{"id":3194,"date":"2018-11-08T09:28:51","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T14:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/ideas\/?page_id=3194"},"modified":"2019-10-02T16:01:12","modified_gmt":"2019-10-02T20:01:12","slug":"fall18","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cecas.clemson.edu\/ideas\/archives\/fall18\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall 18"},"content":{"rendered":"

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY<\/span>\u00a0 COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, COMPUTING AND APPLIED SCIENCES<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>
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FALL 2018<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>
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CLEMSON UNIVERSITY<\/span> \u2013 FALL 2018<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>
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Honoring the Change-Makers<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>

Learn More About the Four Inductees into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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From the Dean<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>
The Great Manufacturing Race<\/a><\/h5>\n

Mark Johnson discusses state efforts to create new jobs.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\u25a0 \u00a0Advance Manufacturing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0Composite Materials<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0The Hash Endowment<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0Vehicle Assembly Center<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

News from Around the College<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>

Departments<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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The Super Six<\/a><\/h5>\n

Meet the alumni making major contributions to their professions and bringing distinction to the college.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\u25a0 \u00a0Bringing Spartanburg to the World: Raymond Jones<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0Perfect Combination: Chip Hood<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0The Tipping Difference: Steven Tipping<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0Staying Close to Home: Ken Smith<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0What Success Means to Me: Kavitha Arms<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u25a0 \u00a0Off to a Fast Start: Walter Lee<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>

Faculty Spotlight<\/a><\/h5>\n

Xin Zhao – Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n<\/div>

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FROM THE DEAN<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>

The reputation of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences is increasingly being recognized across the country for excellence. Our work is playing a key role in shaping discussions around advanced manufacturing, materials, health innovation, cyberinfrastructure, transportation and sustainability, to name just a few.<\/span><\/p>\n

While faculty, students and staff are essential to our success, you \u2014 our alumni and friends of the college \u2014 are just as important. Many of you donate your time and treasure to help us as we continue to gain national recognition. You also serve as our ambassadors, showing the world what can be achieved with a Clemson degree.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is our privilege to feature some of our outstanding alumni in this issue. We are fortunate to have their help as we work together to address today\u2019s critical issues. The example they have set in their communities and workplaces is truly inspirational.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four of those featured \u2014 Chip Hood, Raymond Jones, Ken Smith and Steven Tipping \u2014 were inducted into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists, the college\u2019s highest honor. An additional two, Kavitha Arms and Walter Lee, were honored as Outstanding Young Alumni. All six were recognized at an annual banquet held for the first time in the Burton Gallery at Littlejohn Coliseum, home of the Tiger basketball team. As this celebration came just a few weeks after the team made the NCAA\u2019s Sweet Sixteen, our honorees quickly earned their own basketball-inspired nickname, \u201cThe Super Six.\u201d It is well deserved.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are also ensuring our continued growth by expanding the vision of the Clemson University Center for Advanced Manufacturing. Mark Johnson, who has joined us as the center\u2019s new director, is leading our efforts to work with industry on shaping its research and educational programs.His credentials are impeccable, making him a perfect fit for this important role.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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He is the former director of the Advanced Manufacturing Office in the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Prior to that, he was the longest-serving director in the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. We are fortunate to have him on the Clemson team and on the Interstate 85 corridor, an emerging hub for manufacturing innovation.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the contributions of those featured in this issue show, today\u2019s game-changing ideas and inventions are putting us closer to making reality from what was once considered science fiction. Who could have imagined 100 years ago that cars would drive themselves and powerful computers would fit into our pockets? Engineers and scientists have never been more important to society\u2019s continued advancement, and our faculty, students and alumni are playing important roles in those efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read and enjoy this issue; you may find some of these stories surprising, but all are inspiring. I look forward to our continued success as we begin the 2018-19 academic year. I hope yours is a happy and productive one.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Gramopadhye<\/a><\/p>\n

Anand Gramopadhye, Dean<\/span>
\nCollege of Engineering and Science<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Mark Johnson discusses state efforts to create new jobs<\/span><\/h4>\n

By\u00a0Paul Alongi<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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Mark Johnson has joined Clemson University as the founding director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing and the Thomas F. Hash \u201969 SmartState Endowed Chair in Sustainable Development.<\/p>\n

