Wofford College

Emily Schwendemann '25 spent their Interim looking toward the stars as part of an independent study in the field of astrophysics. Schwendemann, a math, physics and computer science triple major from Fountain Inn, S.C., brought together all their interests to dive into the chemical composition of celestial bodies.

Gabriel Tawiah '25 spent part of his winter break doing community service in Asheville, N.C, which is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. He worked behind the scenes preparing and cooking food, providing manual labor on the farm and filling boxes with supplies in partnership with three local organizations.

On Jan. 15 Schwarzman Scholars announced its 10th cohort, and Chandler Compton '20 was selected to the Schwarzman Class of 2025-26. He will attend a one-year, fully funded master's degree program in global affairs at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Wofford College provost Dr. Timothy Schmitz has announced Dean's List students for the fall 2024 semester.

Two Wofford College students - Grant Blackwell '27 and Hank Thomas '27 - saw the devastation of Hurricane Helene as an opportunity to give back. Blackwell, an environmental studies major from Charleston, South Carolina, and Thomas, a business economics major from Powdersville, South Carolina, both sprang into action, finding communities in need of assistance and communities supporting them.

Grace Loughlin '27 brought home a victory at the National Horse Show at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, earning first place in her Amateur Hunters division. "It's such an honor to get to compete at this venue, let alone win," says Loughlin of the National Horse Show, which has hosted some of the highest-achieving riders and horses in the world. This year, Loughlin was one of only 15 women in her section invited to compete.

A professor in Australia challenged Wofford students Lilly Bridges '26, Archer Meares '26 and Strom Thurmond '26 to write and publish an article on the conservation of a specific bird species. Getting the article published turned out to be the easy part. The real challenge was the rain-drenched search for the declining species and the sense of responsibility the trio of biology majors now carry to help tell the story of the threatened but resilient tooth-billed bowerbird.

Tianna Kidd '25, a biology and French double major from Greenwood, South Carolina, is using French to study fashion and identity in Africa this fall as Wofford's 2024-25 Presidential International Scholar. Kidd is currently based in Cameroon, with plans to travel to Morocco in January. She also has conducted a second independent study on breast cancer awareness in Cameroon. Each year Wofford's Presidential International Scholar is selected by the college's president as "the student most likely to make a difference in the future." The scholarship rewards students who have shown a passion for service learning and global intellectual curiosity with the funding to conduct independent research in non-traditional locations around the world.

Sydney Heslop '28, Maura Jackson '28, Carlee Mason '28 and Grant Owen '28 received a "Just Because" ambush philanthrophy grant from the Spartanburg County Foundation. The students decided to give the grant to Housing360, Spartanburg Housing's nonprofit affiliate. The funds will purchase healthy snacks and other supplies for the Determind Minds afterschool program.

Chanson Bullard '26 and Dr. Matt Cathey have been invited to Oxford University to present their research on King George III's mysterious illness at the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies' annual conference in January. They will also participate in a roundtable discussion featuring scholarship from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Bullard and Cathey spent the summer reviewing royal physician diaries and recording values for information logged, such as sleep, pulse, medicines administered, mood, bowel movements, exercise and much more. The database they developed has more than 100 categories.

When Marga-Rita Van Der Linde '25 was sworn in as Campus Union president for 2024-25 on April 22, she became the first woman since Claudia Albergotti Ruffin '11 to serve in the role. The new vice president, secretary and treasurer are also women, making this the first all-female executive cabinet since the 1995-96 academic year. It's something that Van Der Linde takes seriously but doesn't dwell on. She and the other women on the executive council have plans for enhancing the Wofford experience for all students. "Wofford has done a great job at putting the students' needs first, and I want to continue building on the foundation that the previous student body presidents have laid," says Van Der Linde, who is joined on the cabinet by Simrin Channa '25, vice president; Julia Brooks '25, treasurer; and Geneva Kowbeidu '26, secretary.

Five Terriers have joined forces with Dr. Kimberly Hall this summer to discover how artificial intelligence can more effectively be incorporated in a college setting. Susann Breazele '26, an English major from Pickens, South Carolina; Maggie Head '26, a chemistry and philosophy double major from Lexington, South Carolina; Kate Podrebarac '26, a computer science and applied mathematics double major from Friendswood, Texas; Sam Turnipseed '25, an English and philosophy major from Columbia, South Carolina; and Rivers West '25, an environmental studies major from Oak Ridge, North Carolina, signed up to take part in Hall's research project "Developing Undergraduate Humanistic AI Research Capacity at a Small Liberal Arts College." Hall, an associate professor of English who leads the college's AI Working Group, says current research focuses on how faculty and administrators view generative AI - a platform like ChatGPT for instance. She is making sure student perspectives are included.

