| CCU names new provost
Robert Sheehan |
Robert Sheehan of Toledo, Ohio, assumed the position of provost at Coastal Carolina University on July 2007.
Sheehan served as interim provost, senior vice provost for academic affairs and vice provost for strategic planning and student assessment at the University of Toledo. He served on the Ohio Board of Regents from 1998 to 2002, most recently as associate vice chancellor for performance reporting and analysis.
During four years at Cleveland State University, he was interim associate provost for strategic planning and assessment and director of institutional research. He earned a Ph.D. in education at Georgia State University and a bachelor's degree in early childhood education in psychology at the University of Massachusetts.
The provost is responsible for planning, organizing, budgeting, coordinating, directing and evaluating the instructional, research and public service activities of the university. All four of the academic colleges—the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, the Spadoni College of Education and the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration—report to the provost.
Other departments that report to the provost are: Kimbel Library; Administration and Academic Student Services; Grants, Contract Administration and Research Planning; Graduate Studies; Information Technology Services; and Institutional Research and Assessment.
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Dyer named executive vice president
Edgar "Eddie" Dyer |
Edgar "Eddie" Dyer, longtime Coastal administrator and educator, was named executive vice president of the university in February 2007.
Dyer, who was a final candidate for the position of president, is responsible for all university functions that relate to strategic planning, capital projects and government relations.
During his 31-year career at Coastal, Dyer has served as interim dean of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, interim athletic director, executive director of the Coastal Educational Foundation, and director of Coastal's bachelor's degree program in interdisciplinary studies.
A member of Coastal's political science faculty since 1976, Dyer was the first recipient of the HTC Teacher-Scholar Lecturer Award and also received the Distinguished Teaching Award and the Student Development Award. He is an honorary inductee of the CCU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dyer earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Guilford College, a master's degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina and a juris doctor degree from the University of South Carolina.
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CCU hires research economist
Donald L. Schunk |
Donald L. Schunk has been named to the position of research economist with the Coastal Federal Center for Economic and Community Development at Coastal Carolina University. Schunk was formerly with the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.
At Coastal, Schunk conducts research in the areas of economic impact and development, as well as cost/benefit analyses for public and private projects. He develops and maintains a database of regional economic indicators and publishes economic forecasts. Schunk is a liaison with the area business community and state and local governments.
"Don brings considerable experience and expertise to this important new position," says Gary Loftus, director of CCU's Coastal Federal Center for Economic and Community Development. "He will advance the mission of the center significantly by helping to serve as a bridge between the university and the business community."
Schunk joined the USC faculty in 1999, where he was responsible for tracking, forecasting and analyzing national and state economic conditions for the Moore School's Division of Research. He generated monthly and quarterly publications detailing economic trends for the U.S., South Carolina and local economies across the state.
He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Bemidji State University in Minnesota in 1995 and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Tennessee in 1999.
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Domke-Damonte to coordinate strategic planning
Darla Domke-Damonte |
Coastal Carolina University President David DeCenzo has appointed Darla Domke-Damonte to coordinate the university's strategic planning process. Domke-Damonte, associate professor of management and international programs liaison for the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, will coordinate stakeholder involvement in reviewing and updating the univer-sity's strategic plan.
"This process will be transparent, inclusive and consultative," says Domke-Damonte. "The goal is to develop a unified commitment from all stakeholders to the future vision and mission of Coastal Carolina University as well as a framework for continuous improvement within the university." Her special assignment is a one-year appointment.
Since joining the Coastal faculty in 1998, Domke-Damonte has been instrumental in establishing exchange programs with universities abroad, particularly in Germany and, most recently, China. She has served as faculty adviser to Coastal's Society for the Advancement of Management (SAM) club and she received the Student Affairs Division Award in 2003.
Domke-Damonte, who is conversant in seven languages, earned a Ph.D. in strategic management from Florida State University, a master's degree in international business from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor's degree from the American University, where she graduated magna cum laude with a double major in Russian and communications media.
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Famous oceanographer gives Kimbel lecture
Jean-Michel Cousteau |
Jean-Michel Cousteau, a world-famous oceanographer, environmentalist and filmmaker, was the featured speaker for Coastal Carolina University's Kimbel Distinguished Lecturer Series in February 2007.
"The Great Ocean Adventure" was Cousteau's topic, continuing the legacy of his father Jacques Cousteau, the legendary ocean explorer who died in 1997.
Jean-Michel Cousteau is founder of the Ocean Futures Society, a marine conservation and education organization that serves as a "Voice for the Ocean." He also teaches conservation ethics, conducts research and helps to develop marine education programs.
