Annual Report for the College of Architecture, Art, and Construction

The College of Architecture, Art and Construction prepares students to transform, enhance and sustain the physical world. The college fosters theoretical understanding of design combined with practical knowledge, technical skills and a global mindset. Our faculty engage students with hands-on, experiential learning techniques to position learners for academic and professional advancement. Supported by the cutting-edge built environment of Lee Hall, the outdoor Experiential Learning Yard and the globe-spanning Fluid Campus®, students learn how to translate their education into lifelong success. The college carries forward more than a century of excellence in design and building education at Clemson.

Our Leadership Team

George J. Petersen, Ph.D. Interim Dean

Shima Clarke, Ph.D. Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate & Graduate Studies

Amelie Boschert Executive Assistant to the Dean

Elysse Newman, Ph.D. Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Affairs

Mike Jackson, Ph.D. Chair, Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning

Jim Stevens, AIA, Ph.D. Director, School of Architecture

Garrett Charles, MPA Chief Business Officer

Valerie Zimany, MFA Chair, Department of Art

John Eby Public Information Director

Shay Vinson Interim Director of Student Services

Message from the Interim Dean

Dear CAAC Community,

As we reflect on the past year, it’s a moment of celebration for the College of Architecture, Art, and Construction (CAAC) and the enduring legacy of excellence it upholds at Clemson University.

From its inception in 1913 by Rudolph E. Lee, the Clemson Architecture program has evolved into CAAC, encompassing the School of Architecture, the Department of Art, and the Nieri Department of Construction, Development, and Planning—all thriving within historic Lee Hall.

With the reorganization endorsed by the Clemson University Board of Trustees in Spring 2023, our transition into an independent college structure marked a pivotal moment. Guided by an unwavering dedication to elevate our programs, our faculty and staff embraced this change with enthusiasm and a collective vision for greater excellence.

Throughout the Fall semester, collaborative sessions with faculty, staff and leadership crystallized our shared aspirations. We defined our path forward with a focus on fostering creativity, community, and collaboration, all underscored by a steadfast commitment to student growth.

Witnessing the passion for innovation and the commitment to student success among our community has been inspiring. Our students and alumni continually captivate

with their creations—from awe-inspiring structures to intricate drawings and innovative buildings and city plans.

What truly sets us apart is our faculty’s unwavering dedication to nurturing not just designs, but designers; not just art, but artists; not just construction managers, but future industry leaders. They are architects of human potential, shaping individuals poised to make a tangible impact on our state and the world.

Furthermore, our strong relationships with industry partners and alumni have been instrumental in providing real-world experiences and opportunities for our students, ensuring they are well-prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.

As we look ahead, the future of CAAC at Clemson University shines brighter than ever. It’s an honor to lead this engaged and dynamic community toward new heights of achievement, excellence and success.

Go Tigers!

George J. Petersen, Ph.D. Interim Dean, College of Architecture, Art and Construction Provost Distinguished Professor of Educational Innovation

Ece Erdogmus, Ph.D., P.E.

Ece Erdogmus, chair and professor at the School of Building Construction at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), has been chosen to lead CAAC as its founding dean beginning August 15, 2024.

“I am delighted to welcome Ece to the University after a very competitive national search,” said Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Robert H. Jones. “The disciplines in this new college support and reflect the landgrant mission of Clemson University, and her leadership and commitment to excellence will drive world-class education, research, outreach and creative endeavors in art, architecture and construction.”

Recently named a Fellow of the Masonry Society, Erdogmus was included in the 50 Notable Women in Engineering and Land Development by Engineering Georgia Magazine in 2022 and the Class of 2022 “Influential Women in Real Estate and Land Use (The Change Makers)” by Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI). She was selected as a Rising Star by Civil + Structural Engineer magazine in 2018 and honored with AEI’s national Outstanding Architectural Engineering Educator of the Year award in 2019.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Erdogmus was a professor and associate director at the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of NebraskaLincoln. She has doctoral and Master of Science degrees in architectural engineering from Penn State and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. She is a licensed civil and structural engineer in the state of Virginia.

