AHA! Spring 2012

AHA! | South Carolina Honors College | University of South Carolina | Volume XVII No. 2

Spring 2012

“Encore!”

Honors students recently led an edgy, updated version of “Romeo and Juliet” that sold out every night and got rave reviews.

See page 4.

From Dean Steven Lynn It’s been, as Garrison Keillor would put it, a quiet week in the Honors College. It’s always a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, as you know if you’re a “Prairie Home Companion” listener; but for the Honors College, relative calm means spring break. We’ve been using the quiet to go over the fall schedule, preparing to advise our 1,401 students over the next six weeks, and I have to say that it is a humdinger of a schedule.

This coming fall we will be offering 230 honors classes — the largest number ever, a remarkable quantity that I believe is unparalleled among honors colleges. The quality is just as impressive. We will be offering, as always, small sections (average size is 14) of core courses taught by superb faculty, who will include a pod of department chairs and upper-level administrators, many award-winning teachers and researchers, Rudy Mancke (Natural History of South Carolina) and Walter Liniger (Echoes in Blues), and a robustium (I am making this term up) of young and brilliant faculty.

We’ll be offering fascinating advanced science and engineering courses for majors, such as Bacteriology by Charles Lovell, Introduction to Cryptography by Stephen Fenner, Artificial Intelligence by Marco Valtorta, Introduction to Neuroscience

by Sandra Kelly and The Ocean Environment by Howie Scher, as well as upper-level courses that unfold culture and history in unexpected ways, such as Stan Dubinsky’s Language Conflict and Language Rights, Kevin Lewis’ Religion and Existentialism, Leon Jackson’s The Birth and Death of the Book: From Gutenberg to Google and James Cutsinger’s The Perennial Philosophy.

We’ll also have courses that have become standards, such as Hal French’s Zen and the Art of Anything or Jack Goldsmith’s The Chemistry of Food. Offerings will range in time from Sport and Combat in the

Ancient World with Mark Beck to Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame with Mathieu Deflem. As one of our wonderful alumni said to me recently, “I just want to be a student again and take every course.” Indeed.

Spring break was also a good time to do some more work recruiting next year’s students. We’ve seen a record number of applications to the Honors College: more students than ever are applying to the University of South Carolina, and the standards for admission are the highest they’ve ever been.

Now that the South Carolina Honors College has been ranked No. 1 in the country among public university honors colleges in the guide “A Review of Fifty Public University Honors Programs” (see http://schc.sc.edu and the next issue of AHA! for more on this), we expect this momentum to increase.

Carolina was recently honored for its national and community service, being named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction — the only school in South Carolina so honored. USC is also the only state institution to earn the Carnegie Foundation’s highest ranking for research, and many of our departments did extremely well in the National Research Council’s most-recent rankings.

There’s a buzz going on here, and it’s not just unprecedented successes in sports (although that is a lot of fun!).

We have launched a $1 billion fundraising campaign in the midst of an economic downturn. That would not be possible if we weren’t moving in the right direction in so many ways.

In the Honors College in particular, we’ve been able to recruit such amazing students not only because of the education that we’re offering, but also because we can provide competitive scholarships. Every student in last year’s incoming Honors College class received some kind of scholarship.

The very best students, both in-state and out, are being wooed by a vari-

ety of schools. They have choices. We would not be able to compete without the strong support of our passionate donors — many are alumni, some are parents, others just see a good thing going and want to help.

We also did some work on our out-of-the-classroom experiences during the break. We worked on the budget for next year, making sure that we can continue to offer incredible research and service learning opportunities for our students: Susan Alexander directs this program, which will deliver this year more than $170,000 to students for conducting research and presenting the results of their research. Our wide variety of internships, directed by Beth Watson, which include the stellar Washington Semester Program, require constant maintenance and monitoring, and we’re working now on everything from housing to teachers for next year.

I enjoyed some emails last week from Professor Lara Lomicka-Anderson’s French students: they were writing from France, where they were spending the week, returning the visit of a class of English students from France, their Internet conversation partners. The students were thanking me for the Honors College’s support of this wonderful class. It was indeed a delight to have the French students and their teacher here for a week recently. Jim Clark directs our study abroad programs, and our next two trips will be to India and to England.

The week wasn’t quiet enough for me to work, as I’d planned, on my own course for this coming fall, Connecting Life and Leadership. Perhaps I’ll tell you about that in the next edition of AHA!. As a matter of fact, as it always turns out in Garrison Keillor’s imaginary Minnesota town, the “quiet week” was actually full of all sorts of things.

I hope you are doing well. We appreciate your interest and support.

I will hope to see you or hear from you soon.

Ashley Riser, academic advisor and director of recruitment Riser joins the South Carolina Honors College from the Moore School of Business, where she worked for two years as an academic advisor in the undergraduate division. Prior to coming to the Columbia campus, she was an admissions counselor for USC Aiken. She is a 2008 graduate of USC with an M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs. In addition to being responsible for advisement and recruitment, Ashley will be the new managing editor of AHA!

4 Encore!

7

Explore and SURF

7

Building support

8

A digital opportunity

9 Internship program places students in key agency postings 10 Honors world wide 11 Spotlight on Linda B. Salane

Rebecca Shrader, academic advisor and director of pre-med advising Shrader is a native of South Carolina and a USC alumna, earning a bachelor’s degree in English in 2004 and a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs in 2008. Before coming to the South Carolina Honors College in spring 2011, she was an academic advisor across all disciplines at USC Sumter and has also worked at USC Aiken. At the Honors College, Shrader is the advisor for all pre-med students and is the mentor for the Honors Pre-med Community.

12 Honor Roll of Donors 14 Class notes 15 From the director of alumni relations 15 In memoriam: Dr. Kenneth Trogdon

Kathy Keenan, assistant to the director of development Kathy Keenan is a native of northern New York who was transplanted to South Carolina when she married Columbia native Andy Keenan. She has a B.A. in History from St. Lawrence University and is pursuing a Master of Public History here at USC. Bringing several years of experience as an administrative assistant, Kathy joined the South Carolina Honors College staff in spring 2011. In her support of the development efforts of the Honors College, she oversees the annual fund, donor stewardship and donor database management.

The University of South Carolina is an equal opportunity institution.

12070 UCS 5/12

contents | 3

Meet the new staff

Brittany Price Anderson and Jeffrey Earl

Tybalt

Encore!

Edgy presentation of Romeo and Juliet prompts sold-out performances in two runs

feature | 4

By Ashley Riser

Perhaps for the first time at the University of South Carolina, a production by the Department of Theatre and Dance was brought back by popular demand.

The November 2011 run of “Romeo and Juliet” was completely sold out, and many theatregoers were unable to see the modern, edgy take on the classic that also included a live band (Kemp Ridley). On Jan. 27-28, three encore performances were staged at the USC Lab Theatre, which holds around 100 people.

All three performances were also sold out.

Bringing back the production was no easy feat: cast and crew members had moved on to other projects. They held one fight and dance rehearsal and one full dress rehearsal before opening night.

In the production, seven SCHC students showcased their talents and abilities: Brittany Price Anderson, Elizabeth Coffin, Jeffrey Earl, Emily Gonzalez*, Jane Hearn, Lauren Koch and Mary Tilden.

Production photos by Katie Foshee

The role of Tybalt is usually a male character played by a male actor. In this production, however, Tybalt is a woman, played by Brittany Price Anderson, a senior from Greer, S.C. Anderson and Jeffrey Earl (who played Mercutio) worked together to update the language to a more contemporary feel, as well as ensure the rivalry between the two characters was still palpable.

“I had to play up Tybalt’s femininity while also keeping up her toughness,” she said.