The center is emerging as a \u201cone-stop shop\u201d for research and education programs in advanced manufacturing. The ultimate goal is economic growth and job creation by leveraging Clemson\u2019s technology leadership, Johnson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a race,\u201d he explained. \u201cEvery other state in the union is also going in this direction, and every nation in the world would love to have the land-grant universities that we have in the United States. We\u2019ll have some ups and downs, but at the end of the day how do we make sure the whole I-85 corridor region and South Carolina become the go-to place for manufacturing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clemson officials said the Center for Advanced Manufacturing will fuel growth not only in South Carolina but show the way for the nation. They are working closely with industry leaders to develop the center\u2019s programs, which could revolve around a variety of topics from robotics and virtual reality to artificial intelligence and lightweight materials.<\/p>\n

Johnson, who leads that effort, is using his deep experience as a former government official, entrepreneur and university professor to act as a conduit that connects manufacturers, faculty, students and other resources.<\/p>\n

Among those welcoming Johnson to Clemson is the University\u2019s president, James P. Clements.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Johnson has impeccable credentials and a strong history of leadership and entrepreneurship,\u201d Clements said. \u201cHe has deep advanced-manufacturing experience in both the public and private sectors, and is uniquely positioned to lead the Center for Advanced Manufacturing to success.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the key advantages for South Carolina is that its Upstate resides in the middle of the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion, an area that roughly follows Interstate 85 from Alabama to North Carolina and loops in the Nashville area. The megaregion is an emerging national leader in manufacturing, Johnson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cClemson is at the heart of this manufacturing region, and technology innovation is the heart of competitive advantage for the future,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, Clemson plays a key role in making sure that manufacturing leads not only in the state but also in the region, nation and world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the goals of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing is to help develop new technology that will give manufacturers a competitive edge, making them more profitable, while helping create more manufacturing jobs, Johnson said.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cThere might be individual jobs that will be replaced by robots, but we\u2019ll ultimately have a lot more new jobs as a result,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just people building the robots. We\u2019ll have jobs you haven\u2019t even thought of yet. When the steam engine replaced the water wheel and the horse, yes, some people who were tending those horses lost their jobs.<\/p>\n

But they could have never envisioned people running CNC mills and modern assembly lines. Modern manufacturing is a direct outcome of technology innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The creation of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing was announced in December 2017, and Johnson\u2019s arrival in mid-May helped kick start activities.<\/p>\n

The Center for Advanced Manufacturing is an umbrella organization that brings together several Clemson initiatives focused on research and education important to advanced manufacturers. Those initiatives include the Vehicle Assembly Center, the Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Center, the Clemson Composites Center, Product Life Cycle Management, the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development, and the Center for Aviation and Automotive Technological Education using Virtual E-Schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are going to make sure all the resources of Clemson are seamlessly available to the manufacturing community,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n

Johnson is the former director of the Advanced Manufacturing Office in the U.S. Department of Energy\u2019s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.<\/p>\n

In that role, he oversaw a program aimed at making the United States more economically competitive through support of research and development of new technologies related to energy and manufacturing. Under his leadership, the program focused on building partnerships with the private sector to move technologies out of research labs and into manufacturing.”<\/p>\n

Prior to that, Johnson had the longest tenure as a program director in the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy. His most recent job prior to joining Clemson was as a research professor of materials science and engineering at North Carolina State University and technologist in residence at the PowerAmerica manufacturing institute.<\/p>\n

Johnson is also an entrepreneur and was early-stage leader in three successful venture capital backed start-up companies: Quantum Epitaxial Designs, EPI Systems and Nitronex.<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s primary role at Clemson will be to serve as the Thomas F. Hash \u201969 SmartState Endowed Chair in Sustainable Development. Hash created the endowment in 2010, two years after he retired from Bechtel Corp. as a senior executive.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cDr. Johnson has the vision, knowledge and experience to promote sustainable development in South Carolina and around the world,\u201d Hash said. \u201cHe is uniquely positioned to bring together various stakeholders to address the complex issues surrounding sustainability of our natural resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson has a bachelor\u2019s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University, both in materials science and engineering.<\/p>\n

Robert Jones, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at Clemson, said that Johnson is well-positioned to lead the creation of new research and educational programs in advanced manufacturing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Dr. Johnson, Clemson is gaining a leader with experience, talent and vision,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWe are confident that he is the best person to lead us into the future as we build the programs that will take advanced manufacturing to the next level not only in the state but around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tanju Karanfil, vice president for research, said that Johnson has a proven track record of leadership in advanced manufacturing research.<\/p>\n

