FMU Focus Magazine Fall/Winter 2023

FRANCIS MARION

FOCUS FALL/WINTER 2023

A PE R F E CT LI F E

FOLLY CARTER’ S 2 5 YEARS AT FMU FALL 2023 | 1

From the PRESIDEN T My father, Luther Carter, came of age during the Great Depression.

He left the family farm in Louisa, Ky., walked across West Virginia and down into the hills of southwestern Virginia. It was a journey borne of desperation. His family had no money, the farm wasn’t producing, and there just wasn’t enough food to go around.

But even in Virginia, dad’s prospects were poor. He had little formal education and no definable skills. So he made his way to one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s newly established Civilian Conservation Corps camps, created as part of the New Deal. It was a public jobs program intended to mobilize millions of impoverished people and employ them on public projects of all kinds. In the mountains of Appalachia, one of the largest projects involved the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway. My father was part of the crew that built that amazing road, a source of immense pride throughout his life.

The men and women of the CCC — “Roosevelt’s Tree Army” as they were nicknamed — lived in barracks-type camps. They were only paid $30 per month, but they were fed and sheltered. They also acquired skills that would serve them well in more prosperous times.

A great many of them developed a strong affection for President Roosevelt. Growing up in my home, it was always President Roosevelt or maybe Mr. Roosevelt, but never just Roosevelt. His was not simply a historic name but a revered one. Dad understood, until his dying day, that he led a fulfilling life because of a unique opportunity afforded him when he needed it most.

My father’s experience came to mind recently when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark decision banning racebased preferential admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Dad was neither an attorney nor a political scientist. He had a sixth-grade diploma, but he would have considered the decision imprudent and its reasoning abhorrent. He would argue that those with the most compelling needs should be entitled to more attention, assistance and consideration. He would certainly question why the court was retreating from its 70-year role as a champion of equity and a guardian of redistributive justice.

Preferential admissions and programs have leveraged positive change in our society over the decades, and we are all better off for them. The creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps seemed perfectly sensible to me back when dad first told me his story, and it makes even more sense to me today.

We are now told that there should be no more preferences for disadvantaged racial groups in college admissions. This country’s greatness has always resided with our capacity to be tolerant, compassionate and understanding. It is disconcerting to see the national mood shift to one of self-interest and complacency. Doubly so, when the judiciary is the change agent.

Where does this leave most colleges? Well, Francis Marion University — and regional schools similar to us — focus our recruiting efforts predominantly on in-state students. Over the past two decades, we’ve intensified our recruitment of firstgeneration college students. Since this involves assisting students who have the greatest financial need, we’ve never required preferential admissions to produce a diverse student body. The demographic profile of our student body naturally reflects that of the community surrounding our campus.

Of course, if the court ban eventually extends to prohibiting financial assistance for those with the greatest need, then our university will experience a serious conundrum. But then so will this country’s educational promise.

Moving ahead, we will do our best to adhere to these decisions, but we will follow our hearts as well.

Helping students who need it most has been a bedrock belief here since our founding 50 years ago. If there are students who need a little more help than others because of disadvantages or encumbrances in their lives, this is the school where they’ll get it — without explanations or apologies.

My dad and Mr. Roosevelt wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Neither would we.

Dr. Fred Carter, President 2 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

What’s in THI S I S S U E

4 SCHOLARSHIP IS ITS OWN REWARD For 20 years, FMU has recognized – and rewarded – the work of its finest faculty scholars.

10 WHAT’S UP WITH THE DOCS? Two more doctoral programs arrived at FMU.

16 A PURR-FECT LIFE From raising a family to rehabilitating cats, the Carters’ 25 years on campus have been a joy.

22 COURT OF LAW Brittany Young (’08) thought she might become a lawyer.

Then fate delivered a different verdict.

STUDENT STORIES Julia Fulmer Garrett Swanson Cullen Dore

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

24 28 29

SPECIAL FEATURES

Acrobatics & Tumbling at FMU 27 Evening College 30 Construction Update 38

FMU Focus is produced twice a year by Francis Marion University’s Office of Communications. Send comments or ideas to fmufocus@fmarion.edu.

FALL 2023 | 3

By TUCKER MITCHELL

GREAT TEACHERS, GREAT SCHOLARS AS FMU’S TRUSTEES’ RESEARCH SCHOLAR PROGRAM TURNS 20, IT IS EXPANDING TO REFLECT THE UNIVERSITY ’S INCREASINGLY COMPLEX ACADEMICS

Francis Marion University has long been noted for the excellence of its teaching. The university’s best and mosttenured have always taught a wide range of courses, right down to introductory level sections, and students have come to expect a high level of commitment from the men and women who stood at the various lecterns around campus.

Great teaching is not a bad thing for which to be known, but there was always more at FMU. From its inception, the university’s faculty contained dozens of top-notch researchers across a variety of disciplines. They understood how scholarship supports pedagogy. They embraced their dual role as scholars who knew that enhancing their knowledge and supporting excellence in their chosen field could not help but rub off on their students in the classroom.

When Dr. Fred Carter was installed as FMU’s president in 1999, he was pleasantly surprised to discover the high level of scholarly activity at the university. Conversations began, and within a year or so, he approached FMU’s Board of Trustees with the idea of creating a special status for these colleagues. From this, FMU’s Trustees’ Research Scholars were created.

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“We really wanted two things to come from that,” says Carter. “One, we wanted to recognize the achievements that they (the scholars) were so successful in creating, and, two, we wanted to give them some tangible recognition — release time from class so they’d have more time to write to produce more research, and a stipend.”

The Trustees agreed to the creation of twelve scholars, with the positions filled over a period of four years. More scholars were recognized and added to the program as the original scholars retired or left the university.

In the past few years, Carter noted the increasing complexity of the university, with new programs in the health sciences and engineering, and recently asked the board to approve three more Trustees’ Research Scholars.

With the addition of English professor Dr. Landon Houle, and Dr. Jeanne Gunther of the School of Education, FMU now has fifteen Trustees’ Research Scholars.

“Given the changes in the university, expanding this program just made sense,” says Carter.

As scholars expand, and, coincidentally, as the program marks its 20th anniversary, FMU Focus asked several scholars — some new and some old — to reflect on the program and its meaning, both to them and the university.

DR. BRANDON GOFF Professor of Music Trustees’ Research Scholar 2021-22 to Present

‘IS HE TALKING ABOUT ME? ’ When Dr. Brandon Goff’s appointment as a Trustees’ Research Scholar was announced at an FMU faculty dinner several years ago, Goff was at a table in the back of the room, joking about something with some of his colleagues.

“I heard Dr. Carter say, ‘we’ve all heard him perform …’ and I thought ‘wait, is he talking about me?’” Goff says.

In that regard, Goff says the TRS honor carries great symbolism that does have the ability “to motivate you in a philosophical way.”

He was talking about him.

“Being released from one class per year, the amount of time that frees up, just makes a huge difference,” says Goff.

“Last year, I dedicated a lot of time to helping produce the Rocky Horror Picture Show (a student musical put on by the music industry and fine arts departments). It was a huge success for our students, for both departments. But, and I’ve told Dr. Carter this several times, that wouldn’t have been possible without the release time from the Trustees’ Research Scholar program. Something like working on a student musical — that’s not really part of my teaching. I don’t know if you really call it research either, but that’s the kind of thing I do. And I do think it makes me better, makes my teaching better.”

The appointment touched off a rolling wave of reactions from Goff, a professor of Music Industry at FMU since 2011. For beginners, Goff was both touched and surprised.

Later, as he learned exactly what the honor entailed, other emotions came into play.

“I was honored, I was touched,” says Goff. “But honestly, I had kind of forgotten we even had a Trustees Research Scholar program. And I certainly didn’t expect they’d think of me. I mean, I work my (tail) off to do the very best I can for my students, for the university, in all the stuff I do. But my office is far away from the main campus (it’s at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence). I don’t see all the people on the main campus that often. I had no idea if anyone knew what I was doing. So I was incredibly shocked.

“But later, as I learned what was involved, as I put the award into practice so to speak, I came to realize what a real honor, a career-changing award, it is,” says Goff.

“We’re not a tier 1 research university. We’re a teaching college. I’m proud of that. I’m not here to get rich, but I do want to make a difference and I love doing that. But I’ve talked to some of my friends who are at tier 1 institutions and when I tell them about this they say, ‘wow, that’s the neatest thing. I wish we had something like that here.’”

But he finds the practical, the tangible, just as meaningful, if not moreso.

Goff says he’s used the scholar’s stipend to pay for incidental expenses during his summer performance tours.

Goff is a well-known name in certain genres of music, and in certain venues, most in Europe. Some are not exorbitantly funded, so his travel is not always completely covered.

“I played two shows last summer in Portugal and Belgium,” says Goff. “My travel wasn’t all covered, so (the stipend) helps with that. It gives me the latitude to do these kinds of things. I’m always adamant about including students in those events, when it’s possible, and I think that’s an unbelievable benefit for our students.

“So the tangible, that means a lot to me,” says Goff. “It’s pretty cool how it all works.”

FALL 2023 | 5

DR. SCOTT KAUFMAN Professor of History Trustees’ Research Scholar 2006-07 to Present

DOING WHAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO

Scott Kaufman says being a Trustees’ Research Scholar at Francis Marion University is a tremendous honor that “honestly, inspires me every single day. I can’t overstate how much it means to me.”

That’s great, but there is a little bit of downside, too. It’s the pressure — entirely self-inflicted — to keep it going.

“You know, you have this honor and that means people are looking at you, which is good, but they’re also looking at you to see what you’re doing,” says Kaufman. “I feel that. It may just be me, but I think there is an expectation that you should be continuing to add to your work. … I’ve felt that a lot lately. Covid and all kind of messed everything up. A lot of publishing and all just stopped. So I haven’t had anything out in awhile. I don’t like that. It feels like I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

No one should worry. Scott Kaufman is doing exactly what he’s supposed to be doing.