Erdogmus’ wide range of research activities cover masonry design and construction; sustainable and resilient construction with low-cement materials; assessment and rehabilitation of historical masonry using nondestructive

testing and numerical modeling; and use of augmented and virtual reality in STEM education and AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) integration. She has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed technical articles and led numerous projects funded by the National Science Foundation, National Concrete Masonry Association Foundation, Nebraska Department of Transportation and the National Center for Preservation Technology.

“I am very excited to take on the founding dean role at Clemson University and see tremendous opportunity for interdisciplinary and innovative research and education. The units in the newly formed College of Architecture, Art and Construction already have many strengths and outstanding national reputations,” said Erdogmus.

“Together with the faculty and staff, we’ll harness these existing strengths to define our new college’s vision and identity as a global leader in transforming the built environment and visual arts.”

PH.D., Founding Dean, College of Architecture, Art and Construction

865

ENROLLMENT

UNDERGRADUATES 297 GRADUATE STUDENTS

1,196

TOTAL STUDENTS

34 PH.D. STUDENTS

RESEARCH EXPENDITURES

$954,000

TOTAL BUDGET $20,195,511

GIFTS AND NEW PLEDGES

$3,166,011

78 FULL-TIME FACULTY

2,079

STUDENT APPLICATIONS

165 FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS

Academic Units and Degree Programs

• Bachelor of Arts in Architecture

• Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

• Master of Architecture

• Master of Architecture + Health

• Master of Science in Historic Preservation

• Master of Landscape Architecture

• Master of Resilient Urban Design

• Ph.D. Planning, Design and the Built Environment

39 STATES REPRESENTED

21 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

2024 GRADUATING CLASS

188 BACHELORS DEGREES

133 MASTERS DEGREES

5 DOCTORAL DEGREES

• Department of Art

• Bachelor of Arts in Art

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art

• Master of Fine Arts in Art

• Bachelor of Science in Construction Science and Management

• Master of City and Regional Planning

• Master of Science in Construction Science and Management

• Master of Real Estate Development

• Ph.D. Construction Science and Management

Katherine Harland

CLASS OF 2024

WHEN KATHERINE HARLAND was considering where to attend college to study architecture, a small-town campus in South Carolina wasn’t at the top of her list.

“What I had in my head was, ‘If I’m going to be an architect, I need to be in an urban environment,’” she recalled.

Four years and multiple intercontinental trips later, her perspective has changed.

“The ideas that you have about college — I don’t think you really know what you need, and what I needed was to come to Clemson,” she says.

At first, Harland wasn’t seriously considering Clemson until her grandfather, himself a healthcare architect, told her to take a look.

“He had told me how he had hired a student from Clemson years and years ago and how he was just so impressed with the student body,” she remembered.

Her acceptance to the National Scholars Program sealed the decision to become a Tiger, and soon opened the door for her first of several trips abroad.

However, her deepest immersion in a foreign culture came through a semester at the Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies in Genoa, Italy, best known to friends of the School of Architecture as “the Villa.”

In the Spring of 2023, Harland was in the cohort of students at the Villa for its 50th anniversary, which drew generations of alumni back to Italy to celebrate the place and people who had transformed their lives.

“I was able to live and work in an environment with very close proximity to other students, who honestly, when I think about it, I’ll be calling them up 20, 30, 40 years down the road as I progress in my career,” she said.

“The ideas that you have about college — I don’t think you really know what you need, and what I needed was to come to Clemson.”

As much time as Harland spent studying abroad, she still managed to remain involved with campus life. She jumped in to help during her first year with the Habitat for Humanity build on Bowman Field during Homecoming, and by her junior year, she was serving as president of the Clemson chapter, a role which she repeated as a senior.

“She leads by example and is always willing to contribute to the studio culture and class. If anything needs to be done by the studio, Katherine is the first to jump in, said Associate Professor Sallie Hambright-Belue, director of the undergraduate architecture program.

She also served as an editor of The Pendulum International Affairs Magazine, publicity chair for Equity in Architecture, member of the Clemson chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students and violinist in the Clemson University Symphony Orchestra.