The experience was self-affirming for Anderson: “Many times, we as Honors College theatre majors struggle with doing something else and seeing others doing more practical, more useful studies than the arts.

But seeing so many people come to a new version of an old show was a great testament to what we do.”

Following “Romeo and Juliet,” Anderson’s next project is directing “Tom Foolery,” which was created by the cast through improvisation.

Costume designer As costume designer for this production, Elizabeth Coffin, a junior from Aiken, S.C., began working with director Robert Richmond in spring 2011 even before a cast was set.

“Robert had a clear direction and vision,” Coffin said. “He gave me visual cues from things like movies, words and photos to get started.

Then I was set free to interpret those into costumes.”

It was her first project with a budget. “It was liberating in the creative process. I was able to really design instead of having to create magic from nothing,” she said.

Coffin sees her role as a costume designer as an opportunity to be a storyteller.

“You have a starting point with the script. Then, along with the creative team, you decide what story you want to tell and how you want to tell it. You get to tell the individual stories of the characters,” she said.

Following “Romeo and Juliet,” Coffin’s next project was costume design for the main stage production of “Present Laughter” as well as assisting other undergraduates with their original work.

Mercutio Jeffrey Earl, a senior from Spartanburg, S.C., played Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet.”

“I think I had the best part because I got to have a lot of fun, get lots of laughs, and then be [finished] at intermission,” he said. “Plus, fighting is always really fun on stage.”

Earl was trained in stage combat at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va. “My favorite part of this production was getting to apply my knowledge of Shakespeare acting here at USC again,” he said. “Theatre is able to reach an audience in a way film is not. When I perform, I try to make a connection to every audience member that showed up that night.

I know when I’m an audience member, to see an actor look at me on an important line, funny or serious, then suddenly that becomes my line, and I am part of the action. I hope to create that moment for as many people as I can.”

Brittany Price Anderson

Upcoming projects for Earl include “The History of Queen Elizabeth I,” an original piece he wrote as the next Shakespeare history play for his senior honors thesis project. The piece is written in iambic pentameter verse form and follows an older English diction. After his thesis project, Earl will be playing Ross in “Macbeth,” directed by Robert Richmond in April on the Theatre SC mainstage.

Jeffrey Earl

Lauren Koch

Jane Hearn, a junior from Columbia, S.C., was the stage manager for “Romeo and Juliet.” Her main responsibilities were organizing and running rehearsals as well as calling all of the light and sound cues. Hearn says the entire experience had several challenges.

“It was challenging because we had a large cast, and that can be hard to manage,” Hearn said. “We were also on a crunched time frame, so a lot of hard work went into a small amount of time.”

Another challenge was the inclusion of a live band. “Luckily, the lead vocalist (Cayla Fralick, who played Rosaline) of Kemp Ridley was in the show, which meant she did the cues for them,” she said.

For Hearn, “Romeo and Juliet” was an inspiration for one of her hobbies: photography. She and the cast went to the catacombs of the Longstreet Theatre for a photo shoot.

“I wanted to capture the feel, spirit and essence of the production, so the catacombs seemed like the perfect place,” she said. “These photos show how theatre can be a stimulation for other forms of art.

They’re also a very different way for me to remember the show and my friends.”

Following “Romeo and Juliet,” Hearn will stage manage Richmond’s “Macbeth.”

Lady Capulet and fight choreographer Lauren Koch, a senior from Anderson, S.C., held dual roles in “Romeo and Juliet,” playing Lady Capulet and designing the fight choreography.

Because the production was a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s original work, Koch and other actors had to think of their characters in modern terms.

“Lady Capulet is quite a complex character,” she said. “In looking at her various relationships and attitudes, I realized we would call her a ‘trophy wife’ in today’s lingo. That realization helped me bring a modern twist to the character.”

When Koch wasn’t rehearsing her own scenes, she was choreographing the four major fight scenes.

Continued on page 6

feature | 5

Stage manager

feature | 6

Koch received a Magellan Scholar Award to go to a National Stage Combat conference, hosted by the Society of American Fight Directors, where she received training on knife, sword/shield and short sword choreography. This grant also led to her senior honors thesis project for which she taught a five-week course at Blythewood High School on fight choreography.

The experience with “Romeo and Juliet” is indicative of Koch’s experience as an honors theatre student: “I’ve been able to do anything that I’ve had any interest in doing. I’ve been able to experience acting, fight choreography and next I’m trying my hand at directing. All along, I’ve had people there to support me.”

Following “Romeo and Juliet,” Koch’s next project is directing “Broken Glass,” by Arthur Miller.

Assistant director Mary Tilden, a senior from Columbia, S.C., was the assistant director for “Romeo and Juliet,” helping director Robert Richmond in almost every aspect of the show. Rehearsals for the production began before Richmond returned to Columbia from working in Washington, D.C., so Tilden started working with the cast on the initial read-throughs, text rehearsals and character development.

Once Richmond returned, she helped actors with scene work on the side while he was able to work on the big picture of the production.

Tilden also acted as the script assistant.

“Since we were using an adaptation of the script, things weren’t always clear at first,” she said. “I went back to the original script to either bring parts back into the script or help the actors get a better sense of their characters, scenes and so forth.”

Working as the assistant director has prepared Tilden for her next project, directing “Twelfth Night,” which is also a piece of her senior honors thesis.

“I’ve been very interested in the question ‘What can theatre do for a community?,’ and my thesis is letting me explore that question,” Tilden said.

Tilden received a grant last summer to attend Cornerstone in California, which does community-based theatre work. The “Twelfth Night” production is a collaboration between Tilden and Students Associated for Latin America. The cast will be made up of theatre and non-theatre majors.

While “Romeo and Juliet” might have been an opportunity for the community to experience Shakespeare in a new way, it was also a chance for a group of talented undergraduates to share an experience with the audiences that can’t be duplicated in film. For these students, the reward of hard work, lack of sleep, memorizing lines, building sets, designing costumes and choreographing scenes was special.

As Jeffrey Earl put it, the return came when they saw “an audience member leave with a smile or in tears, to have people sit after a show and not be able to move because they are thinking about what it is they just saw and what it means and how it affected them — theatre is powerful.” * Note: Emily Gonzalez, a junior from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., who played the role of Apothecary, was in Spain during the spring 2012 semester and unavailable to be interviewed.

Emily Gonzalez

Building support

Two programs encourage Honors College students to engage in undergraduate research

Honors Pre-Med Community welcomes future physicians and medical researchers

By Susan Alexander, Director of Service Learning/Undergraduate Research

By Rebecca Shrader, Director of Pre-Medicine Advisement

In the South Carolina Honors College, students are encouraged to pursue research in all disciplines.

Since 1990, more than $1.2 million has been awarded to Honors College students through two undergraduate research programs: the Exploration Scholars Program and the Science Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program.

Exploration Scholars funds undergraduate research in arts, music, humanities, journalism or any other field dealing with more qualitative or exploratory scholarship methods. Students in business, law, public health, social work, education and other currently under-represented fields for undergraduate scholarship might also apply.

This program is intended in the spirit of Lewis and Clark, who made valuable contributions to the early understanding of western North America despite never fulfilling their original intended purpose of finding a water-based route to the western coast. Similarly, the program illuminates the value in students engaging in inquiry and gaining research skills and an understanding of the realities of scholarship in the field even if the process does not result in immediate discovery or the intended discovery.

Creative expression projects are also encouraged. Exploration Scholar projects might therefore take a number of forms depending on the academic discipline, and students and faculty are encouraged to consider high-risk but potentially high-payoff exploratory projects.

SURF funds undergraduate research in science, engineering, mathematics or related fields. The purpose of SURF is to encourage Honors College students to work with a mentor from the science, engineering or mathematics fields on a joint project in the mentor’s discipline area. The student should have active and substantial intellectual input to the direction and focus of the project. Ideally, the student’s contributions would be sufficient enough to warrant co-authorship on any resulting publications, and students frequently become co-authors on published work.