The author of 12 scholarly books, Kaufman is currently hard at work on three more. His current work represents a further flourishing of his skills and interests, and something of a departure from earlier areas of specialization centered on, of late 20th century U.S. presidencies and U.S. diplomacy.

Kaufman is working on a book comparing the histories of the Suez and Panama Canals, and is teaming up with FMU colleague Dr. Will Bolt on a (timely) history of impeachments in the United States. A third book is tentatively titled American Visions. Kaufman says it’s a social and cultural history, “kind of a future history, almost,” he says. (Kaufman teaches a “History of the Future” course at FMU.).

The research and scholarship bug bit Kaufman at an early age, perhaps leaping over from his father Burton, a history professor at the University of Miami (Ohio) and a few other places. (Later, the two Kaufman’s collaborated on a book on The Presidency of Jimmy Carter for the University of Kansas Press’ American Presidency series.)

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“I can remember being interested in research, in figuring out how things worked, from the time I was in the sixth grade,” says Kaufman. “Of course, I saw my father doing this. I’m sure that was part of it, but mostly I think it was just something I enjoyed.”

Kaufman says rejection early in his academic career helped motivate him. He wanted to pursue his doctorate with a particular professor at the University of Texas. He went for an interview, thought he did well, and was excited about his prospects, only to return home and find a letter waiting that told him he hadn’t been admitted.

He completed his PhD. at Ohio University instead and entered the academic life “with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder.

“I went out there — I was going to prove that I could do research. And I have,” says Kaufman. “That’s not the main driver. It never was. I really do love (research), but that’s motivation that has been there. And, I would say the Trustee’s Research Scholar honor plays a big role, too. I do think about it, and fairly often.

“You know, when I came to FMU I really did not know what to expect,” says Kaufman. “I don’t think you know what it will be like anywhere you’d go. But this (the TRS program) happened not long after I got here and it tells you something. It's one of those reasons why FMU is consistently rated a great place to work. (FMU President Dr. Fred) Carter, he was a researcher, he was in the trenches, so he understands.

“The course release (that is part of the TRS) is not enough to fit in the research, per se, but it is recognition that research takes time,” says Kaufman, “and it’s so important to what you’re doing. There’s a lot of compatibility between research and teaching. It’s hard to see how you can do one without the other. … it just keeps you fresh. You stay aware of trends, of new insights and ideas, and you can bring that into the classroom. When you publish, you contribute to that world of ideas, in your field and beyond, and that just enriches it for everyone.”

DR. BEN KYER Benjamin Wall Ingram, III Professor of Economics Trustees’ Research Scholar 2016-Present

IN GOOD COMPANY For Dr. Ben Kyer, the Benjamin Wall Ingram III Professor of Economics at Francis Marion University, research was just what he did.

A native of a small town in rural West Virginia, Kyer chose to settle at FMU and in Florence in 1989, in large part because of the opportunity to continue teaching and studying the subjects he loved. Since that time, he’s published more than 30 scholarly articles, many in concert with Dr. Gary Maggs of St. Fisher’s University in Rochester, N.Y., a friend and colleague since their days in graduate school at the University of West Virginia.

“Research and teaching in my area — that’s what I wanted to do and that’s worked out pretty well,” says Kyer.

Kyer, who is also the recipient of FMU’s J. Lorin Mason Distinguished Professor Award, says earning Trustees’ Research Scholar status validated his career choice and made him feel part of a great company of scholars.

“I am humbled by and honored with the award itself and very proud to be associated with such an esteemed group of accomplished people,” says Kyer. “It does indeed demonstrate that Francis Marion University is dedicated to scholarly research, publication and achievement, and rewards such with the Trustees Research Program.”

Kyer’s research focuses primarily in macroeconomics. That area focuses on the relationships between output, unemployment, and inflation. He’s also studied performance, structure, behavior, and decision-making of economies as a whole.

In recent years, he and Maggs have focused on aggregate demand theory and research that demonstrates the influence of aggregate demand elasticity on the foreign exchange rate when inflation occurs. That’s been a timely topic of late.

Of course, like much research, Kyer’s most recent research has piggybacked on work done long before.

Papers by Kyer and Maggs include “On the Keynes and Pigou Effects in Aggregate Demand Theory,” “Monetary Policy Rules, Supply Shocks, and the Price Level Elasticity of Aggregate Demand: A Graphical Examination,” “Supply Side Economics and the Price Level Elasticity of Aggregate Demand,” “Economic Expansion and the Balance of Trade: The Role of Aggregate Demand Elasticity,” and “Club Formation and Response to Natural Disaster: An Example From South Carolina.”

The latter dealt with a decidedly micro issue: how homeowners in a South Carolina community responded to the ravages of Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The example Kyer cited was literally right in his own backyard. He lived in the community, and on the lake, affected by the storm and a subsequent dam failure there.

Kyer teaches a variety of courses in the FMU School of Business, including Principles of Macroeconomics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, History of Economic Thought, Public Finance, and Economic Analysis for FMU’s MBA program. His research has appeared in The Journal of Macroeconomics, The Atlantic Economic Journal, Public Finance Quarterly, Journal of Economic Education, International Advances in Economic Research and The American Economist.

TRUSTEE RESEARCH SCHOLARS 2002-03 Fred R. David E. Lorraine de Montluzin 2003-04 John A. Britton Larry Joe McCumber Benjamin Woods 2004-05 Jackson F. (Jeff) Lee Jr. Jeffrey Pompe Jon W. Tuttle 2005-06 William M. Ramsey William P. Fox 2006-07 Jeffrey D.Camper V. Scott Kaufman 2011-12 Lynn B. Kostoff LeRoy “Pete” Peterson Jr. 2014-15 Lisa A. Eargle Christopher D. Johnson Derek W. Jokisch Terry A. Roberts 2015-16 Ben L. Kyer Ruth A. Wittmann-Price 2019-20 Jo Angela Edwins 2021-22 Brandon Goff 2022-2023 Travis Knowles 2023-24 Landon Houle Jeanne Gunther

FALL 2023 | 7

DR. LORRAINE DE MONTLUZIN Professor Emeritus of History Trustees’ Research Scholar 2002-2005

THE GIFT OF TIME

Lorraine de Montluzin was in the inaugural class of Trustees’ Research Scholars appointed at Francis Marion University, the honor being afforded to her and Dr. Fred David of the School of Business for the 2002-03 academic year.

De Montluzin appreciated the recognition and the monetary award that accompanied it, but her favorite aspect of the award was the time it afforded for research.

“For me, the greater benefit was time — more time to devote to my second academic pleasure after teaching, scholarly research in my field of 18th-19th-century English press history,” says de Montluzin. “The reduction in course load of one course each semester gave me the uninterrupted blocks of time that all of us engaged in scholarship and publication know is vital for researching, thinking, and writing.”

De Montluzin, a dedicated scholar since her collegiate days at Tulane and Duke universities, has made a lifetime of studying, and cataloging the authorship of entries in The Gentleman’s Magazine, a landmark journal published in England from the late-17th through the early 20th century.

Articles and other items in The Gentleman's Magazine were penned by prominent writers and national leaders, but the identity of the authors was not always clear. De Montluzin’s pioneering and painstaking scholarship identified and confirmed their identities, creating a valuable database for researchers across the centuries.

She published her most famous work, Attributions of Authorship in The Gentleman’s Magazine 1731-1868: An Electronic Union List (Charlottesville: Bibliographical Society of the University of Virginia, 2003), during her tenure as a Trustees’ Research Scholar. It is a publication that lives on.

De Montluzin continues to study and add to the database to this day.

8 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

THE REDUCTION IN COURSE LOAD OF ONE COURSE EACH SEMESTER GAVE ME THE UNINTERRUPTED BLOCKS OF TIME THAT ALL OF US ENGAGED IN SCHOLARSHIP AND PUBLICATION KNOW IS VITAL FOR RESEARCHING, THINKING, AND WRITING.

“It is vital for researchers to know the authors of primary source material that they are using,” de Montluzin explains, “and this database brings together 25,585 authorial attributions of anonymous, pseudonymous, and incompletely signed articles, letters, poems, book reviews, obituaries, etc., in 18th-19th-century England’s greatest magazine, material important for researchers engaged in political and social history, literature, medicine, science, theology, and a host of other specialties.”

The database integrated three other electronic databases that de Montluzin created earlier in her career.

In addition to her work with Attributions and Authorship, de Montluzin says that the extra research time afforded by the course reduction enabled her to complete nine articles or notes published in scholarly journals in the United States and Great Britain and to make progress in preparing two additional articles for publication.

De Montluzin remains an active researcher, typically publishing articles every year and constantly adding to her database. More recently, she has returned to the classroom.

She taught one upper division course at FMU this year.

“It’s a joy to be teaching again!” she says.

DR. LEROY “PETE” PETERSON Professor of Chemistry Trustees’ Research Scholar 2011-12 to Present

‘YOU CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT...’

When the grinding, often-tedious life of a research chemist takes its inevitable toll, Dr. Leroy “Pete” Peterson inevitably turns to a plaque on the wall of his lab for a little pick me up.

It is the trophy honoring Peterson as a Trustees’ Research Scholar at Francis Marion University.

“You’d be surprised, but I look at that quite frequently,” says Peterson. “You know, I’ll be having a day where things just aren’t going that well and I’m getting a little down on myself, and I’ll get that out and read it. It’s just so inspiring to me. I almost feel an energy coming from that. It lets me know that somebody thinks I can do it. I can do it. I can do it!”

Peterson is an old hand at FMU. A native of nearby Mars Bluff, S.C., just minutes from the campus, he’s an FMU grad (’85) who came back to teach at his alma mater at the behest of his former professors.