This summer, two Wofford students have picked up where they left off last summer. Clayton Hixon '26, a government major from Jackson, Georgia, and Julio Del Jesus '25, a government major from Kissimmee, Florida, are back in the courthouse with the Hon. Timothy Madden '85, continuing their legal internship with the 13th Judicial Circuit in Greenville, South Carolina. Last summer's internship enabled Hixon and Del Jesus to learn various components of law and how they interconnect. This year, they are making connections by visiting courthouses across the state, learning about different specialties in law, meeting with lawyers and networking in the legal community. Madden, a family court judge, has also taken the students to visit the University of South Carolina's Joseph F. Rice School of Law, where he completed his Juris Doctor degree.

A chance connection with a Wofford alumna has led to a dream internship for Marlee Bland '25, a finance major from Charleston, South Carolina. Bland is spending her second summer at Sea Fox Boat Company, based in Charleston, honing her skills under the guidance of Tanner Renken '19, director of IT and marketing and fourth-generation leader of the family-owned company. After contacting Sea Fox about a potential internship last summer, Bland landed the opportunity and connected with Renken.

When Ellis Parsons '26 pursued research opportunities this summer, he opted for an experience that would take him out of his comfort zone. Parsons, an international affairs and history double major from Landrum, South Carolina, chose to work with Dr. Daniel Helman, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies, on a study that could illuminate the beginnings of life on earth. "It's outside of my field a little, but I think that is what attracted me to it," Parsons says. "I was interested in gaining experience in research and challenging myself to go beyond my abilities."

Joel Gammah '26, a computer science major from Ghana, made a Terrier connection that led to a transformative summer internship thanks to a conversation with Wofford College President Nayef Samhat. In the spring Gammah was on the guest list for a dinner for international students at the President's Home hosted by Nayef and Prema Samhat. During a conversation with the president, Gammah shared stories of his work as a Bonner Scholar at the Adult Learning Center in Spartanburg. Samhat immediately texted Bill Brasington '89, executive director of the Adult Learning Center, to expand the connection.

In February, Samuel Cornett '26, a finance major from Nicholasville, Kentucky, decided to seek summer internship opportunities near Wofford College's campus. He searched "wealth management" and found 1670 Wealth Management among the top results. "I wanted real-world experience, and, with my summer football schedule, I was looking for something in the area" says Cornett, a quarterback for the Terriers and member of the student-managed James-Atkins Investment Fund. "They were only about a mile from campus, so I sent them an email."

Wofford College provost Dr. Timothy Schmitz has announced Dean's List students for the spring 2024 semester.

Caroline Adams '27 was "brought up raising green beans, corn and cattle." Seems simple enough. Her platform with Future Farmers of America and her plan for the future, however, are anything but. Adams '27, an environmental studies major from Lake Wylie, South Carolina, grew up in a farming family. Her grandparents owned a small beef cattle farm. Her aunt owned a large turkey farm, and some of Adams' earliest photos include her holding baby animals. She took agriculture classes in middle school and became involved in the Future Farmers of American through those. She won an FFA regional tournament for creed speaking and became president of her high school chapter during her senior year. She served as statewide president during her first year at Wofford. "My grandfather introduced me to agriculture," says Adams. "When his health started to decline, and he didn't have insurance to deal with early onset dementia, our family had to sell the cows and equipment. Small family farms often fail because of medical emergencies and health care costs. I want to change that."

Wofford College awarded 421 baccalaureate degrees during its 170th Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 19. The Hon. Costa Pleicones, a 1965 Wofford graduate, member of the college's board of trustees and retired chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, delivered the keynote address to the Class of 2024. "The capacity to communicate, to create, to think and to adapt are the hallmarks of the liberally educated person," Pleicones says. "These are the skills and capacities Wofford has instilled in you." During the ceremony in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, the college conferred honorary degrees to three individuals: Betty James Montgomery, Dr. Daniel Baker Morrison Jr. '75 and Tony L. Thomas. Special teaching awards were presented to Dr. Kimberly Hall, associate professor of English, and Dr. Natalie Spivey, associate professor and chair of the Department of Biology. Hall received the Philip Covington Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Humanities and Social Sciences. Spivey received the Roger Milliken Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science. The college presented the prestigious Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards to Jack Galbraith (student recipient) and Craig Burnett '68 (non-student recipient). The student recipient of the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award was Arnise Wright. The non-student recipient was Ruth Littlejohn.

