The College of Charleston Class of 2012 leaves us as accomplished researchers and ambitious idealists with plans for changing the world. They have presented at international conferences, won countless awards, and accepted positions in non-profit organizations and with political campaigns. The Class of 2012 boasts the first graduates of the Bonner Leader program and some of the most decorated athletes in the College’s history. Congratulations Class of 2012!

Undergraduate Class of 2012

Graduate Class of 2012

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2012: BY THE NUMBERS*

1,465 graduates
40 states (including D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are represented
38 countries are represented
4 students are graduating with top honor (a 4.0 GPA)**
16 students are graduating with an A.B. degree**
190 School of the Arts graduates
324 School of Business graduates
176 School of Education, Health, and Human Performance graduates
558 School of Humanities and Social Sciences
62 School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs graduates
266 School of Sciences and Mathematics graduates

* Numbers may change once final grades for spring 2012 are posted.

** as of fall 2011

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2012: HONORS COLLEGE BY THE NUMBERS*

  • 99 graduates
  • 23 double majors
  • 3 students received Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships
  • 4 students joining Teach for America
  • 4 Division 1 athletes

Caroline Newman (psychology) has conducted three semesters of high quality neuroscience research and presented her findings as a poster at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience conference and a talk at the 2012 Symposium for Young Neuroscientists and Professors of the SouthEast (SYNAPSE) meeting. She is also a member of the four-time Southern Conference champion College of Charleston women’s tennis team. A two-time Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-America All-District First Team selection, Newman was honored twice on the All-SoCon Second Team in singles and once in doubles in 2009. An ITA Scholar-Athlete boasting the highest cumulative grade-point average of 4.0 among all senior student-athletes this school year, she was honored with the prestigious J. Stewart Walker Cup, which is the highest award given by the athletics department to a deserving student-athlete. After leading the Cougars to their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, she hopes to pursue a career in the medical field with the opportunity to shadow physicians over the summer, while applying for medical school. Read more.

Isaiah Nelson (political science) will be working for the Obama For America campaign in Harrisonburg, VA. During fall 2011, he participated in the Honors Semester in Washington program where he interned with the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Meagan Orton represented the College of Charleston in the 2010 Miss South Carolina Pageant and will be working for worldwide keynote speaker Neal Petersen and his organization No Barriers International. Read more about Meagan’s amazing story. View video.

Alexandra DeLone will pursue a MA in Psychology from Wake Forest University.

Christian Bailey (international business) has left his mark on the College of Charleston men’s cross country program as the school-record holder in the 8,000 meters (25:33). He was honored on the prestigious Capital One Academic All-America Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2011, becoming one of only 10 all-time Academic All-Americans in school history. This summer, Bailey will spend three months completing an international sales and marketing internship in Germany and will continue to work overseas or return to Charleston for graduate school.

2011ug-03Aaron Blackshaw (biology) will be attending medical school in the fall at the Medical University of South Carolina. He was the 2011-12 recipient of the Quattrochi Merit Scholarship, given to one student in the School of Sciences and Mathematics. For two consecutive years, Aaron has won first place at MUSC’s Student Research Day for his research in pediatric cardiology.

Clare McGorry (biology) conducted three semesters plus one summer of high quality neuroscience research and presented her findings as a poster at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience conference. Clare also served as the president of the College of Charleston Pre-Dental Association and as the Panhellenic Council Vice President of Campus Relations.

Craig Budde (music) will be re-staging his Bachelors Essay project, an operetta featuring cavemen called Stone Age Recreation, this summer as part of the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival in Washington, DC. Next fall he will return to Charleston as the College’s first Artist Certificate student in music composition.

Guilherme Porto (biology) has been a student researcher in MUSC’s Department of Neuroscience since 2006 and is a recipient of a Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant. He presented his research at the Research Society on Alcoholism in June 2011. He will begin medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina in the fall with plans to become a neurosurgeon.

Maria Jackson (psychology and women’s and gender studies) served on Tell Them’s youth council, SWARM, for two years. She has planned events, petitioned, and written pieces on the importance of comprehensive sex education in South Carolina. Additionally, she is a board member of the Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council, and regularly attends and speaks in front of the Health Advisory Committee of the Charleston County School Board to promote comprehensive sex education.