“William Brezeale, Skip Hendricks, Dr. (William) Moran, they all saw something they liked, I guess, and told me I really needed to apply after I finished my doctorate (at the University of South Carolina),” says Peterson. “That’s worked out pretty well.”

Peterson says he enjoys teaching, but his first love is almost certainly the lab. He likes to be there, working with students, and working on the various projects that occupy his attention at any given time.

The interest goes back to his childhood, to comic books, he admits somewhat sheepishly.

“You know, Spiderman, radioactive spider, in a lab, and so on,” says Peterson. “At the time, I think the motivation was to get me some super powers and maybe that would be attractive to girls. … It’s progressed somewhat since then.”

Peterson joined the Army after graduating from high school so he could earn some money for college. He landed a post in the “NBC” — Nuclear, Biological, Chemical warfare — which further whetted his appetite. Every now and then he’d save up some cash and buy a chemistry textbook.

“You know,” says Peterson, “just to read. … for fun.”

Peterson has delved into many areas as a researcher.

Before receiving the TRS honor, he says he was motivated, or at least interested, in work done by Irix Pharmaceuticals, a Florence, S.C.-based startup that began its existence in rented lab space in FMU’s Leatherman Science Facility in the mid-1990s. The company, now part of Thermo Fisher, was a start up that succeeded on the basis of its chemical research. And it all happened right before Peterson’s eyes.

“I saw that, right on our doorstep, and it was almost unbelievable,” says Peterson. “It certainly got me thinking.”

Peterson says he remains inspired and engaged, even as his career approaches what he calls “a transition.”

That’s a euphemism for his looming retirement next year.

He is looking forward to maintaining some presence at FMU — hopefully in his lab — and pursuing work on projects set aside years ago. One particular promising project is finding a more efficient (read cheaper) way to synthesize the active ingredients in the market-leading mosquito repellent known as “Deet.” Peterson and some of his students worked on that several years ago and made significant progress.

“I think there are some possibilities there,” he says. “I think I can do it.”

If he ever needs any confirmation of that, he can just pick up his plaque and take a look.

FALL 2023 | 9

HERE COME (MORE!) DOCS Stories by TUCKER MITCHELL

FMU is launching two new doctoral programs in the next year, a further sign of the university's burgeoning academic prowess. Doctoral programs in clinical psychology and occupational therapy join the existing doctor of nursing practice degree on FMU's doctoral roster, and like the DNP, the new programs will provide a needed boost for the community as well as for FMU's students.

FMU’s first class of Doctors of Nurse Practitioners graduated in 2018.

10 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

A BOLD, NEW PATH

Doctorate of Psychology program will open new doors for FMU, its students, and the community

The sense of excitement about Francis Marion University’s Doctor of Psychology program next year is all about all the doors that will open.

The new program is FMU’s third doctoral program and it will create new paths — open new doors — for FMU’s students, for the university, and perhaps most importantly, for the local community where mental health needs are at a crisis level.

“It’s such an exciting time because of all this program can bring,” says Dr. Crystal Hill-Chapman, Chair of FMU’s Department of Psychology. “It will make the university and our program much stronger, but more than that, I think it will improve care in an area that has long been overlooked and underserved. I think we can do some good. I know we can.”

Hill-Chapman, a Florence County native and an FMU graduate, says interest in the new program is high. Calls and emails seeking information come in almost every day. That’s not surprising given that student and alumni interest helped create the program.

Hill-Chapman says students have been asking about a doctoral program for over a decade. It’s a critical part of a career path in psychology because all states now require a doctoral degree for practice as a licensed psychologist.

MEETING A DEMAND

FMU’s Psychology program has a long-standing reputation for excellence in the region and state, with the Specialist in School Psychology program ranking fourth in the nation according to CounselingPsychology.org. Still, many of its top students had to go elsewhere for their capstone professional degree for years. HillChapman is among those. After a stellar undergraduate career at FMU, she went to Texas A&M University - College Station for her Doctor of Philosophy.

“There was demand (for FMU’s new doctorate) because students want to stay here and because we want them to stay in the Pee Dee,” says Hill-Chapman. “Add to that the obvious need in the community. It just makes sense.”

FMU President Dr. Fred Carter and FMU’s Board of Trustees made it possible when they pushed state authorities to allow the creation of doctoral programs at FMU. After that campaign was successful, a doctorate in psychology, or “PsyD” as it is called, was natural.

“This program fills an obvious need, and it continues the strong tradition of excellence in the Department of Psychology at FMU,” says Carter. “We’re looking for great things in the years ahead as our first cohorts of PsyD students begin to matriculate.”

FMU’s new PsyD aims for accreditation by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA-

CoA). The PsyD will emphasize a practitioner-scholar model that will focus on clinical skills training, meaning that outside of classes, students will focus on experiential practice under the supervision of licensed psychologists. That is in contrast to some doctoral psychology programs (Doctor of Philosophy, PhD) based on a scientist-practitioner model that focuses on research skills and scientific methods.

FMU’s program is also inter-professional in that its curriculum leads students across several allied fields. There are courses in health, education, and psychology. Finally, as befits the serious community health problems the program’s graduates will be expected to confront in their practices, it is a rigorous program.

A graduate must complete 130 academic hours of courses, 600 actual hours of practica experience, and a 2,000-hour internship.

The typical program course will last four years for the candidate enrolling after completing an undergraduate degree.

Most courses will be offered in the late afternoon/early evening to accommodate working students. Practice and internships generally will take place during regular daytime business hours.

Students coming from any of FMU’s three masters-level programs and psychology, as well as students from other master’s programs accredited by the Council of Applied Master’s Programs in Psychology (CAMPP), or the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), will receive 45 academic hours of course credit towards their doctorate.

FMU will keep its current master’s programs in place. Although the trend in the field favors doctoral programs, a need for master’s level graduates remains.

Students entering the program with undergraduate degrees outside of psychology must complete prerequisites before admission.

The program will open in the fall of 2024 with eight students.

Hill-Chapman says it will eventually grow to 14 students in the class, about two for every faculty member. The number is significant because each doctoral student is assigned a faculty advisor who acts as their mentor.

FMU’s program is unusual because it is a clinical/school program, a combination that gives graduates access to all the continued on page 12 FALL 2023 | 11

continued from page 11

primary career paths for psychologists. Only nine schools in the nation with doctoral programs offer this combination. If students in FMU’s doctoral program complete their internships under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst, they’ll receive BCBA certification, further expanding their career horizons.

“The combination degree opens the doors to a range of career options,” says Hill-Chapman. “If you just have a school psychology degree, you are often limited to educational settings, maybe some pediatric work through a hospital. Working in educational settings is difficult if you are a licensed clinical psychologist. There’s a need across the board, but having options and flexibility is great.”

The dire need for mental health practitioners means graduates will be in high demand.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies psychologists as a high-growth job in the next date, projecting an additional 12,000 new psychologists will be needed between now and 2032.

That’s over and above the almost 200,000 psychologists now in practice.

As the nation is rethinking mental health, the national need is significant. The regional need is acute.

The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health shows that mental and behavioral health diagnoses are climbing in a state currently ranking last in psychologists per capita. A 2018 report on psychological workforce projections for the southeastern United States showed that 1,740 new doctorallevel psychologists will be needed in the region by 2030. Of that number, 1,170 will be required in South Carolina.

Hill-Chapman says the numbers in the Pee Dee Region are, if anything, worse. Most counties around Florence have just one licensed psychologist. Florence, by far the most populous county in the Pee Dee, has 12, but that includes several practitioners like Hill-Chapman who are also university professors, and hence, less available (Hill-Chapman is a licensed and board-certified psychologist, a rarity among academics in the field, but her academic duties curtail her practice time).

Florence is a hub for mental health treatment in Pee Dee, just as it is for other healthcare. Even though more psychologists are based in Florence, most are busy with patients who drive in from afar for treatment.

PSYD: MEETING A NEED Jobs available in 2022: 196,000 Job growth 2022-32: 6% (faster than normal) New jobs by 2032: 12,000 Median Pay, 2022: $85,330/annual Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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CLINICS TO THE RESCUE

Another aspect of the mental health crisis in the state and region is the lack of affordability. Insurance does not pay for all types of coverage, and in South Carolina, it typically does not pay for enough treatment to bring about long lasting outcomes.

Hill-Chapman says an expanded clinic at FMU could help.

FMU graduate students, supervised by the Department of Psychology faculty or the Clinic Director, currently see a small number of pediatric patients in offices at the Leatherman Medical Complex and The Carter Center for Health Sciences. The size and scope of the clinic should grow with the advent of the doctoral program. That will bring additional students, all of whom must spend the equivalent of a year-and-a-half of full-time work in clinical settings, into play. Hill-Chapman says numerous grants are available for schools with doctoral programs in psychology, including many grants aimed at supporting clinics.

FMU doctoral students must complete their clinical practica and internships at practices or in institutional programs accredited by the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). Currently, most students would have to leave the Florence area to complete those parts of the studies because there are no APPIC-accredited practices in the area.

Hill-Chapman is working for change. Her favored plan is to gain this accreditation for an expanded FMU clinic.

That would allow students to complete their internships in Florence, which would be convenient and would likely increase the number of graduates who stay in the area to practice.

Any future FMU clinic will likely feature a combination of FMU’s burgeoning array of graduate healthcare specialties. Clients could see faculty practitioners and their students for speechlanguage pathology, occupational therapy, and psychology.

Other disciplines in the program planning stages, like physical therapy, could be added to the mix.

An expanded clinic would require a full-time clinic manager.

Patients would likely be seen “at cost,” which would help clients struggling to afford services.

LYDELL COMES ‘HOME’ TO LEAD FMU’S OTD PROGRAM To Dr. Rachelle Lydell, Francis Marion University’s new Occupational Therapy Doctorate program feels like home.

Lydell, who was named program director for FMU’s second doctoral program last year, is returning to her professional roots to lead FMU’s program.