“I thrive through drawing connections between disjointed things,” she said. “This love of intersectionality is probably why I have chosen to knit or sew many an architectural model.”

This spring, she was awarded the CAAC’s Phi Kappa Phi Certificate of Merit. The award is presented to a senior with a strong academic record who has made noteworthy contributions to the Clemson University community.

“I do not think you will find a higher-caliber student than Katherine,” Hambright-Balue added. Harland earned admission at multiple top-ranked graduate schools, and plans to attend Rice University in the Fall to pursue her master of architecture degree.

“When I look back at the past four years, it’s nothing but gratitude and joy at the professors and the friends that I’ve made, and the things that I’ve learned,” she said.

‘100 Percent Hired Before Graduation’

FOR NOW 11 YEARS AND COUNTING

, the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning has enjoyed a 100 percent job placement rate for its undergraduate construction science and management (CSM) majors. A key element of that success has been its biannual career fairs, which on February 15 drew more than 90 companies to Clemson University.

“The competition for students is fierce,” said Brad Hutto, vice president of operations at Holder Construction and chair of the Department’s Industry Advisory Board.

To put the demand for students into perspective, the construction science and management major has approximately 90 seniors—one future graduate for each company represented at the fair. The sky-high demand for graduates is a dream for graduating seniors like Gracie Crosby. She has already secured a job after graduation with Trident Construction as a project engineer. “I have friends who struggle to just find an internship because their programs just don’t have what we have,” Crosby explained. “Our department faculty sets us up for success. They use very practical examples in their teaching, and they always relate it to the industry.”

Senior Rhame Honeycutt’s experience was similar. As a sophomore, he met with CSM alumnus Michael Benko ’19 at the career fair, who recruited him to a position with Thompson Turner Construction.

“I got really close with him, he graduated from the same program I did and took all the same coursework, so he’s a great mentor for me, not only professionally, but outside of the workplace as well,” Honeycutt said.

Mike Jackson, chair of the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning, pointed out that the tight relationship between the department and its Industry Advisory Board has made it possible to match students with jobs in which they can succeed.

“I can’t say enough about how supportive our corporate partners are for our students,” Jackson said.

“The exposure to other people in the industry is amazing, that’s why I think it was the best option for me, especially to enhance my leadership abilities.”

RHAME HONEYCUTT ‘24, construction science and management major

The Fluid Campus® Experience

Beginning with the establishment of the Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies in Genoa, Italy in 1972, Clemson University’s architecture program has been committed to providing students with a global, urban learning experience through our Fluid Campus® system. Each center offers courses, experiences and study opportunities that reflect their unique locations in cities with rich historic architectural traditions.

Clemson Design Center in Charleston (CDC.C)

In Fall 2023, the CDC.C, home of the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston (CAC.C), celebrated its 35year anniversary in the “Holy City.” To celebrate the milestone, CAC.C Director Bradford Watson invited past directors of the center and of the School of Architecture, along with alumni, students and local architectural leaders to discuss the center’s thriving past and bright future.

The center is home to some of the School of Architecture’s most innovative programs, including the Master of Science in Historic Preservation, Master of Resilient Urban Design, Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure and the Architecture + communityBUILD program. This year, the communityBUILD program, which has completed more than 20 projects in the Charleston area, partnered with The Green Heart Project to design and build an urban farm and pavilion in the Upper Peninsula of downtown Charleston. The space will provide a garden and community gathering spot for locals and an experiential learning opportunity for nearby schools.

Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies, Genoa, Italy

“The Villa,” as it is best known to students, faculty and friends of the School of Architecture, entered this school year in high spirits following its 50th anniversary gala in Spring 2023. This year marked a historic transition for the Villa, as

Administrative Director Silvia Siboldi Carroll retired in December after 40 years of warm, dedicated and steadfast service to students. In

addition to Carroll being named an honorary alumna in 2018, in 2023 the Silvia Carroll Endowment was established by School of Architecture alumni Todd Richardson and Luke Jarrett. After an extensive search and mentoring by Carroll, Martina Stoppa stepped into the role of new administrative director in Spring 2024, ensuring a continuation of our No. 1 student experience at the Villa.