Examples of past student research projects include: • creating novel functional nanoparticles • integrating Japanese Manga into live action • promoting healthy diet and physical activity in underserved adolescents • politics of higher education • raw materials in Native American tools • bright light therapy as adjunct treatment for combat-related PTSD. For additional information on undergraduate research opportunities, contact Susan Alexander, director of service learning/undergraduate research, at susan@schc.sc.edu or 803-777-8005.

The Honors Pre-Med Community, started by honors alumnus Jon Aun in 2009, welcomes Honors College students who have an interest in practicing medicine, medical research, health policy and other medical fields.

The HPMC supports students in their career advancement through various educational opportunities, encourages involvement in the Carolina and Columbia communities through service events, and provides positive interaction among pre-med students through social events on and off campus.

The group meets twice a month, with an agenda that typically includes a guest speaker as well as several practice MCAT questions that students answer on their own and then discuss as a group.

Mary Kathryn Keane, an Honors College alumna and fourth-year medical student, was a guest speaker at an HPMC meeting in the fall. Being able to hear from a current medical student who is also an SCHC alumna was very inspiring for current students.

One of the most popular activities the HPMC participated in this year was a suture lab. Using pigs’ feet purchased from a butcher and suturing materials donated by local hospitals, HPMC students performed real suturing techniques on animal tissue.

The HPMC also publishes a newsletter for the campus community, written by HPMC members. It provides educational articles, as well as information on what has been happening in the HPMC. The university’s Office of Pre-Professional Advising also shares information in the newsletter.

Future events planned for the HPMC include a trip to the Body Worlds exhibit at the State Museum and a tour of the gross anatomy lab at the USC School of Medicine.

Are you an Honors College alumnus who is a current medical student or physician in the Columbia area and interested in speaking to the HPMC or mentoring a current Honors College student? Contact Rebecca Shrader at Rebecca@schc.sc.edu. Visit our Facebook page: Honors Pre-Med Community www.facebook.com/ groups/130565547442.

research | 7

Explore and SURF

A digital opportunity Honors College students assist with digitization project on Colonial-era documents

pinckney | 8

By Ashley Riser

I

n 2007, USC history professor Connie Schulz was recruited by Holly Shulman, editor of the Dolley Madison digital edition, to develop a similar edition focused on two Colonial-era South Carolinians: Eliza Lucas Pinckney and her daughter Harriett Pinckney Horry.

The project, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, is nearly complete. The papers, which include letters, diaries, receipt books and other records from Colonial South Carolina’s renowned mother and daughter will be accessible by early summer through the University of Virginia Press and Rotunda, its electronic imprint department and a leader in digital publication of scholarly work.

The Pinckney and Horry papers will join other collections related to the Founding Generation such as those of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Dolley Madison.

Some of these collections have been converted to a digital format, while others (such as the Pinckney project) are digitally born.

The project has inspired a relationship between Schulz and the South Carolina Honors College. To support the project, the SCHC has, through its own licenses, hosted the database “DocTracker,” which makes the entire project possible. This platform allows researchers to enter the data so that it can be published to Rotunda with little additional formatting by Rotunda staff. The structure of the database allows collections to be searchable and allows editors to include background information and data tags.

Student research assistants are also integral to the project.

“We have had wonderful success with having Honors College undergraduate students working on our project as paid research assistants,” Schulz said.

The students do a variety of tasks, from participating in verifications of texts to tandem reading, entering data, and researching and writing identifications for people, places and terms in the documents.

One of the student research assistants, Taylor Kirton, a junior biology/pre-med major from Columbia, S.C., was drawn to the project because of her love of history.

“If I weren’t a biology major, I would’ve definitely been a history major,” Kirton said. During her three semesters with the project, one of her main responsibilities was transcribing a receipt book — a collection of recipes, including some for various remedies. The project began looking like a history of medicine to Kirton.

“It was cool to see how far medicine has come, and at the same time, how much we’ve retained,” she said. Kirton sums up her experience as “the coolest research opportunity I could have been given. It allowed me to tie back to my major without being suffocated with biology.”

Kirton is now considering a senior thesis project that compares older remedies to current medicines.

While the project on the Pinckney women is drawing to a close, Schulz is hopeful a new project to edit the writings of the Revolutionary-era Pinckney statesmen will begin. She has applied for a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to help fund this project.

The Honors College plans to continue supporting Schulz and her work by offering more research assistants and technical sponsorship.

Top: letter is courtesy of the Library of Congress. All items below are courtesy of The Charleston Museum, Charleston, S.C. Bottom left: fragment of bed hanging, probably a valence of Eliza Lucas Pinckney. Bottom middle: blue satin shoes with silver trim, made in London circa 1770 and worn by Eliza Lucas Pinckney. Below right: silver teapot, London circa 1753, with the monogram “ELP.”

Internship program places students in key agency postings

T

he S.C. General Assembly convenes in early January each year, marking a new session of policy debate and budget negotiations.

It also marks a new year and class for the S.C. Semester Internship Program, sponsored by the Honors College. Fourteen selected students begin a semester-long internship working in state house committees, executive offices, state agencies and organizations closely tied to state government. These juniors and seniors are selected from an impressive applicant pool to participate in the internship program.

The S.C. Semester Internship Program is a six-credit-hour honors course that enables students to gain valuable experience while making important contacts for the future.

The Honors College Internship Office collaborates with the sponsoring offices to ensure that students are given relevant and meaningful work experience. In addition, students attend a weekly seminar class taught by Fred R. Sheheen, former commissioner and executive director of the S.C. Commission on Higher Education.

Created in 1991 and transferred to the Honors College in 2008, the S.C. Semester Internship Program has established itself as a source for excellent and dependable interns for state government, and, in turn, these offices provide a valuable experience to the students.

For years, students have interned with a variety of state committees and agencies.

These internships provide a wide range of benefits to students.

Cornelius Hair, Class of 2013 political science and pre-law major, described how his internship has impacted him: “Interning at the Childs & Halligan law firm has opened my eyes to a field of law that I was oblivious to: education law. I really have developed an interest for this field of law since I started working here, and I hope to specialize in it one day.”

The Honors College encourages students in all majors to apply.

Jason Setser, Class of 2013 finance and economics major, interns in

the S.C. treasurer’s office while Sneha Minisandram, Class of 2013 international studies major, interns in the International Office of the S.C. Department of Commerce. Three journalism majors intern in communications offices in different state agencies, helping with legislation tracking, press releases, social media and event planning.

The House Ways and Means Committee provides real-life experience in government budgeting and finance to an economics major.

In addition to helping students fine-tune their career interests, the S.C. Semester Internship Program has a strong record of students turning their internship into job offers after their internships end. In addition many students develop key contacts for future networking during their internship. During the spring 2011 semester, Colton Driver, Class of 2012 political science major, interned with the Senate Corrections and Penology Committee to gain experience for a career in law enforcement at the highest levels. His connections through the course landed Colton a full-time position with the S.C. Department of Corrections.

“Choosing to apply for the S.C. Semester Program was probably one of the best decisions I made during my undergraduate career,” said Carrie Bethea, Class of 2012. “The class portion of the program featured guest speakers who were interesting and engaging. The internship gave me valuable work experience and connections that will be beneficial when I graduate.

“Since completing the program, I have stayed in close contact with my supervisor at the Department of Agriculture. She gave me so many opportunities and has served as a valuable mentor in various aspects of my personal, academic and professional life.”

“ Choosing to apply for the S.C. Semester Program was probably one of the best decisions I made during my undergraduate career.”

