The College of Charleston Class of 2011 is dedicated to making an impact – not just on campus or in Charleston – but on the world. The Class of 2011 boasts the first full undergraduate Fulbright Scholarship winner, the largest class from the College entering the Teach for America corps, and dozens of students who have post-graduation plans focused on sustainability. We can’t wait to see you change the world! More information about graduation.

Undergraduate Class of 2011

Graduate Class of 2011

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: BY THE NUMBERS*

1,607 graduates
41 states (including D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are represented
33 countries are represented
4 students are graduating with top honor (a 4.0 GPA)**
18 students are graduating with an A.B. degree**
632 graduates participated in a credit-bearing internship during 2010-2011
153 School of the Arts graduates
128 Students accepted to professional health programs
329 School of Business graduates
169 School of Education, Health, and Human Performance graduates
588 School of Humanities and Social Sciences
69 School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs graduates
269 School of Sciences and Mathematics graduates

* Numbers may change once final grades for spring 2011 are posted.

** as of fall 2010

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: HONORS COLLEGE BY THE NUMBERS*

  • 99 graduates
  • 30 double majors
  • 3 triple majors
  • 4 joining Teach for America

grad2010_01John Capelle is planning to sail from Charleston to Spain before traveling through Europe and Asia.

Carrie Umburger is pursuing her master’s in fisheries biology from the University of Georgia.

Allison Kendra became a certified yoga instructor (200+ hours of class) while finishing three degrees.

Leila Ameli-Grillon interned at the National Institutes of Health for three summers.

Adam Brunelle, Emily Clayton, Sarah Connell, Darielle Deigan, Alex Hennessey, Melissa Huber, Lily Hunt, Casey Jenkins, Crystal MacLean, Sara Sprehn, Cody Weidenthaler, and Daniel Weissglass represent the second graduating class of the prestigious William Aiken Fellow Society.

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

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: A CLOSER LOOK*

The most common male names are: John, Robert, William, Andrew, Michael, James, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher and David.

The most common female names are: Katherine, Sarah, Elizabeth, Emily, Jessica, Lauren, Mary, Megan, Kristen and Amanda.

Graduates will attend professional programs at such universities as the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Georgtown University, University of Maryland, and the Royal Veterinary School, UK.

Amberjade Taylor (religious studies and philosophy) was part of the first group of Ronald E. McNair scholars, a program that provides research funding to high-achieving, low-income, first-generation undergraduates who plan to pursue a Ph.D. She developed the first Teaching Apprenticeship Program for the Departments of Religious Studies and Philosophy, and has taught weekly religious studies classes to high school students at the Unitarian Universalist Church downtown. She has been accepted into the University of Virginia’s Summer Intensive Tibetan Language Program, after which she plans to pursue fieldwork research on Tibetan Buddhist nuns living in the Indian Himalayas.

Danny Johnson (sociology) returned to the College after 10 years of playing professional basketball. Since 2009, Danny has been the owner of Teacups and Trucks, a small business he built that specializes in custom birthday parties for children.

Cole Dawley (physical education) was the 2010 Southern Conference Player of the Year and led her team to four conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances during her storied volleyball career. The Charleston native chose the College over numerous Division I schools who recruited her, but decided to stay home and play for the Cougars. Upon graduation, she plans to pursue a career working with special needs children.

Micah Carpenter (religious studies and women’s and gender studies) found her calling in social justice advocacy while at the College, and served as a leader for Charleston Food Not Bombs, an organization that utilizes surplus food to feed the hungry in Charleston. She has been accepted into Teach for America and will begin teaching public schools students with special needs in August.

Colin Coletti (political science) will work in Washington, D.C for Senator Rob Portman as a staff assistant.

Jackson Benvenutti (political science) skippered the College of Charleston coed sailing team to a No. 1 national ranking for the first time in more than a decade during his senior season. He hopes to move to the Washington, D.C., area to work in the political arena and apply to law school. An avid sailor, he will remain active in the sport through U.S. sailing events.

Jordan Howard (political science) will be a paid intern with the Huffington Post in Washington, DC.

