it had that potential and I didn’t want to sell it short. On top of that, I was super focused on making my family proud. I knew my parents and their friends were watching and I was not going to embarrass them – I channeled my nervousness about that into motivation and tried to appear as confident as I could.”

Clyde’s Top Ten

Clyde chats with parents

This month, Clyde surveyed some alumni and parents, and came up with his own list of CofC and Charleston favorites. Check out these traditions on our campus and in our city.

  1. Wait to cross the College of Charleston Cistern until graduation—it’s bad luck if you do it before!
  2. Take your photo with the cougar statue in the middle of campus.  He sometimes dresses up for the holidays.
  3. Enjoy the restaurants all over the city.  Your student surely has 2-3 that they are eager to try when you visit!
  4. Attend a Spoleto event.  Many events are held on campus and a number of our students gain valuable experience by working with the festival each year.
  5. Attend Family Weekend in the fall-a beautiful time of year to visit the campus and see what your student is up to
  6. Visit one of our galleries or museums on campus:  The Natural History Museum, the Avery Research Center, the Halsey Gallery, and the Communications Museum.
  7. Go to the beach.  Folly seems to be the gathering place for our students to enjoy the sun and sand.
  8. Get to know the faculty.  Our low faculty to student ratio is part of our rich history.  Alumni and students alike say that the faculty helped make their time at CofC, and they love being a student in seat and not a number in the classroom.
  9. Run the Bridge. A great Charleston tradition is the Cooper River Bridge Run. The bonus is that the finish line is just steps from our campus!
  10. Take a class outside. As the weather warms, it’s common to find classes enjoying a lecture or discussion outside in the Cistern Yard or Rivers Green.
Focus on Faculty

republished with permission from College of Charleston Media Relations

After a few years of experimentation during graduate school as a means of procrastinating against writing his thesis, at the age of 26, Derrick Niederman had his first triumph, when The New York Times published one of his crossword puzzles. He had been rejected three times before by the crossword puzzle editor at the time, Eugene T. Maleska, who warned him to allow some time to pass before pestering the paper with another attempt. But the bold and relentless Niederman submitted another puzzle just three weeks later. Lo and behold, Maleska accepted, making Niederman a very happy man.

“As soon as I published a puzzle in The Times,” he says, “I felt I wrote the first line of my obituary.”

Unfortunately, crossword puzzles don’t pay the bills, even those published in The New York Times. Niederman recalls earning about $100 for that first published puzzle in 1981, necessitating him to keep his day job as a financial analyst. Despite the meager payout, the puzzle earned him considerable acclaim and attention, as did the themed crossword puzzles he continued to get published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times – about 20 in the last 30 years. Yet his newfound fame also subjected him to a bit of contempt, such as the time a colleague passed Niederman and boasted with an air of derision, “I solved your puzzle.” Niederman was baffled, not so much at his rudeness but for the fact that his rival seemed not to realize that solvability was the point.

“Whoever he was, he continued on his way, pleased at winning the joust, evidently not realizing that most crossword makers want people to solve their puzzles,” writes Niederman in his latest book, The Puzzler’s Dilemma. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t go to all that trouble to make the words intersect.”

Yet for all Niederman’s elation at his accomplishment in puzzledom, there was also uncertainty.

OK, now what? Niederman recalls thinking following the publication of his first crossword puzzle.

Read the rest of the story, originally published in College of Charleston Magazine.

Events You Don’t Want to Miss

We are thawing out from winter this spring with some can’t miss events both on campus and off!

College of Charleston Events

Charleston Events (link websites copied below to corresponding event)

What We Are Watching

Did you know we are part of a unique international bridge program called iCharleston? We just welcomed the first cohort of students to campus in January, as they returned from semesters abroad in England, Ireland, and Canada.   Watch this video   to hear from the students about their experiences abroad, and how it broadened their perspective as they joined the Class of 2018 at the College of Charleston.  For more information about iCharleston click here to visit our admissions page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgI3MtM_CS0

What Your Kids Forget To Tell You

Did you know that the College of Charleston has launched a $125 million comprehensive campaign that is impacting current students as well as the future of this school that we all love? Boundless: The Campaign for the College of Charleston is the promise of our students, the distinction of our faculty and the enduring spirit of our friends, supporters and alumni. Boundless represents the next era of national distinction at the College of Charleston.

You are Boundless too! The Parents’ Fund and our Annual Giving Priority funds are one of the five priorities of this campaign, and the primary way that you can impact your student and their friends on campus. Please visit the Boundless website to learn more about the campaign, see philanthropy in action, and witness the impact you can make through an investment in the Parents’ Fund.

Parents’ Fund

The Parents’ Fund supports scholarships, networking opportunities, and exceptional faculty focused on your student’s success. For more information, visit the the Parents’ Fund webpage.

Summer 2014 Edition

I ♥ COFC

summer-i-want-your-jobThe College of Charleston Office of Media Relations has been interviewing our alumni who have envious jobs that we all want! This series is called “I Want Your Job” and is a short Q&A to see what these alumni are up to, and how the College of Charleston has influenced their careers.