Pictured above are four Honors College students enrolled in the South Carolina Semester Internship Program for spring 2012: (left to right) Danielle Vogel, interning in the office of Senator Phil Leventis; Cornelius Hair, interning in the law offices of Childs & Halligan; Ali Demoss Campbell, interning with the Senate Transportation Committee; and Harris Linch, interning in the legal office at the Department of Natural Resources.

internships | 9

By Beth Watson, Director of SCHC Internship Programs

Dr. Nicholas Vazsonyi, Honors College Professor, presenting lecture on “The Global Marketing of Wagner” to students at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, and Honors College students (onscreen). 

Honors world wide

feat ure | 10

by Kaitlyn Myers, Class of 2014, and Gerry Koons, Class of 2015

E

ach week, our 8 a.m. class, Wagner World Wide: Music, Media, Marketing, would start like most others. One by one, we would amble into class, chatting about the upcoming football game, our other classes, Honors College gossip — the usual subjects.

Suddenly, we would be interrupted by a voice in a charming German accent chirping, “Good morning, Columbia.” As we looked up, we would see a video projection of a classroom at the University of Bayreuth in Germany.

Anno Mungen, our host German professor, would introduce us to that week’s lecturer, and our class would begin, both halfway around the world and right here in South Carolina.

This fascinating course focused on Richard Wagner (pronounced “Vahg-ner”), the 19th-century German composer famous for his groundbreaking works and controversial ideas.

Our enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher, Nicholas Vazsonyi, professor of German and comparative literature, created this class as part of Wagner World Wide, an international effort among scholars to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of Wagner’s birth.

Students from all disciplines — from music and German to business and engineering — flocked to this course. Taught in English, the class read about, discussed and participated in international videoconferencing sessions examining the legacy of the influential composer.

For the first half of the semester, our class was introduced to Wagner and his well-known works, including the “Bridal Chorus” (otherwise known as the tune to “Here Comes the Bride”) and “The Ride of the Valkyries.” We studied Wagner’s biography and his musical philosophy, as well as the text of his famous

operatic cycle “Der Ring des Nibelungen.”

One of the world’s leading experts on Wagner (he is literally “writing the book”/encyclopedia on the subject), Dr. Vazsonyi fostered engaging discussions with our small class, challenging us with Monday morning analyses of historical connections and Wagnerian themes like “what defines true love.” These discussions were a favorite part of the course for both students and Dr. Vazsonyi, who said that “nothing makes me happier than to see students involved in the topic to the extent that they even start to disagree with each other. For me, that is the indication that what we are doing actually matters, and has made some kind of mark in our consciousness.”

Our class certainly enjoyed challenging each other with opinions yielded from our varying perspectives. Sometimes, the room would fall silent as we thoughtfully analyzed what had just been said.

The second half of the semester consisted of teleconferencing lectures and student presentations. Each teleconferencing session included a 45-minute English-language lecture given for an actual course at the University of Bayreuth, followed by a question-and-answer session among students and professors in both Germany and Columbia, S.C. The lectures explored Wagner’s legacy with regard to one of five topics: environment and nature, gender and sexuality, media and film, history and nationalism, and globalization and markets.

Beyond the exciting content, the format of this portion of the course presented the Honors College students with an intriguing view of an international academic setting. We witnessed other approaches to lecturing and

learned about different university course structures abroad. Most memorably, we were able to ask questions and offer commentary to contribute to the intellectual exploration occurring a continent away.

Our class particularly enjoyed watching our professor speak across the ocean for his own lecture on Wagner’s distinctive strategy of self-promotion. Along with this exciting use of teleconferencing technology, the class also took advantage of social media like YouTube, to which the lecture videos were posted, and a Wagner World Wide Facebook page, on which students were encouraged to comment. How would you “like” to use your favorite sites for a class?

The course provided a memorable experience to this group of Honors College students who were able to study abroad from our own campus. We were thrilled to be part of a global experiment in communication technology and education regarding an influential figure in cultural history. The opportunity was well worth taking, even at 8 a.m.

Gerry Koons is a sophomore from Wayne, Pa., pursuing a major in biomedical engineering and a minor in German. Currently, she is conducting research on skeletal muscle tissue engineering for use in craniofacial surgery at USC’s School of Medicine. Koons will be studying abroad this summer in southern Germany via a chemical engineering department course on sustainability.

Kaitlyn Myers is a freshman from Charlotte, N.C. She is a music education major with a horn performance certification.

Dr. Linda B. Salane is the executive director of the Leadership Institute and special assistant to the president at Columbia College.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and is a 1969 Honors Program alumna of the University of South Carolina, from which she also earned a master’s degree in student personnel services and a doctorate in higher education administration with a concentration Chappell Wilson and Dr. Linda B. Salane in business.

Salane teaches leadership studies, business and liberal arts. A frequent presenter at national conferences and consultant to business and nonprofit groups on leadership, strategic planning and assessment, Salane is a community activist who sits on the boards of the Cooperative Ministry, Junior Achievement, the Palmetto Women’s Center, Women in Philanthropy, the South Carolina Chamber Diversity Committee, the South Carolina Action Council and COR. She was selected as one of the 10 most influential women in the Midlands by Business Monthly magazine in 2010.

The Honors College recently asked Salane about her experiences at USC and the Honors Program, the predecessor of today’s Honors College.

Q: Why did you choose to come to Carolina and participate in the Honors Program?

A: Divine intervention brought me to Carolina. I intended to go to college out of state but decided to look around to see what other options were also available. I grew up in Rock Hill, S.C., and was ready to try my wings.

When I visited USC, I fell in love. Carolina had the intellectual energy, creativity and diversity I wanted. And it had the personal attention and individual challenge I needed. One of the first people I met on campus was the Presbyterian chaplain. I was not Presbyterian, and he had no reason to take time to talk. But he did, and he got me involved from day one. Carolina is one of those special environments where you are seen and valued and encouraged to be the best you can be.

Q: What is your favorite memory of being a student at USC and the honors program?

A: There are so many memories. I was a student at USC in the late ’60s — a fabulous time! I remember the sociology building burning the night Martin Luther King was killed and the subsequent student-initiated

Q: What faculty or staff member made the biggest impact on you during your time in the honors program?

A: Dr. Thomas Jones and Dr. Charles Witten were enormously influential in my life. Dr. Jones was the president of the university; Dr. Witten was the dean of students. The university was embroiled in the chaos of the 1960s, and these two men provided creative, pragmatic leadership during interesting days. My husband, Thom, was president of the student body.

I was president of the women’s government. We worked closely with the administration to keep the university and the student body focused on student learning. I learned from observing them how to be calm in the face of anger, hopeful in the face of fear and collaborative in the face of competing ideas and ideals.

Q: How did the honors program prepare you for the work you do today?

A: Carolina prepared me with life skills that I use every day. The obvious ones are the ability to reason, research, write and advocate for my ideas.

The less obvious ones are most endearing. I learned that I could make a difference. I learned that I could make a bigger difference if I collaborated with others than if I worked alone. I learned that community challenges are complex and rarely have simple answers. I learned that doing one thing to improve the community is better than doing nothing. I learned that being a lifelong learner is fun and important. I learned to be me.

Q: What do you like most about being a Gamecock?

A: It is so much fun! But to me, being a Gamecock is more than cheering winning teams and garnet and black. Being a Gamecock means being proud of your college and the amazing work it is doing in so many areas — from international business to public policy, from law to medicine, from engineering to liberal arts. USC is a national and international leader!

Being a Gamecock means being humbled by the challenges we face while being empowered to go forth and live a life of meaning.

Q: If you could share any advice/pearls of wisdom with current students looking to go into your field, what would they be?

A: No matter what you want to do, just start. Begin now. Leadership is about doing. The more experience you have, the better leader and developer of leaders you will be. Find collaborative partners. No one works alone.