During his presentation to a capacity audience at Wheelwright Auditorium, Cousteau talked about the importance of conservation and anti-pollution initiatives needed in order to reverse dangerous conditions in the world's ecosystems. The presentation was highlighted with scenes from films he has made around the world, including spectacular underwater footage.
The purpose of the Kimbel Distinguished Lecturer Series is to present programs promoting an appreciation for the intellectual values in broad social issues, religion, geopolitics and the arts. Some of the previous Kimbel speakers have included Desmond Tutu, the South African archbishop and activist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; Carl Bernstein, one of the journalists who broke the Watergate story and won a Pulitzer for Public Service; former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater; and the late Howard K. Smith, the distinguished CBS correspondent and anchor.
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Dean of College of Natural and Applied Sciences named
Michael H. Roberts |
Michael H. Roberts of New York, N.Y., has been named dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences at Coastal Carolina University, effective July 1.
Roberts was professor of biology in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences at Pace University in New York. He served as acting dean of the college and associate dean for two years, and he was chair of the Department of Biology.
Roberts earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. He earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in biology from the University of Virginia.
Coastal psychology professor Joan Piroch has served as interim dean of College of Natural and Applied Sciences since July 2005.
Departments within the College of Natural and Applied Sciences are Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Coastal Marine and Wetland Studies, Mathematics and Statistics, and Psychology and Sociology. The Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies operates under the college, as does the Campus and Community Sustainability Initiative, the Environmental Quality Laboratory, the Center for Active Aging and Retirement and the Waccamaw Watershed Academy.
More than 1,780 students are majoring in science programs at Coastal. The college has 89 full-time faculty members.
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Memorial observance honors Virginia Tech
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Wall College of Business dean named
Henry Lowenstein |
Henry Lowenstein of Bakersfield, Calif., has been named dean of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration at Coastal Carolina University, beginning July 2007.
Lowenstein was dean of the School of Business and Public Administration at California State University for seven years. Previously, he was chair of the Division of Business and Economics at West Virginia University.
As dean of Coastal's Wall College, Lowenstein will be responsible for planning, organizing, budgeting, coordinating and evaluating the instructional, research, scholarly and service activities of the college. He will be instrumental in recruiting and retaining students and faculty and will represent the needs and interest of the college to the university and the greater community.
Lowenstein earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, an M.B.A. from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in labor and industrial relations from the University of Illinois.
The Wall College has been led by two interim deans since May 2006—retired executive Harold Stowe and CCU professor Sam Wathen.
Departments within the Wall College of Business Administration are Accounting, Finance, Economics, Management, Marketing and Resort Tourism Management. An area of specialized study within the college is the Professional Golf Management program.
The college has 35 full-time faculty members and is accredited by AACSB International - the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting body for business colleges.
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Student-athlete earns academic honors
Coastal President David DeCenzo and Anthony Franklin |
May 2007 graduate Anthony Franklin, a mathematics major and Chanticleer football player, has racked up an impressive array of academic awards.
A native of Simpsonville, Franklin was a four-year letterwinner for the Chanticleers, playing in 43 of Coastal's 45 games since 2003. He received the Faculty's Distinguished Excellence Award at the university's Honors Convocation in April for earning a 4.0 grade point average.
In May 2007 he was one of three players to receive the Big South Tournament's George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence and he also was recently named to the National Football Foundation's Inaugural National Honor Society. He received the McDonald's Black History Makers of Tomorrow Award in 2003, was a USAA National Collegiate Mathematics Award nominee, received the Gold Chanticleer Academic Award and was a recipient of the Sara Carson Academic Scholarship.
While he was a student, Franklin was also worship leader of Coastal's Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and athletic representative on the Student Leadership Council. He served as a mentor at Homewood Elementary for three children and participated in Habitat for Humanities.
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International exec chosen to lead M.B.A. program
John Lox |
John O. Lox has been named the first director of Coastal Carolina University's Master of Business Administration program.
Lox has extensive general management experience with international and domestic firms, including Sara Lee, Kraft-Nabisco and Unilever. His international consulting efforts led him to develop a successful market-based enterprise in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
He began his career at Mississippi State University as an executive-in-residence, where he founded, developed and directed the successful International Business Academic program. He taught a number of international business courses, directed many study abroad and foreign exchange programs, and helped lead the university in globalizing efforts. He was named a Professor of Eminence at Mississippi State and frequently spoke at Society of Scholars meetings. Lox is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma honor societies, and he is a co-author of The American Entrepreneur's Guide, a widely used college text.