Samantha Sammis (religious studies and sociology) has been active in community service as a student, whether rallying the community to bake thousands of cookies for inmates at the Lieber Correctional Institution, or serving children on the eastside of Charleston. She has been accepted as a MATCH corps member at a public charter school in Boston, where she will tutor middle school students. Read more about Samantha.

Ashley Haupt (physical education) and Natasha Pavlovich (physical education) are the recipients of the Laura S. Griffin Health Educator Scholarship and the Laura S. Griffin Service Scholarship. The recipient of the scholarships must pursue a degree in Physical Education with a concentration in health promotion.

Daniel Weissglass (philosophy and psychology) and Micah Carpenter (religious studies and women’s and gender studies) were named HSS Scholars in both their majors. Daniel has been accepted into the City University of New York doctorate program in philosophy.

Sanaz Arjomand (political science) gained international attention for her blog about the 2009 Iranian presidential election. What began as a personal blog about her trip to her parent’s native country and voting in the historic election was quite public, and was picked up by the Huffington Post, a popular news website, among other media outlets.

Cintra McGauley (arts management) and Brittanae Casper (psychology) are developing TheCampusStyle.com, LLC, a directory of blogs highlighting fashion, music and entertainment news on college campuses across the nation. Cintra has also created, developed and maintained BelleTresor.com while at the College. Next year, she will be working in the fashion industry.

Brad DeVos (urban studies and economics) owns his own company 3e Resources Consulting LLC, which offers sustainable consulting services.

Kelley Willis (studio art) won the Charleston Fine Arts Dealer Association Award.

Katelyn Ogburn (biology, Honors College) participated in the Alternative Spring Break Program all four years she was at the College, leading two service trips. She consistently volunteers as part of Volunteer Excursion, MLK Challenge, Volunteer Corps, Relay for Life and the Harambee Sustainability Agriculture Project in Kenya. Next year, Katelyn will participate in the AmeriCorps program.

Sara Sprehn (Spanish, Honors College) is the College’s first full undergraduate Fulbright Scholarship recipient. Her funding will support graduate study at the Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas in southern Mexico. Sara will take coursework in public health and nutrition, while completing research on the intersection of traditional Mexican foods with the availability of packaged and convenience foods. While at the College, Spren led an Alternative Spring Break (ASB) project that helped introduce issues of migrant labor and food justice issues in Florida, a topic that had not yet been addressed through ASB projects. Eventually, Sara plans to attend medical school.

Madison Hohman (mathematics) received the South Carolina Section of the American Chemical Society’s Outstanding Student Award.

Kyle Boggs, Elizabeth Cote, Jan Gamberdella, Shannon Kelly, Kristin Krawchuk, Elise Lasko, Cameron McLemore, Nick Oden, Nevan Phillips and Katherine Williamson are the Class of 2011 Schottland Scholars. These School of Business students are specially trained in ethical awareness, global awareness, problem solving and effective communication.

Ed Cook (biochemistry) received the Hypercube Scholar Award.

Lauren Moore (studio art) won the Laura M. Bragg Award.

grad2010_03Rachel Hardy (political science) won the Ludwig Lewisohn prize for the best student essay written during 2010-11 as part of the Jewish Studies Program.

Adam Maslia (communication) was named the Outstanding Student in Jewish Studies, which recognizes distinguished performance in the field.

Jeremy Simmons (communication) will go down in school history as one of the greatest big men to ever don maroon and white. The 2009–10 Southern Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year cheered on his teammates despite being sidelined with a season-ending injury in February. He appeared on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Day twice in his basketball career and ranks fifth all-time in career rebounding (681) and first all-time in career dunks (124). Simmons hopes to play professionally overseas.

Amanda H. Bush (history) and Mary Hoyle (history) received the Society of First Families of South Carolina Scholarships.

Joseph M. Bradshaw (history) received the Albert R. Simonds Special Merit Award and The Douglas & Elizabeth Clark Memorial Scholarship in History.

Andrea DeSantis (chemistry) received the Elizabeth Martin Award for a student with interest in a K-12 chemistry teaching career.

Kristi Woodall (business with marketing concentration) was a 2010-2011 Softball Team Captain, 2009-2010 Coleman Lew Leadership Award winner for the Southern Conference, and a 2010-2011 Stewart Walker Cup Award winner for the College of Charleston Athletic Department. Kristi plans to pursue a career in marketing after graduation.