People want to help you succeed. You just have to ask.

| 11

2011 Distinguished Honors Alumni Award Winner

distinguished alumni

Spotlight on Linda B. Salane

foundation to address diversity and civility. I remember the restrictive rules for women and the student-led initiatives to change them. I remember protests against the war in Vietnam. I remember classrooms filled with discussion about the state of the world that leaked into the night as we tried to understand how we could make a difference.

But my favorite memory is of Professor John Scott Wilson, who, when I asked a really uninformed question after class, did not laugh and did not tell me the answer. He handed me a book and challenged me to read it — and to come back to talk when we could talk as equals. He gave me the gift of respect for my ability to research, reason and debate, and he gave me the opportunity to learn on my own. I did read the book, and we did have a discussion. What I learned from him was far greater than the information in the text; I learned to value my own abilities, to take initiative and to stand my ground based on facts rather than feelings.

d o n o r s | 12

Honor Roll of Donors Delivering on the Promise: Capital Campaign Builds a Stronger Carolina Investing in the promise of this great university and securing Carolina’s future success form the core goals of Carolina’s Promise, the University of South Carolina’s ambitious $1 billion capital campaign. Here at the South Carolina Honors College, our promise to our students is to offer increased financial support for learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom, thereby preparing them for their futures through individually tailored educational experiences. Our promise to alumni, parents and our communities far and near is that we will educate our students today in traditional and unique ways to prepare them to be the leaders of tomorrow. To accomplish this, the South Carolina Honors College seeks to raise $18 million during the Carolina’s Promise campaign.

Thanks to the 361 donors listed here, as well as donors who have contributed over the last four years, we are more than halfway to our goal! It is your belief in the promise of Carolina that will make this campaign successful. If you are not listed here, we invite you to become a champion for Carolina. Invest in the promise of this great university, and challenge others to do the same. Together, we will secure Carolina’s future.

$1,801+ Ms. Susan Carson Bryan and Mr. Frank W. Adams Mr. and Mrs. J. Richard Ball Dr. Christopher T. Bardi Mr. Edward J. Dinkins Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Fishman The Rev. James C. Howell Dr. Annette W. Lynn and Dr. Steven W. Lynn Ms. Julia C. Royall Dr. Janice Love and Dr. Peter C. Sederberg Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Simmons Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Smith LTG and Mrs. William P. Tangney

$1,000-$1,800 Dr. Brenda Leigh Boultwood Constellation Energy Group Foundation Inc.

Dr. and Mrs. Francis J. Dannerbeck The Duke Energy Foundation Dr. Theresa Knoepp and Dr. Louis Knoepp Mr. Aaron W. Knowlton Mr. William K. Langfan LM Associates, LLC Mrs. Lauren McGinley Dr. and Mrs. William M. Rambo Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Ben A. Rast Dr. T. Daniel Silvester Dr. and Mrs. Eugene Steadman Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Jerre D. Sumter Mr. Robert K. Taylor III

$500-$999 Ms. A. Lorraine Aun and Dr. Pierre H. Barakat Mr. and Mrs. Martin Andrew Barth Dr. Gretchen Van Der Veer and Mr. J. Steven Beckham Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Scott Bingham Mr. and Mrs. Dennis W. Bowen Mr. and Mrs. John H. Brunelli Dr. Edward H. Charles Clearwater Paper Corporation Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett L. Davis III EADS North America ACA PAC Edens & Avant Mr. and Mrs. John T. Foust Ms. Sarah Gluek and Mr. Gregory R. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Aaron L. Hark Ms. Catherine E. Heigel Dr. and Mrs. James C. Karegeannes Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Kingsmore Ms. Amelia Joan Gross and Dr. Theodore W. Law IV Mrs. Deanna Leamon and Dr. Davis W. Baird Mr. and Mrs. Steve A. Matthews Mr. Mark S. Miklos Mr. and Mrs. R. Scott Moore Mr. and Mrs. D. Gregory Norris Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Pulte Ms. Lois Q. Semmens Ms. M. Alicia Sikes Mr. and Mrs. Will Watson Mr. and Mrs. David L. West Mrs. Cynthia B. Wheaton Mr. R. James Wheaton Mr. David Wood

$250-$499 Mr. and Mrs. Mazen M. Abboushi Ms. Katherine Obrien Ballard Mr. G. James Burns Mr. James R. Clark Mrs. Pamela W. Cobb Mr. and Mrs. Joel W. Collins Jr. Dr. and Mrs. G. Britt Cooper Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Dumiak Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Albert G. Fedalei Dr. Hal W. French Ms. Julye Matthews Johns Dr. and Mrs. Joel M. Johnson III Mr. Wade S. Kolb III Mr. and Mrs. John C. McElwaine Midlands Wine Society Ms. Karen Petit Mr. and Mrs. Walter D. Sagrera Mr. and Mrs. William D. Searles Mr. R. Bruce Shaw Mr. and Mrs. Larry A. Slovensky Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Slovensky Dr. and Mrs. A. Emerson Smith Jr. Mrs. Lynn E. Pruitt-Timko and Mr. Joseph M. Timko Mr. and Mrs. Christopher J. Vlahoplus Jr. Mr. Scott A. West Mr. and Mrs. Jason Emery Westmeyer

$100-$249 Dr. Susan G. Alexander Mrs. Argiri Aggelopoulou and Dr. Michael D. Amiridis Mr. and Mrs. Eldon A. Bailey Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Bandy

Dr. and Dr. John B. Barber Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Barnett Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Ted Bax Mr. and Mrs. James R. Beam Mrs. Kimberly D.C. Benjamin Mr. and Mrs. Andrew V. Bowden Jr. Mrs. Jean A. Capalbo Dr. Emily S. Carlisle and Mr. Eric T. Carlisle Mr. and Mrs. Darryl W. Carpenter Mr. and Mrs. Patrick W. Carr Mr. F. James Claire Mr. and Mrs. David M. Cohn Mr. and Mrs. T. Charles Conrad III Consol Energy Incorporated Mr. and Mrs. Derek Lee Copeland Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Crain Dr. Sarah Crosby Creel Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Cuenin Ms. Yvonne S. Damele Mr. James M. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Bruce R. DeBruin Deloitte & Touche Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Denman Ms. Mary Kirk Deshazer Mr. and Mrs. Terry Leon Dickinson Mrs. Heather Ducat Ms. Michele L. Dunphy Mr. Benjamin Edwards Dr. and Mrs. John R. Fawcett Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Flamholtz Mr. and Mrs. Scott Douglas Garrott Mr. and Mrs. Mark D. Glenn Ms. Mariah K. Goode Mr. and Mrs. Terry M. Goode Mr. and Mrs. William W. Goolsby Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Graybill Mr. and Mrs. John D. Groves Mr. Thomas P. Guilderson Dr. and Mrs. Richard D. Hardin Dr. and Mrs. C. Tayloe Harding Jr. Ms. Susan M. Harrington Mr. and Mrs. J. Martin Harvey Jr. Ms. Debra Hawhee Ms. Jennifer J. Heinemann Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Helman Dr. and Mrs. Steven C. Hendrickson Dr. Jennifer Hess Hewitt Associates Ms. Susan L. Hitchcock and Mr. James Garner Mr. and Mrs. David E. Hodge Mr. and Mrs. Kaz Holley The Honorable William C. Hubbard and Mrs. Hubbard Colonel and Mrs. D. Mark Husband Ms. Suzanne A. Hyman IBM Corporation Matching Grants Program