Here is a recent entry, but make sure you visit the archives to see many more of our alumni in exciting and enviable jobs.

republished with permission from College of Charleston Office of Media Relations

Lucy Lesniak ’10 followed her instincts from Lancashire, England to the College of Charleston, then New York, N.Y. and finally, for now, to Bangkok, Thailand.

She trusted those instincts when she decided to double major in business administration and hospitality and tourism management instead of studio art as she’d planned, and when she decided to join the Schottland Scholar Program while also working full-time during her senior year at the College.

Now, after moving up the ranks through four positions at fine jewelry designer David Yurman, Lesniak’s instincts have led her to become senior manager of operations at the new David Yurman corporate location in Bangkok.

Lesniak welcomes current students to reach out to her for advice. Email haashe@cofc.edu with a message to be forwarded.

Q: What do you do as senior manager of operations?
A: I work in the back-end of the company, on the corporate side. Basically my job begins after the design team, headed by David, Sybil and Evan Yurman, come up with designs for a new collection. Then the design goes to the engineering, project development and procurement teams, which will turn the design into something that can be manufactured. The engineers will develop components like clasps and hinges while the procurement team will buy the diamonds and gemstones, everything that goes into making jewelry. I oversee the office operations supporting that process in Thailand. As this is a new office, though, I’ve been doing everything from recruiting, interviewing and hiring for the office to managing the office construction, building a benefits package comparable to those of other Thai businesses, establishing relationships with payroll, accounting, banking, customs, and legal firms, leasing a company car, building and managing the budget, ensuring invoices and office rent gets paid, training employees and attending to their needs. Each day is vastly different from the last.

Q: What is it like doing all those things in a country with a language barrier?
A: The culture and language barrier make day-to-day processes quite challenging here. For instance, Thailand is exceptionally document intensive, so something that might take half an hour in the U.S., like preparing social security paperwork for a new employee, will take three hours here because of all the documents required. Establishing the office here is similar to what I imagine starting a business would be like. There is no typical day, I’m often working until 11 p.m. or later. There are a lot of responsibilities and while there are challenges, I love it here. I can imagine spending the next few years here in Southeast Asia.

Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: The opportunity to travel. Being in Thailand is amazing, and David Yurman has offices in Hong Kong, New York and Switzerland; next month I’ll head to Hong Kong. I think the travel part is pretty awesome, but I also love being a part of a family-run company that’s based on design. David Yurman is a sculptor by training and his wife, Sybil, is an artist, so we always say our job is to make their designs come to life. It’s always interesting.

Q: How did you get started at David Yurman?
A: I moved to New York in fall of 2011 and applied for a receptionist position at David Yurman. I had worked at Louis Vuitton in Charleston, and had gone from a sales associate to accessories specialist and then customer relationship management specialist, so I was hesitant to take a job as a receptionist after that. I did decide to take the job, and about six months later I was promoted to executive assistant, and then a year after that I became a product development and procurement project manager. All in all I’ve been with the company for almost three years, and here in Thailand for a little over a month.

Q: How did you hear about the receptionist position and what was the interview process like?
A: A friend of mine in New York put me in touch with a recruiter. The best way to find jobs in New York is via recruiters, there are good ones and bad ones and I was fortunate enough to work with a good one. The recruiter encouraged me to interview for the receptionist position, despite my hesitance. The interview process was very simple: I went in for a standard interview and was offered the job very quickly thereafter.

Q: What does the next year hold in store for you?
A: I signed a two-year contract here, so I’ll be in Thailand for two more years. I look forward to growing with the role – by the end of this year we’ll have 12 employees in the office and by the end of next year we’ll have 20, so growing my role with the office will be tremendous for me. I imagine the role and scope will change a lot between now and the end of 2015.

Q: How did your time at the College help you prepare for your positions at David Yurman?
A: My concentration in business administration was leadership, change and social responsibility; I believe that helped enable me to assume a leadership role, take initiative and advance quite quickly in my career thus far. In addition, being a double major, working part- and then full-time for Louis Vuitton and becoming a Schottland Scholar forced me to become very organized and learn to manage my time effectively. The Schottland Scholar program also gave me great hands-on experience. I felt like it provided real-life insight into the world of business by allowing us to speak with people who are in the field. It’s very different than being in a classroom. Finally, participating in a liberal arts school where the curricula are very broad helped me to be able to handle diverse tasks.

Q: What advice would you give to current students interested in working for an international brand, or in a foreign country?
A: I took a lot of big risks. For example, I decided on a Tuesday that I wanted to move to New York, packed my belongings on Wednesday and drove to the City on Thursday. In December last year, David Yurman asked if I would move to Thailand, when I said yes they gave me a month to pack up my life and move. Of course setting goals for yourself is immensely important, but I think it’s just as vital to be flexible with your planning and goals – have an outline for where you want to be and what you want your life to look like, but be open minded. Then, you will be able to take opportunities that present themselves. For those interested in international business, I absolutely recommend studying abroad. David Yurman knew I was from England but had gone to school in the States and moved to New York, so they knew I had international experience. I think that made them feel more at ease sending me to Thailand. If you’re interested in working abroad after college, consider doing an extended study abroad, or see if you can get an international summer job. Your company will feel more confident in your ability to adapt and to not feel culture shock knowing you have that experience.