Iona O’Donnell (political science) will be attending BPP Law School in London, England.

Olivia E. Henderson (history) received the William Moultrie Cup of the Rebecca Motte Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Caroline Dennis (political science) will work as an AmeriCorp volunteer for Keep Knoxville Beautiful.

Alexa Datko (biology with math minor) was a 2010-2011 softball team captain and the March 2011 Southern Conference Pitcher of the Month. Alexa plans on continuing her education by pursuing her medical doctorate in pediatric medicine.

Kathleen MacNeil (studio art) won the Tyzack Prize.

Erik Grimes (political science) will be a second lieutenant at Tindall Airforce Base in Florida.

Rainey Patterson (chemistry) and Lee Cumbee (biochemistry) received the American Institute of Chemistry’s Outstanding Student Awards.

Katie Nutaitis (business) was a 2010-2011 softball team captain and interned with the Charleston Riverdogs as a writer. Katie plans to pursue a career in marketing.

Ebony Williams (political science) will attend Officer Candidate Training, U.S. Army.

Alexandra Keenan (political science) will join the Peace Corp in June for two years, serving in Benin, West Africa, as an English and health instructor.

Laura Allison Reece (arts management) earned the Julie Jett Citizenship Award and the Student of the Year ExCEL Award.

Truitt Urbanic (political science) plans on joining the Peace Corps.

Jessica Ledford (communication), Leila Ameli-Grillon (French and psychology), Antonio Terrell “TJ” Fielder (political science), Shea Diaz (political science and biology) and Carly Clement (political science) are joining the Teach for America program.

Emily Poff (arts management and music) will be interning with Spoleto Festival USA this summer and will go on to attend – on scholarship – the American Music and Dramatic Academy in New York City for their two-year musical theater certificate program. Emily was also nominated for the Kennedy Center’s Irene Ryan Scholarship for her performance in Tin Types.

Paulina Suzán Stevens (history) received the George and Agnes Heltai Award in History.

Samantha Fisher (arts management) interned at Warner Chappell Music in Los Angeles in their catalog development and creative marketing department.

Kathryn Penry (political science) will be the Assistant Campaign Director, Grassroots Campaigns, Inc.

Melissa A. Huber (Classics and mathematics, Honors College) was awarded the Lionel Pearson Fellowship through the American Philological Association – the largest national professional society for the study of ancient Greek and Roman languages, literatures and civilizations. The fellowship is awarded to the top undergraduate student in the nation focused upon broadening and developing their knowledge of Greek and Latin literature in the original languages. Huber will study in Rome through the master’s program at the University of Reading. Upon completion of that program, she will begin a Ph.D. program at Duke University, where she has been awarded the James B. Duke graduate fellowship. Huber was also a finalist for the Fulbright Scholarship.

Hollis Gerth (art history and arts management) completed an internship with the School of the Arts’ director of development (fall 2010) and NewTone Management (spring 2011). She also served as secretary for the Charleston Student Advocates for the Arts, was a participant in South Carolina Arts Advocacy Day in February and took part in the SCETV telethon pledge drive.

Chelsea Ann Rudd (history) received the Charleston Chapter of the American Federation of Women’s Clubs History Prize.

grad2010_05Lauren Rackley (studio art) won the Artists and Craftsman Award.

Jessica Ledford (communication, Honors College) served on the College’s Honor Board and is a member of the Order of Omega Greek Honors Society, Rho Lambda Greek Women’s Honors Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society and the National Society for Collegiate Scholars. Jessica has also held many leadership roles, including president, in Zeta Tau Alpha. She traveled to Jamaica to take part in the Alternative Spring Break Program, where she helped to build a playground for an elementary school. After graduation, Jessica will move to Houston as part of Teach for America.

Jenna Lyles (women’s and gender studies) and Micah Carpenter (women’s and gender studies and religious studies) are launching Charleston’s first Girls Rock camp during summer 2011.

Sean Flatley (business administration) has left an indelible mark through his leadership, work ethic and commitment to excellence as a member of the men’s soccer team. He will remain in the Holy City, joining a wealth of Cougar alumni playing professional soccer for the USL’s Charleston Battery.