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Inabnit Invest in Others Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Louis V. Isganitis Dr. and Mrs. James P. Jamison Ms. Julia E. Hunt and Mr. Matthew W. Jochim The Rev. Norman E. Jones Jr. Mr. and Mrs. G.L. Kalinauskas Mr. and Mrs. J. Edward Kellett Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Tim Kibbey Mr. and Mrs. Marion A. Knox Jr. Dr. Maribeth B. Kowalski and Mr. Paul R. Kowalski Mr. Scott Landry Mr. and Mrs. John F. Lanham Mrs. Carrie Lanier Dr. Amy Y. Lawton and Dr. Boyce M. Lawton III Mrs. Janis K. Leaphart Dr. and Mrs. Richard M. Learner Ms. Deborah J. Lindsey and Mr. James M. Riley III Dr. and Mrs. William H. Marsh Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Mayer Mr. and Mrs. David C. McCaleb Ms. Elizabeth Stran McCurley Ms. Cynthia C. McDowell Ms. Kathy J. McKinless Mr. and Mrs. Howard Pierce McNair Jr. Microsoft Corporation Mr. Marty R. Millender Mr. and Mrs. William C. Miller Mr. and Mrs. William Andrew Minton Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Vincent P. Mooney Mr. and Mrs. Eric C. Mostoller Dr. William A. Mould Dr. Joseph C. Muller Dr. Edward C. Munn and Ms. Susan M. Carstensen Dr. Bryce Allen Nelson Dr. and Mrs. Herbert B. Niestat Mrs. Tanja Ostapoff Dr. Maja Osterman Ms. Beverly A. Pascoe Mr. Daniel Stephen Peach Pfizer Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Frederick B. Piellusch Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Pietras Ms. Diane E. Pizzano Mr. Christian A. Price Ms. Mary Lucille Reep and Mr. Andrew C. Foster Ms. Judy M. Rehberg Ms. Donna Reiss and Mr. Arthur P. Young Ms. Laura D. Robbins Ms. Virginia H. Rogers Mr. and Mrs. Michael Schmelzer Mr. John L. Selzer

High Five!

The South Carolina Honors College is pleased to announce that for five years in a row, 100 percent of our staff has given back to the university through the Family Fund pledge drive. Now that’s dedication!

Under $100 Mr. and Mrs. Brian U. Adler Ms. Allison Albert Ms. Victoria A. Alvarez Mr. Christopher K. Anderson Mr. John A. Atkins Ms. Sandra Ayoub Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Baker Mr. and Mrs. Alan Bartelt Mr. Joseph C. Bearden Mrs. Stephanie K. Bell Mr. Kyle Lamar Bishop Ms. Anne H. Blessing Boswell Law Firm LLC Ms. Debra J. Boulware Mr. and Mrs. Harry R. Brown Mrs. Lucia N. Burchell Mr. Bradley Wellington Butler II Mr. Kevin M. Cannon Ms. Susan C. Cate Mr. and Mrs. Daniel G. Clair Mr. Gregory L. Cole Jr. Mr. Joseph S. Cope Mr. and Mrs. Glenn M. Cornwell Mr. and Mrs. William Swaffield Cowan Dr. and Mrs. Gerard M. Crawley Mr. and Mrs. David S. Crum

Mr. Michael George Davis Ms. Maria F. De Chellis Dr. Caroline and Mr. Jeffrey DiBattisto Mr. Thomas Tierney Dodds, PE Mrs. Amanda Doyle Ms. Meredith E. Dukes Ms. Tomeaka L. Fladger Ms. Elizabeth Ann Fortnum Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Mr. Andrew M. Frassetto Mr. and Mrs. William Guy Galardi Ms. Erin A. Galloway The Rev. Terrell L. Glenn Jr. and Mrs. Glenn Ms. Frances F. Goldman Mr. Joseph A. Golson Mr. Michael T. Goode Mr. and Mrs. John N. Gould Ms. Maria S. Gray Dr. and Mrs. Mark W. Griffith Ms. Stephanie Nicole Gross Dr. Jean P. Hall Mrs. Juanita Carter Hawfield Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Hayes Mr. and Mrs. Kent L. Hayes Mr. and Mrs. Alex G. Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Lake Erie High Jr. Ms. Laura Frances Hood Dr. Carolyn B. Hudson Mr. and Mrs. George Hutton Dr. and Mrs. David Isenhower Mrs. Catherine Johnson Mr. and Mrs. William V. Johnson Dr. and Mrs. Edwin R. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Roger D. Kangas Mrs. Kathryn Fee Keenan Dr. Anital Kheptal and Mr. Vijay K. Ahuja Mr. and Mrs. Samuel P. Lamback Ms. Jennifer Kristin Lambert Dr. and Mrs. Michael J. Leonard Mr. Thomas Ashley Limehouse Jr. Mrs. Xiaoyan Lin Mr. Craig C. Link Mr. and Mrs. Jason Wendell Lockhart Dr. Arlene Ruth Marturano Mr. Bradley Russell Maxwell Ms. Ashley E. McGraw Ms. Bethany J. McKinney Ms. Deanna McLendon Dr. Evan M. Meadors Mr. Gerald M. Meggs Ms. Andrea A. Merisotis Dr. Caroline Metosh-Dickey Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Curtis Miller Mr. and Mrs. W. Eugene Mills Jr. Ms. Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer Mr. and Mrs. Chip Morgan Mrs. Lucille P. Mould Mr. and Mrs. Kurt J. Neubauer Ms. Lucy A. Nolan Mr. Patrick Donald Noonan

Mr. William S. Norton Dr. Elizabeth W. Oakman and Dr. Robert L. Oakman Dr. and Mrs. Michael Scott Opsahl Mr. Charles J. Palmer Dr. Maria M. Pena and Dr. Edsel A. Pena Mr. Patrick Eugene Pope Mr. and Mrs. Philip T. Powell, Ph.D. Ms. Joan D. Powers Mr. and Mrs. Harry Pratt Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Kyle E. Rambo Ms. Kathleen L. Raschiotto and Mr. J. Randall Hall Ms. Katherine Elizabeth Rawson Dr. and Mrs. R. Neal Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Rinehart Mr. Kristian B. Ring Mrs. Ashley B. Riser Ms. LaRon Roach Dr. and Mrs. James W. Roberts Ms. Sarah E. Ross Mr. and Mrs. Todd Rubenstein Ms. Sonam A. Shah Mr. and Mrs. K. Trent Shealy Dr. and Mrs. Edward Shmunes Mr. and Mrs. Eric J. Shrader Ms. Janice Shuster Ms. Lisabeth D. Sisk Ms. Tracy L. Skipper Mr. and Mrs. Phillip H. Smith Ms. Pamela S. Solarek Dr. Randall W. Stowe Mr. and Mrs. Ronald K. Stuckey Sunshine Fund Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Harold Sword Mr. and Mrs. Siegfried E. Tanner Mr. John G. Taylor Ms. Harriet Celeste Toole Mr. Oleg Uvarov Mr. Richard A. Verkler Dr. Mary Catherine Watzin Mr. Travis Lee Weatherford Dr. Rita A. Weeks DVM and Dr. Earl Mader Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Alan Wessinger Ms. Grace J. Wigal Mr. Bradley Charles Williams Mr. and Mrs. Ben Martin Wilson III Ms. Doris Sumner Wilson Mr. and Mrs. John R. Wilson Mr. William Judson Wolfskill Ms. Kathy L. Woodard Xerox Foundation Mr. Justin Glenn Young

Care has been taken in the preparation of this report to ensure complete and accurate reporting. However, if omissions or errors have occurred, we express our sincere regret and request that you bring such errors to our attention.

A special thank you goes out to the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation for their substantial support of the McNair Scholars scholarship program.