Sara Hutchinson (political science) a photo she took featured in a 2009 New York Times article entitled “Why We Travel.” The photo was taken during her study abroad experience in Morocco. She has also been active in the College’s chapter of Americans For Informed Democracy (AID) and is the president of the Political Science Club. While a student here, she did internships with Piccolo Spoleto and with Communities in Schools. In addition to the Morocco study abroad, she also studied for a semester in Senegal. After graduating she will work for Teach for America.

Alyssa Leibman (political science) is graduating in three years and will attend the University of South Carolina’s Ph.D. program in political science in fall 2012.

Emilie Rosset (biology) is starting an eight-year dual-degree DMD/Ph.D. program at MUSC in June. She completed three years of craniofacial biology research work at MUSC during her undergraduate years and her future research plans at MUSC will focus on developmental bioengineering of stem cells in order to investigate novel solutions for genetic oral malformations.

Ariel Washington (psychology) spent her senior year interning with the EMPOWERR Program at MUSC’s National Crime Victims Center where she facilitated an HIV intervention that aimed to prevent HIV/AIDS and substance use in African American female adolescents. She is graduating in three years and will be attending The Citadel’s graduate program in clinical counseling in fall 2012. This summer she will be doing cardiovascular research at MUSC.

Elliot Dickerson (international studies) is the first international studies major to graduate with an Asia concentration. He spent two summer in Cambodia and Vietnam, and he taught English in China in 2011. In the near future, he will apply for the U.S. Foreign Service, travel around China and Southeast Asia, and continue his study of the Chinese language. His bachelor’s essay focused on cultural values within the Nation of Islam, and this past semester he completed independent research on the transition of Chinese literature to film.

Robert Raidt (physics) has held leadership positions in College of Charleston Fire EMS while at the College of Charleston, including Director of EMS from 2010 to 2011 and Supervisor from 2010 to the present. He spent over two years performing research in computational neuroscience, for which he won Outstanding Presentation in Health Sciences, Outstanding Male Scientist at the South Carolina Academy of Science, and Outstanding Undergraduate Research from the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Sydney Ramsey (biology) will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after graduation and live there for six months. She will volunteer in a hospice and/or AIDS clinic there and apply to medical school for matriculation in 2013.

Andra Oprisan (biology) worked as an Emergency Medical Technician on the campus-run ambulance. She went to Haiti twice to work at the only trauma hospital in Port-Au-Prince providing emergency medical care to Haitians injured in the earthquake.

Megan Alder (arts management) has served as president of CAB (Cougar Activities Board), the campus-wide programming organization, worked as a peer mentor with ROAR Scholars, and has interned with the development department of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra – where she has received a job offer for next year.

Candice Ulmer (chemistry and biochemistry) plans to get her Ph.D. from the University of Florida with a specialization in analytical chemistry. While at the College, she was president of SCAMP, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, a member of Student Ambassadors, Gospel Choir, President’s Student Advisory Council Member, American Chemistry Society, Leadership CofC, Black Student Union, Honor Student Association, McNair Scholars Program and Senior Class Council Member. She is the recipient of three ExCEL Awards, Greek Life Borelli Award: Scholar of the Year, SCAMP Undergraduate Science and Engineering Conference 2011 Best Overall Research Poster, and Iota Omicron Chapter of AKA, Inc: Soror of the Year.

2011ug-02Ewan Oglethorpe (discovery informatics) was a captain and MVP of the club lacrosse team in addition to leading and participating in service trips to Costa Rica and Guatemala. After graduation he is moving out to San Francisco to work as a data analysis consultant.Harry Rockower (religious studies) was the main organizer and coordinator of bi-annual campus bone marrow drives where one of the people they registered was a match and able to donate. He also did research on the brain chemistry of religious experience by looking at the phenomenon called speaking in tongues in Pentecostalism. The study was published in the school Humanities and Social Sciences journal Chrestomathy. (As research, he went sky diving to see if that can be considered a religious experience.) While at the College, Rockower was co-president of the Jewish Student Union and active in the Office of Admissions, most recently, coordinating 300 student volunteers who assisted with Accepted Students Weekend. View Video.

