Three new degree programs established at CCU

Master of Business Administration

Coastal's MBA program will begin in the fall of 2006. The E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration began accepting applications for the program Jan. 1, 2006.

According to David DeCenzo, dean of the Wall College, the MBA program was developed in response to increased demand from students and business leaders in the area. Members of the board of visitors of the Wall College, for instance, have pledged to work cooperatively with CCU to make the program available to their employees.

An MBA program at Coastal will provide advantages for students preparing for CPA certification, which requires students to have 150 hours of post-secondary education before they can be licensed. Coastal will offer an integrated program leading both to CPA licensure and the MBA.

Curriculum for the new program will focus on major areas of business competencies that have been identified by local constituencies, including management in the service environment. Other curriculum areas include management of the accounting/finance function, decision-making skills and social competencies such as leadership, ethical conduct of business, interpersonal skills and more.

Communication

The new communication program, which began in January 2006, is designed to provide graduates with varied communication skills for the business environment.

"The communication discipline encompasses a range of subfields with a rich tradition distinct from other disciplines, but communication's somewhat interdisciplinary nature also allows for many useful connections with other areas inside and outside of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts," said John Beard, interim dean of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. "Students can now benefit from these unique connections and branch out into a wide variety of career choices."

Recreation and Sport Management

The recreation and sport management program (RSM), which also began in spring 2006, will meet a growing local, regional and national need for professionals in those areas.

"Nationally, recreation and sport businesses increasingly seek to hire individuals with educational backgrounds in recreation or sport management," said Gib Darden, chair of Coastal's Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. "In our local and regional community, there are unique needs for trained leaders and managers in high-growth areas such as community recreation, sport tourism and recreation/sport facility management."

One aspect of Coastal's RSM program that distinguishes it from similar degrees offered by other universities is that it allows a high degree of specialization. Two tracks of study will be offered: (1) recreation management, emphasizing employment in the public sector with a focus on planning, marketing and budgeting; and (2) sport management, focusing on sport governance, marketing and promotion, and sports management.

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Coastal Carolina University names honorary founders

Honorary Coastal founders Liston Barfield and George Williams. E. Craig Wall Jr. was awarded posthumously.

Liston D. Barfield, George L. Williams Sr. and the late E. Craig Wall Jr. were named honorary Coastal founders at the 19th annual Founders' Day Convocation in September 2005.

Barfield is the first Coastal alumnus to serve in the South Carolina General Assembly, where he was a member from 1985 to 1989 and from 1997 to 2005. A native of Aynor, Barfield was a member of Coastal's first full-degree graduation class, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1975. In 2001, Barfield was named Coastal's "Distinguished Alumnus of the Year." Barfield serves on the Ways and Means Committee of the S.C. House of Representatives and is a member of the S.C. Veteran's Memorial Committee.

Wall (1937-1997) earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Davidson College in 1959 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1962. In 1995, he initiated the Wall Fellows program to train business students in leadership, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. At the time of his death in 1997, Wall was chairman and chief executive officer of Canal Industries Inc. and also served as board chairman of New South Inc. and director of Pelican Companies Inc. He was a member of the board of trustees of Davidson College, Coastal Carolina University, Converse College and Brookgreen Gardens.

Williams, of Conway, a retired educator and civic leader, taught part time at Coastal from 1969 to 1974 and was the university's first African-American instructor. He is profiled in the article, Civil Leader.

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Wall Fellows program director is named

Ned Cohen

Conceived in 1995 by the late E. Craig Wall Jr., a prominent South Carolina businessman and CCU supporter, the Wall Fellows program is designed to prepare top students for high-level careers in major U.S. and international corporations and organizations.

Cohen, who joined Coastal in 2004, is also director of the Wall Center for Excellence, an innovative program that helps students make the transition from university life to the working world. He graduated from Rockford College with a triple major in education, history and speech. Prior to joining Coastal, he worked as the senior vice president of human resources for organizational leadership and development at Citigroup Global Operations and Technology.

Students are chosen for the Wall Fellows program through a rigorous application process in the second semester of their sophomore year. The two-year program includes a three-credit-hour-per-semester course that covers specific nontraditional areas including interpersonal and communications skills, ethics, personal health and appearance, business and social etiquette, foreign languages and cultural skills. The course prepares the students for the highlight of the program: a series of internships and international experiences during their senior year.