\u201cDr. Johnson is the right person to identify the nation\u2019s challenges and then to work collaboratively with stakeholders in the public and private sectors to find solutions,\u201d Karanfil said. \u201cHe is a leader and innovator, and Clemson is fortunate to have him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among those who expect to work closely with Johnson is Nikolaos \u201cNick\u201d Rigas, associate vice president for Strategic Initiatives and executive director of Clemson University\u2019s International Center for Automotive Research.<\/p>\n

\u201cMark has a strong background in advanced manufacturing through his leadership at the U.S. Department of Energy,\u201d Rigas said. \u201cHis experience and knowledge will be instrumental to the success of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing.\u201d\u00a0\u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Clemson University’s strength in advanced manufacturing underscored by three awards<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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South Carolina strengthened its position as a fast-rising force in advanced manufacturing as Xin Zhao became the third Clemson University faculty member in four years to win an award recognizing young engineers who contribute to manufacturing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zhao, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is receiving the Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from the Detroit-based professional organization SME.<\/span><\/p>\n

The award recognizes \u201cmanufacturing engineers, age 35 or younger, who have made exceptional contributions and accomplishments in the manufacturing industry,\u201d according to SME.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cManufacturing in South Carolina is growing,\u201d Zhao said. \u201cOur capability is stronger and stronger. The work by Clemson is recognized by the whole nation. We are moving toward becoming one of the leading states in advanced manufacturing.\u201d<\/p>\n

His research is helping expand the use of lasers in manufacturing and could lead to self-cleaning windshields, more efficient solar panels and better ways of joining auto parts that are made of dissimilar materials.<\/p>\n

Previous winners of the SME award were Srikanth Pilla and Fadi Abu-Farha, both of the Department of Automotive Engineering.\u00a0\u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Governor recognizes faculty member for composite materials research<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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Gov. Henry McMaster honored a Clemson University researcher who has quickly become a leader in the technology behind composite materials, part of a fast-growing industry that has brought South Carolina thousands of new jobs and investment in the billions of dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n

Srikanth Pilla, the Jenkins Professor of Automotive Engineering and dean\u2019s faculty fellow, is this year\u2019s recipient of the Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research. He is based in Greenville at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pilla specializes in creating lightweight and sustainable composite materials and finding ways to use them in manufacturing. Composite materials are developed to have advantages over more conventional materials. Some, for example, are lighter yet stronger than steel, reducing the weight of cars and airplanes to improve fuel efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n

The advanced materials industry, which includes composite materials, has brought 8,055 jobs and $4 billion in capital investment to the state since 2011, according to the state Department of Commerce. Pilla works closely with industry in his research, and one of his latest projects is expected to strengthen those ties.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Clemson Composites Center, where he is founding director, received $1.5 million in funding from the state Department of Commerce and has drawn the interest of the automotive, aerospace and sustainable energy industries. The Center is part of the Clemson University Center for Advanced Manufacturing.<\/span>\u00a0\u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Hash Endowment<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>

The Thomas F. Hash \u201869 SmartState Endowed Chair in Sustainable Development was created in 2010 to develop new technologies to foster sustainability, protect the state\u2019s natural resources and encourage smart growth. It was the first such position in Clemson\u2019s Center of Economic Excellence in Sustainable Development. You can learn more about Hash HERE<\/a>\u00a0or read about his induction into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists on Newstand<\/a>.\u00a0\u2732<\/span><\/p>\n

Pictured L-R: Steve Hutchinson, Dabo Swinney, Tom and Carolyn Hash, and President Clements.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Vehicle Assembly Center hailed as new model for research and education<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>

Automotive researchers, students and manufacturers are working side by side to develop and learn advanced manufacturing techniques at the new Clemson Vehicle Assembly Center. The 4,000-square-foot center has a full vehicle assembly line, joining lab, sub-assembly lab, embedded devices lab, collaborative robotics center and autonomous factory vehicles.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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It is designed to enable innovative manufacturing solutions while creating highly trained engineers and technicians for industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are embarking on a new model where academia and industry can drive compelling research while simultaneously defining a new education paradigm as students at the graduate, undergraduate and technical college levels collaborate on full-scale manufacturing projects and fortify each other\u2019s learning,\u201d said Laine Mears, Vehicle Assembly Center director and BMW SmartState Chair in Automotive Manufacturing at Clemson University.<\/span><\/p>\n

A large portion of the research is done by faculty and students in Clemson\u2019s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. Greenville Technical College students are enrolled in manufacturing training programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Vehicle Assembly Center\u2019s grand opening in February brought together its many collaborators. They included the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, Greenville Technical College, BMW Manufacturing and Siemens.<\/span><\/p>\n