The Honors College would also like to thank the following donors who supported our students in 2011 with gifts to the Carolina Scholar scholarship program. $10,000+ Estate of William B. Douglas Dr. Anita S. Hood and Dr. Charles G. Hood TD Bank, N.A. Mrs. John L.M. Tobias The Honorable Mack I. Whittle Jr. and Mrs. Whittle

$1000-$9,999 Mr. and Mrs. Gayle O. Averyt Mr. and Mrs. Duncan F. Breckenridge Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas N. Fortson Jr. Mr. Robert H. Hill McEntire Produce Inc. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Global Impact Inc. The Mt. Brilliant Family Foundation University Associates Mr. and Mrs. Chris Vlahoplus Mr. and Mrs. Christopher J. Vlahoplus Jr.

$100-$999 Abacus Planning Group Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Michael Antonelli Mr. and Mrs. H. James Baum Mr. and Mrs. James S. Beskid Mr. and Mrs. William B. Bradley Mr. and Mrs. James Bradley Jr. The Honorable Mark W. Buyck Jr. and Mrs. Buyck Mr. Pin Heng Chen Ms. Helen J. Childers Dr. John J. Duffy The Honorable C. Edward Floyd and Mrs. Floyd Fund for America’s Future Ms. Sally L. Gilchrist and Mr. Randall A. Ban The Honorable Paul S. Goldsmith and Mrs. Goldsmith Mr. and Mrs. John D. Gregory Mr. and Mrs. James S. Guignard Mrs. Erin C. Gwin-Leverton Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Hall Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Hall Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Hatfield Mr. and Mrs. J. Cantey Heath Jr. KeenanSuggs Insurance Mr. Andrew N. King

Mr. Gray King Ms. Kathleen K. Lightsey Ms. Judith L. McInnis Mr. and Mrs. William A. McInnis Mr. and Mrs. Page Morris Dr. and Mrs. H. Victor Murdaugh Jr. Dr. and Mrs. John M. Palms Mr. and Mrs. John Plyler Ms. Dorothy A. Poston Richardson, Plowden & Robinson, P.A. Ms. Reta Richardson Richland County Bar Association Dr. and Mrs. Martin S. Roth Mr. Evan L. Smoak Mr. and Mrs. Scott W. Smoak Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Williams Jr.

Under $100 Mr. and Mrs. Joel S. Atkinson The Honorable Sol Blatt Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Gregory G. Burke Mr. and Mrs. Wilburn W. Campbell Mrs. Alien B. Cook Mr. and Mrs. Carl A. Ellsworth Mr. and Mrs. Dean C. Fowler Jr. Dr. Norah T. Grimball Ms. Rebecca Laffitte Ms. Dianne Lewis and Mr. Arthur J. Williams Dr. and Mrs. Fordyce H. Mason III Mr. and Mrs. Thomas N. McLean Mrs. Lucille P. Mould Mr. and Mrs. James B. Murphy Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Kevin L. Patten Mrs. Tess Pratt Mr. and Mrs. William Gordon Reburn Mr. and Mrs. Edward M. Ringley SCACEE Mr. Floyd R. Schmult Ms. Susan R. Schmult Mr. and Mrs. James P. Schneider Dr. and Mrs. March E. Seabrook Dr. and Mrs. Edward Shmunes Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Stepp Mr. and Mrs. Ken P. Trogdon Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Robert Edward Turner III The John A. and Betty G. Warren Foundation Ms. Jean L. Weingarth

If you would like to support the Carolina’s Promise campaign for the South Carolina Honors College, contact Chappell Wilson at 803-777-7511 or cswilson@sc.edu.

d o n o r s | 13

Mr. Jay R. Shaffer Dr. Harry F. Sharp III Mr. Naren S. Shenoy Mr. and Mrs. Reid T. Sherard Ms. Kathryn C. Shumpert Dr. and Mrs. John Mark Sibley-Jones Dr. Shelley A. Smith and Dr. George L. Geckle Mr. and Mrs. Philip Ronald Snipes Mr. and Mrs. Fritz M. Stefan Dr. and Mrs. Theodore R. Steinke Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Steinmetz Prof. and Mrs. James L. Stiver Dr. Livingston D. Sutro and Ms. Janet M. Breen Mr. and Mrs. Ernest T. Thompson III Mr. and Mrs. Allen Mitchell Tibshrany Mr. and Mrs. Thad Timmons Ms. Christy A. Tinnes Ms. Laura J. Townes Dr. and Mrs. William H. Turnley Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Chris Vlahoplus Major John W. Welker Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program The Honorable Thadeous H. Westbrook III and Mrs. Westbrook Mr. and Mrs. John Patrick Williams Mr. Joshua R. Williams Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Williams Jr. Mr. Andrew Beard Wright Mrs. Mary K. Zanin

c l a s s n ote s | 14

Class notes

70s

19

Elizabeth McLendon (’74) has begun working for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, as the South Carolina advocacy liaison. She will advocate for HIV/AIDS on the local, state and national levels.

Carl Strange (’79 and ’85 M.Ed.) has been named design editor for the Journal of the Oughtred Society, which publishes research and analysis about historical computing devices. Strange edited The Crucible at USC in 1979 and has been teaching Latin for 32 years. He edited the American Classical League Newsletter, published for Latin teachers in Canada and the United States, from 1989 to 2003.

19

80s

Barry Sheppard (’83) is a principal investigator for the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program, looking at low-dose CT scans as a screening tool for lung cancer. The research has been validated by the findings of the National Lung Screening Trial in a reduction of at least 20 percent in lung cancer deaths.

Sherri Nist (’86) was inspired by the Gamecock win at the Capital One Bowl and finally fired herself from her desk job. She spends her days juggling two ventures: eMedia Connections and Brosius Golf Occasions. Now she gets to play golf and connect with people without calling in sick! On the home front, she is unabashedly selling USC and the Honors College to her oldest daughter, who is a sophomore in high school at St. Margaret’s in Tappahannock, Va. They visited USC dur-

ing Thanksgiving week for the full indoctrination; her daughter does not speak of Yale much these days!

90s

19

Sam C. Moses (’94, ’98 law, ’98 I.M.B.A.) has been elected a partner of Parker Poe Adams and Bernstein. He is an attorney in the firm’s Columbia office, representing U.S. and foreign corporations on a variety of business transactions and corporate and commercial matters. Prior to joining Parker Poe, Moses served for more than three years as managing director of a U.S. state’s European Office in Munich, Germany, assisting European investors seeking to establish operations in North America. He also previously managed a U.S. state’s export development program for Europe, Africa and the Middle East and advised hundreds of companies on international trade issues.

Amy Sikes (’91) will begin course work this summer toward the doctor of education degree in education policy, planning and leadership in higher education at the College of William & Mary’s School of Education.

Erin Galloway (’96) has joined Palmetto Place Children’s Emergency Shelter as executive director. Palmetto Place is a temporary, safe and caring haven for abused, abandoned and neglected children in the Midlands.

Galloway has more than 13 years of experience in nonprofit management, communications and marketing. She came to Palmetto Place from the March of Dimes, where she was executive director for the Midlands Division. She also spent five years at the National Association for Cam-

pus Activities as the director of marketing and communications. Prior to that, she was the state communications director for the March of Dimes in South Carolina. She is a 1996 graduate of USC’s Honors College. “It’s amazing to see all the good that can be done to help children who’ve come from homes of abuse and neglect. Palmetto Place is providing such a loving, caring environment for children in our community,” Galloway said.

“These aren’t other people’s children; these are our children.” Since the shelter opened in 1977, more than 6,700 at-risk children from newborn to age 17 have been cared for.

Mary Lynch Wagnon (’96) was recently named a member of the ninth-annual class of 20 under 40 honorees by The State newspaper, which honors young professionals making a difference in the Columbia area.

Wagnon is an actuary at Colonial Life.