Christian Bailey, Alexandra Bing, Clarissa Briner, Lauren Fuess, Chiara Guzzardo, Justin Hendrix,Jessica Hoffman, Caroline Horres, Marca Hoyle, Jeffrey Lucas, Sarah-Kate Magee, Caroline Newman,Vincent Palmieri, and Allyson Scatterday represent the third graduating class of the prestigious William Aiken Fellow Society. Read moreabout their accomplishments and future plans.

*All information was submitted by faculty and staff. It is deemed to be correct, but was not verified.

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2012: AWARD WINNERS

  • Bishop Robert Smith Award
    Isaiah Nelson (political science)
  • Bishop Robert Smith Award
    Caroline N. Newman (psychology) 
  • Alexandar Chambliss Connelley Award
    Sarah-Kate Magee (arts management)
  • Theodore S. Stern Cup
    Sarah-Kate Magee (arts management)
  • Theodore S. Stern Cup
    Elliot Dickerson (international studies)
  • Alumni Medal
    Ellen K. Innis (biochemistry)
  • Alumni Medal
    Caroline N. Newman (psychology)
  • Alyson and Grace Jameson Award
    Jenny Bamond (political science)
  • John Lewis Gervais Jr. Award
    Caroline N. Newman (psychology)
  • Lowcountry Phi Beta Kappa Outstanding Student Award
    Justin Hendrix (music)
  • Phi Kappa Phi Merit Award
    Caroline N. Newman (psychology)
  • Phi Kappa Phi Research Award
    Justin Henxrix (music)
  • Laura S. Griffin Memorial Educator Award
    Erica Bain (physical education)
  • Laura S. Griffin Memorial Service Award
    Natasha Pavlovich (physical education) 
  • Pat Kelly Award in Social Activism
    Brandon Fish (English) 
  • Pat Kelly Award in Social Activism
    Drisana McDaniel (women’s and gender studies)
  • Lucille Whipper Award
    Candice Ulmer (chemistry)

See the Departmental awards.

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2012: A CLOSER LOOK*

The most common male names are: John, James, Matthew, and Andrew.

The most common female names are: Sarah, Lauren, Elizabeth, and Emily.

Cameron O’Banion (political science) and Sweta Patel (political science) will be attending the Medical University of South Carolina in the fall for the Master in Health Administration program.

Caroline Horres (political science) will attend the John Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies in the Fall to pursue a Masters Degree in International Economics.

Taylor Stephenson (political science) is volunteering for the Democratic National Convention this summer in Charlotte and will move to Southeast Asia in the fall to teach English.

Elizabeth Pappas (political science) will attend Tulane University Law School.

Katreena Mitchell (communication) participated in the first yoga flashmob at the college. She plans to pursue a masters degree in Health Administration. While in college Katreena was involved in the Student Ambassador Organization, LINKS Mentors, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, ROAR Scholars, and Leadership C of C. This summer she will be a counselor for the SPECTRA program with Multicultural Student Programs and Services.

Leigh Whittaker (business administration) is one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of the College’s women’s golf program. Whittaker is a three-time Southern Conference All-Conference Team standout and won two golf tournaments during the 2010-11 season in which she set two school records by turning the lowest single round by a Cougar (67) and the lowest three-round tournament score (205) at the Palmetto Intercollegiate. She also competed at the 2011 NCAA East Regional as an individual. Leigh is ranked third in Germany and is a member of the German Women’s National team. She will play in several golf tournaments this summer with hopes of making the professional tour. View video.

Adam Dexter (French) applies his natural love of delving beneath the surface of things to his academic work and beyond. His endeavors have lifted him from an undergraduate to a professional level in the area of publication. His textual analysis of the evolution of medieval French morphology earned him a rare invitation to the 2011 University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Spring Linguistics Colloquium, where he was the only undergraduate ever to present a paper. His article, “Morphologization of French Nominative Pronouns as a Product of Diminished Latinate Verbal Inflection” is to be published as part of the conference proceedings. His involvement with language and communication led him to start a blog about aspects of Palestinian life often neglected in the media. The blog, The Foreign Monitor has received a substantial number of hits as it engenders personal connections across cultures.