Lydell began her career as an Occupational Therapy practitioner in Florence more than a decade ago. It’s where she and her husband started their family, and now it’s where she’s taking her biggest career step.

Lydell, a native of Canada, shakes her head, humbled, by her unexpected path.

“It was not my plan, it was His,” says Lydell. “It’s astounding how things work themselves out. To have started my career in this community, and to be circled back at another level … I am thrilled to be able to share my passion for occupational therapy through helping educate students who will graduate and make a difference in our community.”

FMU began accepting applications for the three-year doctoral program in OT this past summer. The first cohort of 30 students will matriculate in the fall of 2024. Lydell and the program’s growing faculty will accept one cohort of 30 students each year, for a total of 90 students by 2026. The program will remain at that level as new cohorts replace graduating classes every fall.

The FMU OTD Program is a candidate for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), a leading authority in the field. Accreditation is a system for recognizing a level of performance, integrity, and quality of educational institutions and their professional programs so that the educational community and the public they serve can have confidence in them.

The three-step accreditation process is used by ACOTE to ensure the development of quality OT programs and to provide feedback to new and developing programs prior to the admission of the first class of students. FMU will apply for ACOTE Candidacy Status in December this year. Completing accreditation after a program is already underway is typical in higher ed. ACOTE, like most accreditation bodies, wants to see the actual program in action before granting full accreditation.

FIRST GRADS IN ’27

Graduation from an accredited educational program is a requirement of eligibility for certification by the National Board

for Certification in Occupational Therapy and for licensure in most states. Lydell is confident that full accreditation will be granted to the OTD program prior to the graduation of the first class of students in 2027.

The university began researching occupational therapy as a potential addition to FMU’s curriculum in the fall of 2019. As has been the case with all the new programs in FMU’s expanding School of Health Sciences, university leaders were reacting to a unique combination of community need and student interest. Because of the projected need for OT, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects jobs in the field will grow “much faster” than in most professions. The number of OT jobs are expected to grow by 12 percent in the next decade.

“In the state of South Carolina, there are only 11 entry-level OT programs: three occupational therapy doctorate programs (the long-standing program at the Medical University of South Carolina, and Presbyterian College, who just received full accreditation) and eight occupational therapy assistant programs,” says Lydell. “When you compare those numbers to a state like Florida, for example, where there are 37 entry-level programs across degrees (Associate, Baccalaureate, Master & Doctorate), it might be easy to assume that there might be a need that can be filled institutionally through higher education.

“There is a need for occupational therapy practitioners in our state and just about everywhere really,” says Lydell.

“As a clinician that has worked within our community, I have a unique understanding about the need here. The need for OT was high years ago, and occupational therapy resources were minimal. With the growth in and around Florence, the number of occupational therapy practitioners available to serve the needs of the community has unfortunately not grown much. I am fortunate to still be able to connect with former colleagues and administrators all around this area, but unfortunately, they are all struggling to fulfill needs. The local school systems, for example, I know they are struggling to serve a need with minimal resources.

“When the need is high and the lack of resources affects an institution’s ability to provide appropriate care, issues can really snowball,” Lydell says. “For example, although we have a system in this area, the lack of occupational therapy resources to support early intervention delays the ability to identify and continued on page 14 FALL 2023 | 13

continued from page 13

address problems early so that they are less likely to continue into the early childhood years. This inability to address barriers to normal development early, subsequently pushes the responsibility onto the school systems, which are stressed already, and it becomes harder and harder to support and meet that need.”

An example of another need area is the adult stroke population. Florence is considered part of what healthcare providers sometimes call “the stroke belt,” a region of higher stroke mortality that has persisted since around 1940. OTs play a crucial role in stroke rehabilitation, which is usually implemented in a medical setting. As with the schools’ situation, there aren’t enough practitioners available in the area.

Lydell says hospitals, school districts, and other agencies in need of occupational therapy services often employ head hunters to seek out occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants from afar. That strategy can produce results, but it’s an expensive way to acquire talent.

“Those individuals who come from out-of-state often don’t stay,” says Lydell. “One of my primary goals is to “grow” local practitioners because they already have a unique understanding about the needs of our area.”

FMU will help the community do just that.

DOCTORAL MOMENTUM

Occupational therapists can be licensed with a masters or a doctoral degree. But, mirroring many other healthcare specialties, there is a definite trend towards the OTD degree.

Some of that, says Lydell, is driven by the constantly changing healthcare system and the realities of a billing system driven by regulation. But more importantly it is the advanced knowledge and ability with which graduates holding an occupational therapy

doctorate are equipped. FMU’s program in particular, has been intentionally designed to help students acquire a higher level of clinical knowledge and skill through courses that foster an entrepreneurial mindset, leadership and advocacy skills, and the ability to perform applied research.

“A graduate with a doctorate degree will be able to help move the profession forward in a number of ways,” says Lydell.

“This includes the ability to apply for different roles in various settings where OTs should or can be but are not generally found. Graduates will most likely end up as leadership at some point in their careers. A doctorate degree opens up the doors to advanced-level opportunities where one’s imagination is the limit.”

Occupational therapists are tasked with helping individuals across the lifespan to enhance their ability to perform tasks associated with everyday living. This includes overseeing intervention programs that improve functional skills, or finding accommodations or adaptations to assist those with special needs. The ultimate outcome for a patient who receives OT services is to progress to a level of function where they can live and work (if appropriate) independently again.

Occupational therapy is not the same thing as physical therapy, although they are allied fields. One OT advocacy group explains the difference as “physical therapists help people to walk. Occupational therapists get them to dance!”

MORE EFFICIENT

Lydell says there’s also a difference in the type of person who walks the OT career path.

“An individual who is attracted to an occupational therapy career is not necessarily lured by monetary gain, although it is a solid career from that standpoint,” says Lydell. “People tend to look towards our field because they are passionate about

Dr. Rachelle Lydell inside the OT programs’ future “apartment laboratory.”

“

A GRADUATE WITH A DOCTORATE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE THE PROFESSION BETTER IN A NUMBER OF WAYS,” SAYS LYDELL. “THEY’LL ALSO BE IN LINE FOR DIFFERENT ROLES FOR LEADERSHIP IN THEIR CAREERS. IT OPENS DOORS TO ADVANCEDLEVEL OPPORTUNITIES.

14 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

helping others and have often had a lived experience with a friend or a loved one who was treated by an OT. OTs can impact an individual’s life for the better and create ripple effects that are long lasting. So, they see the impact.

“What we call ‘therapeutic use of self’ — how we utilize our personality, insights, perceptions, and judgments when we interact with patients, how much meaning we can bring to the therapeutic process — is what attracts people, too,” says Lydell.

A bachelor’s degree is required to enter the OTD program at FMU. Students with a masters degree can enter, too.

Lydell says that while students typically come from academic backgrounds in the natural or life sciences, she’s already had a number of students from various disciplines inquire about the program. In her experience, applicants at FMU and within institutions across the nation come from all academic walks — which is the way it should be.

“There was one individual who inquired about our program who shared that she will be graduating with an agriculture business degree,” says Lydell. “That is not typical, but it’s great.

She’ll bring a different and special perspective, knowledge and skill to the field and the program because there are certainly opportunities in that area that need the knowledge and skills of an OT — industrial rehabilitation, workers compensation and program and policy development, for example. As long as there is a need to improve the skills of living, OTs are needed everywhere.”

COLLABORATION AND CLINICS

Students in FMU’s OTD program will benefit from the university’s robust offering of healthcare fields, and recently completed facilities. Most classes will take place in downtown Florence, at the Carter Center for Health Sciences and the Leatherman Medical Complex. Renovation work is currently underway at Leatherman to create a studio apartment so that OT students can practice assisting patients with everyday living. The pseudo studio apartment will include a kitchenette, bathroom, bedroom, living room and laundry room. The space will also include a dedicated area to address vocational rehabilitation.

Students in the occupational therapy program will have the opportunity to collaborate with students from across FMU. Plans to collaborate with FMU’s Speech-Language Pathology Program (a master’s level program) are currently underway. The two disciplines often work together with patients in the real world, so beginning those connections in the academic world makes sense, and SLP classes and labs are held in Leatherman, too.

Collaborative opportunities with other disciplines are also possible as well, especially as FMU moves towards a graduate program in physical therapy. That program is already in the planning and approval pipeline. All of that fits into the university’s long-term vision for a comprehensive School of Health Sciences with budding practitioners across many disciplines sharing space and resources, and learning together where appropriate.

Lydell hopes that OT will join the growing list of low-fee public clinics run by FMU faculty. FMU graduate students, under the supervision of university faculty, already serve psychology and speech-language pathology patients. Occupational therapy

would add another needed service.

Lydell also expects students in the program to help meet local needs when they are placed in local schools, hospitals, and non-profits during their required fieldwork experiences. During their matriculation, all students are required to complete four courses of level I field work, in which they are exposed to the

OT: MEETING A NEED Jobs available in 2022: 139,600 Job growth 2022-32: 12% (much faster than average) Additional jobs by 2032: 16,100 2022 Median pay: $93,180/year Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

knowledge and skills of an OT faculty member who will spend time in a clinical setting demonstrating their skills through OT practice, ultimately educating and mentoring students in their confidence and growth. Students are also required to complete two 12-week level II fieldwork experiences, clinical internships in which students are in the field full time, under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist. In those scenarios, students evaluate and assess patients, as well as design appropriate interventions to meet their short term and long term goals.

When they have completed their coursework and their clinical assignments, Lydell says they will be ready to provide an important service to a community where they are desperately needed.

“I love being back in Florence and being able to reconnect with some of the same people I was friends with and with whom I’ve worked with before,” says Lydell. “I’ve also enjoyed making new connections since moving back, and I feel like I have a good understanding of the needs of the people in the community and the programs that are out there. They can use the volunteers and the people. I know it will mean a lot for the community when we start graduating skilled occupational therapy practitioners.”