Barcelona Architecture Center

The Clemson Architecture Center in Barcelona, Spain is part of a partnership in which Clemson students share a studio with students from Texas A&M University and Roger Williams University and live in a nearby university residence hall.

Our partnership with the Barcelona Architecture Center (BAC) provides students with an interdisciplinary architectural environment, a platform to work in the European context.  Students are immersed in Spanish architectural history, contemporary design, urban practices and culture.

With Director and Design Studio Professor Miguel Roldan, students crossed the country to see centuries of Spanish architecture, including the Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural, the Tarragona Amphitheatre, the Quinta da Regaleira, Convento do Carmo, Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia and Sagrada Familia.

Expanding and Improving Our Programs

Landscape Architecture earns STEM designation

In July 2023, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an amendment to the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List to include the field of landscape architecture. The designation directly impacts Clemson University’s graduate and undergraduate landscape architecture programs.

This decision from the DHS came after significant advocacy from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), who announced this designation could transform landscape architecture education and practice. According to the ASLA, “the field of landscape architecture is pioneering innovative research and developing new technologies – from using artificial intelligence for urban agriculture to urban planning for autonomous vehicles; to hydraulic modeling, robotic fabrication and augmented reality for water bodies.”

Architecture launches new mentorship program

The School of Architecture’s Bachelor of Arts in Architecture program is working to connect undergraduate architecture majors with architecture mentors through a new mentorship initiative for students, alumni and licensed architects. Dubbed the SoA Mentorship Program, the first program of this type in Clemson’s new TigerLink initiative, it

is designed to integrate the academic experience with professional practice. Sallie Hambright-Belue the director of undergraduate architecture programs, Sam Herin the president of the Clemson Architectural Foundation and founding partner of Stubbs Muldrow Herin Architects and graduate architecture student Kelsey Piotrowski came together to build the new program.

The program focuses on first- and second-year students, connecting undergraduate students with the architecture profession in meaningful ways, and meets the demands of practitioners and alumni who want to give back to the School. Students will be matched with a mentor for a full academic year, during which time they will learn new interview skills and get their first taste of the architecture profession by shadowing their mentors.

Master of Real Estate Development enhances curriculum for accelerated time-to-degree

In December 2023, the MRED program became a 35-credit hour professional degree program that can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Courses are organized in a manner that makes it possible for full-time students to complete the program in as little as one year and part-time students in as little as two years. Administered by the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning, the MRED program draws heavily from the academic disciplines of architecture, construction, finance, law, city and regional planning and real estate.

Leifeste named director of Historic Preservation program

Amalia Leifeste, associate professor of Historic Preservation at Clemson’s School of Architecture, was named director of graduate programs in Historic Preservation in January 2024. Having worked with the Historic Preservation program since 2012, Leifeste has directly contributed to forming relationships and engaging the Charleston community.

Housed in the Clemson Design Center, Charleston (CDC.C) in the historic Cigar Factory on East Bay Street, Clemson’s M.S. in historic preservation is a two-year professional-track degree program. Students of the program have the opportunity to practice preservation with Charleston’s foremost

Housed in the heart of downtown Greenville at Greenville ONE and supported by an advisory board of industry leaders, the MRED program is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge and network that leads to success.

Department of Art adds Graphic Design Concentration

Clemson University’s Department of Art is expanding with the addition of the Graphic Design Studio in response to the growing demand for interdisciplinary skills in digital media. Beginning in Fall 2024, students in the B.A. Art and BFA Art programs will have the opportunity to choose graphic design as their studio concentration.

Assistant Professor Drew Sisk will lead the graphic design studio.

Through hands-on studio work and theoretical exploration, students in the graphic design studio will be equipped to navigate the complexities of contemporary digital media and contribute meaningfully to the everevolving landscape of artistic practice.

experts in architecture conservation, architectural history, landscape preservation and urban planning, with the chance to learn in historic Lowcountry locations around Charleston.

