Wofford College

Wofford College. Office of Marketing and Communications

ISSUE #103 | MARCH 10, 2022 | FROM THE OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Seeing the big picture
John Harrington ’23 and Phil Feisal, president of Spartanburg Medical Center, spent Interim 2022
together to give Harrington an opportunity to learn more about the clinical and administrative aspects of
healthcare.
By Brandi Wylie ’24
Many students concentrating on pre-medicine at Wofford College have plans of working on
the clinical side of healthcare. John Harrington ’23 is exploring the administrative side as
well.
Harrington, a biology major from Houston, Texas, spent Interim studying at Spartanburg
Regional Healthcare System. He split time between the health system’s Spartanburg Medical
Center and Pelham Medical Center campuses.
“I served as John’s mentor, and we created a schedule for him that included time with more
than 15 leaders in our organization responsible for areas as diverse as oncological and
cardiac services to environmental and food services,” says Phil Feisal, Spartanburg Medical
Center’s president, who also is a Wofford adjunct professor of government and international
affairs. “John was universally liked. He made an incredible and lasting impression on every
staff member he encountered.”
Most of Harrington’s work during the Interim course was observational, shadowing various
people within the hospital system. The coursework consisted of reflection prompts in which
he would think about then write on his experiences in hospitals.
Harrington says he was able to fully see how different aspects of a hospital come together to
provide the best care for patients.
READ MORE
Leaving her mark
Kate Timbes ’23, a studio art major from Columbia, South Carolina, has a busy spring working on art
projects in Spartanburg, including one at the Spartanburg Opportunity Center and another with the
Spartanburg Art Museum.
By Brandi Wylie ’24
For Kate Timbes ’23, studying in another country was not the most exciting part of her
experience in Copenhagen, Denmark. The studio art major from Columbia, South Carolina,
was given the opportunity to become a part of the media team for the Danish Institute for
Study Abroad (DIS) and a chance to paint a mural on the wall of their student hub.
They started planning the mural in October 2021 and painting began two months later. While
working on the mural, Timbes led a group of 10 to 15 individuals from the community who
helped her during her 10 days of work.
She was unable to complete the mural because the COVID-19 pandemic forced her to return
to the states, but she is grateful to have been able to send a digital version of the complete
idea so the project can continue.
The mural is representative of Copenhagen and the cultural world she experienced while
immersed in the community. The geometric shapes each contain unique designs, such as a
person’s face or scenes of Copenhagen and its metro area.
“I wanted my design to embody what it meant to study abroad visually,” Timbes says.
READ MORE
A panel discussion on Russia and Ukraine
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked many questions about the history, culture and
politics of the conflict between the two nations. Wofford faculty from the departments of
government and international affairs, religion and history, as well as guest Michael Peters,
president emeritus of St. John’s College in New Mexico and executive vice president of the
Council on Foreign Relations, participated in a panel discussion focused on the events taking
place in Eastern Europe.
Upcoming Women’s History Month event
Dr. Katharine Turk, associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, will present “No Longer â€˜His Girl Friday’: Working Women’s Activism and
Notions of Equality in the 1970s.” The lecture will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 15 in
Olin 213. Find more Women’s History Month events at Wofford.
Women’s basketball advances to postseason
Alexis Tomlin ’22 received first team honors after being named to the Southern Conference’s All-
Tournament Team.
The women’s basketball team earned the Southern Conference’s spot as an automatic
qualifier for the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. The entire field and the Terriers’
opponent will be announced Sunday.
More athletics updates
Marchal named SoCon Pitcher of the Week
Tomlin named SoCon Student Athlete of the Week
Tomlin, Carman earn SoCon All-Tournament nods
Mack named to SoCon All-Tournament Team
Follow us @woffordcollege


English

Conquer and Prevail Issue 103 March 10 2022

Wofford College. Department of Environmental Studies

Wofford College 
Digital Commons @ Wofford 
The Fierce Green Fire Environmental Studies 
3-4-2022 
The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 12 Issue 12 
Wofford College. Department of Environmental Studies 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/fiercegreenfire 
 Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Wofford College. Department of Environmental Studies, "The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 12 Issue 12" (2022). 
The Fierce Green Fire. 277. 
https://digitalcommons.wofford.edu/fiercegreenfire/277 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Environmental Studies at Digital Commons @ 
Wofford. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Fierce Green Fire by an authorized administrator of Digital 
Commons @ Wofford. For more information, please contact stonerp@wofford.edu. 
 
 
 
 
 
The Fierce Green Fire 
A Newsletter of the Wofford College Environmental Studies Program 
Volume 12, Issue 12 
 A Triathlon Interim 
by Maggie Jackson ’25   
 
 
As Jackson 
explored the local 
trails during her 
Triathlon 
Interim, she 
discovered the 
landscape 
reminded her of 
home.  
However, one of my favorite 
experiences had to have been visiting 
Croft State Park. As we entered the 
trails, I was reminded of the scent of the 
blue ridge mountains and the stillness 
the woods provided. As we entered the 
woods, I could almost forget I was a 
hundred twenty miles east and one 
thousand feet closer to the ground than I 
had been six months ago. Seeing these 
parts of Spartanburg has helped me to 
have a firmer grasp of our landscape and 
the opportunities it holds. As a native of 
the panoramic mountains of Northeast 
Georgia, I came to miss some of the 
natural beauty I have been surrounded 
by in my hometown. I am grateful to 
have had the opportunity to immerse 
myself in not only a new sport but also 
to greenspaces the city of Spartanburg 
has provided for its community. 
 