The center is located in Greenville Technical College\u2019s Center for Manufacturing Innovation in Greenville and is part of the Clemson University Center for Advanced Manufacturing.<\/span>\u00a0\u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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This spring six Clemson University alumni were recognized for contributions to their professions and communities at a celebratory banquet attended by family, friends, faculty and previous winners. Two were honored as Outstanding Young Alumni from the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. Both of these outstanding young people are exemplary in their professions and of service to others.<\/p>\n

Four alumni were inducted into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists. Dean Anand Gamopadhye aptly describes the recognition in this way: \u201cThis award is the highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fewer than 0.2 percent of alumni from the college are selected for this prestigious honor recognizing engineers and scientists who have brought distinction to Clemson University through conspicuous success in their careers, significant contributions to society and notable contributions to engineering and science practice.<\/p>\n

From energy projects that stretch around the world to creating a legacy of innovative building to providing University leadership and consistent financial support for the department, these inductees have proven themselves to be, like the University\u2019s namesake, devoted to advancing society and their professions.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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THOMAS GREEN CLEMSON ACADEMY MEMBER<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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BRINGING SPARTANBURG TO THE WORLD<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>

Raymond Jones reflects on international accomplishments and the people who made it all possible.<\/span><\/h4>\n

By\u00a0Paul Alongi<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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In between visits with Vietnam\u2019s prime minister and Indonesia\u2019s energy minister, Raymond Jones recently made time for his alma mater, Clemson University. Jones travels the world as a vice president with ExxonMobil Production Company, but his roots will forever remain in the Upstate of South Carolina.<\/p>\n

Jones graduated from Clemson with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1986 and has been a devoted alumnus ever since, donating both time and treasure, especially to programs that support diversity.<\/p>\n

He returned to campus in April to be inducted into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists. It\u2019s the highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am truly honored to be a part of tonight\u2019s program and humbled even to be considered as an inductee into the academy,\u201d he said at the ceremony.<\/p>\n

For nearly 32 years, Jones has risen through the ranks in one of the world\u2019s largest companies. Jones now focuses on the Asia Pacific region. His trip to Vietnam was for a multi-billion dollar project to drill offshore gas wells, bring the gas to shore, and convert it to electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the areas where we were, they don\u2019t have electricity, and they don\u2019t have clean running water,\u201d Jones said. \u201cAfter we finish the project that we\u2019re working on, they\u2019ll have both.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some projects he has overseen would at first seem a long way from the energy business. The company has built airstrips, schools and hospitals, usually working in concert with the government, he said.<\/p>\n

Jones\u2019 father, Edgebert, drove trucks for a living and then became logistics manager for a snack food company.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe was one of the smartest men I knew, and he didn\u2019t get past the 10th grade,\u201d Jones said.
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\u201cIt was not necessarily a time when African-Americans were prospering,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWe were getting there but not quite there. But my parents didn\u2019t view it that way. They just said \u2018You\u2019re going to make your own opportunities, and it\u2019s up to you to do what you can do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

His mother, Clara, graduated high school and planned to go to nursing school but decided to start a family instead. Jones has two siblings, Tim and Becky, who also have mechanical engineering degrees from Clemson.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou really have to come in and be a good neighbor,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWe really want to improve the living conditions of the people around us. Those stories usually don\u2019t get out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones said that as he grew up in Spartanburg in the 1960s and 1970s, his parents\u2019 objective was to make sure that he and his siblings knew they could do anything if they put their minds to it and worked hard.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Jones is highly supportive of programs at Clemson and ExxonMobil that support diversity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know that I was blessed and given lots of help along the way, so it\u2019s incumbent on me to do the same,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I\u2019m able, then I\u2019m going to try to help others the way that others helped me, particularly others who might be in the same situation I was in. I really feel like campuses reflect the communities around them. If there\u2019s an imbalance, then they have work to do to address that imbalance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jones now lives in suburban Houston with Carla, his wife of 33 years, and two of their children, Zachary, a high school sophomore, and Chloe, a high school freshman. Their oldest child, Kara, is a computer science major at Texas Christian University.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jones considers his wife his \u201ccompass and conscience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m heading off on a tangent somewhere, she\u2019s the one that\u2019s the mirror,\u201d he said. \u201cEverybody needs a mirror, someone to ask, \u2018Do you really want to do that?\u2019 You need someone who can be brutally honest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Before Jones graduated from Clemson, he never made it farther west than Atlanta or farther north than Charlotte. He has travelled a long way since then.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jones said that sometimes when he\u2019s in a far-flung locale such as Singapore or looking out at Kuala Lumpur from one of the world\u2019s tallest buildings, he comes back to how it all happened and what his parents told him at home in Spartanburg.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you work hard, anything is possible,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t limit yourself. Keep the boundaries away. Keep the options open. And with the good Lord\u2019s intervention, things will happen.\u201d \u2732<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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THOMAS GREEN CLEMSON ACADEMY MEMBER<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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PERFECT COMBINATION<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>