First Annual Real Estate Summit

On April 18, the Master of Real Estate Development program hosted the inaugural Clemson University Real Estate Summit in partnership with Choate Construction as the presenting sponsor. Launched to strengthen ties between the academy and industry, the event attracted an audience of nearly 300 community leaders, faculty, students and industry professionals to downtown Greenville. “The real estate development community really stepped up to make the Summit a success,” said Dustin Read, director of the MRED program. “Both industry sponsorships and attendance exceeded our expectations for an inaugural event and showed us just how much demand there is for a forum to exchange ideas in the Upstate of South Carolina.”

As Good as Gold

MFA Program Celebrates 50 Years

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, our Master of Fine Arts program celebrated a half-century of art and learning with a three-part exhibition featuring a wide variety of art from its graduates along with receptions featuring reflections from notable alumni and supporters of the MFA program.

“Celebrating the 50-year anniversary of our MFA program in visual arts fills me with immense pride and excitement,” said Kathleen Thum, associate professor and MFA graduate program coordinator. “This milestone allows us to honor and witness the incredible successes of our alumni, achieved over five decades, while also looking forward to the promising future ahead.”

The MFA program was created in 1970 with a single student in the Department of Visual Studies, the predecessor to the Department of Art. Fifty years later, it boasts more than 250 graduates.

The student who started it all was Jeanet Dreskin ‘73, who remains a cherished pioneer for women in the arts at nearly 102 years young.

Dreskin became Clemson’s first MFA graduate and orchestrated an impressive and diverse career, beginning as a staff artist for the American Museum of Natural History, then as a certified medical illustrator, the director of the Greenville County Museum of Art school and an independent studio artist. Her artwork is in collections all over the world, including at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Gibbes Museum of Art, the Asheville Art Museum and more.

The celebration showcased more than 80 works of art by alumni from the 1970s to the 2020s, which were displayed in the Lee Gallery, compiled into a commemorative book and displayed on the Department of Art’s website.

Receptions at the Lee Gallery and the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts welcomed dozens of alumni back to campus to display their work and deliver artist talks to students and friends of Clemson Visual Arts.

“The engagement from our alumni throughout this event has been simply spectacular,” said Valerie Zimany, chair of the Department of Art. “Their willingness to display their art and have meaningful conversations with our students

elevated this anniversary from a celebration to a deep learning experience. They have inspired our students to carry the MFA program forward to another 50 years of excellence.”

“The engagement from our alumni throughout this event has been simply spectacular.”

VALERIE ZIMANY, chair, Department of Art

ABOUT THE MFA

The MFA is considered the terminal degree in the visual arts. Clemson’s program offers concentrations in the studio areas of drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, photography and sculpture. Interdisciplinary and collaborative projects are encouraged within the department. The primary goal of the program is to provide students with opportunities to develop a high degree of professional competence in their chosen area of concentration.

Jeanet Dreskin ‘73

Outstanding Faculty & Staff HONORS

AND AWARDS

CAAC Faculty Member of the Year and Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research

Vivek Sharma

Associate Professor

Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning

CAAC Advisor of the Year

Gretchen Waugaman

Undergraduate Student Services

Coordinator and Lecturer

Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning

Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award

Dustin Albright

Associate Professor and Assistant Director

School of Architecture

Dean’s Outstanding Lecturer

Harnish Sharma

Lecturer

Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning

Exceptional Students

COLLEGE AWARDS

Blue Key Academic and Leadership Award

Alexander J. Ewing

Creativity Professorship

Amy Trick

Assistant Professor

School of Architecture

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Outstanding Customer Service

Esther Kauffman

Accounting/Fiscal Manager

School of Architecture

Dean’s Staff Appreciation Award

Cornelia Robinson

Administrative Assistant to the Associate

Dean for Research and Academic Affairs

College of Architecture, Art and Construction

COLLEGE AWARDS

Phi Kappa Phi Certificate of Merit

Katherine Harland

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Mickel Travel Prize

Connor Smith

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

Sheldon Johnson

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Olmstead Scholar – Undergraduate