Clyde’s Top 10 List

Clyde chats with parents

This month, Clyde chatted with John and Melinda Ladyzinski, parents of Max class of 2016, about their Top Ten list of favorite CofC and Charleston activities and moments.

Here is John and Melinda’s top ten list of Charleston favorites:

  1. Charleston is just two hours away by plane so Max can come home and we can visit a lot!
  2. The guidance Max gets from his advisor, and his professors [who] are so available and know his name.
  3. CVS is open 24 hours and provides anything a college student could want.
  4. CofC has such a beautiful, historic campus in the middle of one of the most enchanting cities in the country.
  5. Our son has made good friends that will last a lifetime, and he always has something to do and somewhere to go.
  6. CofC offers so many opportunities for students to engage in campus life away from the classroom – work, philanthropy, student government, clubs, sports, and the list goes on….
  7. Charleston is a vibrant, growing city that offers valuable internship opportunities and real world experiences for CofC students and great restaurants for us!
  8. We love our favorite spots on campus – Cistern Yard, the library, Starbucks, the student center, and King Street.
  9. The weather.
  10. We love the people and energy at CofC most of all. Everyone is welcoming, helpful, and devoted to the students. We are very proud of the decision our family made to be a part of this great school.
Focus on Faculty

summer-pi-newsletter-faculty-workWhen College of Charleston moved to the Colonial Athletic Association in 2013, it also meant we became part of the Colonial Academic Alliance, which offers vast opportunities for our students and campus. Our undergraduates have always had great opportunities to do research with our faculty members, and some recently presented as part of the Colonial Academic Alliance.

republished with permission from College of Charleston Office of Media Relations

Ten College of Charleston students presented research April 11-12, 2014 at the annual Colonial Academic Alliance Undergraduate Research Conference in Towson, Md. These scholars represent the best research papers submitted by students from all majors. The conference is the signature academic and outreach event sponsored by the Alliance, under the auspices of the Colonial Athletic Association, of which the College is a new member in 2013-14.

The conference included a keynote presentation by Don Thomas, a former NASA astronaut who now heads the Hackerman Academy of Mathematics and Science at Towson University

“The Colonial Academic Alliance Research Conference provided an excellent opportunity for us to showcase the different types of research and creative projects on which College of Charleston students and faculty collaborate,” said Dr. Trisha Folds-Bennett, dean of the Honors College. “The group of students chosen to represent us were energetic, engaged, and professional. Professor Andrea DeMaria and I were both impressed with their contribution to the conference, and thank the Office of Academic Affairs for funding the trip.”

Student presenters from the College of Charleston included:

  • Jami Baxley (classics and archaeology; James Newhard, faculty adviser)
  • Alexandra Cattran (physics and astronomy; Linda Jones, faculty advisers)
  • Lance Cooper (political science; Gibbs Knotts, faculty adviser)
  • Colin Cotter (chemistry & biochemistry; Gamil Guirgis, faculty adviser)
  • Hannah Evans (English & African studies; Simon Lewis, faculty adviser)
  • Grace Moxley (chemistry and biochemistry; Andrea DeMaria and Beth Sundstrom, faculty advisers)
  • Jackelyn Payne (health and human performance and communication; Andrea DeMaria and Beth Sundstrom, faculty advisers)
  • Sarah Turner (biology; Allison Welch, faculty adviser)
  • Aleisha Walker (teacher education and sociology and anthropology; Christine Finnan, faculty adviser)
  • John Wise (religious studies; Katie Hladky, faculty adviser
Events You Don’t Want to Miss

Don't Miss Out GraphicWhile the summer may heat up, we certainly don’t slow down!  From summer sessions, to new student orientation, to general Charleston summer fun, make sure these events are plugged into your calendar.

College of Charleston Events

Charleston Events

What We’re Watching

Graphic - YouTube

CofC and MUSC have been granted $100,000 to conduct a 12 month genomics project, which is a special opportunity to train some of our undergraduate students. Our undergraduates often have the opportunity for unique research experiences, but this one is exceptional because of how collaborative it is. Our students are being exposed to people, ideas, and research that will train them to be the future of this scientific field.

This project will go across schools-as labs from CofC and MUSC labs work together. The project also works across disciplines-bringing students and professors together from computer science, biology, genomics, data science, and bioengineering.

Watch this video to listen to our students and professors talking about this fascinating project.

What Your Kids Don’t Tell You

Graphic - We'll Give You the Scoop!Did you know that starting July 1, 2014 the College of Charleston campus is going tobacco-free? This policy was approved by our Board of Trustees last October. The delay in implementation was meant to give our campus community time to end their use of tobacco products, if they so desire.

This new policy is an effort to support a healthy environment for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The College wants to encourage a healthy life style, and joins other campuses across the country going tobacco-free. Our neighbors down the street at the Medical University of South Carolina went tobacco-free in 2012. The College is excited about this healthy step in the right direction. Visit the tobacco free website for information on the policy as well as resources and tips for going tobacco-free.