Chip Hood’s unique background helps advance Clemson University.<\/span><\/h4>\n

By\u00a0Paul Alongi<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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Chip Hood is among the few who can say they have earned degrees from all three of South Carolina\u2019s major research universities.<\/p>\n

He received a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Clemson University and then went to the Medical University of South Carolina for a master\u2019s in biomedical science. He continued his education at the University of South Carolina, where he received his juris doctor degree.<\/p>\n

With this unique background of legal and technical experience, as the general counsel for Clemson University, he has forged innovative models that bring together industry and higher education to benefit each other. Hood has played a leading role in helping Clemson strategically pursue its vision of becoming one of the nation\u2019s top-20 public universities.<\/p>\n

In recognition of his accomplishments, Hood was inducted into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists, the highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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His advice is crucial on a range of legal matters, including technology transfer, intellectual property, international collaborations and research contracts.<\/p>\n

Before coming to Clemson, Hood served as legal counsel and later as executive director for the MUSC\u2019s Foundation for Research Development in Charleston. He provided leadership and strategies for MUSC\u2019s university\/industry interactions, economic development relationships, entrepreneurial activities and multi-institutional collaborations.<\/p>\n

To borrow a quote from Clemson President James P. Clements, \u201cChip has the analytical mindset of an engineer, the rigorous nature of a scientist, expertise in health care and tech transfer, and a deep and broad legal expertise. He brings a passion for Clemson to his work every day as general counsel, and our university is all the better for it.\u201d \u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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THOMAS GREEN CLEMSON ACADEMY MEMBER<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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THE TIPPING DIFFERENCE<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>

How Steven Tipping’s legacy lives on through his family and his designs.<\/span><\/h4>\n

By\u00a0Paul Alongi<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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Steven Tipping\u2019s family remembers him as a devoted husband, loving father, visionary thinker, passionate problem-solver and loyal Golden State Warriors fan.<\/p>\n

Tipping collapsed at the end of a mountain bike ride and died in August 2017, but not before raising four children with his wife, Lu, and establishing himself as one of the world\u2019s leading earthquake engineers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very passionate about what he did, very hard driving about what he did,\u201d said his oldest son, Brandon. \u201cHe had high expectations for people around him and those he loved. But it was always with a pat on the back. That\u2019s how he liked to live his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tipping, who was 69 when he died, was posthumously inducted into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists \u2014 the highest honor bestowed by Clemson University\u2019s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n

Tipping graduated from Clemson in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. He went on to found and serve as president of Tipping Structural Engineers, a Berkeley, California, firm with more than 30 employees.<\/p>\n

Tipping came to Clemson from Salamanca High School in New York. He enrolled in ROTC, inspired by a strong family military history.<\/p>\n

After graduation, Tipping joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was called to active duty in Vietnam, where he served as first lieutenant. He led a convoy to start road construction in the remote areas of DaLat and built a basketball court to keep up the morale of his platoon.<\/p>\n

Lu remembers meeting her husband in July 1972 on a 14-hour overnight trip from Patra, Greece, to Brindisi, Italy. Conversation started, she recalls, with him asking, \u201cDo you speak English?\u201d and led to him changing his travel plans so they could experience and explore a weekend together in Rome.<\/p>\n

When Steven returned to the United States in September, he headed for San Francisco and tracked down Lu, who was from the Bay Area. They reconnected, and Steven began his career as a draftsman.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very humble,\u201d Lu said. \u201cHe avoided talking about himself and his accomplishments but rather was more interested in others. He was a good listener. He liked to travel. He loved unconditionally.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tipping\u2019s wife, Lu, and his sons Brandon, Christian and Justin came to Clemson to celebrate his induction into the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists. Not pictured is daughter, Megan.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Tippings were together 45 years. Their four children are Brandon, Christian, Megan and Justin.<\/p>\n