Morgan Sisk

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Olmstead Scholar – Graduate

Molly Foote

DEPARTMENT OF ART

Bob Hunter Award in

Undergraduate Fine Arts Studio

Syd Greene

DEPARTMENT OF ART

John Acorn Award in Graduate Fine Arts Studio

Caroline Myers

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

ABC Roger Lizka Scholarship

William Dapp

DEPARTMENT OF ART

Cecilia Voelker Award in Graduate Art History

Emily Collins

DEPARTMENT OF ART

Harold Cooledge Award in Undergraduate Art History

Chloe Owens

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

CSM Industry Advisory Board

Student Internship Leadership Award

Alexander J. Ewing

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

Marsha Ritzdorf Memorial Diversity Award

Sedinam Barney

DEPARTMENT OF ART Department of Art Service Award

Nicole Weldy

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

Ralph E. Knowland Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Gopika Viswanathan

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING McCallum Fellowship

Ben Palya

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

AGC Citation for Achievement

Kevin Finn

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

AGC Citation for Merit

Jacob Tyler Hill

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

Debbie Lieu Memorial Award

Noor Hooijmaijers

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

Sue G. and W. Russell Campbell, Sr. ’60 Annual Award

Jordan Smith

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING

Dr. J. Terrence “Terry” Farris Annual Award

Christopher Lowder

Niche.com, which produces college rankings based on data analysis of statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and more than 500,000 reviews from college students nationwide, listed Clemson University among its top 20 for Best Colleges for Architecture in America. Their college rankings are based on nine graded factors: academics, value, professors, campus, diversity, student life, student surveys on the overall experience, local area and safety.

Student takes national leadership role with the Society of American Registered Architects

The Society of American Registered Architects (SARA) appointed Cierra Davies, a Master of Architecture student, as the National Chair of the Society of American Registered Architects Students (SARAS). As a founding member and National Chair of SARAS, Davies will spearhead efforts to advocate for student members and professional development within the architectural community and facilitate the establishment of student-led SARAS organizations in schools across the country.

AIA Committee on the Environment Top 10 Awards

For the seventh year in a row, Clemson M.Arch. students were named among the winners of the American Institute of Architects, Committee on the Environment (AIA COTE), in partnership with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), 2023 AIA COTE Top Ten for Students Competition, for environmentally sustainable design. This year, Clemson student design teams claimed three of the top ten spots. The winning designs were: “The Craft, The Tradition, The Celebration of Culture” by Angela Kraus and Olivia Wideman; “Restoring a Haven” by William Scott and Connor Smith; and “Above The Marsh” by Lucas Schindler and Mia Walker. The proposals were completed in the Fall 2022 design studio taught by Associate Professor Ulrike Heine, Associate Professor David Franco and Senior Lecturer George Schafer.

Victory at national ABC Construction Management Competition

A team of construction science and management majors, coached by Assistant Professor Vivek Sharma, took first place in the Associated Builders and Contractors 2024 Construction Management Competition. Sharma and the team of Brian Bell, Willam Dapp, Alexa DeCarlo, Alexander Ewing, Krista Fullerton, Austin Mader, Jasia Mikulich, Matthew Owings, Andy Plyler and Charlie Rohaley received

their award at the 2024 ABC Convention in Orlando, March 13-15. Clemson’s team posted the highest cumulative points in the competition’s five categories, and they placed in the top three in four categories: estimating, project management, quality control and overall. Clemson’s students topped 25 teams from colleges and universities from across the U.S.

Society of American

Registered Architects

2023 Student National Design Awards “Vertical Porosity,” a project by Clemson M.Arch. students Caroline Woodard, Anna Rowell and Thomas Meacham was selected for a Merit Award among the National Design Awards announced on October 28, 2023. The design project aimed to tackle social, economic and environmental issues within the International District of Seattle, an area of the city that is seeing affordable housing dwindle and a rise of urban renewal.

Clemson students win interdisciplinary design competition

Students from Clemson’s School of Architecture and the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering program won the Precast Concrete Institute (PCI) Foundation’s 6th Annual Project Precast Design Competition. According to the PCI Foundation, the competition, held during the annual PCI Convention, is meant to introduce students to the many uses of precast and prestressed concrete and showcase the precast industry’s availability of design assistance. Anna Durfee, an undergraduate architecture student; Jared Fasshauer, a graduate architecture student; and Parker Welsh, an undergraduate civil engineering student, joined forces with Yoshon Zou, a student from Lehigh University, to form the winning team.