Lydell is a clinician of varied clinical background and an OT practitioner more than 12 years, including five years in higher education. She brings to FMU valuable experience creating and launching OT programs.

Prior to coming to FMU, she started an occupational therapy masters program at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Then, following some time off to battle through a personal illness, she was selected to develop and lead one of the field’s first Occupational Therapy Assistant Bachelor of Science programs at St. Andrews University (a Branch of Webber International University) in Laurinburg, N.C.

FALL 2023 | 15

A PURR-FECT PLACE 16 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

The Carters have been FMU’s first family for 25 years. Folly Carter couldn’t imagine anything better.

By TUCKER MITCHELL

F

IRST LADY. It’s a job that’s never posted on a recruitment site, never listed under “Help Wanted” in the classifieds. In fact, it is not really a job at all. It’s more of a role, earned, or assigned, or … something, when your spouse rises to a certain position, in certain institutions where tradition says this is what you do.

And it all just gets a little fuzzier, a little more vague from there, as Folly Carter learned some 25 years ago when she and husband Fred (and their two-and-a-half year-old son Luke) landed on the doorstep of Wallace House, residence of the president at Francis Marion University.

Folly Carter, a veteran of a decade’s service on the staff of three different South Carolina governors, had a general idea of what to expect. She’d seen bits and pieces play out in the governor’s mansion and thereabouts, and she was sharp enough to understand that when her husband landed the FMU post, way back in 1999, that she had, for all intents, been hired, too. But hired to do what was unclear. Every first lady position is different, and every first lady is, too.

Early on, Carter connected with Sara Stanton, the wife of FMU’s second president, Tom Stanton, who was still living in Florence. They hit it off as golfing partners — Stanton brought Carter into the Country Club of South Carolina’s Tuesday morning women’s group — and, of course, as fellow first ladies. “(Sara Stanton) took me under wing, let me know she was there for anything I might need,” recalls Carter. “That made for a nice transition. Sara told me a little about her experiences, the trials, what worked, what didn’t. That was helpful but … wasn’t a lot.”

Carter shrugs. “Anyway, you take that and then, I guess, you just start swimming.”

Folly Carter has lapped them all. Few first ladies serve as long as she has and few serve as well. A quiet, low-key person by nature, Carter has juggled the various tasks and duties that make up her unusual role with aplomb and good humor. For almost a quarter of a century, she has navigated an assortment of personalities and seemingly endless events with grace and genuine enthusiasm.

Carter says it came naturally. After all, she holds a master’s in education from the University of South Carolina and began her adult life as a teacher at her alma mater, Dreher High, in Columbia. She was always interested in education.

Her husband has a slightly different view. Lots of people, lots of other first ladies, are interested in education. Some are interested for a while, before tiring.

Some are … too interested.

“A lot of what (Folly) does is very instinctive,” says Fred Carter. “She has a good feel for people and I think people like her, and certainly she’s derived some benefits from all the time spent in the FMU community, primarily through some very deep and lasting friendships she’s made there. But it’s harder than it looks. She’s asked to be a part of it, but she’s careful not to be intrusive in any way.

“She is a very strong partner. We do go to a lot of events on campus and I’ll tell you, she’s driving that as much as me,” says Fred Carter. “She’s the one who is scrupulous about that, about all the details that make so much difference, like managing flowers for weddings and funerals, gifts when children are married, all of that. That’s an important part of doing this job well. That’s something she assumed

FALL 2023 | 17

early on. And she did it well. … Let me tell you, you attend somebody’s child’s wedding early on and they never forget, and if you don’t attend … well ….”

‘A GOOD TEAM’

Folly Carter says her husband is always saying that “they make a good team.” A big reason for that, she notes, is because “I always let him do what he wants to do.”

A faint smile flashes across her face as she says this. She has a wry sense of humor. She is joking, more or less.

The unending tasks of a college presidency know no real boundaries. Work comes home and goes out to dinner. Work conversations last well past 6 p.m., or whatever a president’s official quitting time really is. Because of this, families are part of most discussions, whether they like it or not.

“He’ll seek my advice,” says Folly Carter. “He’ll say ‘you know we’re thinking about this and this is the way I feel about it, and this is the way someone else is thinking about it. What do you think?’ He does that with Luke, too. He treasures the advice of those who are close … which I think is good.

Make no mistake: he makes the decision. But hearing from us — that’s a part of it. It’s always been like that.”

Says Fred Carter, “There are a lot of issues that I bring her into the conversation where she would just as soon not be involved. … But I’m interested in what she thinks. She knows the community, the faculty, people, as well as I do. And her judgment is impeccable, just wonderful really. I probably use her as a sounding board far more often than she wants, but she’s very good at it.”

Of course, the Carters are more than president and first lady. They are a family. Over the quarter century they’ve spent at FMU, Folly Carter’s primary task has been taking care of the Carter family. At times that has been, as the old saying goes, like herding cats.

In recent years that has literally been the case.

18 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

Fred and Folly Carter at the annual Christmas party.

FOLLY MEETS FRED

Florence Olive “Folly” Roach grew up in Columbia, S.C., a middle daughter among six children, the oldest of the youngest three and hence, “the peacemaker” between the two warring factions. She excelled in school and went to the University of South Carolina where she earned her bachelor’s degree, and a master’s, in education. She returned to her alma mater, Dreher High, to teach and that seemed to be that. She was a teacher.

And then one day, she was watching television when an advertisement for Carroll Campbell, a handsome young congressman who was running for governor of South Carolina, beamed across the screen. Folly Roach was so impressed she volunteered, on-the-spot, to work in his campaign. It was a strangely impetuous act — she’d never done anything political in her life, was never especially interested — but it seemed like the right choice at the time. And, it turned into a lifechanging event.

Folly Roach’s enthusiastic and competent campaign work impressed Campbell and company, and when he won the election, she was asked to stay on as a staffer, setting in motion a chain of events that eventually brought her to FMU. Dr. Fred Carter was a senior executive policy adviser in the Campbell administration, a rising star on his way to becoming head of the South Carolina Budget and Control

Board. His path crossed with Folly’s, who handled a variety of assignments. They talked, they had dinner, one thing led to another. The couple married in 1992.

A few years later, after a long struggle that included in vitro fertilization, Luke Carter was born. Folly (now Carter) continued to work in the governor’s office — remarkably, her tenure covered the terms of three different governors and two different political parties — but was already a committed mom. Luke’s daycare was across the street from her office, and she took Wednesdays off so she could, among other things, eat lunch with the couple’s young son.

In 1999, when Luke was two-and-a-half, Fred Carter was picked as FMU’s fourth president. It’s a familiar story at FMU. Carter was appointed to mediate a serious breach between FMU’s president and its faculty and wound up becoming the solution. The couple moved to Florence to start a new life.

“I remember us driving over here, when he was being interviewed, and seeing campus, and falling in love with it and thinking how nice that might be,” says Folly. “It never dawned on me that we’d be here this long.”

in the back of my mind I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom with Luke. When (the presidency) opened up, that really became possible. And with being first lady, there are so many responsibilities that you are still involved. It is like a job, a career. For me, it was a nice balance.”

The house was a great place for family events. Bryan Carter, Fred’s older son, visited many times with his wife Adele and their children, Max, Chloe and Milly. But it was Luke who benefited most.

FAMILY LIFE

Folly Carter went back to teaching for two years, but after Fred Carter took a one-year leave to serve as Governor Mark Sanford’s chief of staff, the couple decided it was best for Folly to become a full-time mom. Luke was growing up fast. The schedule was getting busier.

Folly missed some aspects of being a career woman, but says she was more than ready to be a mom.

“I had struggled so hard to get Luke, and then was so delighted when I finally got pregnant,” says Folly. “Right then,

The Carter Family on a trip in the mountains of North Carolina.

With mom ready and able to perform all kinds of motherly duties, and the resources of a state university at hand, Luke had an idyllic childhood. FMU faculty and staff doted on him. Coaches from the FMU athletic department gave him pointers in a number of sports. Dr. Tom Fitzkee, chair of FMU’s Department of Mathematics, found math tutors when needed.

Several new campus events started by the Carters — a children’s Christmas party, an Easter egg hunt — were geared towards kids, and included Luke, of course. He got to live in the presidential residence, a stately southern mansion, surrounded by a 400-acre playground.

For years, Fred and Folly joked that some day they were going to have to tell Luke that they didn’t own the house.

Luke, a recent grad of the USC School of Law and now a clerk for South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes, has probably figured it out. continued on page 20

The Carters on a university trip to France in 2007.

FALL 2023 | 19

continued from page 19

CATS IN AN EMPTY NEST

One night, not long after Luke had gone off to college, the Carters were in the kitchen at Wallace House when they saw, out of the blue, a small group of kittens, three or four, under the carport. They were in distress. It appeared something was wrong with their eyes.

“Fred being Fred, he knew something had to be done, so he put on some gloves and went out to investigate,” says Folly Carter.

Several scratches and at least one bite later, the Carters managed to get the young cats inside and into a vacant bathtub. A visit to the vet the next day showed the kittens had severe eye and respiratory infections. A regimen of antibiotics began. But no sooner was that situation under control when it began pouring cats (no dogs) at the presidential residence. Folly estimates that in what turned out to be the first wave a person or persons unknown dumped more than a dozen cats at the house during a five-week period.

And, over time, the cats kept coming. They started showing up at the front gate to the house. Some were part of a feral colony on campus, a common situation on many college campuses. But many were domesticated dump-offs.

Cat wrangling was not in the job description, not for a college president nor a first lady. The Carters took it on anyway. Cats were given medical attention. Cats were fed. A partnership for spaying and neutering, and for adoption services, was created with the local branch of Lucky Dog, an animal rescue service, and with Jayne Boswell and the Florence County Animal Shelter.