Steven started his firm in 1983 out of his home in El Cerrito. It was just him, his wife, the two children they had at the time, and a cat. The office moved from their home in 1984 to a spot in Emeryville with a view of the Bay Bridge.<\/p>\n

Justin, the youngest of the Tipping children, remembers his father working at the kitchen table, blueprints spread out.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he always found time to be at the baseball games, to take me to my soccer games and school,\u201d Justin said. \u201cIt was pretty amazing to watch and learn from him. He taught a lot of lessons \u2014 pursue your passion and money will follow. He did what he loved, and everything else fell into place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The business grew, and by 1995 it was time to move again, this time to Shattuck Avenue in downtown Berkeley where Steven built his first of two company office buildings.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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“He created what he called the Tipping difference, which was a philosophy and approach to problem solving. There was never one way. He didn\u2019t necessarily follow the traditional textbook approach. He encouraged innovative thinking with optional outcomes. He was most passionate about making creative building designs that were safer and stronger. He always wanted to take a different approach in problem solving, always having options, and he did that in life.”<\/h3>\n<\/div>

Two decades later, in 2016, a second building adjacent to the first was completed. It is recognized as one of the smallest base-isolated commercial buildings in the country, and is unique because the isolators are exposed to public view \u2014 an idea that Steven conceptualized to educate the public about seismic construction in an area prone to earthquakes.<\/p>\n

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Steven Tipping\u2019s innovative offices in Berkeley, California.<\/p><\/div>\n

Steven was twice recognized as a Newsmaker by the Engineering News-Record for the development of two innovative systems that improve seismic performance. His first recognition came in 2007 when the Engineering News-Record cited him \u201cfor an inventive corrugated-metal shear-wall assembly engineered to reduce dramatically the cost of building quake-resistant multi-unit housing of up to six stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven was honored as a Newsmaker again in 2013, this time for helping \u201crescue the beleaguered San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) headquarters project by using a novel, vertically post-tensioned shear-wall system designed to minimize quake damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis recognition is quite rare for practicing engineers, and to do it twice is almost unprecedented,\u201d said Brad Putman, who is a civil engineer and associate dean in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences .<\/p>\n

Steven\u2019s son, Christian, worked for his father for about five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was completely approachable,\u201d Christian said. \u201cEveryone on his staff loved him. He would get really excited when he would come up with a great solution that moved the project as a whole along. But he would bubble over when an employee or the team came together for a solution. He got really psyched.\u201d<\/p>\n

When not at work, Steve enjoyed sports, books, movies (especially the Clint Eastwood classic, \u201cThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly\u201d), country music, and building and fixing anything. He was very athletic and often played basketball. And he was a loyal Golden State Warriors fan since the 1970s.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was never going to retire, but he was going to reduce his time at work,\u201d Lu said. \u201cHis hope was to continue to problem-solve and create patents. Inventing anything that would improve safer buildings was his focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

His daughter, Megan, described her father as her hero, biggest fan and supportive in every way.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was quiet and intuitive and wise,\u201d she said. \u201cHe inspired me to be creative, think big and not fear taking risks on a great idea or goal in life, and never lose hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steven Tipping served on the Clemson University Department of Civil Engineering\u2019s advisory board and won the department\u2019s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014. \u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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THOMAS GREEN CLEMSON ACADEMY MEMBER<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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STAYING CLOSE TO HOME<\/h1>\n<\/div>

Why Ken Smith is ever loyal.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>

by\u00a0Paul Alongi<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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The late Bert Henderson had a suggestion for Ken Smith about 25 years ago, when Smith was beginning to consider how he could give back to his alma mater, Clemson University.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust start, give what you can now and grow it from there,\u201d said Henderson, who was associate athletic director and director of IPTAY Planned Giving.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took him up on that,\u201d Smith recalls. \u201cIt was a significant investment for us at the time, given where we were, and we just grew it every year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith went on to become one of Clemson\u2019s most generous alumni, providing both time and treasure to academics and athletics.<\/p>\n

Smith returned to Clemson in April to accept the honor of being named to the Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists, the highest bestowed by Clemson\u2019s College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous honor to be nominated and selected for such an esteemed award,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n

