Dear Friends:


Moving back to Rock Hill and settling into the President’s House has been an unusually strange yet wonderful experience. During my time at Winthrop I lived in two places—the Lodge (long gone but memorable to be sure) and Roddey, the apartments that are a stone’s throw from my new back door. When I was a student I never met Winthrop’s long-serving president, Anthony DiGiorgio, but now I walk the floors of the place he and other presidents called home. To share this beautiful space with my family – my wife, Lauren, and our daughters, Caroline and Anna Kate, is incredibly special.


Speaking of presidents, I owe a debt of gratitude to my predecessor, George Hynd, who worked for two years–during a pandemic no less–to prepare Winthrop for this presidency. I am eager to move forward with many of the initiatives he undertook. And, like you, I sincerely thank him for his service.


In this edition of the Winthrop Magazine, which has literally come together in the last few weeks, I invite you discover more about me and my plans for Winthrop. I also encourage you to read about:


•


The university’s new Quality Enhancement Plan – Flight Ready – and how it will prepare our graduates to be career ready;


• The timely advice delivered to our recent graduates by May Commencement speaker Jermaine Whirl ’06; • Recent improvements completed through the Campus Beautification Initiative; • The trip of a lifetime taken by our Close Scholars to Costa Rica;


• A fantastic tribute concert performed by alumni at Carnegie Hall to honor professor emeritus Bob Edgerton; and


• Compelling profiles on faculty member Claudia O’Steen as well as alumnae Asiah Fulmore ’18 and Jessica Koumas ’95.


In the coming months, I hope to visit a city near you to connect and hear about your Winthrop experience. I predict stories of compelling transformation, perhaps even similar to my own. As we prepare to begin our 137th academic year, I look forward to the opportunity to listen, learn and grow. I can’t wait to partner with you to create a prosperous, sustainable future for Winthrop.


Always an Eagle,


WR


INTH OP MAGAZINE


WHAT'S INSIDE EDWARD A. SERNA: FIRST ALUMNUS PRESIDENT QUALITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN/FLIGHT READY JERMAINE WHIRL COMMENCEMENT SPEECH RECAP CAMPUS BEAUTIFICATION INITIATIVE ALUMNI FEATURE: JESSICA KOUMAS ’95 CLOSE SCHOLARS IN COSTA RICA JUNE CARNEGIE HALL ALUMNI PERFORMANCE FACULTY PROFILE: CLAUDIA O’STEEN ALUMNI FEATURE: ASIAH FULMORE ’18


NOTES


02 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20


CAMPUS NEWS 22 | ADVANCEMENT NEWS 24 | ALUMNI NEWS 26 | CLASS NOTES 28 | MILESTONES 30 EDITORIAL STAFF


MONICA BENNETT, editor PETER AIRHEART, senior designer


contributing writers:


NICOLE CHISARI ’09, ’16 JUDY LONGSHAW


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.


About the cover: Close Scholars traveled to Costa Rica in May to perform community service and to learn about the country’s culture.


WINTHROP UNIVERSITY


BOARD OF TRUSTEES


GLENN MCCALL Chair, Rock Hill


Edward A. Serna President


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


DAVID MCDONALD ’01 GREENVILLE


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


JENNIFER JORDAN Faculty Liaison to the Board


DEBBIE GARRICK ’87, ’89 Staff Liaison to the Board


MIGUEL CALDWELL Student Liaison to the Board


EDWARD A. SERNA ’02 President


KIMBERLY FAUST


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


ELLEN WILDER-BYRD ’88, ’94 Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing


GARY WILLIAMS ’11 Rock Hill


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