Parents’ Fund

The Parents’ Fund supports scholarships, networking opportunities, and exceptional faculty focused on your student’s success. For more information, visit the the Parents’ Fund webpage.

Winter 2014 Edition

I ♥ COFC

college-of-charleston-career-centerOur Career Center is dedicated to educating, developing, and assisting students in successfully meeting the challenges of the ever changing work environment. This is their mission, and they are committed to the students to achieve it. The Career Center cannot get our students jobs, but by working with our students through assessing oneself, learning about the world of work, obtaining experiences, and gaining job seeking skills; our Career Center is here to be a resource and tool to set our students up for success. Your student is wise to make an appointment with our Career Center long before senior year. In addition to being a resource for summer internships and experiential learning, our Center offers a variety of workshops, including one to help you choose a major.

The College and the Career Center are so committed to our students and alumni, we recently have hired a full time Alumni Career Counselor to assist with our alumni who graduated more than a year ago. Good information to remember in case you have additional CofC members of your family, or if your current student could benefit from additional resources in the years to come.

As a parent, you can also get involved with the Career Center. You could volunteer to talk to our students about your business, offer internships, or get involved with recruiting students from the College of Charleston. Visit this website to learn more about volunteering with the Career Center.

Visit the Career Center website to learn about the full array of programs and opportunities they offer.

Clyde’s Top 10 List

Clyde chats with parentsThis month, Clyde chatted with Peter and Caroline Finnerty from Atlanta GA, parents of Serena ‘14, about their Top Ten list of favorite College of Charleston and Charleston activities and moments.

Here is Peter and Caroline’s top ten list of Charleston favorites:

  1. Seeing the College of Charleston billboard in Atlanta makes us proud that our daughter goes to college in “paradise”.
  2. Family spring break spent with Serena in Prague when she was on semester abroad.
  3. Spotting the first glimpse of Spanish Moss and knowing we are finally in the Lowcountry.
  4. Eating at The Ordinary not only because of their fabulous food but the beautiful building was designed by Serena’s great grandfather, Albert Simons, in 1927.
  5. We are proud to call Jane and George Benson friends.
  6. The honor of serving on the Parent Advisory Council and helping to raise funds for The Parent Fund.
  7. Attending Gallery Walk on Queen Street while Serena interns at one of the prominent art galleries in the city due in part because of her Arts Management major.
  8. Hearing Pulitzer Prize winning author, John Meacham, speak at a Friends of The Library lecture.
  9. Hearing Serena say how much she has loved being at The College and how she wishes she were a freshman and not a senior.
  10. The family tradition Serena is carrying on by being the 8th generation to attend The College of Charleston!
5-Minute Professor

College of Charleston Dean Jerry HaleThis issue, we hear from the new Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Dr. Jerry Hale.

About Dean Hale

Jerold L. Hale began his appointment as dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences on July 1, 2013. He came to the College from the University of Michigan’s Dearborn campus, where he was dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters and a professor of communication. Hale is an internationally recognized scholar whose work focuses on persuasive communication processes and interpersonal communication. His persuasion research examines the impact of a variety of persuasive message strategies and the persuasive impact of group discussion. His interpersonal communication research examines perceptions of unexpected conversational behaviors and on repetitive disagreements in personal relationships. He is the author of more than 60 journal articles and book chapters. His work has been published in nearly every communication journal featuring social scientific research. He has also served as a member of the editorial boards of several communication and interdisciplinary journals.

Hale is an adroit instructor capable of teaching courses related to a number of communication functions and contexts. He is as comfortable and capable teaching a small seminar as he is in a larger lecture format. He has been recognized by several universities and professional groups for the quality of his teaching.

As an administrator, Hale is an enthusiastic and unapologetic proponent of the liberal arts and sciences and of liberal education. He recognizes and values the transferable skill sets learned in the liberal arts and sciences and the ability of liberal education to maximize creativity in and out of the workplace. He is looking forward to contributing to the College’s long-standing tradition of excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and in keeping the School of Humanities and Social Sciences as key participants in the College of Charleston’s academic initiatives.

Q&A with Dean Hale

1. What drew you to our school?

I am an unabashed and unapologetic supporter of the Liberal Arts and Liberal Education. I was drawn to the College because of its commitment to Liberal Education whether a student’s major was in HSS, LCWA (Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs), or one of the professional schools.

I was also drawn to the College because I am comfortable with the teacher-scholar model on which it operates. Our faculty are accomplished scholars that are committed to being outstanding teachers. One area of professional responsibility and development doesn’t assume second chair to the other. Finally I was drawn to CofC because my home department, the Department of Communication, is a strong one whose curriculum mirrors the field. Selfishly I was thinking it was a place I could fit in to teach and do research at some point.

