@Claflin: Warmack Inauguration, MLK Week, Students on MSNBC and more

The World Needs Visionaries

Rich in tradition and protocol, an investiture is the "formal ceremony of conferring the authority and symbols of high office." Claflin University's Board of Trustees invites you to the Investiture Ceremony of Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, the ninth president of Claflin University, on Friday, March 20, 2020 at 10 a.m. For more information, please click here.

Claflin University Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Claflin University is celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his impact in the civil rights movement during its upcoming MLK Week. The celebration began with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Program on Thursday, January 16, with Dr. Anthony Broughton, assistant professor of education, as its keynote speaker. The celebration will continue with a series of week-long events on January 21-24. Click here to see a list of the events.

Claflin Students Featured on National News

Claflin students Lauren Tolbert and Otiana Thompson were featured in an interview on NBC News discussing presidential candidate Joe Biden's campaign. S tudents from Claflin and SC State University's student government associations welcomed Symone Sanders, senior advisor to former Vice President Biden, to campus on Wednesday, January 15, during the campaign's stop on the Soul of the Nation Bus Tour. Sanders was joined by Louisiana State Representative Travis Johnson and Spelman SGA president Nia Page. Click here to watch the full interview.

Claflin to Host 28th Annual Granville Hicks Leadership Academy for Laity and Clergy

On January 30-31, 2020, Claflin University will host the 28th Annual Granville Hicks Leadership Academy for Laity and Clergy. Themed "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" this event equips laity and clergy for ministry and leadership within the church. The academy will take place in the James and Dorothy Z. Elmore Chapel.

The Granville Hicks Leadership Academy honors the Rev. Dr. Granville A. Hicks, a 1957 Claflin graduate who has been recognized for his leadership as a pastor and district superintendent in the South Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. Hicks was instrumental in creating programs to improve race relations, education and leadership development at the conference. It began as a lecture series before evolving into a leadership academy that emphasizes connections between the academy, Claflin University, and The United Methodist Church. The event empowers attendees with biblical knowledge, intellectual growth and theological reflection.

For more information, click here.

Employee News

Dr. Nicholas Panasik, associate professor of biology and chemistry, was featured in an article on Course Hero, an "online learning platform of course-specific study resources." In the article titled Peer Power: 4 Student Roles to Promote Collaboration (and Learning) , Panasik discussed his approach to bringing more collaborative learning into the classroom. Dr. Panasik specializes in protein structure and function with emphasis on the structural basis for folding specifiity and thermodynamic stability of the α/β barrel (TIM) enzyme. He organizes the University's Nobel Laureate Series and is a regular contributor to the National Science Foundation's Review Panels. Dr. Panasik has been the recipient of the National Science Foundation's Early CAREER Award and several teaching excellence awards including being named a Distiguished Professor of South Carolina in 2011. Click here to read the full article.

President Dwaun J. Warmack was honored at the 34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Statewide Celebration Kick-off Program for Missouri on Saturday, January 11, receiving the Dr. Henry Givens Jr. Legacy Award. The event was held at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, Mo. The event is hosted each year to start observation of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday in Missouri. Themed "Music - A Universal Stepping Stone Toward Peace,'" the event featured performances from musicians, including Grammy award-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum.

Dr. Belinda Wheeler, associate professor of English, recently joined the advisory board for the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison. The national network's mission is to support the expansion of quality higher education in prison, empower students in prison and after release, and shape public discussion about education and incarceration. According to its website, "The Alliance believes that access to meaningful, sustained, quality higher education can transform the lives of individuals in prison, their families, the communities to which they return, and society as a whole." Several national organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), have reported that African Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of Caucasian Americans. However, according to Wheeler, HBCUs are rarely a part of the higher education in prison conversation. Pell Grants to incarcerated individuals were eliminated as part of Congress' amendment to the Higher Education Act in 1994. Wheeler, who believes that education should be made available to all, regardless of their correctional status, is hopeful that federal funding for educational opportunities for currently or formerly incarcerated individuals will soon be reinstated nationally. Until then, alternative programs are available that provide educational opportunities for people who are currently incarcerated or have recently been released. The Alliance's network is an important partner in expanding these programs.

Alumni News

Dr. Leo F. Twiggs, '56, will be inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame during a ceremony in Myrtle Beach on February 7. He is sharing this honor with two other inductees: Musician Darius Rucker and Voorhees College founder Elizabeth Evelyn Wright. "Our 2020 inductees have made significant, valuable contributions to the state of South Carolina," said Dr. Rodger Stroup, chairman of the Official South Carolina Hall of Fame. "For many years, Dr. Twiggs has been recognized as one of South Carolina's leading artists and art educators," he said. The induction ceremony will be held in the ballroom of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center at 2101 North Oak St. The event is free and open to the public.

Panther Pride

Claflin Indoor Track & Field Opens Season at Gamecock Opener

The reign of new men's and women's cross country/track and field head coach Garon Jackson will begin Friday-Saturday, Jan. 17-18, at the Gamecock Opener hosted by the University South Carolina. The meet will be held at the University of South Carolina Indoor Track and Field Complex in Columbia, S.C. MORE

Johnson C. Smith Outlasts Claflin Down the Stretch

Johnson C. Smith University outscored Claflin University 13-8 down the stretch in defeating the Panthers, 63-58, in a CIAA Southern Division basketball contest on Wednesday, January 15.

The Panthers will return to action at home against Lincoln University (Pa.) on Saturday, January 18, at 3:30 p.m. for another CIAA contest.

Johnson C. Smith Defeats Lady Panthers

Johnson C. Smith University defeated Claflin University 86-71 in a CIAA Southern Division women's basketball contest on Wednesday, January 15.

Claflin will host Lincoln University (Pa.) in a CIAA contest on Saturday, January 18, at 1:30 p.m.