Brenda Burbage (psychology) is the College’s Budget Manager for Physical Plant.

Angelina Phebus (Classics) will attend graduate school at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, where she received full funding. For two consecutive years, Angelina has presented research at the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, the largest national professional society for classical archaeologists. Her presentation was awarded first runner up in a juried competition (the jury was solely professional archaeologists). Read more about Angelina.

Halle Rubnitz (arts management) is interning at Spoleto Festival USA.

Katie Pesature (physical education with concentration in health promotion and a minor in Spanish) was 2010-2011 softball team captain and plans to pursue a law degree in the Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

Emma Hayman (business administration) led the women’s tennis team to back-to-back Southern Conference championship titles and will serve as a tennis pro this summer in South Hampton, New York. She recently completed an internship with Dunlop Sport during the Family Circle Cup and is interested in working with the company in sports marketing. She would also like to pursue a master’s degree in marketing at Durham University in England.

Nicholas R. Holt (history) received the Outstanding History Student Award with Service.

Jessica Warren (studio art) won the Corrie McCallum Award for Printmaking.

Annie Pease (political science) had to battle through three separate MCL and ACL injuries throughout her women’s soccer career. She contemplated quitting the team, but decided her love for the game was too strong and went on to lead the Cougars in goals scored in 2009. Despite all of the rehabilitation and time spent in practice and competition, she was still a member of the Honors College and has written a bachelor’s essay on the role of educational aid in conflict-affected countries. She has been accepted to the Peace Corps after graduation.

Crystal Threlfall (business administration) started riding horses when she was just 4 years old and has now competed at nationals three times during her career with the College’s equestrian team. Threlfall won the prestigious Tournament of Champions horse show earlier this year.

Mary Zolga (business administration) battled injury during her senior season on the College’s track and field team, but she stayed patient and came back stronger. Mary recently broke her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles.

Robin Blake (early childhood education) was an ExCEL award nominee.

Jeff Schwindaman (geology) did a summer internship in 2009 on a NOAA research vessel in Alaska, and has recently presented his geochemistry research on Capitol Hill.

Matthew Zaccari (studio art) won the Redux Award for Printmaking.

Brittany Johnson (computer science) worked as an undergraduate researcher with CIRDLES (Cyber Infrastructure Research and Development Lab for the Earth Sciences) for three years under her mentor, Professor Jim Bowring. In doing this research, she was afforded the opportunity to attend a number of research conferences as well as present her research. Brittany also plays trumpet in the College’s Pep Band and is a member of SCAMP, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). She is also part of the College’s first group of Ronald E. McNair Scholars. Brittany won best senior presentation at the first McNair summer conference and was able to visit the graduate school of her choice (Georgia Tech), all expenses paid. Brittany plans to attend graduate school to earn her Ph.D. in computer science with a concentration in software engineering.grad2010_04

Stephanie Zeigler (psychology) is part of the College’s first group of Ronald E. McNair Scholars and has presented research at two regional conferences, winning an award at the 2011 Southeastern Psychological Association Conference. Stephanie has interned at the National Crime Victim Center, is a member of the College’s Pep Band and will be working at the Ralph Johnson Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center on a research project with therapy with Gulf War vets. She plans to seek a Ph.D. in clinical psychology or industrial/organizational psychology.

Jeremy Walden (Classics) has earned full scholarships to attend the University of Florida for master’s in Classics.

Sophie McManus (sociology) is a diversity associate in the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) and has been integral in developing the OID marketing plan for diversity events on campus. She spearheaded the first “Diversity Student LGBTQ Open Forum” and “Celebrating Diversity Mardi Gras Style” events. Sophie has been instrumental in bringing attention to inclusive diversity at the College and in the local community.

Marla Shor (accounting) is a member of Orchesis (dance organization), Beta Alpha Psi (accounting honors fraternity), Order of Omega, Rho Lambda and the Deans Student Forum for the School of Business. Marla held the positions of special events chair, social chair, first vice president and secretary for the Eta Lambda Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha. Marla studied abroad in Greece and participated in the Alternative Spring Break Program in the Dominican Republic. This summer she will intern in Washington, D.C. with Deloitte & Touche. In the fall, she will attend the University of Virginia to obtain her master’s in accounting with a specialization in financial assurance.