2. Tell us about your first months on our campus. First impressions, new ideas, points of pride?

I have enjoyed my first few months on campus. The biggest challenges are adapting to new sets of procedures compared to my Dean’s position at UM-Dearborn or to when I was a Department Head at Georgia. My impressions are largely positive. The faculty with whom I’ve met are dedicated, hard-working, and really excellent. I’ve been in some public presentations with students and I find them to be engaged and to ask the sorts of tough and insightful questions I expect of students with a strong liberal arts background. I’ve also had a chance to meet with several alumni from HSS. They are incredibly accomplished and interesting. So my points of pride are general and include our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

3. What are your goals for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences for the next few years?

I’ll mention two general goals. First, my overarching goal is for HSS to be among the preeminent undergraduate schools for liberal arts in the Southern region and along the Eastern seaboard. And while we offer a limited number of graduate degrees it is important that those degree programs also be very highly regarded. To accomplish this overarching goal we need to attract the very best students, allow them to study in the very best learning atmosphere, offering them an excellent curriculum, and teaching them with an outstanding faculty. All of that needs to be done in a challenging resource environment. I will be working with various offices on campus to add some faculty, fill in a small number of curricular gaps, and improve some facilities. A number of our development efforts and alumni outreach efforts are aimed at increasing scholarship support for current and future students.

Second, the humanities and social sciences are facing external challenges. There is a growing public discussion about the value of degrees in the humanities and social sciences. For some of the reasons I mentioned above I think our students are trained with transferable skills that allow them to be successful in any number of careers. My meetings with alumni serve as great evidence of our successes. Part of what we need to do moving forward is to be more proactive and effective ambassadors with better communication about our successes.

4. In your time here, do you have an example you could share about stand out student and the work they are doing?

Most of my encounters with students thus far have been in groups so I do not have in mind a single whose accomplishments I can tout to you. I have met our students at a number of public lectures and events. In general, I have found the students to be as advertised. They have been bright, inquisitive, and articulate. At the public lectures and presentations I’ve attended our students have asked in depth and critical questions. It gives me confidence that we are doing the right things. If you ask me this question again next summer I’ll have a different answer for you because we are in the process of rekindling a student advisory group for HSS.

5. What makes HSS at CofC unique?

The faculty in HSS are what makes the school unique. They are dedicated and strong scholars and teachers. The School offers students a number of possibilities for engaged learning whether from small classes, unique study opportunities, or collaborative research opportunities.

Events You Don’t Want to Miss

Don't Miss Out Graphic

Happy 2014! Make sure you get out those brand new calendars and mark down these events as can’t miss events.

College of Charleston Events

  • Cougar Trail—CofC basketball is on the road, and an event might be coming to city near you!
  • We have two upcoming games on the road where the College of Charleston and Cougar Club will be hosting special pre-game receptions with heavy hors d’oeuvres and adult beverages. Join alumni, friends, parents, deans and faculty to cheer on the Cougars!
  • From Magnetic South, to Monday Night Concerts, and the International Piano Series, our Department of Music always has a concert going on featuring our talented students and faculty. Click here to check out upcoming performances when you visit your student.
  • The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, located within our School of the Arts, produces numerous events throughout the year. Click here to view some upcoming concerts, screenings, and exhibits.
  • March 1-9: Spring Break
  • March 21-22: Accepted Students Weekend If you know of high school seniors who have been accepted to the College, encourage them to visit during this special weekend designed to help them make this important life decision.
  • May 9: Spring Commencement-The Graduate School
  • May 10: Spring Commencement-Undergraduates

Charleston Events

Bookmark cofcsports.com to get the schedules as they come out for all of our 21 varsity sports that make the College proud!

What We’re Watching

button-youtube

Have you ever tried to take a photo of yourself with your camera phone, only to have the photo turn out less than ideal because your phone lacks a front flash? Well, maybe you have never faced this problem, but chances are good that your student has experienced this. Luckily, someone has designed an app to combat this technical problem. Watch this video of a sophomore computer science major and a mobile app entrepreneur, Will Jamieson as he talks about how the College of Charleston helped him as he developed an app, and possibly an empire.

Will Jamieson’s talk was part of in!Genius, a College of Charleston event sharing the personal stories of artists, scientists, scholars and industry professionals — all either CofC students, professors, staff or alumni.

What Your Kids Don’t Tell You

scoop

  • Just a reminder that we have a lot of information for you to help navigate senior year and graduation information. Click here to peruse senior information.
  • During Spring Commencement we honor the parents that have made the College of Charleston a philanthropic priority during their student’s time at the College. In the program we print the names of parents who have donated each year (four years in a row) to the Parents’ Fund or who donated $1000+ during their student’s senior year. Philanthropy is very important to the College, and we appreciate our parents making us a priority! To ensure your name is printed in the program, visit the Parents’ Fund website and make your gift today.
  • Parents and Alumni are now joined by our students in making an impact on CofC campus! Our students have created a student giving group, because they are committed to academic excellence and preserving our student focused community. They are over 250 members strong, and are passionate about advancing the mission the College, and ensuring that CofC will be around for at least another 240 years. Is your student Committed to Charleston?
Parents’ Fund

button-parent-fundThe Parents’ Fund supports scholarships, networking opportunities, and exceptional faculty focused on your student’s success. For more information, visit the the Parents’ Fund webpage..