In the end — and, with the cats, there really is no end

FELINE FRIENDS The care extended by the Carters to FMU's campus cats eventually led to a partnership for spaying and neutering, and adoption services, with the local branch of Lucky Dog, an animal rescue service, and with the Jayne Boswell Animal Shelter in Florence, through the City of Florence. FMU student volunteers have participated in caring for stray and feral cats on campus, and the Carters have also found homes for some of the cats and kittens with the help of the FMU faculty, staff, and students.

20 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

The Carters cheering on the Patriots.

— the Carters and company have been able to find homes for more than 200 cats and kittens. They have a house for cats in the backyard, and there’s a feral cat feeding station on campus, serviced by volunteers from a student club.

“This is not a role we had envisioned taking on,” says Fred Carter. “But the cats were being abandoned here, and it intensified, for whatever reason, during Covid. We knew if they ended up in shelters, they’d be euthanized.

We found a way to work through that with Lucky Dog and Myra Horowitz, and Jayne Boswell. … Some may wonder why we became so deeply involved. The answer is I don’t think we had a choice. We weren’t going to allow a number of cats to be euthanized.”

Cats are now a regular feature of life at Wallace House.

The Carters kept three of the original blind cats — Francis, Marion, and Tux. Tux, surprisingly given her afflictions, managed to get pregnant and had two kittens, Little Francis and Pepper. Several other cats live in the backyard or are regulars at the front gate, where Folly feeds them daily when she is in town. There are a couple who follow Fred home every day on his walk from his office to the residence.

“I guess you could say this is another example of Fred’s leadership,” says Folly. “He saw a problem and he did something about it. I know I fussed at him about it at first — ‘what are we going to do with all these cats?!’ But now, I think I love them more than he does.”

NO BETTER LIFE

The first lady’s mark on FMU is undeniable.

She helps her husband, of course, providing counsel and support behind-the-scenes that makes a difference every day. Her calm and soothing presence has doubtless improved relations with all the university’s constituencies, from faculty and staff, to alumni and donors. Fred Carter notes that while Folly has “probably never asked anyone for a single dime for the university, she has been a very successful fundraiser all the same.”

A number of FMU traditions can be traced to Folly. She and Fred imported the series of holiday parties on campus from what they had observed in the governor’s mansion in Columbia. Likewise, the idea of inviting local garden clubs to decorate Wallace House for the holidays.

The annual Children’s Christmas Party, which includes both kids from campus families and from underprivileged groups in the community, can be traced to Folly’s role as mother of a young child when she first arrived.

She and Fred will leave that all behind some day. They are in something of a transition now. They own a beach home near Georgetown where they spend many weekends.

Folly sometimes stays a bit longer.

“We have the house at the beach, and right now, it feels like the best of both worlds,” says Folly. “Fred still has his work, which he loves and which he is so good at, and then we have this wonderful escape. But it’s not bad coming back here on a Sunday afternoon.”

“It’s hard to imagine how we could have had a better life.”

The Wallace House has been home for Fred and Folly Carter since 1999.

FALL 2023 | 21

ALUMNI FOCUS

STEPPING OUT OF THE PAINT: BRITTANY YOUNG'S JOURNEY FROM PLAYER TO HEAD COACH

By ANNA KATHRYN STROM

Brittany Young draws up a play for the Lady Governors. Photo courtesy/Austin Peay University Athletics

Brittany Young has always loved basketball.

She played the sport from an early age, excelling at Berkeley County High in Moncks Corner, and at Francis Marion University where she was an all-conference player, Academic All-American, and a two-time team MVP. But when her collegiate career ended, she wasn’t planning to make a career of it. The political science major had her sights set on law school.

She didn’t get very far on that track before the basketball coaching bug bit her instead. Now, Young (‘08) is entering her third season as head coach at Division I Austin Peay State University in 22 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

Clarksville, Tennessee. Young’s first two teams went a combined 37-25, laying the groundwork, Young hopes, for even brighter days ahead.

Young says her career path has been rewarding, if unexpected. It began during her gap year between her undergraduate graduation and law school when she went back to Berkeley to help coach her old high school team. She was just looking to pass some time in a useful way, but wound up changing her life plan.

“The time I spent with those young ladies brought me true joy and true peace,” Young says. “When you graduate college, you’re just

trying to find yourself and figure out what’s next. It’s a very uncertain time. I decided to go in the direction I felt my heart was leading me. And that was coaching.”

INTO THE EQUIPMENT ROOM A combination of hard work, humility, and persistence propelled Young’s coaching career.

Once she decided to pursue coaching, Young enrolled in the Master of Sport and Entertainment Management program at the University of South Carolina. She approached the director of operations for the school’s powerhouse women’s basketball team, seeking a graduate assistant position. She soon learned that at places like South Carolina, GA jobs don’t come easily.

The operations director offered her another job instead: equipment manager.

Young agreed and took on the duties of the lowly post, washing team gear and schlepping equipment here and there.

A year or so in, she caught USC Coach Dawn Staley’s eye. She landed the graduate assistant position.

Once on the Lady Gamecocks’ staff, Young connected with Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer, Nikki McCray-Penson, a teammate of Staley’s on the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team. McCray-Penson was an assistant coach on Staley’s staff.

Young and McCray-Penson hit it off, and when McCray-Penson landed head coaching jobs at Old Dominion, and then, three years later, Mississippi State, McCray-Penson took Young with her as an assistant coach and chief recruiter.

Young’s success with McCray-Penson set her up to land the head coaching position at Austin Peay. Sadly, her mentor passed away in July 2023 at the age of 51.

Young says that when she visited Austin Peay and Clarksville, she found herself thinking back to another small-ish town with a close-knit college community. It reminded her of home and of her years in Florence at Francis Marion.

“I fell in love with the community and the people,” Young said. “It had the same southern charm I experienced in Florence and Charleston where nobody meets a stranger. When people say hello to you when you walk by, that’s home to me.”

Austin Peay has a long tradition of success in women’s basketball, although the recent past has been choppy. Young seems to be arriving at a good time. The Lady Governors just moved to a new NCAA Division I conference, the Atlantic Sun, and will move into a new arena in downtown Clarksville next year.

“Being a head coach is very different,” Young says. “You are the person who makes decisions. You always have people who agree with you and people who don’t.

I learned that you have to have thick skin and trust yourself. I have also learned that there are a lot of bittersweet moments.

As a head coach, those two things are intertwined. You may have some really special moments, but there is always a little bit of adversity that comes with it.”

Being a head coach has also allowed Young to craft her own formula for success.

“I’ve also learned that there are many different ways to be successful,” Young says. “You don’t have to copy anyone’s blueprint. I take bits and pieces from all the places I’ve been and all the experiences I’ve had and make it my own. As long as you stay true to yourself, special things can happen.”

Young says she is now working harder than ever to meet the needs of her team.

A firm believer in consistently making forward progress, Young spends most nights watching film until she falls asleep

on her couch.

“There has to be a plan every day,” Young says. “At every special program, they have some sort of system. You have to have a plan, you have to have a vision, you have to get a group of 18- to 22-year-olds to buy into that on a daily basis. It’s not a onetime thing. I never fall asleep until the job is done.”

WELL PREPARED AT FMU Young says her time at FMU helped prepare her, even if she thought she was preparing for a slightly different future at the time.

“My experience at FMU was invaluable,” Young says. “I came to Francis Marion not knowing what to expect. It was the only offer to play basketball that I had. As a young high school student making my decision, I had no idea how much I would grow in my years at Francis Marion.”

Young was a biology major but quickly switched to political science after an eyeopening internship at a doctor’s office.

Fortuitously, that led her to Dr. David White, chair of FMU’s Department of Political Science and a proponent of Young’s success.

“Sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to do or what your path is, and you just need people that continually encourage you and have people that believe that there’s a light inside of you,” Young says. “I remember Dr. White telling me that I was going to be good at whatever I decided to do. He told me, because of my work ethic and who I was as a person, everything would work out.”

Young and White stayed in touch after Young graduated. White, an avid sports fan, even made a surprise trip to one of her games this past season.

FALL 2023 | 23

STUDENT FOCUS

CHANGE OF SCENERY,

CHANGE OF LIFE JULIA FULMER FMU's Julia Fulmer ('24) discovered more than historic markers and pretty landscapes during a semester studying abroad. Here’s her version of what she found.

I would be lying if I said it was my lifelong dream to study abroad.

In fact, before I got to college, I thought everything I’d ever need to see was already in the U.S. Maybe this was just fear of the unknown. Maybe it was just immaturity.

Whatever the case, my views began to change after I arrived at FMU. Somewhere during my sophomore and junior years I was exposed to the idea of traveling and studying abroad and the idea began to find a place in the front of my mind. One source of inspiration was my older brother, who had just returned from a two-year stint working abroad. I also had some friends who were either considering international travel or had traveled in the past.

One day, I heard about an international students' interest meeting at school. I can’t explain exactly why, but I just felt like I needed to go. On a whim, I pulled up a chair in the crowded Honors Center classroom.

An hour or so later, I left with something completely unexpected: a firm idea that I was going to study for an entire semester in a small, rural town in Germany.

The decision wasn’t as easy as it sounds. I had to sort through a long list of pros and cons, and I had to get over my initial fears. What pushed me over the line was realizing that most of the “cons” started with “what if …?”

Should two little words stop me from a life-changing adventure? I decided they should not.

As it turned out, this was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

SMALL WALLS, NO MICRO!

Five students from FMU traveled to Germany with me. Three of us — Ronisha Genright, Nyah Pee, and me — attended the Schmalkalden University of Applied Sciences. We were all able to stay on-campus. I shared a two-room apartment with Ronisha for the semester, which turned out to be really cool since it gave us a chance to compare notes and share each others’ experiences.

Dorm life in a new and very different place took a bit of getting used to. I’d never been able to touch all four walls of a bathroom from one spot — it was a little small! — or lived without a microwave. But, in time I became attached to our humble abode, my very first apartment.