Alison Evans (studio art) won the Redux Award for Photography.

Stacey Sangtian (biology, Honors College) was an active member of the Catholic Student Association (CSA) all four years, serving as a committee member, team leader and, most recently, as president of the organization. Stacey also volunteers countless hours in the community and has dedicated much time to her academic research. Stacey will be participating in a faith-based service program for one year before applying to medical school.

Brynne Johnson (international business) was a member of SIFE, the captain of the track and field team in 2010 and gave back generously to the community.

Matthew Leeds (accounting) was one of eight Southern Conference student-athletes to be named postgraduate scholarship recipients this school year. The College of Charleston baseball team third baseman and 2010 SoCon Baseball Player of the Year carries an impressive 3.93 grade-point average with minors in economics and finance and currently leads the team in batting average and RBIs. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, he was a third-team All-American leading the Cougars to the NCAA Myrtle Beach Regional last season. Off the field, Leeds is a volunteer for the Charleston Miracle Leaders Group and plans to pursue a master’s degree in business administration.

Sarah K. Andrews (women’s and gender studies and communication) has participated in Cougar Excursion, Leadership CofC, LeaderShape Institute, Fall Leadership Conference, Freshman Leadership Seminar, Center for Student Learning, Charleston 40, Student Government Association, Baptist Collegiate Ministry and held two Teaching Assistantship positions. She also held internships and volunteered in the community with the Center for Women, Spoleto and CARE magazine.

Sean Bear (biology, Honors College) has participated in Student Alumni Associates, Board of Trustees Mentoring Program, Leadership CofC, the Lee and Ann Higdon Fall Leadership Conference, the LeaderShape Institute, Greek Leadership Institute and Honors Student Association and was a founding member of Order of Omega, Xi Delta Chapter. He has also been Honor Board chairman and a research assistant in the Department of Biology.

Tanya Garcia (psychology) has participated in the Alternative Spring Break Program, Cougar Calling Center, Meals on Wheels, Dance Marathon Morale Team and the College of Charleston Bat Girl Philanthropy. She has also been a Hispanic Girl Scouts leader and a volunteer Cougar Excursion crew staff member. Next year, Tanya will be the internship coordinator with an art therapy studio in Portland, Ore., before applying to graduate school for art therapy.

Kyle Boggs (economics and mathematics) co-founded the Dean’s Student Forum within the School of Business, is a member of the Schottland Scholars and is one of several students who regularly attended basketball games with painted chests spelling “C-O-U-G-A-R-S.”

Nicholas Boatwright (biology, Honors College) spent a semester in Senegal on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in addition to studying abroad in Morocco and Panama. His bachelor’s essay is on native plant species and their influence on nutrition in kids.

Justin Fojo (physical education), a member of the College’s men’s soccer team, found his way to Charleston from Port of Spain, Trinidad, and is taking his talents to the professional soccer arena with the USL’s Orlando City Soccer Club.

Josh Lieberman (hospitality and tourism management, business administration, geology) is a co-founder of the Dean’s Student Forum within the School of Business, traveled to India for study abroad and examined the health of the Ganges River from its sources in the Himalayas all the way to the ocean. He also works as a pedicab driver.

Justin Carlson (anthropology) has participated in archaeological research on four continents (Europe, Asia, North America and South America). Has been accepted into the Ph.D. program in archaeology at the University of Kentucky. He’s also a singer-songwriter who has performed at coffee houses in Charleston and at home in North Carolina.