Fall 2013 Edition

I ♥ COFC

parent-insider-enewsletter-libraryTwo-hundred and forty plus years of being student centered, and we like to think we do a pretty good job at it. We invest in putting our students first and offer resources and programs to support them. Our Center for Student Learning (CSL) does just that. CSL exists to help with the development and refinement of: effective learning strategies, time and task management, effective reading, note taking, communication, motivation, self-awareness, and numerous other competencies. Some students may need assistance developing these important skills, while some may just need to hone them.

CSL has walk-in labs, peer tutoring, workshops, and an online library focused on your student’s success with information on everything from note taking to test taking to time management. While it may be hard to ask for help sometime, there are resources both online and in person so that every student has the opportunity to get the help they need. In the game of life, the CSL is like your training camp before the season starts. Gotta hone those skills to win the big game (or get that A in a class)! 45% of our students take advantage of the resources at CSL; which is no surprise, since it supports over 130 courses!

Peruse their website, and encourage your student to do so as well. The Center for Student Learning is located within the Addlestone Library.

Clyde’s Top 10 List

Clyde chats with parentsThis month, Clyde chatted with Harry and Elena Coniaris from Colts Neck, NJ, parents of Chelsea ‘14, about their Top Ten list of favorite College of Charleston and Charleston activities and moments.

Here is Harry and Elena’s top ten list of Charleston favorites:

  1. The anticipation of driving into the College of Charleston across the Cooper River on the stunning Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.
  2. Vacations on Kiawah Island; one of which in 2006 our daughter first fell in love with the College of Charleston and INSISTED she would attend one day.
  3. The mother/daughter ritual of shopping on King Street. The father/daughter ritual of running along the Battery.
  4. The College’s affiliation with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) which has enabled our daughter to work and volunteer for a prestigious medical institution.
  5. Having the College campus exist in the heart of a rich, historical, cultural, and dynamic center of town.
  6. The thrill of listening to and meeting Elie Wiesel at the College of Charleston’s Sottile Theatre on September 25, 2011 during Family Weekend.
  7. The privilege of being a member of The Parent Advisory Council.
  8. DINING, DINING & More DINING! Breakfast at Hominy Grill, lunch at Five Loaves Cafe, dinner at Hank’s, and Coconut Cake at Peninsula Grill.
  9. The uniqueness, the southern hospitality, and the charm of The College of Charleston and its surroundings.
  10. Witnessing the joy & bliss that our daughter has experienced as a College of Charleston student for the last four years…priceless!
5-Minute Professor

parent-insider-enewsletter-dean-fran-welchThis issue, we have the pleasure of hearing from Fran Welch, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance.

About Dean Welch

Dean Welch has devoted more than 35 years of her professional life to the education and development of teachers, health professionals and youth. As the dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Performance, she has overseen planning and construction of a new building for the school; designed and initiated the Teacher Leader program to promote leadership among future educators; implemented the Call Me Mister program to encourage African American males to become teachers; formed the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education; initiated an Early Childhood Summit; and lead several successful national reaccreditations. She has expanded international education opportunities by establishing the English Language Institute at the College of Charleston, facilitating a bilateral agreement with National Kaohsiung Normal University (Taiwan), and launching an exchange program in Ecuador. Under Welch’s leadership, the School has also launched new majors in foreign language education, exercise science, public health, and secondary education; M.Ed. degrees in Languages and Language Education and in Teaching, Learning and Advocacy; and MAT degrees in the Performing Arts and Middle Grades Education. Welch enjoys teaching and often involves undergraduate and graduate students in her research, writing and presentations.

Q&A with Dean Welch

1. What is the Call Me MISTER program?

Research has shown that if an African American male has at least one African American male teacher between grades PK-8, that child is three times more likely to graduate AND go on to college; yet less than 1% of all PK-12 teachers in South Carolina are African American males. The Call Me MISTER program is one of the ways the College is working to address this shortage of minority teachers. The MISTER program (Men Instructing Students Toward Effective Role modeling) is designed to recruit and retain more African American male teachers by providing scholarships, academic support, and the social and cultural support of a close cohort of students. Call Me MISTER was developed by South Carolina’s visionary educational leaders who sincerely believe we can build a better tomorrow by getting our teachers involved today. We currently have an incredible group of 20 MISTERS.

Scholarships play a significant role for many students at the College, particularly those in EHHP who are pursuing careers in education, where teacher salaries tend to be low. Because of this, I have made it my mission to increase scholarship opportunities to help ensure EHHP students graduate with as little debt as possible.

2. What is the Cradle to Career program and how will it impact the opportunities for your students?

The College of Charleston was selected to be a host incubator for the Tri County Cradle-to-Career Collaborative (TCCC) program for three years while TCCC works to form their own non-profit corporation. Anita Zucker, business leader, philanthropist and College supporter, has been the impetus behind the vision and implementation of this program. The goal is to utilize collective impact to improve education in our community by using a data-driven approach to evaluate indicators like graduation rates, educational achievement, work force and college readiness rates. The College has been involved as a partner in this organization since its earliest phases, and as Dean, I will continue to be an active member of the organization, working in close partnership with their new CEO once hired.