Whatever the apartment lacked in conveniences, it was conveniently located. I could walk to every class in under five minutes. That’s quite a difference from my life as a commuter student at FMU. The semester in Germany spoiled me in that regard: quick commutes and big savings on gas money.

Once I got to class there were even bigger differences. The approach to education at Schmalkalden is very different. In the U.S., it’s standard for the final grade in our college courses to depend on a combination of our 24 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

performance on homework assignments, projects, participation, and exams. The final grade was based on an accumulation of work. At Schmalkalden — and I understand this is common across Europe — the final grade depends upon one exam at the end of the semester.

This could be considered a blessing and a curse.

On one hand, this allowed some students to travel internationally for weeks on end and keep up with their studies remotely. On the other hand, if someone learns better in a classroom, missing sessions frequently could have a massive effect on their performance.

Sorting this out was an important step.

Class meetings were different, too. Most classes at Schmalkalden met just once or twice a week. The schedule was also more random. A class might meet at the end of the day Tuesday and pick up with a second section early on Wednesday.

There was some method to this madness. For instance, the way my classes aligned allowed me to have a built-in four-day weekend. I took full advantage.

of the European Common Market, traveling from country to country is, for the most part, as easy as traveling from state to state in the U.S. Of course, when you cross the border in Europe you’re in a new country, with a new language and culture. The biggest hurdle to international travel is just getting in the vicinity, but once you’re there, you’ve got a whole world waiting to be explored.

And, there’s plenty to discover — about that world and about yourself.

Stepping out of your comfort zone, out of the “normal” life you’ve spent years creating, is a surreal experience. There is a realization that you can start afresh, building up the parts of yourself that you want to strengthen.

Before I went to Europe, I would describe myself — most people who know me would describe me this way, too — as someone who is friendly but not outgoing. I wasn’t a recluse, but I wasn’t in the middle of everything either.

Almost as soon as we landed in Germany, it was as if a switch had flipped. Suddenly, I was talking to nearly everyone I saw, making whole new groups of friends, hopping on trains and exploring random towns “just because.”

I was more outgoing, and yet, somehow more confident, content to explore by myself too. I met students from countless countries (I learned I needed to brush up on my geography) and had incredibly rich conversations purely based on mutual curiosity and respect.

The classrooms at Schmalkalden overflowed with the hustle, bustle, and the intriguing chatter of a dozen languages. Every so often, just when I felt like I was getting used to it, the excitement about the whole experience would hit me again.

A FEW TAKEAWAYS

There is so much that I gained from my experience abroad, but here are some of the biggest takeaways, at least at this early date, just a few months removed:

EASY TRAVEL

Our student IDs (or “Thoskas”) were good for free train travel in our region. So, I traveled all the time. I discovered that, for whatever reason, sitting on a train and having the countryside fly by the window helped with my focus, so it was frequently my study environment of choice. It did, unfortunately, have an element of commitment, so there were a few funny instances of being asked to hang out while I was on an outbound train to a neighboring town.

Traveling in Germany and Europe is incredibly easy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a fellow classmate say they were “just popping over to Prague for the weekend” or “booked a last-minute train to Paris.”

After some budget airline recommendations from friends, I was even able to grab a couple of weekend trips to Ireland and England.

For a lot of people in the U.S., international travel is a hefty commitment, requiring months or even years of planning. However, because so many countries are grouped so closely together in Europe, and because

NEW PLACE, NEW WAYS. I always knew other countries existed, of course, and I've always known there are different languages with different histories connected to different traditions and towns full of different architecture. But stepping into these countries and viewing "differences" to the U.S. through the lenses of what is "normalcy" to locals is an eye-opening experience.

It shows up in, among other things, the ways each country finds solutions to the same problem. This can be as simple as how to store a shopping cart at a grocery store, how to recycle cans and bottles, or simply how to cook potatoes.

NEW PLACE, NEW PERSPECTIVES. There's great value in traveling internationally for the first time, if only for that moment when it dawns on you just how much is out there that you still haven't seen.

Similarly, being gone for an extended period allowed me to view my own home and life with fresh eyes. I now approach small nuances in the U.S. from a similar air of curiosity, motivated to search for better solutions to the same problems.

Not every day abroad was an upbeat adventure. I struggled at times when I missed friends and family back home. There were times when I saw the person I didn’t want to be.

But those days were few in number. Most of the time, I danced down the street (sometimes literally), laughed with friends, and learned what kind of person I did want to be.

Traveling wasn’t just an educational experience. It helped shape my growth into the person I am today and the person I want to be for the rest of my life.

I’d say it went pretty well.

FALL 2023 | 25

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TAKING FMU ATHLETICS

TO NEW HEIGHTS The latest addition to Francis Marion University’s athletic program is officially off the ground.

compete in our inaugural season. This is a school that athletes from all over the world want to attend.”

Both literally and figuratively.

Rueb comes to FMU from Arizona Christian University, where she served as an admission assistant and supervisor for two years. She was a four-year starter on the school's acrobatics and tumbling intercollegiate team before graduating in 2022.

Acrobatics and tumbling became the 15th varsity sport this fall.

Head coach Brittany Rueb welcomed 17 student athletes to the team this semester.

Off-season workouts are underway.

Formal competition will begin in February when FMU will face off against regional opponents Emmanuel, Belmont Abbey and Lander, among others. The season will culminate with the Conference Carolinas tournament in April.

Assembling a team from scratch has been a challenge for Rueb, but it’s also been rewarding.

“I knew that what we could offer at FMU was more than enough to build a successful program,” Rueb said. “I started with a state-wide search for athletes who would make an exceptional academic and athletic fit for FMU. After searching statewide, I opened up my search margins to the country, and even worldwide, to continue to bring quality student-athletes to the Francis Marion campus. After much success, we have a full roster ready to

Athletic Director Murray Hartzler feels confident in Rueb’s leadership and looks forward to seeing how this new program will enrich Patriot Athletics.

“Coach Rueb has done an outstanding job with recruiting and building the foundation for our new program,” Hartzler says. “Having personal experience in starting a sport from scratch, I know it takes an immense amount of work to get the school’s name out to potential students.

Coach Rueb has done such a good job in doing that, she has been invited to speak at recruiting events for acrobatics and tumbling. She has truly vested herself in the University, and I believe under her direction in the coming years, we will grow to be one of the top teams in the conference year-in and year-out.”

Acrobatics and Tumbling was adopted as an emerging NCAA sport in 2020

FMU Acrobatics and Tumbling team members are already hard at work.

and is expected to become an NCAA championship sport in the near future. It is currently administered by the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA).

Nearly 50 NCAA member schools currently have acrobatics and tumbling teams. Division II, where FMU competes, is by far the most active with 35 teams. Six of those teams are in South Carolina.

Acrobatics and Tumbling features a mix of gymnastics and competitive cheerleading.

Meets typically involve 2-3 teams competing in six events. Judges score the events in a manner similar to Olympicstyle gymnastics.

Up to 28 individuals can participate in a meet for each team. Overall team sizes vary from school to school.

With practices under way, Rueb is excited for all that is to come.

“We can't wait to showcase the team in a few short months,” Rueb says. “We have an extremely talented group of athletes who have been working hard and learning this new sport. The team's cohesiveness and understanding of what needs to be done every practice session is extremely motivating as a coach.”

FALL 2023 | 27

STUDENT FOCUS

UP ON THE HILL GARRETT SWANSON

A knock on the current generation is that they just won’t get involved in politics.

Don’t count FMU’s Garrett Swanson in that crowd.

The political science major from North Myrtle Beach, SC, is pondering a career in government work and has spent time the last year working for South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

Swanson spent last fall in Washington, D.C. as an intern in the office of Senator Tim Scott.

Opportunities like that are a regular part of the experiential education plan at FMU and figure to be a great resume point for Swanson.

It also helped him better understand how law, government, and foreign policy correlate to each other.

“Having the opportunity to intern in Senator Scott’s office was truly a life-changing experience,” said Swanson. “I knew it would be impactful, but it solidified what I feel is truly a calling on my life – working in public service to make a difference in the world.”

Swanson says he’d like to work in the intelligence field — at the CIA, the Secret Service, or the Department of Defense.

Swanson credits the engaging faculty, the FMU Career Center, and faculty members like Dr. David White, professor of Political Science, and Dr. Jon Tuttle, professor of English and director of the Honors Program, with pushing him to go after his dreams.

His own energy deserves some credit, too.

Swanson is involved in a lot of campus activities at FMU. He’s a member of FMU Honors, serves as the Community Service Chair for the FMU chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, and is a senator on the Intramural Council where he plays soccer, volleyball, and kickball.

28 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

Left, Garrett Swanson with U.S. Senator Tim Scott.

STUDENT FOCUS

NCA A GIG GIVES HIM A LEG UP CULLEN DORE

Most college athletes try to stay out of the way of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the governing board for athletics at most American colleges.

Cullen Dore, a cross country runner at Francis Marion University, decided it was better to run right at it.

He currently serves as the president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) at FMU. And last year he was selected as the representative from Conference Carolinas to serve on the National SAAC committee where he is one of twenty-six representatives in the NCAA. He also serves as the president of the Conference Carolinas SAAC and as the External Communications Coordinator of the National SAAC. This experience, coupled with an internship in the Athletics Department and position as photographer for The Patriot newspaper, have solidified the future career plans for the mass communications major.

“As I get more involved in the NCAA nationally and see the inner workings of it, I know I definitely want to pursue sports communications as a potential career path,” says Dore. “As a student-athlete, being able to have a career that combines my love of sports and mass communications is really exciting. I’m just happy about the amount of exposure

I’ve had to both here at Francis Marion.”

Dore says one of the things he has learned that resonates with him both as a runner and a student is that you have to get comfortable doing things that are uncomfortable for the sake of growth.