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

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: AWARD WINNERS

Bishop Robert Smith Award
Samuel Orelove (business administration)

Bishop Robert Smith Award
Sanaz Arjomand (political science)

Bishop Robert Smith Award
Madison Hohman (mathematics)

Alexandar Chambliss Connelley Award
Samantha Kubinski (physical education)

Theodore S. Stern Cup
Antonio Fielder (political science) and Sean Bear (biology)

Alumni Medal
Megan Hurlburt (communication)

Alyson and Grace Jameson Award
Shalissa Garrett (political science)

John Lewis Gervais Jr. Award
Sara Sprehn (Spanish)

Lowcountry Phi Beta Kappa Outstanding Student Award
Sara Sprehn (Spanish)

Phi Kappa Phi Merit Award
Taylor McAneney (biology)

Willard Augustus Silcox Tennis Award
Emma Hayman (business administration)grad2010_02

Willard Augustus Silcox Tennis Award
Emma Hayman (business administration)

Septima P. Clark Award
Robin Blake (early childhood education)

Lucille Whipper Award
Annastesia Henria Mims (physical education)

Eugene C. Hunt Award
La’Asha Burgess (biology)

Thomas A. Palmer Award
Stephanie Cary (computer science)

Pat Kelly Award in Social Activism
Lukas Koncilia (communication and political science). Read more about Lukas.

Greek Scholar of the Year
Sarah Vande Camp, Kappa Delta (anthropology)

Greek Man of the Year
Alexandar TenHoeve, Kappa Sigma (accounting)

Greek Woman of the Year
Jennifer Testi, Kappa Alpha Theta (political science)

Greek Presidents of the Year
Whitney Gibbs, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. (biochemistry); Tyler Kirby, Kappa Sigma (political science); Alexandra Moor, Zeta Tau Alpha (communication)

Greek Courage Award
Laura Grady, Phi Mu (business administration)

Order of Omega Scholarship Winner
Sam Orelove (business administration)

UNDERGRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: SPOTLIGHT

Dan Taber

Dan Tabor

Dan Tabor

One could describe Taber’s time at the College as one extensive fact-finding mission. In 2010, he graduated with degrees in political science and economics. Now, he is graduating with a third degree – in biology. Taber is the type of student professors love to teach: a true liberal arts and sciences scholar who finds connections between different academic disciplines. Biology professor Melissa Hughes says, “Dan’s just really curious about the world. If he has a question, he finds an answer. He doesn’t just wonder about something and forget about it.” In the future, his students will count on that when he becomes a teacher or professor. Read more about Dan.

Tonia Gerty

Tonia Gerty

Tonia Gerty

The 2009–10 women’s basketball team was guided by this persistent point guard who led the conference in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio and led the Cougars to a historic year, highlighted by the program’s first postseason victories, with a pair of wins in the Women’s Basketball Invitational over Morehead State University and Bradley University. Of her tenacity and persistence, Tonia Gerty (communication) says, “I grew up not having a lot, but basketball’s always been my strength. I have to work hard at what I do and become successful to help my family.” She’s well on her way, ranking second all-time in career games played (121), sixth all-time in career points scored (1,230), first in career assists (466) and second in career steals made (203). She beat all odds as a first-generation college graduate in her family and wants to play professional basketball overseas.

 

 

GRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: BY THE NUMBERS

113 master’s degree candidates
7 M.A. in communication
6 M.A. in English
5 M.A. in history
14 M.A.T. – Early Childhood
12 M.A.T. – elementary education
5 M.Ed. – science and mathematics for teachers
2 M.Ed. – languages
2 M.Ed. – teaching, learning and advocacy
10 Master of Public Administration
22 M.S in accountancy
2 M.S. in computer science and information systems
14 M.S. in environmental studies
10 M.S. in historic preservation
5 M.S. in marine biology
3 arts management certificate
4 urban studies and regional planning certificate

GRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: AWARD WINNERS

  • Graduate Scholars Award – Cera Lockhart (communication)
  • Graduate Scholars Award – Ashley Blair (English)
  • Graduate Scholars Award – Katie Thompson (history)
  • Graduate Scholars Award – Shauna Winkler (history)
  • Graduate Scholars Award – Lindsay Altenbern (elementary education)
  • Graduate Scholars Award – Marianne Heis (public administration)
  • Graduate Scholars Award – Tessa Henson (environmental studies)
  • EPA Fellowship: Laurence Sutley (environmental studies) Summer Research Award: Emma Paz (environmental studies)
  • Summer Research Award: Tera Baird (environmental studies)
  • Universite de Versailles/Saint Quentin Research and Teaching Fellowship – Margaret White (communication)

GRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: A CLOSER LOOK*

Zack Buchanan (accountancy) was selected as one of only six new analysts into Wells Fargo’s Capital Financial Analyst Program (FAP) during 2011. The program considers thousands of applicants every year and selects very few. The FAP is a two-year, entry-level rotational credit training program. Analysts complete a 10-day “Credit Camp” in San Francisco, followed by a series of rotations through various capital finance lending units. Upon completion of this program, analysts become eligible to apply for select permanent positions within capital finance.