Clemson orange runs deep in Smith\u2019s family. His wife, Layne, is a graduate, as are all three of his daughters, Kelly, Haley and Cameron. One son-in-law, Chad, is also a Clemson graduate. While another son-in-law, Jeff, is a Ball State graduate, Smith says they have converted him to \u201call orange.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith grew up in Taylors about an hour from Clemson and remembers applying to only two schools, Clemson and Georgia Tech. Clemson was always the preferred choice, he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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\u201cLooking back, my mother\u2019s sacrifice and tireless efforts to ensure I was able to attend and graduate college were very important for me,\u201d he said in his Greer home just a few miles from where he grew up. \u201cI think about it all the time, and it helped guide me all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith graduated from Clemson in December 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. A few weeks later, he headed south for the Orange Bowl in Miami on a shoestring budget and watched the Tigers football team win their first National Championship.<\/p>\n

He headed for Florida again in January 2017, this time to Tampa, with his family joining him. They watched the Tigers beat Alabama to win their second National Championship.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s service and financial support for the University has been extensive.<\/p>\n

He was instrumental in establishing the Fluor International Supply Chain Professorship held by William Ferrell and the Fluor Endowed Chair in Supply Chain Optimization and Logistics held by Scott Mason. Smith also helped create an industrial engineering master\u2019s program focused on supply chain logistics, specifically tailored for capital projects. Smith is also a member of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences advisory board.<\/p>\n

He served on the executive committee for the University\u2019s $1 billion Will to Lead campaign. Smith has also served two terms on the Clemson University Foundation Board and provided significant support to Clemson athletic programs, including the WestZone and Clemson basketball.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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His devotion and commitment were recognized in 2009, when he received the University\u2019s Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Clemson Alumni Association.<\/p>\n

Smith took early retirement from Fluor in March after a 22-year career that involved several high-level leadership roles. His work with the company included clients and projects in every continent.<\/p>\n

The departure from Fluor gave Smith the opportunity to pursue a new interest. He recently took over as CEO of HEPACO LLC, a Charlotte-based company that provides environmental and emergency response services from 30 offices and service centers across the Eastern United States.<\/p>\n

Smith continues to stay close to his alma mater \u2014 literally. His family is now building a second home on Hartwell Lake in Clemson. It\u2019s just a short walk from football games at Memorial Stadium, basketball games at Littlejohn Coliseum and baseball games at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re going to be close,\u201d Smith said, \u201cwe decided to be really close.\u201d \u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI RECIPIENT<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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WHAT SUCCESS MEANS TO ME<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>

Kavitha Arms gives credit where it’s due, starting with family.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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Kavitha Arms chose Clemson University for the in-state tuition, its prestigious reputation for academics and engineering, and because it was the post-high school destination for many of her friends.<\/p>\n

Now she can\u2019t imagine having attended anywhere else.<\/p>\n

She returned to campus in April to accept the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a clich\u00e9 term to say, \u2018Clemson Family\u2019 and that it\u2019s a feeling, but it was all those things,\u201d Arms said. \u201cI come back today, and it\u2019s a very special place. I found my identity here, I found my friends here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arms graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and stayed in the Upstate of South Carolina. She\u2019s now working at General Electric and has joined the advisory board that helps guide Clemson\u2019s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.<\/p>\n

Arms thanked her parents, KD and Dhanam Ganesan, who started from nothing and produced two successful children, both Clemson University alumni.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I accept this, I ask that your applause please be reserved for these two people who brought me here,\u201d Arms said in her acceptance speech. \u201cThis is really the fruit of their labor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arms has worked at GE for 13 years, most of that time with GE Power. She recently accepted a new job with GE Corporate, where she leads the chemical management and product stewardship organization for the entire portfolio of GE technologies.<\/p>\n

As part of the job, she develops and implements policies that ensure GE complies with or surpasses regulatory and legislative obligations as they relate to chemicals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a company that\u2019s ever evolving, ever changing,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot happening. I keep getting drawn back to GE, and I\u2019m proud of my loyalty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arms was born in India and moved to the Netherlands when she was 8 years old. She has one younger brother, Bharat Ganesan, who has a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Clemson.<\/p>\n

The family moved to Greenville when her father accepted a job at Fluor Corp. Arms enrolled in the 10th grade at Mauldin High School, and her mother got a job at Bosch.<\/p>\n

Arms described her parents as hardworking, humble and passionate about their children\u2019s success.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Celebrating Kavitha\u2019s Young Alumni Award are (left to right) Chris and Kavitha Arms; her brother Bharat Ganesan; and her parents KD and Dhanam Ganesan.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen I think about their struggles, to say that they paved the way, is quite an understatement,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Arms also draws inspiration from her husband, Chris, a Greenville native who worked full-time while pursuing his college degrees. He has two associate\u2019s degrees from Greenville Technical College and a bachelor\u2019s degree in engineering technology management from the University of South Carolina Upstate.<\/p>\n