Quentin Ramsey (middle grades education) plans to teach middle school math and social studies before getting his masters degree in school administration. While at the College, he was president of the Call Me Mister program, nominated for two Presidential ExCEL Awards, a peer facilitator, a graduate of Leadership CofC and a peer mentor. Read more about the Call Me Mister program.

Shaun Kraisman (communication) auditioned for American Idol and appeared on one of the initial episodes impersonating Ryan Seacrest. He hopes to become a TV host. View video.  

2011ug-04Shannon Hoy (marine biology) began mapping sea floors on the research vesselRonald H. Brown and has now been on more than half a dozen research cruises. She worked as a volunteer survey technician on the NOAA cruise to Nova Scotian waters, she has helped map the deepest location on earth, the Mariana Trench, she spent five weeks in the Drake Passage on the coast of Antarctica and four weeks traveling from Indonesia to Hawaii. She’s even sailed beside hundreds of dolphins glowing under bioluminescent waters in an upwelling zone. Read more.Vikki Bernotski (classics), John Pratt (political science), Qi Zheng (business administration), Daniel Winters (biology) and Elliott Dickerson (international studies) are the first recipients of the College of Charleston’s Leadership Certificate given by the Higdon Student Leadership Center. Read more.

Crystal Frost (English) earned a SURF grant and helped English professor Julia Eichelberger with her book of Eudora Welty’s letters on gardening. She says that research changed the way that she thinks about the work she does in studying literature. It helped her to explore the many ways in which readers can interact with literature, such as through historical, biographical or analytical approaches.Read more.

Stephen Ferguson (biochemistry and music) is the recipient of the Porgy and Bess Music Scholarship and was awarded the prestigious ExCEL award (Excellence in Collegiate Education and Leadership) as the Outstanding Student in the School of Sciences and Mathematics for 2011-2012. He is currently waiting to hear back from some graduate programs (including Duke University) before making a decision where to next take his career, but he intends to go into radio and nuclear chemistry. View video.

Daniel Hodge (marine biology) was awarded the Critical Languages Scholarship (CLS) for Chinese. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the scholarship will cover all expenses in Shanghai for eight weeks this summer. Daniel has also been involved with the Anime Association, the Biology Club, College of Charleston Radio, and the Aikido Club. Read more.

Candice Ulmer (chemistry and biochemistry), Kendall Biga (physical education), Lynsey Cichon (arts management), Lauren Romania(accounting), Jordan Edwards (communication), Sara Hutchinson (political science), Caroline Horres (political science), Harry Rockower(religious studies), Catherine Clifton (hospitality and tourism management), Brooke King (biology), Terrell Davis (business administration), Daniel Winters (biology), Elliot Dickerson (international studies), Sarah Kate Calcutt (theatre), and Will Munce (business administration) are winners of the Cistern Award.

Katherine Gumps (biology and discovery informatics) spent the last four years conducting undergraduate research. Katherine was a founding member of the Peer Assistance Leaders (PAL), she is a McNair Scholar and a recipient of the National Institute of Health 2010-2011 UGSP Scholarship. Katherine was also a member of the Board of Trustees Mentorship Program during her senior. In August 2012, she is moving to Seattle, Wash. where she will be attending the Ph.D. program in neurology and behavior at the University of Washington. Katherine is expecting the birth of her first child near the end of June 2012. Read more.

Sam Morgan (arts management), Brett Haenn (geology), John Shields (arts management) and James McNally (business administration) played in a band together in high school called Long Miles, named after one of their classmates. During their first year at the College of Charleston, they wrote and recorded 12 songs in their residence hall and now in their senior year, they just released a 10 song collection, called Shades. Read more. View video.

Antwaine Wiggins (sociology) finished his College of Charleston men’s basketball career as the fourth all-time leading rebounder (702 rebounds) and seventh all-time leading scorer (1,306 points) in the program’s Division I history. Known for his defense and infectious smile, Wiggins was tabbed one of the best perimeter defenders in the nation by CBSSports.com in the fall of 2011 and to the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Defensive All-America Team in 2012. He signed with a pair of NBA and FIBA agents with plans of scheduling workouts this summer with NBA teams and participating in the summer league as well as continuing his playing career overseas.