Melanie Hedgespeth (marine biology) completed her master’s thesis on an assessment of the presence and fate of pharmaceuticals and personal-care products found in treated wastewater discharges into the Charleston Harbor. She is currently in the Ph.D. program at Lund University in Sweden, where she is examining the ecological effects of pharmaceuticals on behavior and food-web interactions between fish and plankton. Melanie is also a member of the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PIE) research group as well as the Research School in Pharmaceutical Science (FLÄK), which is funding her research.

Emily Simmons (communication) is a regular contributor to the popular Repman communications blog based out of New York City.

Nicholas Ellyn (public administration) coordinated the MUSC College of Dental Medicine’s recent re-accreditationgradschool2011band is developing a way to evaluate different kinds of faculty contribution, different revenue sources and their impact on the dental school’s mission.

Elizabeth Strozier (communication) will be working in New York City in public relations for an entertainment-based communications agency after graduation.

Lee Wilson (accountancy) was the coordinator for the College’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Site in 2011. Lee’s efforts led to more than 36 students being certified by the IRS to prepare taxes and more than 150 federal and state returns being processed and filed (free of charge) during the 2011 tax season.

Tessa Henson (environmental studies) received a scholarship to attend the Summer Statistical Genetics workshops at the University of Washington.

Helen Michael (accountancy) was named the 2011 Most Outstanding Student. Helen worked full time as an accounts receivable manager with Synter Resource Group while also attending the program on a full-time basis. Next, she will be a tax associate with Elliott Davis LLC.

Vanceto Blyden (public administration) has worked in arts management with numerous arts and cultural organizations, including the College’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture, Charleston County School District and the Charleston Jazz Initiative. Vanceto serves on the steering committee for the South Carolina Arts in Basic Curriculum Project. Upon graduation, Vanceto will work with arts and cultural policy initiatives in Washington, D.C.

Emma Paz (environmental studies) will serve as the sustainability coordinator and biology/environmental science teacher at Gunston Day School, a private, independent co-ed high school in Centreville, Md. Emma will take the lead in implementing sustainable practices on campus, as well as coordinating the school’s Chesapeake Bay Studies Program, taking advantage of the natural setting of the school’s 31-acre campus along the Corsica River, which feeds into the Chesapeake Bay.gradschool2011c

Elizabeth Dorrance (communication) received a research fellowship for Purdue University’s Ph.D. program in communication.

Sarah Latshaw (environmental studies) received the Coastal Management Fellowship. The Coastal Management Fellowship was established in 1996 to provide on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students and to provide project assistance to state coastal zone management programs. The program matches postgraduate students with state coastal zone programs to work on projects proposed by the state and selected by the fellowship sponsor – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center.

Nathaniel Johnson (marine biology) conducted his thesis research on the characterization of the bacterial properties that impair respiration in the Atlantic Blue Crab. He is interested in the interactions between microbes and larger organisms and plans to work in an immunology lab for a year before applying to Ph.D. programs in microbiology.

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

GRADUATE CLASS OF 2011: SPOTLIGHT

David Shiffman (marine biology) has made national news for his research on the conservation of sandbar sharks in South Carolina waters. He has given talks at Duke and Yale and says he’s never missed a “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel. He says, “Every boy goes through either a shark or a dinosaur phase – I just never grew out of mine. I hesitate to call my professional interests an obsession, but I’ve never missed a “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel and my apartment is decorated with more shark-themed art than most normal people see in a lifetime.”

Marianne Heis ’06 (public administration) landed her dream job when she took over administration and volunteer management for a start-up medical nonprofit focused on sustainable international health care in Uganda. Palmetto Medical Initiative completed its first outpatient building in December 2010 and is now focused on quality care, sustainability and partnership with the people of Masindi.Read more about Marianne.