Since the program was initiated, Wall Fellows have served internships at major companies in New York, Atlanta, London, Barcelona, Mainz (Germany), Brussels and Santiago, as well as other metropolitan cities. Many graduates of the program have earned leadership positions throughout the United States and abroad.

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Piroch named interim dean of Coastal's science college

Joan Piroch

Joan Piroch, chair of Coastal Carolina University's Department of Psychology and Sociology, is serving as interim dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences. She replaces Doug Nelson, who is retiring from the position but will continue to teach.

"With her academic background and record of responsibilities, Dr. Piroch is well suited for this job," said Provost Pete Barr. "She has graciously agreed to step into this position to allow us to search for a dean candidate without interrupting the high level of excellence in the college."

Piroch joined the Coastal faculty in 1982. Her responsibilities as dean include curriculum development, budgets, promotions and tenure issues related to faculty, and overall leadership within the College of Natural and Applied Sciences. She earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of South Florida in 1982, a master's degree in psychology from Western Washington University in 1974 and a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Slippery Rock University in 1972. She has chaired Coastal's Department of Psychology and Sociology since 1987.

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RAIN II Conference explores new agriculture/industry

Greg Hyman, Val Dunham and Liston Barfield at Hyman Vineyards

A group of scientists, physicians and agribusiness leaders met at Coastal in October 2005 for the RAIN II conference, part of an ongoing effort to stimulate the region's agricultural and economic prospects by exploring new developments in the medicinal uses of muscadine grapes.

The meeting was a follow-up to the first RAIN (Research, Agriculture, Industry and Nature) Conference, which was held in 2004 to begin exploring the economic advantages of grape cultivation. The conference produced a report indicating that in addition to wine and fruit juices, grapes are also a good source for nutraceuticals, which are plant products with medicinal or dietary applications.

"The RAIN II conference was valuable," said organizer Val Dunham, Coastal's associate vice president for grants, contract administration and research, "because it brought together people who have expertise in the formation of agriculture-business cooperatives. Their presentations provided a great deal of useful data on how to create a ‘cluster' connecting muscadine agriculture and the budding nutraceutical industry here in the region." The conference also took a serious look at grapes as a viable crop to supplement and perhaps replace tobacco in the Pee Dee region.

The presenters included professors Eugene P. Mayer of USC Columbia, Stephen G. Talcott of the University of Florida, Phillip Greenspan of the University of Georgia and Myrtle Beach dermatologist Dr. Robert Bibb, who discussed the medical applications of products made from muscadine grapes.

Conference participants also visited Hyman Vineyards near Conway to observe muscadine cultivation. Greg Hyman, president of Dermacon, a local nutracuetical firm, was also a presenter at the conference.

The RAIN II conference was sponsored by South Carolina EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), Coastal Carolina University, Francis Marion University, Myrtle Beach Economic Development Corporation, Integrated Environmental Technologies and Dermacon Inc.

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Eason honored with annual lecturer title

Tom Vitt of HTC (left) and Provost Pete Barr (right) with 2005 honoree Jim Eason

James F. Eason, associate professor of business administration at Coastal Carolina University, is the 10th recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Scholar Lecturer Award, presented each year by Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC) to a Coastal faculty member who has outstanding abilities as a teacher, scholar and communicator. Each recipient delivers a fall lecture drawn from his or her area of expertise.

Eason's lecture, "Achieving the Dream: Values, Change and Service to the Community," related the path of his personal and professional development to the growth of the university and the changing technological environment of higher education.

A native of Murrells Inlet, Eason became interested in being a teacher at a young age. He graduated from Winyah High School in Georgetown and in 1968 entered USC-Coastal Carolina College, where he earned an associate's degree before transferring to the Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University). After completing his bachelor's degree he taught at Horry-Georgetown Technical College for two years. He earned a master's degree in accounting and management from Appalachian State University in 1975.

Eason joined the Coastal faculty in 1977. In addition to teaching full time, he has served as assistant and associate dean of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, published many scholarly articles, and conducted workshops and seminars for area business and civic organizations. He has served on several local boards, including a three-year term on the board of directors of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce. He has also held a variety of positions in the South Carolina Association of Accounting Educators. Eason plans to retire in June 2006.

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StepUp! Program a major new effort to coordinate area volunteerism

Valerie Harrington

Aiming to increase community engagement and involve more area residents in meaningful endeavors, Coastal Carolina University has received a grant to fund StepUp!, an organization designed to recruit and mobilize volunteers, and help them develop ongoing relationships with community nonprofit groups.

