Campus News

U.S. News, Princeton Review and Money Magazine Recognize Winthrop

AMERICA’S BEST COLLEGES

2018

2019 Best Colleges: Region By Region The Princeton Review

Winthrop continues its streak in the top 10 of the South’s public regional universities that convey bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report’s edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” Ranking eighth among Southern public universities, Winthrop remained in the top 25 of public and private institutions in the region. U.S. News also included Winthrop in its “Best Colleges for Veterans” rankings.

Te university also was recognized again by Princeton Review’s “2019 Best Colleges: Region By Region” online edition which included Winthrop in its annual list of top regional universities, where Winthrop was praised for its diverse student body and beautiful campus.

In addition, the university was named to Money Magazine’s “Best Colleges for Your Money 2018,” an endorsement that reinforces Winthrop’s goal of keeping the cost of college within reach for families.

Board of Trustees Elects New Chair, Vice Chair; Welcomes Two New Members

Debra Boyd announced in August that she will step away as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, effective June 30, 2019. She has led academics at Winthrop since 2011.

Boyd, who first came to Winthrop in 1984 and has served in a wide range of administrative roles since 1987, will take a year-long sabbatical after which she will return as a professor in the English department.

While serving as provost, Boyd also led Winthrop for a year as its acting president from 2014 to 2015.

Glenn McCall Kathy Bigham

During a June meeting, Board of Trustees’ members unanimously elected Glenn McCall and Kathy Bigham to serve as chair and vice chair, respectively.

McCall, a retired senior vice president of Bank of America, was first appointed to the Winthrop board in 2011 as the Education Superintendent designee. He was then legislatively elected to an at-large seat in 2014.

Bigham, who is retired as president of Tursdays Too restaurant in Rock Hill, is a 1973 Winthrop graduate. She has served on the board since 2003 in various capacities, including as chair, vice chair, committee chair and head of the

12 Robby Sisco Reggie Venning search committee when President Dan Mahony was selected.

In other board news, trustees welcomed two new members in July.

Te South Carolina General Assembly appointed Robby Sisco ’80, who was the senior vice president of human resources for the Cabot Corporation, to the Congressional District 7 seat that was filled by Karl Folkens ’76, who did not seek reelection. In addition, Winthrop alumni voted for Isaiah “Reggie” Venning ’95, ’00, a self-employed stock trader, to fill one of the alumni representative seats on the board. Both will serve a six-year term.

“During her service to Winthrop as provost, Debra Boyd has played a critical role in continuing to move Winthrop University forward in many ways, while always remaining focused on our students and developing them into engaged citizens and leaders in their professions,” said President Dan Mahony. “Her wisdom and strong leadership have been incredibly valuable to me and all of those who have had the privilege to work with her.”

A national search will be conducted for the next provost led by a committee including faculty, staff and student representatives.

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• Tennis star Lauren Proctor was voted the Big South Conference Female Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2017-18 season. Proctor is the first tennis player to win the conference’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year award, as well as the second consecutive Winthrop student-athlete to receive the honor.

• Te Big South Conference inducted the late softball player Janiva Willis ’05 into its Hall of Fame. Willis became the 10th Winthrop student-athlete, and the second member of the softball program, inducted into the Big South Hall of Fame.

• Lacrosse standout Katherine Judge ’18, along with UNC Asheville’s Kayli Nichols, was named the Big South Conference’s Woman of the Year for 2017- 18. Judge was a four-time All-Conference honoree – one of just six players in league history with this distinction. She helped the Eagles win two Big South titles.

Debra Boyd to Step Down as Provost, Return to Classroom

Campus of Champions

• Winthrop placed 65.40 percent of its 263 student-athletes on the Big South Conference’s Presidential Honor Roll for the 2017-18 school year. To be named to the Presidential Honor Roll, student-athletes had to maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better. In addition, 19 student-athletes earned the Commissioner’s Award for having a perfect 4.0 grade point average.