Sara Daise (communication) led a student and faculty based committee to organize a demonstration in honor of Trayvon Martin. She serves as a committee member for the President’s Community Advisory Board, which advises the President on matters of diversity and other College issues. She is also a 2011 recipient of the Hall of Leaders Award from the Higdon Student Leadership Center.

Emily Grace (Ahlaam) Robinson (chemistry) was invited to participate in the Arabic Institute for the Next Generation at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. The program provides theoretical education and practical training in high school Arabic teaching. Lectures and group discussions will be in Arabic.

Jessica Branton (Sociology), Asriel Childs (Accounting), Jacques Johnson (Psychology), Kristin Macsherry (Psychology), and Dayse Garcia (Political Science) are the first graduating class of Bonner Leaders at the College of Charleston. They worked together to help form the structure and policies that have brought the College of Charleston Bonner Leader program national recognition and praise from the Bonner Foundation. Read more.

Kim Arnold (biology) served as the president of the AAST Student Executive Board and has been a consistent champion of the African American Studies program. She will be attending the Master of Public Health program at Drexel University. Kim is also a Ronald McNair Scholar, Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholar, Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, Presidential Scholar, Avery Research Scholar.

McKenzie Armour (corporate communication) has been an integral part of the College’s equestrian team with her elite performance in the ring as well as her leadership and character amongst the team. She was crowned the individual novice flat national champion in 2010 and has won the open flat title in her three consecutive years at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) National Championships. In the future, Armour plans to ride and show horses as a working student in Camden, S.C., before exploring a career as a pharmaceutical or medical equipment sales representative. Read more.

Hope Atkinson (corporate communication) was a 2011 All-Southern Conference Second Team selection for women’s soccer. Atkinson, who led the Cougars to their third-ever appearance in the SoCon Tournament finals, plans to spend time traveling the world before fulfilling her aspirations of a successful career in business.

Tyler W. Canty (accounting) plans to get a master’s degree in certified information systems auditing and later work for a publicly traded company as chief financial officer. While at the College, Tyler was president of Student Ambassadors, vice president of Omega Psi Phi, president of the National Association of Black Accountants, and a peer mentor for ROAR Scholars. He was also a SPECTRA counselor for three years.

Keisha Murray (communication) plans to attend law school. She is a state certified juvenile arbitrator, she interned in the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office Juvenile Arbitration Division, was president of the College’s chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, an SGA senator and a graduate of Leadership CofC.

Alyssa D’Orazio (business administration) holds the indoor (2:13.48) and outdoor (2:11.23) school records in the 800 meters as a member of the Cougar women’s track & field team. A three-time Southern Conference All-Academic Team honoree, she was named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team and received all-conference honors in 2009 after a third-place finish at the SoCon Indoor Championships. In 2011, D’Orazio was the recipient of the Family Circle Cup Scholarship, an award given to athletes who excel in athletics, academics and community service. D’Orazio will travel to Europe in June with teammate Kristen Wolfe and return to Charleston to work as a community relations specialist for MeadWestvaco.

Dayse Garcia (Bonner Leader), Alyssa Thornton (CofC Radio), Janna Jeffcoat (Cougar Activity Board), Sarah Kate Calcutt (Dance Marathon), Lynsey Cichon (George Street Observer), Will Munce (Interfraternity Council), Jamie Carr (Miscellany Art Literary Journal),Kendall Biga (Pan-Hellenic Council), Matthew Vaveris (SGA), Chiara Guzzardo (Volunteer Corps), and Elliott Dickerson (Omicron Delta Kappa) are recipients of Hall of Leaders Awards.

2011ug-01Lindsay Frey (biology) is perhaps the fittest player the College of Charleston women’s soccer team has ever seen and continually raised the standards in all aspects of the program through her tireless work ethic. Her energy and will to win will undeniably be a factor in her future successes as she plans to attend anesthesia school after graduation.

Perry Emsiek (physical education) crewed on the nationally-ranked College of Charleston coed sailing team for four years and was named a 2011 ICSA All-American. She helped the Cougars to a No. 1 national ranking during her junior and senior seasons and was a silver medalist for the U.S. in the 2v2 470 Team Race at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China. After graduation, Emsiek will return home to California for the summer with hopes of attending culinary school in New York in the fall. She plans to remain active within the sailing community and compete in as many regattas as possible.