Funded by a four-year, $750,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, StepUp! will work with area nonprofit groups to create an effective volunteer infrastructure that will widen, diversify and promote volunteer opportunities.

StepUp! will coordinate with nonprofit organizations to help them improve their readiness and ability to attract, train and use a strong volunteer base. The initiative will focus on developing a wide range of volunteer opportunities with clearly defined tasks, matching activities with volunteers' skills and offering networking and socializing opportunities. Project coordinators, trained by StepUp!, will be the key contacts, providing volunteers with information about the projects that interest them.

"Coastal Carolina University is especially interested in new ways the university community can contribute to strengthening the entire region," said Peter Barr, provost of Coastal. "StepUp! is building important bridges throughout the community that will ultimately make the area a better place to live, work and visit."

StepUp! is administered by executive director Valerie Harrington. She has served as the executive director for CARETEAM Inc. in Myrtle Beach and as an independent counselor in the field of sexual assault, teen pregnancy prevention and child abuse. She earned a master's degree in social work from the University of South Carolina. The StepUp! office is housed in the Coastal Carolina University Foundation Center.

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Stormwater consortium addresses local issues

In June 2005, Coastal announced the formation of the Coastal Waccamaw Stormwater Education Consortium, an association of 12 local governments, municipalities, institutions and agencies that have joined together to address stormwater issues in the Grand Strand area.

Six local governments and municipalities signed the stormwater education resolution, including Horry and Georgetown counties, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach and Conway. The resolution outlined the goals of the consortium: (1) to share ideas and expertise; (2) to issue a unified message and plan of action for educating citizens on issues relating to stormwater runoff; and (3) to recognize the connected nature of our area's water supply (i.e., we all live downstream).

The organizations involved in the consortium are: Clemson University's Carolina Clear Program, Coastal's Waccamaw Watershed Academy, North Inlet-Winyah Bay Estuarine Research Reserve's Coastal Training Program, the S.C. Sea Grant Extension Program, Murrells Inlet 2007 and the Waccamaw Riverkeeper.

In November 2005, the Town of Surfside Beach asked the consortium to lead a workshop addressing stormwater issues for members of the town council and staff.

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CCU honors musician Bill Pinkney

Bill Pinkney

August 15, 2005, was named "Bill Pinkney Day" at Coastal Carolina University by President Ronald R. Ingle in honor of the legendary beach music singer's 80th birthday.

Pinkney is one of the founders of the Original Drifters, the soul group that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. A native of Dalzell, S.C., Pinkney is the only surviving member of the group, which formed in 1953 and recorded many classic beach music songs for the Atlantic Record Company including "Under the Boardwalk," "Up on the Roof" and "There Goes My Baby." The music of the Drifters is closely associated with South Carolina's state dance, the Shag.

In addition to his musical career, Pinkney has also been a National Negro League baseball pitcher, a World War II Presidential Citation recipient with four Bronze Stars, and a recipient of South Carolina's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto. In May 2001, he received an honorary degree, Doctor of Fine Arts, from Coastal Carolina University.

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New Coastal initiative mandates sustainability

Dan Abel

A new initiative established by Coastal Carolina University will place increased emphasis on environmental management as a campuswide priority. The Coastal Carolina University Campus and Community Sustainability Initiative will promote the practice of sustainability in all campus endeavors, including university curriculum, and serve as a resource to the community.

The ultimate purpose of this program is to transform Coastal into a sustainable university, according to Dan Abel, director of the initiative. Sustainability is defined as development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising resources for future generations.

"CCU recognizes that it is essentially a small city, with 7,500 students and approximately 1,000 faculty and staff, and as such consumes enormous amounts of energy and material resources and produces massive quantities of waste," said Abel, who is also an associate professor of marine science. "Thus, the university has a moral obligation to get its own house in order by applying significant financial, operational and intellectual resources to minimize its impact on the environment."

Coastal is a member of the S.C. Sustainable University Initiative, a statewide association of higher education institutions committed to promoting environmental responsibility through teaching, research, community service and facilities management.

"Because institutions of higher education should be leaders in this important movement, the Coastal initiative will do its part to ensure that every student who crosses the threshold of our institution, regardless of major, understands the concept of sustainability and his or her responsibility to practice it both at CCU and after they graduate," said Abel.

Santee Cooper grant brings energy saving technology to campus

Through a partnership with state-owned utility Santee Cooper, Coastal has installed the latest energy efficient technology at the recently-renovated Coastal Science Center, located on the university's east campus across U.S. Hwy. 501 in the Atlantic Center.