One of the reasons CofC was selected was because of the great repository of resources—including our building, our materials, and our own students and faculty. Our teacher education students and faculty will be involved in this collaboration. We will work together to support the programs, analyze the data, and identify ways to better utilize the resources available within our community to positively impact education.

TCCC’s goals are ambitious yet attainable:

  • Every child will be prepared for school.
  • Every child will be supported in and out of school.
  • Every child will succeed academically.
  • Every child will graduate from high school prepared for post-secondary education and/or employment.
  • Every student enrolled in post-secondary education will complete it successfully and will enter a career.

It is safe to say, that CofC students will have some sort of impact on the achievement of each and every one of these goals.

3. What is our Teacher Leader Program?

The Teacher Leader program fosters the professional development of highly motivated students by providing them with challenging extracurricular opportunities in the education community. Our goal is for Teacher Leaders to fully understand the educational landscape and to give them the tools to traverse this landscape as effective communicators, problem solvers, and innovators.

The Teacher Leader program is highly selective, with a maximum of ten participants per year. They are self-nominated with a faculty letter of recommendation, and the program takes place their senior year. Recently, the current group of Teacher Leaders went to Washington DC to explore and experience all aspects of education. Their experience included meeting with the United States Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and his staff. After their visit, the staff told the Teacher Leaders that if they were not told otherwise, they would have thought they were seasoned teachers, and not in the process of completing their degrees.

4. Could you tell us about your new degree programs, and how they fit into your vision for the School?

The School of Education, Health, and Human Performance (EHHP) has three new degree programs which launched in the past year – Foreign Language Education, Exercise Science and Public Health. These new degrees reflect how attentive our faculty and administration are in listening to the academic needs of our students and the demands for these professions in our community. Our School is committed to growing and evolving to fit the needs of the students and faculty, while positively impacting our community in general.

In Teacher Education, all of the programs are now majors. Until recently, students could minor in secondary and foreign language education, doing the work equivalent to a major while only receiving minors in those specialized areas. Research says that to be an excellent teacher, you need to know what and how to teach. Since CofC is in the business of preparing excellent teachers, we were determined to ensure our students had the major curriculum to back that up.

In Health and Human Performance, our BS in Public Health is the now the fastest growing major at the College. Exercise Science is also seeing a rapid increase in students. Up until a few years ago, when they were concentrations, these programs were not as well known. The faculty heard that students had a desire and passion for these Health and Human Performance curriculum, but they were buried in a concentration.

Being a student centered institution, those concentrations rapidly grew into majors, and we continue to graduate successful students who go onto careers and graduate schools.

Events You Don’t Want to Miss

Don't Miss Out GraphicThere is never a dull moment on campus or in the city of Charleston! Make sure you mark these dates on your calendar as can’t miss events. Spring is packed full of Charleston events, so many of those dates are included here. You might want to choose one of these phenomenal Charleston experiences as a good time to come visit your student!

College of Charleston Events

Charleston Events

Bookmark cofcsports.com to get the schedules as they come out for all of our 21 varsity sports that make the College proud!

What We’re Watching

button-youtubeOrientation is your first big introduction to the College of Charleston family for both you, and your student. We want the College of Charleston to feel like home to your student, and we want you to feel confident that they will grow and flourish into the stellar people they are. Our Department of New Student Programs puts on a top notch orientation program—10 throughout the summer! Since we focus on our students, what else would we do but hand the camera to our students to make this video about orientation and the Class of 2017!

What Your Kids Don’t Tell You

scoopCofC is packed full of resources to support your students. We are also packed full of newsletters to share our news, successes, planning, and student experience. Here are some helpful links to our various campus newsletters to help keep you informed!

Bookmark the The College Today news page as there are always informative announcements and releases about exciting and admirable events regarding our campus, students, faculty, and staff.

Parents’ Fund

button-parent-fundThe Parents’ Fund supports scholarships, networking opportunities, and exceptional faculty focused on your student’s success. For more information, visit the the Parents’ Fund webpage.

Spring 2013 Edition

I ♥ COFC

Student Philanthropy DayWere your students part of the #CougarEffect?  Were you swept into the #Cougar Effect craze?  Thursday, February 28 was National Student Philanthropy Day.  The idea behind National Student Philanthropy Day is to have campus events and activities that enhance awareness and engagement of our students in philanthropy.  1000 of our students are on scholarships powered by philanthropy.  Our students benefit from amazing faculty focused on their success.  Our students and alumni benefit from unique networking and educational experiences.  This is all powered by philanthropy.  We were excited to see over 350 of our students participate in this Day.

Clyde’s Top 10 List

Clyde chats with parentsThis month, Clyde asked David Watt and Laura Ricciardelli of Annapolis, Maryland (parents of Hanna, ’11 and David, ’17) about their Top 10 List of FAVORITE CofC and Charleston activities.