Melanie Baker (exercise science) plans to obtain her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree. While at the College, she has participated in Physical Education and Health Club, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-professional health honor society, College of Charleston Gospel Choir, and D’Vyne Purpose Ministries.

Hannah Gmerek (hospitality and tourism management) was a women’s soccer 2011 All-Southern Conference First Team and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Women’s Division I All-Southeast Team selection. She capped her senior season by scoring a pair of goals to send the Cougars to the SoCon Tournament finals for the third time in program history. Gmerek continues to pursue her love of the game and hopes to play past the collegiate level with the opportunity to coach or become involved with sports event management.

Belaun O. Boston (theatre) plans to get her Master of Arts in Teaching degree while working toward owning her own production company. She was nominated for the Irene Ryan Acting Award.

Hayley Harrell (psychology) is a Charleston native who has not only been a leader on the court for the Cougar volleyball team for four years, but also in the community, both locally and internationally. Throughout her time at the College, Harrell traveled to Honduras for numerous medical mission trips as she helped distribute medications to communities and worked with children in poverty. In 2010, her humanitarian efforts were featured in national articles in Volleyball Magazine and NCAA.com. Read more.

Sarah Havel (elementary education) finished her career as an accomplished middle blocker on the College’s volleyball team earning AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention, First Team All-Southern Conference and SoCon All-Tournament Team honors in 2011. She was also named a Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award First Team All-American for her achievements on the court, in the classroom, in the community and as a leader as a whole. Havel plans to travel to Europe this summer and upon her return, looks to continue a career in teaching elementary-age students in Charleston.

Amber E. Felder (sociology) plans to get her master’s in social work degree.

Myles Jackson (business administration) is an Americorp Scholarship Grant recipient and interned on Capitol Hill with then-House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn.

SaBrina Jeffcoat (studio art) plans to attend graduate school for medical illustration. She is a 2012 Young Contemporaries winner and a 2012 North Charleston Arts Festival Sculpture Commission winner.

Zeke Horowitz (business administration) skippered the College’s coed sailing team to a No. 1 national ranking during his junior and senior seasons. He was honored as an ICSA All-American in 2011 and qualified three times for the ICSA Men’s Singlehanded Nationals. Horowitz was a silver medalist for the U.S. in the 2v2 470 Team Race at the 2011 World University Games in Shenzhen, China. Following competition at the ICSA Nationals with the Cougars in June, he will head north to become the full-time sailing director at Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Conn. There, he will continue his passion for sailing by teaching others as well as remaining competitive in the sport in laser and team racing events.

Amanda Lonergan (physical education) has shown a lot of resiliency throughout her career with the College of Charleston softball team while forced to battle two separate shoulder injuries. In honor of her strength and courage, Lonergan was honored by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as an All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year. She was also the recipient of the ExCEL Award for Outstanding Female Student-Athlete of the Year as well as the College of Charleston Sports Medicine Charlie Post Award.

Brooke King (biology) plans to continue her biomechanical research at the College and apply to medical school for fall 2013. While at the College, Brooke was NPHC president and a graduate of Leadership CofC.

Will Moore (business administration) has developed and matured at great lengths during the time he spent as a member of the College’s men’s soccer team. Moore has grown into a vocal leader and was named a team captain for the fall of 2011, a role he filled flawlessly as a constant and reliable source of guidance for the Cougars.

Nick Osterman (physical education) a right-handed pitcher on the College of Charleston baseball team overcame a season-ending arm injury in 2010 by using PRP treatment, an alternative to Tommy John surgery, and has posted his best season yet in his 2012 senior campaign. Coming out of the bullpen, Osterman has picked up two victories and posted an ERA of 2.90.

Lindsay Lipsey (geology and business administration) will be attending graduate school at Utrecht University in the Netherlands studying geology. She’s spent more of her life living abroad than in the US, graduating high school in Belgium. Lindsay attended UC San Diego for three years before transferring to the College, her mother’s alma mater, where she started her geology studies and finished her business degree as well.