Lox earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia, and a master's degree in IT from MSU.
The M.B.A. program, which Coastal began offering in August 2006 through the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, encompasses the disciplines of accounting, finance, economics, management and marketing. In addition to a general M.B.A., the program offers the option of an accounting concentration. A hallmark of the program is the opportunity to intern with a wide range of well-known local, national and global companies program. Further, senior level executives are recruited to serve as mentors for each M.B.A. student. Approximately 40 students are enrolled in the program for fall 2007.
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New student award honors longtime professor
Recipient Laurel Long (center) with "Wink" Prince (left), chair of CCU's Department of History, and James Branham (right) |
Laurel Long of Longs, S.C., is the first recipient of the James Branham History Award, a new award that recognizes the top graduate of Coastal Carolina University's history program.
Long, a senior history major who graduated in May 2007 with a 4.0 grade point average, was presented with a medallion and a $500 check prior to the induction of 17 CCU students into Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society of which she is a member. Long says she has always had a passion for history and plans to pursue a master's degree in history from the University of South Carolina. She has six children and five grandchildren.
The new award is named for James Branham, who served on Coastal's history faculty from 1963 to 1991. Regarded as one of the most popular professors in the university's history, Branham hosts an alumni gathering at his home every other year that is a Coastal tradition.
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Professor named Young Scientist of the Year
At the Governor's Office: Gov. Mark Sanford (far left) with CCU computer science professor Steve Sheel (a member of the awards committee); Joan Piroch, former interim dean of CCU's College of Natural and Applied Sciences; wife Lourdes Limpasuvan; Var Limpasuvan; Teresa Burns, chair of CCU's Department of Chemistry and Physics; William Crank of Michelin North America; and Hans-Conrad zur Loye, president of the South Carolina Academy of Sciences. |
Var Limpasuvan, an associate professor of physics at Coastal Carolina University, recently received the 2007 Young Scientist Governor's Award for Excellence in Scientific Research for his research in atmospheric physics.
Limpasuvan, a member of Coastal's faculty since 2000, is the first professor from CCU to earn a governor's award for excellence in science. His work focuses on various atmospheric processes that contribute to our understanding of the climate and our ability to assess climate changes.
The governor's awards for science were established in 1985 by the Drug Science Foundation to honor an individual or team within the state whose achievements and contributions to science in South Carolina merit special recognition and to promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina.
Founded in 2005 by Michelin North America, the Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research honors individuals who have completed no more than 12 years beyond their Ph.D. Past recipients of the Young Scientist Award have all been professors from Clemson University.
Limpasuvan earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Occidental College, a bachelor's degree in engineering and applied sciences from the California Institute of Technology, and a doctorate degree in atmospheric sciences from the University of Washington. Prior to coming to CCU, he was a research associate at the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean in Seattle.
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French professor goes 'House Hunting' (avec grande succès)
Matthew Chan Tsin, Juliet Wood and Piper will be featured in an upcoming episode of HGTV's House Hunters. |
When Pierre Belisle, a Myrtle Beach realtor and part-time Coastal French instructor, was contacted by HGTV's House Hunters for suggestions on possible people to feature on the popular cable program, he didn't have to think twice.
Matthieu Chan Tsin moved to the area a year ago to join Coastal's foreign language faculty. He speaks four languages and reads four more, including several forms of medieval French. He's a former Purdue lacrosse player (reportedly the only Frenchman to play for an American college lacrosse team), a professional paintball competitor who plays in tournaments all over the globe, and he is one of the editors of Facefull, a worldwide magazine that celebrates extreme sports.
Belisle had been showing homes to Chan Tsin and his girlfriend Juliet Wood, a former medical researcher who now does volunteer work. "I thought their profile was interesting," said Belisle. "There's Matthew's French background, he had played college lacrosse, was captain of a paintball team, and he's in the French department at CCU. And Juliet is a lab researcher from Indiana—they illustrate the diversity of people we have here in Myrtle Beach."
To audition for House Hunters, the couple was videotaped "fake visiting" their own apartment and talking about what they liked and didn't like about it. It must have been a good audition because they were chosen for the show, along with Belisle. Chan Tsin and Wood spent about a week with a film crew, revisiting homes they rejected and one they didn't. The final cut will be aired in late summer or early fall.
Because of contractual secrecy, Chan Tsin is not allowed to talk about the production of the show or the outcome, but it's safe to say that the process involves a great deal more than is revealed in the final product. And it requires a bit of acting.