New state-of-the-art, energy-saving technologies, such as an air-to-air energy recovery unit and occupancy sensors, will result in estimated energy savings of approximately $76,400 annually. Santee Cooper is providing $216,455 to Coastal through a grant for energy efficient technologies.

"This newly renovated facility demonstrates how we can actively and purposefully manage our energy resources," said Coastal President Ronald R. Ingle. "The improvements will prevent wasteful use of natural resources and significantly reduce long-term injury to the environment. This partnership exemplifies good stewardship and makes sense for the university, the community, and the students and faculty who will use this facility."

Since 2001, Coastal has been a Green Power Partner, a Santee Cooper program that generates electricity from renewable energy. The university has also been designated a Santee Cooper "Champion of the Environment," one of six area organizations that have purchased more than 270 blocks of green power.

"Incorporating sustainable and energy efficient technology in this building is a demonstration of Coastal's continuing commitment to doing the right thing," said Bill McCall, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Santee Cooper. "Working with Coastal in efforts like this one is another opportunity for Santee Cooper to support the community through innovative programs that conserve our natural resources, reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources and engage in environmentally-friendly projects."

Coastal names director of contractual and business services

Keith Smith

Smith, a certified public accountant, is from Greenville where he owned and operated his own accounting firm for 18 years. He earned a master's degree in accounting from Strassford University in 1985 and a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg in 1979.

Smith served on the Coastal Carolina University board of trustees from 1993 to 2005. He was vice chairman of the board from 1997 to 1999 and was chair of the Planning and Fiscal Affairs Committee throughout his entire tenure on the board.

Coastal hosts Japanese outreach coordinator

Yuki Murata

Walking down the second floor hall of the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, you immediately notice something different about Yukiko Murata's office. A bright blue curtain with white Japanese characters flutters above the door, distinguishing it from the other professorial doorways.

The 27-year-old woman (she goes by "Yuki") from Okinawa, Japan, is the first Japanese outreach coordinator at Coastal. Her Japanese name, which was given to her by her grandmother, means "snow," an irony since it never snows in her hometown.

Murata's position requires her to live in Horry County for two years, travel to schools, senior centers, book clubs and other venues where she can present programs that promote her country's culture.

Since arriving in August, Murata has worked with the taiko band at Carolina Forest High School, taught second graders at Socastee Elementary School about life in Japan, and traveled with the Horry County Council to Japan on a trip to discuss economic redevelopment; she acted as the group's cultural guide and adviser. She has also instructed political science and Japanese classes at Coastal on language and culture and demonstrated the art of calligraphy to students.

"My mission with the Japan Outreach Initiative (JOI) is to introduce Japan to Horry County," says Murata, who is the first JOI coordinator to come to South Carolina. "She's helping Japanese people who live here to become assimilated into the American culture," says Coastal English professor Nelljean Rice, Murata's supervisor and sponsor. "She's also the unofficial den mother of our five Japanese students at Coastal."

The outreach program is sponsored in Horry County by JOI, which is co-administered by the Laurasian Institution and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership to promote awareness of Japan in the United States.

Murata finds the Grand Strand area very similar to Okinawa, the beach resort city where she was born and has lived all her life. "It's very hot there also," says the young woman who plans to resume teaching high school when she returns home.

2005 ‘Big Read' author Satrapi visits

Marjane Satrapi

Iranian-born author Marjane Satrapi visited Coastal to read from and talk about her autobiographical book, Persepolis, in October 2005.

All Coastal freshmen were required to read Persepolis over the summer as part of the university's "Big Read" program, a shared intellectual experience for the incoming students.

The acclaimed book is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of the "graphic" novel, a genre of literature that uses black and white, comic strip images to tell a serious story. Set during the 1970s and 1980s, Persepolis describes the experiences of a young girl growing up in Iran whose life is turned upside down as a result of the Islamic revolution and the war with Iraq. The international bestseller has been translated in German, Dutch, Portugese, Spanish and Italian.

Satrapi was born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran. She grew up in Tehran, where she studied at the Lycee Francais before leaving for Vienna and then going to Strasbourg to study illustration. She lives in Paris, where her illustrations appear regularly in newspapers and magazines. She is also the author of several children's books.

Following the talk, Satrapi signed copies of Persepolis and talked to students and faculty about her experiences.