message from the PRESIDENT Dear Friends:


The summer months have gone by quickly! We have spent our summer ramping up our plans to welcome back our students to a more normal fall semester. I never would have thought that such planning would make me so excited and hopeful, but after more than a year of weathering a pandemic, we are moving forward with a more traditional fall, which will include in-person classes at full capacity and more on-campus events.


A lot has been happening lately that I’d like to share with you in this Winthrop Magazine edition. I encourage you to read stories about:


• A new multicultural children’s literacy collaborative that will launch this fall and will promote literacy to preK-12 students from York County’s diverse community;


• The vision and direction that Library Dean Kaetrena Davis Kendrick ’95 has in mind for the continued evolution of the Ida Jane Dacus Library;


• A look at Winthrop’s civic literacy efforts that educate students on how to be informed citizens and voters;


• Updates from the Board of Trustees’ June meeting, including where we are in the search for Winthrop’s next president;


• Compelling profiles on faculty member Philip Gibson, who has elevated our financial planning program to award-winning levels; Josh Demarest ’14, who is bringing diversity into the publishing industry; speech pathologists Clay Hadden ’04 and Jessica Berry ’08, who discussed how the pandemic changed the way they deliver vital services to kids; and James Wells ’11, who works for Crayola, one of the biggest art companies in the world; and


• The latest campus news, alumni news and university advancement updates.


As you can see, there are many great things happening at Winthrop. As the university gets back to normal, I can’t wait to soon meet you at an event on campus or at one near you. As always, thank you for your support of Winthrop.


Sincerely,


WR


WINTHROP UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES


GLENN MCCALL Chair, Rock Hill


KATHY HUDSON BIGHAM ’73 Vice Chair, Rock Hill


JOHN BRAZELL ’93 Columbia


ED DRIGGERS ’92 Greer


JULIE GORE FOWLER ’85, ’88 Simpsonville


TIMOTHY L. HOPKINS ’83, ’85, ’00 Lugoff


RANDY IMLER ’87, ’00 Tega Cay


JANE LAWTON LAROCHE ’70 Camden


TIM SEASE ’87 Mt. Pleasant


ROBBY SISCO ’80 Florence


JANET RICE SMALLEY ’72 Walhalla


SANDRA STROMAN ’73, ’76 Chester


ISAIAH VENNING ’95, ’00 Rock Hill


ASHLYE WILKERSON ’05 Columbia


GARY WILLIAMS ’11 Rock Hill


JENNIFER JORDAN Faculty Liaison to the Board


JOHN KROFT ’18 Staff Liaison to the Board


ERIN EMIROGLU Student Liaison to the Board


GEORGE W. HYND Interim President KIMBERLY FAUST


Vice President and Chief of Staff, Secretary to the Board of Trustees


George W. Hynd Interim President


ELLEN WILDER-BYRD ’88, ’94


Associate Vice President for Communications and Market ing


FEATURES


GIFT CREATES CHILDREN’S LITERACY HUB MAKING LIBRARY A COMMUNITY CENTER CIVIC LITERACY PREPARES STUDENTS ADDING UP TO GREATNESS


PASSION FOR DIVERSE STORYTELLING LEARNING THE ABCs OF AAC DRAWING HIS WAY TO CRAYOLA


DEPARTMENTS


CAMPUS NEWS ALUMNI NEWS ADVANCEMENT NEWS


CLASS NOTES MILESTONES


NOTES


About the cover: Throughout its 136 years, Winthrop has touched the lives of countless students, alumni, employees and community members. This edition of the Winthrop Magazine shares just a few of the many stories that show how the university, its people and programs have made a positive impact on the lives of those who have been fortunate to call Winthrop home.


Winthrop Magazine is published for alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends of Winthrop University by University Communications and Marketing.


Winthrop University offers equal opportunity in its employment, admissions and educational activities.


All cities referenced in editorial content are located in South Carolina unless otherwise indicated.


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EDITORIAL STAFF


MONICA BENNETT, editor PETER AIRHEART, senior designer


contributing writers: MADELEINE BYRD NICOLE CHISARI ’09, ’16 KAYE HAYES JUDY LONGSHAW


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