David Weiss (geology) was inspired by the Introductory Planetary Geology course and NASA mission design class at the College of Charleston. He has interned at the Goddard Space Flight Center where he studied Martian basalts, presented his research at two national conferences, American Geophysical Union and Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, and spent his winter break as a field crew chief at the Mars Desert Research Station. After graduation, David has an internship at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and then will head on to Brown University for graduate school.

Heather Meyer (geology and religious studies) has dreamed of college and working with NASA since she watched the space shuttle launch one starry evening when she was 9 years old. She’s getting closer to her dream having interned at the Goddard Space Flight Center through the Lunar and Planetary Science Academy last summer. This summer, she will be interning at John Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab and then moving on to graduate school!.

Vanessa Martin (geology) already has a pre-med degree and finished a year of medical school. She decided medicine wasn’t for her, and when her Air Force husband was transferred to Charleston in 2008, she decided to follow her true passion and pursue a degree in geology.

2011ug-05Chrystal Dively (religious studies and anthropology) was recognized as an Outstanding Student by both departments in which she earned her two degrees. In summer 2011 she was one of three undergraduates to be accepted into the Woodenfish Buddhism in China project, and she conducted research on the effects of globalization and modernization on Buddhist practitioners in China’s Sichuan province.Matthew Sherrier (psychology) led the Cougars men’s swimming and diving team to the 2012 Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA) Championship title with second-place finishes in the 200-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle as well as a first-place, school-record finish in the 800-yard freestyle relay. An NSCA All-American, he was one of six finalists for the prestigious J. Stewart Walker Cup. Sherrier will leave his mark as the school-record holder in four different individual events and four relay events along with conference records in the 1,650-yard freestyle which earned two NCAA Division I B qualifying times.

Haley Hart (religious studies) spent the last three summers working for Kids4Peace, a nonprofit interfaith education program that brings together children from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim backgrounds from the US and Jersualem to share stories of their lives, cross social and religious divides, and learn to live together in peace. Haley will be interning with Piccolo Spoleto this summer and then will serve as a research assistant for a project on New Age religious movements in Asheville, N.C.

Beck Schillizzi (religious studies and women’s & gender studies) integrated both fields of study to become a feminist and transgender activist at the College, where she served in leadership roles in the Gay-Straight Alliance, the Safe Zone Committee, and the local chapter of the National Organization for Women. After graduation she will be co-organizer of Girls Rock Charleston, a local nonprofit that works to empower girls and trans youth through music education.

Emily Smith (business administration) was a three-time Southern Conference champion in the high jump for the Cougar women’s track & field team. Smith is also one of only three athletes in program history to qualify for the NCAA Regional Championship. She plans to travel to Argentina this summer, prior to pursuing a career in hotel and tourism and studying for her entrance exam into an MBA program.

Branden Abushanab (psychology) has completed two Bachelor’s Essays – even though he is NOT in the Honor’s College. He also completed an independent study, a SURF grant-funded project, and served as a teaching apprentice for an introductory psychology class. He has already presented his research at one professional conference, as will present different research at a second conference this spring. He was recently accepted into a doctoral program at UNCG, and will attend in the fall. He is also a wonderful musician. Watch a video.

Ally Truitt (political science) has an impeccable ability to lead and motivate those around her including her teammates over the last four years on the Cougar women’s soccer team. Her drive and focus will lead her to success long after her tenure at the College. Truitt minored in crime, law and society and plans to attend law school in the fall of 2012.

Winema Sanders (Latin American and Caribbean studies and history) co-founded the African Studies Club, was a peer mentor, member of the Portuguese Club, and interned at the Turks and Caicos Islands National Trust.

Javier Gómez-Lavin (philosophy and psychology) is a McNair Scholar, a 2012 School of Humanities and Social Sciences Scholar, and a 2012 ExCEL Outstanding Student Recipient. Javier has presented at numerous professional conferences in philosophy and psychology. Javier plans to attend the City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center for a Ph.D. in Philosophy. He has been awarded CUNY’s Enhanced Chancellors Fellowship, The Dean K. Harrison Award, and The Melon Foundation Fellowship for graduate school.

Laura Jackson (biology) is a McNair Scholar. Laura is excited to start Genetics and Genomic Sciences Ph.D Program at the University of Alabama Birmingham this fall.