Two years ago, Andrew Arends '24 made a commitment. Inspired by the example of his former classmate Emily Hathcock '23, Arends signed up for the stem cell donation registry NMDP, formerly the National Bone Marrow Donor Program and Be the Match. "Emily set up a table in the Mungo Student Center and encouraged people to come by," says Arends, who is originally of St. Matthews, South Carolina. "You could submit a mouth swab to see if you're a DNA match. It was a super easy process. So, I did it." As the months passed, Arends admits he forgot about the commitment. To his surprise, he received a call in January while interning in Washington, D.C.

Becca Watson '24 arrived at Wofford College with her sights set on becoming an attorney. During the first week of her college journey, Becca, a government major from Chesnee, South Carolina, joined Wofford's Launch Program. Through the program, she gained insights that broadened her business knowledge and started her on a path to becoming a fourth-generation owner of Watson's Furniture, her family's 72-year-old furniture store in Chesnee.

Thirty Wofford College students and recent graduates were inducted as members-in-course during the college's Phi Beta Kappa ceremony on Thursday, April 18, in Leonard Auditorium, Main Building. Students are normally considered for election to Wofford's Phi Beta Kappa chapter after they have earned 100 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.6. Election is not automatic. Resident members of the chapter consider scholarship, character, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, diversity of academic interests and pursuits, and other factors in the election process. The chapter may elect only 10% of a graduating class in any one year.

Thirty Wofford College students and recent graduates were inducted as members-in-course during the college's Phi Beta Kappa ceremony on Thursday, April 18, in Leonard Auditorium, Main Building. Students are normally considered for election to Wofford's Phi Beta Kappa chapter after they have earned 100 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.6. Election is not automatic. Resident members of the chapter consider scholarship, character, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, diversity of academic interests and pursuits, and other factors in the election process. The chapter may elect only 10% of a graduating class in any one year.

Thirty Wofford College students and recent graduates were initiated as members-in-course during the college's Phi Beta Kappa ceremony on Thursday, April 18, in Leonard Auditorium, Main Building. Students are normally considered for election to Wofford's Phi Beta Kappa chapter after they have earned 100 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.6. Election is not automatic. Resident members of the chapter consider scholarship, character, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, diversity of academic interests and pursuits, and other factors in the election process. The chapter may elect only 10% of a graduating class in any one year.

Alexis DeLoach '25 won the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award in Cell and Molecular Biology at the Association of Southeastern Biologists 85th annual meeting held March 20-23 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. DeLoach led a research team that included Sebastian Sisk '24, a biology major from Inman, South Carolina, and alumnus Daiven Sharma '24. She presented evidence for the phosphate-dependent control of symbiont cell division in the model anemone Exaiptasia diaphana.

Three Wofford College students are leading women's health outreach on campus and in the surrounding community. Madelyn Wilson '25, Gabby Gecan '25 and Mary Charles Burke '25 have founded the Wofford Women's Health Coalition with the aim of combining education and awareness on women's health topics with monthly service opportunities in Spartanburg, South Carolina. "We needed a space where we can talk about women's health, benefit the community and promote education," says Wilson, a psychology and Spanish major from Apex, North Carolina, who is serving as the coalition's co-president.

Tiana Kidd '25, a biology and physics double major from Greenwood, South Carolina, has been selected as Wofford's 2024-25 Presidential International Scholar. Kidd, the 40th recipient of the scholarship, hopes to journey to Cameroon, Ghana and Morocco, where she hopes to conduct research for her project "Beyond Aesthetics: Exploring Fashion as Identity."

This week, Connelly, the founder of Non Disclosure Apparel, a bra company based in Charleston, South Carolina, returned to campus to share her experience with students. Connelly is serving as Wofford's entrepreneur in residence for the week as part of The Entrepreneurial Mindset Interim course. She's giving lectures, working with students individually and in groups on their startup ideas, helping them prepare to pitch those ideas and more. "Becky is a dynamic, passionate and seasoned entrepreneur," says Sarah Butler, manager of Wofford's Launch Program in the Career Center in the Mungo Exchange, who is teaching the course. "With her knowledge and experience, I knew our students would enjoy and benefit from having her here."

Charles Beltz '25 wasn't thinking of himself when he decided to take the plunge during Interim. "I took this course because I might have kids one day and I want to be able to save them if they have a near-drowning experience," says Beltz, a biology major from Inman, South Carolina. "I swam in the deep end for the first time. I could barely float when I started." The Learn to Swim course, guided by Drs. Kim Rostan and Grace Schwartz, aims to teach students basic water safety and swimming skills. Students also are learning about the history and cultural significance of the favorite recreational pastime. They're also studying the societal barriers that contribute to an alarming rate of people who are unable to swim the length of a pool, a statistic that affects more than one-third of adults in the U.S., according to the USA Swimming Foundation.