A rendering of “Restoring a Haven” by M.Arch. students William Scott and Connor Smith.

Research That Transforms Lives

In the 2023-2024 academic year, faculty and students in the College of Architecture, Art and Construction generated almost $1 million in research expenditures, investigating ways to transform lives statewide and beyond and making award-winning discoveries.

Center for Health Facility Design and Testing (CHFDT) wins prestigious Touchstone Award

The School of Architecture’s CHFDT received a Touchstone Award from the Center for Health Design, which was presented to Anjali Joseph, director of the Center for Health Design and Testing and David Allison, the director of graduate studies in Architecture + Health, at the 2023 Healthcare Design Conference + Expo. CHFDT earned the award in the Platinum category for their research project, “Realizing Improved Patience Care Through HumanCentered Design in the Operating Room.” The Platinum Award indicates the highest level of achievement and application in the evidence-based design process.

Doctoral students lead the way in healthcare design

Three students in the Ph.D. in Planning, Design and the Built Environment program earned significant fellowships and awards to advance their research in health design.

• Swati Goel was named the Foundation for Health Environments Research 2023-24 Griffin/ McKahan/Zilm Graduate Fellow to further her research into pediatric intensive care unit design.

• Sara Kennedy received the 2023-2024 Arthur N. Tuttle Jr. Graduate Fellowship in Health Facility Planning from the from the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Health to further her research developing operating rooms for roboticassisted surgery

• Devi Soman received the Joseph G. Sprague New Investigator Award by The Center for Health Design for her research project, “The Impact of Free-Standing Birth Center (FSBC) Physical Environments on Patient Experience and Maternal Health Outcomes for Racially and Ethnically Diverse Women.”

David Allison (left), Anjali Joseph (center) and Master of Architecture + Health alumnus Austin Ferguson (right) stand on stage at CHD after accepting the Touchstone Award.

Researchers secure grant to increase efficiency at the SCDOT

Assistant Professor Ehsan Mousavi of the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning led a team that secured a $905,881 grant aimed at streamlining the scope of services process for the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).

Mousavi will work with Assistant Professor Hamed Rahimian of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Milad Jafari, a construction science and management doctoral student. Their goal is to create a tool that speeds up and standardizes the process of hiring consultants for SCDOT projects.

Construction science faculty earn grant to support sustainability and training in the roofing industry

Assistant Professor Dhaval Gajjar and Associate Professor Jason Lucas were awarded a grant totaling $169,776 from the Roofing Alliance to “document the current state of various sustainability and resiliency efforts in the roofing industry and to develop training modules to educate current and future workforce regarding roofing sustainability and resiliency.” The Roofing Alliance is the philanthropic and educational arm of the National Roofing Contractors Association.

Zimany combines art and history through local clay

Valerie Zimany, professor and chair of the Department of Art, spearheaded a research project titled “Entanglements of Earth Materiality and History in Local Clay,” investigating local clay for brick-making and ceramics while honoring the laborers who built Clemson University. Using Clemson Wild Clay, Zimany crushed, filtered and enhanced it with ball clay for better molding. The clay emulates materials used by convict laborers in Clemson’s early history. Despite challenges, local Clemson clay holds potential for future exploration and research for creating viable bricks and ceramics.

M.

Arch. co-directors awarded inaugural LS3P Foundation grant

Associate Professors Andreea Mihalache and David Franco were awarded the first-ever LS3P Foundation’s Design Interventions Grant. The grant will support their project, “Addressing Climate Change and Tourism on the Southeastern Barrier Islands,” which explores sustainable alternatives to tourist developments on the East Coast Barrier Islands. It also directly engages the coastal communities as stewards of the environment.

Giving to Elevate Our College

Francis and Mitzi Gardiner Fund for Construction, Development and Planning.