He now works as an industrial engineer at Michelin North America.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe minute I think I\u2019m working hard, I look back to those days when he was doing homework before he went to work his night shift,\u201d Kavitha said. \u201cAnd he did homework in the morning when he came home. The dedication and the passion \u2014 that\u2019s what it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris Arms said he\u2019s happy for his wife.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe always fusses at me when I brag about her too much, but I always tell her I think it\u2019s incredible, because I could not do what she does,\u201d he said. \u201cI try to be a good representative of her and help as much as I can along the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kavitha and Chris said they usually embrace each other\u2019s differences, whether it\u2019s politics or food, but they draw the line on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. She\u2019s a Tiger, and he\u2019s a Gamecock. \u201cThe Clemson-Carolina rivalry is really the one that\u2019s a thorn in both our sides,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In their free time, the couple enjoys traveling the world and count a trip to Australia among their favorite destinations so far. They are also \u201caunt and uncle\u201d to several children and contribute their time to a variety of causes, including United Way, Hands On Greenville, and GE\u2019s People with Disabilities Network.<\/p>\n

Future goals for Arms? \u201cNever take anything for granted, continue to give back as much as I can, and come back to Clemson as much as I can.\u201d\u00a0\u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI RECIPIENT<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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OFF TO A FAST START<\/h1>\n<\/div>

Underrepresented youth get a boost in engineering education from Walter Lee.<\/span><\/h4>\n

by\u00a0Paul Alongi<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>
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Walter Lee said a running joke started among his high school peers when he attended a program at Clemson University during one of his summers off from Goose Creek High School.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou skipped basketball camp to go to a science camp at Clemson?\u201d he remembers his friends asking incredulously.<\/p>\n

He did, and the decision helped set him on a path to a fast-rising career.<\/p>\n

After the summer program, Lee enrolled at Clemson and went on to get his Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering in 2010. Then he headed to Virginia Tech for his master\u2019s degree in industrial & systems engineering and a Ph.D. in engineering education.<\/p>\n

Lee now serves as assistant director for research at Virginia Tech\u2019s Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Diversity. He and his collaborators have been awarded $6.2 million in competitive federal grants to support his research and provide students with scholarships.<\/p>\n

Lee returned to Clemson in April for a ceremony that honored him with an Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.<\/p>\n

At 29 years old and only three years out of graduate school, he is just getting started.<\/p>\n

One of his big projects is working with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and Purdue University to research the SEEK program, a summer camp led by NSBE for students in grades 3-5.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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The nationwide camp is in 16 cities heavily populated with African-Americans. While the project is ongoing, early findings have revealed some of the challenges associated with scaling up summer engineering experiences, such as securing funding for the camps in areas that do not have a large industry presence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I noticed was that because these camps are industry funded, in places like Houston an oil and gas company might be interested,\u201d Lee said. \u201cBut if you want to put a camp in a much more rural place, and there\u2019s not much industry there, that can be a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee is also researching what four-year institutions can do to prepare students planning to transfer from community college.<\/p>\n

He has personal experience with some of the same types of diversity-promotion programs he is now studying. At Clemson, Lee was a member of PEER, an office that brings together students who are from groups underrepresented in engineering and science.<\/p>\n

He found inspiration in Sue Lasser, who was PEER\u2019s director when he was an undergraduate. Lee remembers her being the first to suggest he pursue a Ph.D.<\/p>\n

\u201cI initially wanted to have a job like hers,\u201d he said.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNow my goal is to conduct research that helps people like her do their jobs \u2014 it\u2019s the central guiding force of what I do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Lee credits Julie Martin, an associate professor of engineering and science education at Clemson, with introducing him to the field of engineering education.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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“At the end of the day, I want to know I did something that makes the United States and higher education better for people from diverse backgrounds.”<\/h3>\n<\/div>

It has given him a chance to merge his engineering skills with his interests in sociology, which was his minor at Clemson.<\/p>\n

Lee remembers having help from peers, too. As an undergraduate, he made lasting friendships in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and through Retro Jordan, an intramural basketball team that won four championships during his time as a student.<\/p>\n

Making those connections with other students was crucial, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one gets through engineering alone,\u201d Lee said. \u2732<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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News from Around the College<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>
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Atul Kelkar named new chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>