Here is David and Laura’s top ten list of Charleston favorites:

  1. The College’s vibrant Art Center and Halsey Art Gallery
  2. The beautiful Addlestone College Library and its third-floor rare books display
  3. Walking the Ravenel Bridge
  4. The College’s annual fall Italian Film Fest
  5. The of live oaks at the College’s Dixie Plantation
  6. Mike Lata’s amazing restaurant Fig, or its sister The Ordinary, or its tiny, but fabulously creative neighbor, Two Burroughs Larder
  7. The Charleston Tea Plantation, and neighboring Angel oak tree, reputed to be over 1,500 years old
  8. A Cougar basketball game, baseball game, or sailing regatta
  9. A lazy afternoon at the beach on Sullivan’s Island with a stop at Poe’s Tavern
  10. The back-alley Charleston tour, or a self-guided gallery walk in downtown Charleston, or the First Friday Art Walk!!
5-Minute Professor

5 Minute Professor: Dr. Justin  WattJustin Wyatt, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. Dr. Wyatt has been influencing the lives of our science majors for the past 12 years.

Here is a quick Q&A to get to know Dr. Wyatt better.

  1. Why did you come to work at the College?
    I ended up at the College by luck. Growing up on the West coast I was not familiar with the College at all. When I was lucky enough to get an interview here I knew that it was the place that I wanted to be. The students, the campus, the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department all made me feel like I was home.
  2. What do you enjoy most about working with students?
    I work with students both in lecture and in research, but overall I am fortunate to be involved in each student’s development as a professor. What I love about my lecture students is making a subject that is traditionally very hard as understandable as possible. Organic Chemistry is about learning to learn again, which is very difficult. Watching a student break down this barrier and finally learning to approach the subject systematically is exciting. That “I got it” moment is amazing.The students in my research group are my family. I have had the honor of working with 40+ undergraduates and I not only get to watch them grow scientifically, but I get to see them become amazing individuals. Research has been a valuable tool in many of their careers in ways that many of them did not truly understand until after they had moved onto their next stage. However, for some of them research changed their lives and made them realize where they wanted their future to go. The enjoyment that I get from being in a position to help a person realize their potential is rewarding. The most important part is that I keep in contact with as many of my past research students as possible. I love hearing about their accomplishments.
  3. Thinking of some of your recent students, what kind of accomplishments have they had since leaving the college?
    The easy answer is some of my students have gone off to become very successful research scientists, dentists, and medical doctors. Specifically, one of my first research students now owns a very successful dental practice in NC. One research student went off to do a high powered PhD and Post-doc and is now working for a company that is grooming him to take it over. Many of my students are just getting out of professional school and so their accomplishments and life adventures are just beginning.
  4. What do you think of the new science center?
    The new science center is beautiful! Everyone should check it out, especially the natural history museum-that’s the best part!
  5. What is your area of research/what have your students been involved with?
    The major focus of my research is the development of novel anticancer and antibiotic agents. This gives students the opportunity to work on a project that is meaningful to them. Each team member becomes an important part of the group for the research and for team. Students have been involved with the development/design of the molecules we are interested in, synthesizing the compounds, purification, isolation, and then testing these compounds for antibiotic and anticancer activity. Currently my research team has developed three new anticancer agents that they have tested at MUSC with our collaborator and found them to be active against prostate cancer cells but not healthy brain cells. This is very exciting.

Here is a video by the College featuring the cancer research I did with undergraduate John Coward: Faculty-Student Team on Cutting Edge of Cancer Research Video.

Events You Don’t Want to Miss

Don't Miss Out GraphicThere is always something to do in Charleston, whether on campus or off campus! Spring is filled with wonderful events that showcase the beauty that is downtown Charleston and our beloved campus.

What We’re Watching

Graphic - YouTubeDid you know about our alternative break program? Has your student participated in one? Look at what some of our students did as service learning this past January. Check out the alternative break program to learn more and watch the latest video.

 

What Your Kids Don’t Tell You

Graphic - We'll Give You the Scoop!One thing for certain is that the College of Charleston puts our students first! Here is a host of workshops and activities offered to make sure that the time your student spends on our campus benefits their intellectual, physical, social, and emotional well-being. I wanted to make sure you knew about the opportunities provided for your student—you know; all that important information that doesn’t always get passed along.

Graduation Information: It’s never too early for you and your student to prepare for the process of graduation. There is more to it than just the ceremony.

Academic Calendar: Make sure you and your student know about deadline for dropping, adding, or withdrawing from a course; registration, semester starting and end dates, and so much more.

Center for Student Learning: We don’t want your student to ever feel like they don’t have the tools to succeed. CSL is here for that extra academic support.

There is always a fun, safe activity happening on campus somewhere. Whether a concert on the Cistern, a late night movie, or a group gathering for a sporting event-your student has plenty to do when they need a break from the library. Make sure they know all of what Student Life has to offer.

Did you know you can keep an eye on campus? Check out our webcams!

Parents’ Fund

Graphic - Parent's FundThe Parents’ Fund supports scholarships, networking opportunities, and exceptional faculty focused on your student’s