Cricket Wise (business administration) is the ultimate characterization of a true teammate and has proven so through her unmatched selflessness and encouragement as the top goalkeeper on the College’s 2011 women’s soccer team. Wise plans on fielding an internship with an adventure tourism company in Costa Rica this winter with aspirations to manage in the outdoor recreation industry later on in life.

Kristen Wolfe (business administration) was a two-time Southern Conference champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for the Cougar women’s track & field team. Wolfe also competed in cross country, where she earned all-conference honors during the 2010 season. She will travel to Europe in June and return to Charleston to begin a career in event management.

*All information was submitted by faculty and staff. It is deemed to be correct, but was not verified.

GRADUATE CLASS OF 2012: BY THE NUMBERS

160 master’s degree candidates
3 M.A. in communication
12 M.A. in English
6 M.A. in history
15 M.A.T. – early childhood
15 M.A.T. – elementary education
2 M.A.T. – special education
5 M.Ed. – science and mathematics for teachers
2 M.Ed. – languages
10 M.Ed. – teaching, learning and advocacy
24 Master of Public Administration
18 M.S in accountancy
3 M.S. in computer science and information systems
11 M.S. in environmental studies
14 M.S. in historic preservation
9 M.S. in marine biology
5 arts management certificate
1 statistics certicate
2 urban studies and regional planning certificate

GRADUATE CLASS OF 2012: AWARD WINNERS

Outstanding Graduate Scholar

  • Tori Bundy (communication)
  • Margaret Lally and Jillian Sabol (English)
  • Andrew Davis (history)
  • Matthew Carrington and Beth Thornburg (elementary education)
  • Ann-Marie Quinn (public administration)
  • Sarah Bullock and Sally Allard (early childhood education)
  • Margo Shisler and Lauren Rose (science and math for teachers)
  • Jenn Bridges (teaching, learning, and advocacy)
  • Dana Thurston Hughes (computer science and information systems)
  • Michael Griffin (environmental studies)
  • Kristin Stover (marine biology)
  • Kathryn Pedings (mathematics)

GRADUATE CLASS OF 2012: A CLOSER LOOK*

2011grad-02Jennifer Bennett and Anna Manyak (marine biology) were selected as executive fellows in the 2012 class of the Dean John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. The one-year paid fellowship places recipients in Washington, D.C., with hosts in the Legislative Branch, Executive Branch or an organization with an interest in the ocean or Great Lakes. Read more.

Tori Bundy (communication) has accepted a position as a digital marketing assistant at The Lukens Company in Washington D.C.

Ann-Marie Quinn (public administration) is a recipient of a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. She will study at the Universite Mohammed V in Morocco under the sponsorship of the North Charleston Breakfast Rotary. Ann-Marie also works in the Graduate School Office and serves as the professional development chair of the Masters in Public Administration Student Association.

Jeff Swatkowski (environmental studies) is currently working in industrial sales and plans to continue working in “green” building and sustainable business in the Charleston area.

Michael Griffin (environmental studies) was awarded a Research Grant from the Geological Society of America to support his thesis project on stream flow and groundwater assessments of Coastal Plain watersheds. He has presented his research at several professional conferences over the past two years. Michael will travel to northern India this summer as part of an environmental studies project on water resources in the Ganges River Basin (with Drs. Vijay Vulava and Timothy Callahan). Michael also recently performed a service project on water sanitation construction in Jamaica.

2011grad-01Michael Owens (English) is a 2012 ExCEL Award nominee for Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year and is the winner of the 2012 Research Poster Design.

Ricardo Robinson (teaching, learning and advocacy) was named the Sanders-Clyde Teacher of the Year.

Dana Hughes (computer science and information systems) will move to Colorado to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science. He has published two research papers while at the College: “Monterey Mirror: Combining Markov Models, Genetic Algorithms, and Power Laws” in 2011 IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2011) and “Fractal Dimensions of Music and Automatic Playlist Generation – Similarity Search via MP3 Song Uploads”, Proceedings of 8th IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Information Hiding and Multimedia Signal Processing (IIHMSP 2012).

* All information was submitted by faculty and staff. It is deemed to be correct, but was not verified.