Cameron Blazer (’97) was named a Liberty Fellow. The mission of the Liberty Fellowship is to be an incubator for exemplary leadership to make South Carolina a better place. Blazer is an assistant federal public defender, District of South Carolina; owner, Cottage Industrialist; and adjunct professor, Charleston School of Law.

Robert Gioielli (’99) is an assistant professor of history at University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Cincinnati in 2008. In 2010-11, he was a Carson Fellow at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he was completing his manuscript on urban environmental activism.

00s

20

Wade Kolb (’00) has joined Wyche of Greenville, S.C., as a litigation associate, concentrating his practice in the area of general litigation, including commercial disputes and appellate work. Before joining Wyche, Wade was a law clerk to the Honorable Ed Carnes, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and an English and religion teacher at Wilson Hall School.

Alan Marshall (’01) has been elected a shareholder in the firm of Dority & Manning. Alan’s practice involves managing global patent portfolios for clients across diverse areas of technology, particularly in the areas of chemical, biochemical, electrochemical and mechanical arts. He is a graduate of USC, where he received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry with honors from the Honors College. Alan received a law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Ashley (Melton) Festa (’02) earned a master’s degree in English from Our Lady of the Lake University in December. She also accepted a new job in marketing communications at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

She is the multimedia editor in the university’s marketing department.

Ashley is preparing to celebrate the two-year anniversary of starting her freelance writing and editing business.

She writes articles for numerous popular publications and develops website copy and marketing materials for clients. Find her online at www. ashleyfesta.com.

Pass us a note ... a class note!

Please send us your professional or personal news! We love to hear about you, and we want to share your successes and photographs!

There are three ways to submit a class note or photo for publication in AHA!: • online, by visiting http://schc.sc.edu/alumni • by email, sent to alumni@schc.sc.edu • by mail,* using the enclosed pre-addressed envelope.

We look forward to hearing from you! *If you mail us a photo, we will mail it back to you after publication.

Jonathon Smith (USC ’03) celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary on Jan. 4, 2012. They also welcomed their fourth child, Emmeline Claire, on Jan. 19, 2011. Angela feels blessed to be able to be at home with her children.

Ben Rex (’03) was named in the The State newspaper’s ninth-annual class of 20 under 40, a list of young leaders making an impact on the Midlands of South Carolina. Ben is the president of Cyberwoven.

Steven Phillip Lownes (’05) married Adrienne Elizabeth Smith on Aug. 14, 2011, in Sonoma, Calif. He is currently in graduate school at The Ohio State University pursuing a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese and an M.A. in public policy. The couple currently resides in Columbus, Ohio.

Laura LaBoone (’06) completed her internal medicine residency and has been completing a year as chief resident at Wake Forest before starting an endocrinology fellowship at the University of Kentucky next fall.

David Austin Bersinger (’07) and Amanda Kay Seals (’08) were married in September 2011.

Meredith Cone Kendrick (’07) was married to William Robert Kendrick, a 2007 USC engineering graduate, in Spartanburg, S.C., on April 16, 2011. Meredith is a corporate underwriter for Bank of America/Merril Lynch in Charlotte, N.C.

From the director of alumni relations This has been an academic year rich with alumni events!

In late August we welcomed Dean Lynn at a reception in Columbia.

In November, we had our 16th Annual Homecoming Champagne Brunch.

In March, we hosted a Meet the Dean Reception event for Greenville-area alumni and admitted students.

In April, we hosted three separate events, including an SCHC Night at the Theatre event in Columbia on April 14. Alumni mingled at an hors d’oeuvres reception in the Gressette Room before walking across the street to Drayton Hall to see the USC Department of Theatre and Dance’s opening night production of “Macbeth”!

We co-hosted two events with the other colleges on campus who have deans in their inaugural year: social work and education. The first we held with just social work in Charlotte, N.C., on April 26 at Upstream Restaurant.

The second we held with all three schools in Charleston, S.C., on April 30. April was a busy month, indeed!

Looking to the future, please plan on joining us for a picnic on May 12 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the lawn of the Honors Residence in conjunction with the Alumni Association’s May Carolina Weekend! I have had a great time planning this family-friendly event for the last several months. We’ll have lawn games, cookout-style food and other activities for alumni and friends as well as their families. For more information or to RSVP, visit http:// schc.sc.edu/alumni.aspx and click on “May Carolina.”

Save the date for Homecoming 2012! Our annual Champagne Brunch will be held Nov. 10, 2012! More information will be sent closer to the actual event.

We have started working on our plans for social media. Like us on Facebook (“South Carolina Honors College”) and follow us on Twitter (@SCHonors)! I encourage you to tweet pictures, comment on threads and, most of all, find a community of current students and alumni to engage with!

I want to thank our class captains for serving as my advisors throughout this second academic year of my tenure as director of alumni relations. Your feedback, assistance and support for your college are, as always, invaluable to me!

We certainly have had many opportunities to meet with you socially this year, but we also want to connect with you in other ways! We’re always looking for alumni to help us host alumni events, serve as class captains, provide internships and generally keep us up to date on your goings-on! Please stay in touch!

All the best,

Doreen Rinehart

Terrill Wilkins (’08) is finishing his second year of law school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He will be working as a summer associate at the Schiff Hardin Law Firm in Chicago, Ill.

G. Lee Cole Jr. (’09) graduated from USC’s School of Law in May 2011. He is currently completing his master’s degree in ministry at Anderson University and is a candidate for ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church.

Hannah Peace (’09) was a research assistant for Honors College faculty member Stanley Dubinsky and coauthor Christopher Holcombe’s recent book, “Understanding Language Through Humor,” released late last fall by Cambridge Press.

In memoriam: Dr. Kenneth Trogdon Kenneth Trogdon, who served the South Carolina Honors College from 1993 to 1999, died in December 2011 after a brief battle with cancer. Before teaching for the Honors College, he worked for the S.C. Department of Mental Health and in private practice as a psychologist.

Trogdon taught Native American Spirituality eight times during the six years he worked for the Honors College. The course focused on a comparison of the tribal histories of the Hopi, Cherokee, Apache and Lakota nations; the prayer forms of each tribe; and the impact of the teachings of Protestant missionaries on their ancient ceremonies. Classes were often held at Trogdon’s farm in Blythewood, S.C. “I do remember him fondly,” said former Honors College dean Peter Sederberg. “He touched the lives of his students in this seminar, whose centerpiece involved the construction of a traditional sweat lodge for spiritual cleansing.”

Memorials can be made to the American Indian College Fund, P.O. Box 172449, Denver, CO 80217 or a charity of one’s choice. A full obituary is available in the Dec. 14, 2011, edition of The State newspaper.

c l a s s n o t e s | 15

Angela (Muir) Smith (’02) and

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit #766 Columbia, SC

Association of Honors Alumni South Carolina Honors College University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Alumni Weekend 2012 AHA! is the official newsletter of the South Carolina Honors College and is published twice yearly for alumni, students, parents and other members of the South Carolina Honors College community.

Join us for an event in conjunction with May Carolina Alumni Weekend!

On May 12, the South Carolina Honors College will host a cookout-style picnic on the Sumter Street lawn of the Honors Residence for our alumni and friends from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We’ll have games for kids and families and lots of fun.

Visit http://schc.sc.edu/alumni for more information.

Managing Editor: Ashley Riser To reach us: 803-777-8102 or alumni@schc.sc.edu

Student Correspondents: Gerry Koons (2014) Kaitlyn Myers (2015)

AHA! Editorial Board: Doreen Rinehart Chappell Wilson Christian Price Beth Watson Ashley Riser DeAnna Ellis

Reconnect with your roots May Carolina Alumni Weekend May 10-12, 2012 • University of South Carolina Parking will be provided in the Horizon Garage on Main Street, just south of Blossom Street.

The rain location is just inside the Honors Residence in Classrooms B110-B112.