Skip ’89 and Mitzi ’91 Gardiner made a transformative gift to the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning, pledging $1,000,000 to establish the Francis and Mitzi Gardiner Fund for Construction, Development and Planning. Skip Gardiner is an alumnus of the construction science and management program and president of Patuxent Companies. Residents of Annapolis Maryland, the Gardiners are avid contributors to Clemson and members of the Clemson Forever Vision Society for cumulative giving to the Clemson University Foundation and IPTAY. Their gift is a testament to their unwavering commitment to the growth of construction education at Clemson.

“It was just the right fit”: Construction CEO’s gift to open doors for students

A gift of $600,000 from Guanacaste Ventures will establish scholarships for students in architecture, construction science and management, and engineering majors at Clemson.

The driving force behind the gift is Bree Pattillo, CEO of Pattillo Construction Corporation, who made her donation in honor of her grandfather, H.G. Pattillo, who passed away in February 2023. Although neither Bree nor her grandfather are Clemson graduates, she zeroed in on Tigertown as the best place to make an impact on the industry.

“I’ve been doing some research in the background of schools to make pledges to, and Clemson was top of my list,” she said. “What you all have done as a university is remarkable.”

Honoring a legend: Joseph M. Pazdan Endowment

Brad Smith, Founding Principal and Chad Cousins, CEO of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, partnered with the School of Architecture to establish the Joseph M. Pazdan Endowment with an initial gift of $100,000. Pazdan, one of the firm’s founders and a pillar of the South Carolina architecture community, passed away in April 2023 after a battle with cancer. He was a two-time graduate with Bachelor of Science degrees in design (’82) and construction science (’83). With an additional pledge of $50,000 from Bob and Kaye Stanzione and a challenge to raise at least $250,000, the Clemson Family has so far raised over $256,000 and counting to honor Pazdan’s legacy.

Designing a legacy: P. Douglas Quackenbush Endowed Professorship in Architecture

In the summer of 2023, Doug Quackenbush ’82, M ’84 pledged an endowed professorship to the College. Quackenbush is the founding principal of Quackenbush Architects + Planners (Q+) in Columbia. A portion of the endowment will be used annually to supplement the salary of a named faculty position, as well as to provide research support, student assistance, travel and other expenses. The professorship reflects Quackenbush’s gratitude for his Clemson Experience and for those teachers who helped shape his life and career.

Thank you to the Clemson Family for more than $3,166,011 in total gifts and pledges during CAAC’s inaugural year!

Alumni Accomplishments

The Roaring 10

Each year, the Clemson Young Alumni Council recognizes ten outstanding individuals for their impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors. The honor is given to those individuals who exemplify Clemson University’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect. In 2024, two of the Roaring 10 awardees were CAAC alumni: Jesica Lyn Galloway ’16 and Emily McGee ’16.

Jesica Galloway is a graduate of the construction science and management program and a current project engineer for Holder Construction. In her role, she was the senior engineer for the Daniel Hall Renovation and Expansion project, transforming the built environment in the heart of campus and fulfilling a childhood promise to her father that she would one day build something at Clemson.

Emily McGee, a graduate of Clemson’s Master of Architecture + Health program, is an architect and healthcare designer with the global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm HOK. McGee co-leads

HOK IMPACT, the firm’s social responsibility arm that provides pro-bono projects and services. Among her accomplishments at HOK, she led the design of the first community hospital built in the District of Columbia in more than 25 years.

Shining in the AIA and beyond

Jill Bergman, a graduate of Clemson’s Master of Architecture + Health program, was recently raised to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) College of Fellows (FAIA). Alongside her newly awarded FAIA status, Bergman was elevated to the American College of Healthcare Architects College of Fellows in 2023. Elevation to the College of Fellows is one of the highest distinctions that AIA can give, with only 3 percent of all AIA members being given the distinction and less than 1 percent of the fellows being women.

The AIA recently awarded Master of Architecture alumna Elissa Morrison the Young Architects Award.  Morrison was named among only 30 other young architects from across the United States. AIA’s Young Architects Award recognizes AIA members in the early stages of their architectural careers who have shown exceptional leadership in design, planning, education and service to the profession. Over the last 12 years, Morrison has practiced at Liollio Architecture in Charleston, where, according to AIA, her project leadership has engaged South Carolina’s diverse communities.