The three homes the show focuses on were all new construction, one in the Quail Creek subdivision, one on Juniper Road behind Coastal and one in The Farm, a new residential community in Carolina Forest. "There were things we wanted, like a big yard, three or four bedrooms, two baths, a two-car garage," says Chan Tsin. "We were first-time home buyers so we were very open."
The couple rejected two of the houses (on national TV) for various reasons, but they are now settled in and quite pleased with the new neighborhood full of kids, pets, young people and older homeowners.
"The filming was a lot of fun," says Chan Tsin. He and Belisle spoke French on the set when they needed to be candid but discreet. "I would say, 'Quelle catastrophe cette cuisine (that kitchen is a catastrophe)!' It was easier that way because we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings but, at the same time, we had to be truthful."
Coastal should reap some good publicity from the show, which features the couple at work: Matthew on the CCU campus and coaching a local paintball team; Juliet working with handicapped children and adults doing therapeutic horseback riding.
"Coastal gave me some logo clothes to wear, so I have on a Coastal track jacket one time, a polo shirt with a CCU logo and a brown T-shirt with big Coastal Carolina lettering," says Chan Tsin. "You can't buy that kind of publicity."
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CCU professor receives Rome Prize
Florence Eliza Glaze, assistant professor of history and co-director of the Honors Program at Coastal Carolina University, has been awarded the Andrew W. Mellon Post-doctoral Rome Prize in Medieval Studies.
The Rome Prize for the 2007-2008 academic year includes an 11-month fellowship at the American Academy in Rome. Glaze, a medieval specialist who has conducted considerable research on medicine during the Middle Ages, will work to complete her current project, "Gariopontus and the Salernitans: Medical Practice and Medical Theory, c. 1050-1225."
Each year, through a national competition, some 30 Americans receive Rome Prize fellowships for advanced research and independent study in arts and the humanities. Only four post-doctoral prizes in the humanities are awarded for research in ancient studies, medieval studies, Renaissance and early modern studies, and modern Italian studies.
Glaze, who joined Coastal's faculty in 2003, earned a Ph.D. from Duke University.
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Coastal partners with China in dual degree program
Coastal Carolina University is one of five American universities selected to participate in a unique partnership with 14 Chinese institutions called the SINO-American 1+2+1 Hospitality Management Dual Degree Program. The program represents Coastal's first academic partnership with institutions of higher education in China.
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) recommended Coastal for this program.
"The agreement and further articulation of this program will unite Coastal and Chinese students and faculty and contribute to greater understanding between our nations," said Darla Domke-Damonte, associate professor of management and international programs liaison in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration.
Domke-Damonte and Taylor Damonte, associate professor of management and director of Coastal's resort tourism management program, traveled with the American contingent to Nanjing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, China, in late June and early July to further articulate the agreement. The first Coastal and Chinese students are expected to enter the program in 2009.
With Coastal, U.S. universities participating in the hospitality program include: Northern Arizona University, University of Central Florida, Fort Hays State University and Troy University. Fourteen Chinese universities are participating in the dual degree program. Coastal will meet with all 14 universities and has been invited for special discussions at Shanghai Normal University and Guangdong University of Business in Guangzhou.
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First wind monitoring station at Waties Island goes up
Students and engineers from Coastal Carolina University, Clemson University, Santee Cooper and the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) have built a wind monitoring station on Waties Island.
This station, together with another that has been erected in North Charleston, is part of the South Carolina Wind for Schools project sponsored by the South Carolina Institute for Energy Studies (SCIES) at Clemson University. The goal is to investigate the feasibility of using wind power to generate commercially viable electricity on and off the coast of South Carolina.
The Waties Island and North Charleston stations have three wind gauges, or anemometers, installed on a mobile 160-foot tower equipped with wind direction and barometric temperature gauges and solar sensors. Data will be collected for one year to assess the wind potential with plans for installing a commercial scale wind turbine to support future energy-related research in North Charleston. SRNL will analyze the results of the study to identify opportunities for large-scale storage of power generated from coastal wind projects.
Wind data at the Waites Island station are being monitored weekly by Coastal science students.
SCIES is working under the umbrella of the Clemson University Restoration Institute (CURI), a research center in North Charleston dedicated to the restoration economy that was created to bring together a wide range of experts, researchers and students. The goal of the institute is to drive economic growth by creating, developing and fostering restoration and environmentally sustainable industries and technologies for South Carolina.
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