“As an athlete, I know that to get faster and stronger, it requires some level of hurt. As a student, I’m learning that I have to get out of my comfort zone to grow and be the best that I can be,” said Dore. “I’m fortunate to be surrounded by so many incredible people on campus who have pushed me, encouraged me to network, and given me opportunities I didn’t know I’d have.”

One person he credits with helping him is Julie Mixon, associate professor of art in the Fine Arts Department.

Mixon, he says, has been instrumental in helping him become a better photographer through her teaching. She’s also helped guide and encourage him in the field.

Dore is from Myrtle Beach, S.C. He committed to Francis Marion before the start of his senior year at Carolina Forest High School.

FALL 2023 | 29

Night Light for

Education FMU’S EVENING COLLEGE BRINGS LEARNING & UNIQUE COURSE OFFERINGS TO THE COMMUNITY

By ANNA KATHRYN STROM

30 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

F

rancis Marion University’s role as the provider of higher education in the Pee Dee Region is expanding through the university’s Evening College program.

The Evening College offers citizens in the Pee Dee (and a few from beyond) the opportunity to expand their intellectual horizons through an array of courses from across the academic spectrum. The forcredit, non-degree courses provide opportunities for professional and personal development.

The program began in the fall 2022 semester.

Course offerings so far include watercolor painting, homesteading, American Sign Language, introductory songwriting, bird watching, woodworking, photography and true crime.

Evening College courses are taught by FMU faculty and professionally qualified community members,

and are held at the university’s downtown campus.

While most meet in the Carter Center for Health Sciences and the Leatherman Medical Complex, a few courses have also convened at the Performing Arts Center and the FMU Recording Studio.

Associate Provost and Director of Graduate Programs Dr. Will Carswell has observed a tremendous response from the community.

“The Evening College continues to expand in course offerings and grow in interest throughout our community,” Carswell said. “With a broader array of course offerings this fall – everything from watercolor and American Sign Language to songwriting, and murder mysteries – we have experienced a 50% increase in participation over the prior year. Our goal is to continue to provide Florence and the region with engaging courses for professional and personal development.”

Left, Dr. Becky Flannagan leads the discussion in the Murder Mondays course.

Right, Well-known Florence Artist Jane Jackson instructs students in Exploring Watercolor.

FALL 2023 | 31

FMU and the Florence community celebrated the placement of the Ebony Guest House historical marker. FMU faculty, the City of Florence, and the Florence County Museum worked together to make this possible.

The annual Academic Award ceremonies recognized individual academic achievements throughout the year.

In the spring, Greek Life hosted the inaugural Magnolia Bowl. Zeta Tau Alpha took home the trophy in this event.

MARCH

APRIL

TIMELINE FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY

Student organizations were recognized for their involvement on campus at the Student Life Awards.

32 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

Dr. Peter King, former FMU Provost, was awarded the Order of the Palmetto by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. The Order of the Palmetto is the highest civilian honor presented to a citizen of the state for extraordinary lifetime service and achievements.

King served as a professor of Biology, Chair of the Biology Department, Associate Provost, and Provost during his twenty-seven year career at the university.

At the annual faculty awards night, several FMU faculty members were recognized for the 2022-2023 academic year. Mr. Nathan Flowers received the Charlene Wages Shared Governance Award. Dr. Jeanne Gunter received the Excellence in Teaching Award. The Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship was presented to Dr. Sarah Kershner. Faculty members were also recognized for their years of service to the state.

Professor of English, Meredith Love-Steinmetz, was named the J. Lorin Mason Distinguished Professor for the 2022-2023 academic year.

FALL 2023 | 33

COMMENCEMENT Over 350 degrees were awarded to graduates during the Spring 2023 commencement ceremony. FMU alum and former Chairman of the FMU Board of Trustees, Robert E. Lee (’87) served as the commencement speaker. Lee, Dr. Peter King, former Provost of the university who retired in June 2023, and Ms. Linda Sullen, a long-time university employee, received honorary degrees.

JUNETEENTH EVENT FMU hosted Juneteenth: A Conversation About Our Past, Present, and Future. The event featured Congressman Jim Clyburn, former Senator Maggie Glover, and Dr. Bobby Donaldson.

JUNE FACILITIES NAMED FOR LONG-TIME FACULTY

An innovative new behavioral health facility will be built in Florence and serve as a regional behavioral health hub which will include a combination of triage, crisis stabilization, telehealth, outpatient and inpatient services that will expand much needed behavioral health resources in the Pee Dee region. This collaborative effort is the first of its kind in the state. FMU is preparing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners and Doctors of Psychology to provide care in this crucial field.

34 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

Three areas within the University Honors Center will be named for longtime FMU faculty who have made an impact on the FMU Honors Program. The Duane P. Myers Seminar Room, Pamela A. Rooks Classroom, and Jon W. Tuttle Atrium will honor three of the most recent directors of the Honors Program.

FMU NURSING RECEIVES $2.2 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT

NEW GIFT TO INCREASE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIRST GENERATION EDUCATION MAJORS Longtime FMU donors Dr. Sompong and Mrs. Suwanee Kraikit continued their strong commitment to providing scholarship opportunities to FMU students through a substantial gift to the FMU Education Foundation.

This most recent gift will support scholarships for First Generation education majors.

STAFF SERVICE AWARDS Four university staff members were recognized for their outstanding service during the annual FMU Staff Awards. Jennifer Floyd received the John J. Kispert Leadership Award, Carla Rogers was awarded the Marvin Lynch Humanitarian Award, and Lorraine Burnett and Dennis Sullen were named winners of the two Outstanding Staff Service Awards.

JULY

The School of Health Sciences received a $2.2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The grant will provide tuition support for current and future students in the Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs over the next four years.

AUGUST

$400,000 GRANT FROM THE NSF FMU has been awarded over $400,000 from the National Science Foundation grant to advance healthcare with the use of AI. FMU will join a team of eleven institutions in South Carolina that will work closely with industry to advance AI-enabled medical devices and train an AI-ready workforce.

CRYSTAL GAYLE Country music legend Crystal Gayle kicked off the 2023-2024 spotlight series at the FMU Performing Arts Center in front of a packed audience.

FALL 2023 | 35

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT RANKS FMU

FMU RECOGNIZED AS GREAT COLLEGE TO WORK FOR® FIELD DAY

For the eleventh year in a row, FMU was named a Great College to Work For® and also earned the special designation of an Honor Roll institution meaning the university excels in all ten parameters of the assessment.

The Campus Activities Board hosted a field day for students at the start of the fall semester.

Students participated in games and enjoyed treats from food trucks.

SEPTEMBER

FIRST FRIDAY The annual First Friday event to cap off the first week of the semester was filled with live entertainment, games, food trucks, and loads of fun for the FMU community.

36 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

FMU was recognized by US News & World Report as a top Regional University in the South. The university was also recognized as a Best Regional University, Best Value School, Best College for Veterans, Top Public Regional University, and Top Performer on Social Mobility. Four academic programs were ranked among the nation’s best: undergraduate nursing, undergraduate engineering, School of Business, and undergraduate psychology.

ALUMNI CLAY SHOOT Tthe FMU Education Foundation’s first Sporting Clays Tournament was held at Moree’s Sportsman’s Preserve & Sporting Clays. Funds raised from this event benefit scholarships.

GRADUATE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM RANKED 4TH IN THE NATION The Specialist in School Psychology degree program has been ranked fourth in the nation

by CounselingPsychology.org for 2023.

EPIC Over 50 high school juniors and seniors from North and South Carolina participated in the Engineering and Physics Institute of the Carolinas hosted by the Department of Physics and Engineering. Students learned more about engineering and physics and conducted hand-on activities in small groups.

OCTOBER

JON TUTTLE RECEIVES HONORARY DEGREE Professor of English and Director of the Honors Program, Jon Tuttle, received an honorary degree from the university during the annual Honor’s Program reception. Tuttle has been a member of the faculty at FMU since 1990 and director of the Honors Program since 2013. He will retire in June.

FM A’GLOW AND FALL FESTIVAL FMU held its annual FM A’Glow and Fall Festival at the end of October.

This year’s event included pumpkin painting, carved pumpkin displays, live music, and a Glow Run.

FALL 2023 | 37

↑

GOING UP

By ANNA KATHRYN STROM

38 | FRANCIS MARION FOCUS

FMU’S CAMPUS CONTINUES TO BUZZ WITH SOUND CONSTRUCTION AND PROGRESS AS ADDITIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS ARE PUT IN PLACE The most obvious sign these days — the new School of Education/ School of Business building which is rising to the trees next to Durant Pond from the Lee Nursing Building and across Alumni Drive from the Smith University Center. When open in the next year or so, the $24 million, 60,000 square-foot facility will house FMU's two oldest schools in state-of-the-art facilities.

Both Education and Business have seen an uptick in interest in recent years, further necessitating the new space. Plans for the building have been in the works for some time.

The project was funded entirely through state appropriations and like nearly all of FMU's scheduled projects during this major wave of improvements, brings no additional debt.

The School of Education recently announced the addition of a new graduate program with a concentration in autism studies. An endowed chair in autism studies was also instituted within the past year.

A new, dedicated space will serve the new autism program. The sensory education lab, funded in part by Duke Energy’s $25,000 gift, will be equipped with items used in various teaching practices benefiting autistic students. Sensory items used include weighted vests, light projectors, audio-sedation systems, gel mats, and more. The lab will focus on instructing special education, early childhood education, elementary education, and secondary education teacher candidates on best practices when working with autistic students.

The School of Business continues to be a growing department at FMU. With accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the school continually produces some of the region’s top graduates. One distinguishing facet of the School of Business at FMU is its MBA program. Since its inception, the program has steadily gained momentum.

In addition to the highly demanded MBA program, the school recently added undergraduate degrees in Sports Marketing and Sports Management to its roster, and a graduate degree in Healthcare Executive Management.

Left, the new School of Education/School of Business Building FALL 2023 | 39

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