 
 
During the month of January, or as 
Wofford students coin Interim, I spent 
my early mornings "tri"-ing a new 
activity. I participated in Professors 
Benjamin Cartwright’s and Kim 
Rostan's Triathlon Interim, which 
consisted of indoor swimming, 
stationary biking, and (to the best of my 
ability) running in various locations of 
Spartanburg. Through the course, I was 
able to grow and enhance my fitness 
alongside my peers, but I was also 
blessed with the experience of seeing all 
the beautiful landscapes Spartanburg 
has to offer. We began running the 
urban backroads near the Willis Road 
YMCA, then the beautiful trails of 
Croft State Park surrounding calm 
ponds and mountainous terrain, along 
with the streams near the Cottonwood 
and Drayton Mills Trails.  
Students in Dr. Telligman’s ENVS160 lab used solar pathfinders to 
map the solar potential at Glendale and discover how many panels 
would be needed to power the Goodall Center. 
 
 
____________________________________________________________________________________________ 
The Fierce Green Fire, Vol. 12 Issue 12 March 4, 2022 
 
Upcoming Events and Opportunities 
PROFILE OF THE WEEK: 
Iowa State University – Sustainable Agriculture 
The State of Iowa is the natural location for the 
nation’s first comprehensive graduate program in 
sustainable agriculture because it is one of the most 
rain-fed agricultural regions in the world.   
Iowa State University has the first graduate program 
in sustainable agriculture and boasts many “firsts” 
in agricultural research and teaching.  Among those 
“firsts” are the first land-grant university, the first to 
offer forestry and dairy science, the first Master of 
Science degree in farm mechanics, and a leader in 
sustainable agricultural research with the largest 
group of faculty working on sustainable 
agricultural issues. 
The issues that face the agricultural industry today 
are complex and jobs are available in research, 
education, the food systems industries, 
governmental policy, non-governmental 
organizations, and commercial agriculture.  
Students who graduate with a Master of Science in 
sustainable agriculture are highly qualified to deal 
with environmental, agronomic, and social 
challenges facing the industry.  
 
March 14th  
Application Deadline at 
5:00pm 
Northside LLC Application for 2022-2023: Rising sophomores are eligible to apply for the 
Northside Living-Learning Community in community sustainability work. This 
includes enrollment in two linked courses in Sociology/Anthropology and 
Environmental Studies in fall and spring respectively as well as programming focused 
on service and learning with partners in the Northside community. As part of the 
Northside LLC, you will reside in Milliken House at Northside Station located just a 5-
minute walk from campus at 501 Howard Street.  
March 26th  
9:00am-2:00pm 
County Administration 
Building 
366 N. Church Street, 29303 
  
14th Annual Hazardous Household Waste Collection & Rain Barrel Sale: Rain or shine, all 
Spartanburg County residents can bring their hazardous household waste to be 
disposed (excluding electronics). Rain barrels will be available for purchase. See the list 
of acceptable and unacceptable items. 
Ongoing Job Opportunities at Teton Science School 
 
 April 1st  
Application Deadline 
 
Rachel Carson Council Fellowship Program: Get paid to organize for the environment at 
Wofford. Learn more. 
  
 
March 19th   
11:00am-1:00pm 
Goodall Center 
 351 Broadway Street, 
Glendale, 29346   
World Water Day Celebration: Wear blue and celebrate World Water Day. Ages 4-12 
can enjoy animals, educational games, water testing and crafts with special guests from 
Spartanburg Water and the Watershed Ecology Center. For more information contact 
bradachme@woffford.edu. 


The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 12 Issue 12

ISSUE #109 | APRIL 28, 2022 | FROM THE OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Full of ideas
Grayson McDowell ’24 is a Bonner Scholar who’s volunteering at the Spartanburg Science Center. His
contributions include a podcast for Spartanburg County’s K-12 students and a summer camp that will
expose elementary and middle school students to Wofford’s campus.
A rainy day forced Grayson McDowell ’24 to change his lesson plans for 40 third graders
visiting the Spartanburg Science Center during a field trip. Their time together would be
focused on ecosystems, but he wouldn’t be able to lead the outdoor activities that he
planned.
He quickly recognized that he could shift to teaching about sound indoors after remembering
an episode of “Mr. Wizard,” where a record player was created by using a piece of paper,
tape, a needle and a pencil. His familiarity with the show, which aired in the 1980s, is an
example of his passion for learning and teaching science.
“It was definitely something I was doing for fun one day,” says McDowell, who often spent
summers doing science experiments in his grandparents’ basement.
McDowell, a Wofford College physics major from Gaffney, South Carolina, has spearheaded
initiatives to help Spartanburg County K-12 students learn science during the COVID-19
pandemic, including a podcast that he’s hosting to expose children to careers in science.
READ MORE
Excellence in teaching
Dr. Lori Cruze, assistant professor of biology, is Wofford’s recipient of the 2022 South Carolina
Independent Colleges & Universities’ Excellence in Teaching Award. The organization recognized faculty
from each of its 21-member schools.
By Robert W. Dalton
Dr. Lori Cruze is always looking for ways to make things better, both in her classroom and
the world around her.
Cruze is Wofford College’s recipient of the 2022 South Carolina Independent Colleges &
Universities’ Excellence in Teaching Award. The organization recognized faculty from each
of its 21-member schools. This is the 15th year SCICU has recognized faculty with the
awards, which have rigorous guidelines and come with a $3,000 professional development
grant.
“I’m honored, but also humbled because I’m surrounded by excellent teachers here at
Wofford,” says Cruze, assistant professor of biology. “It means a lot to be recognized for
doing what I love to do. I’m always trying to improve, taking the material and making it more
digestible for the students. Every time you teach a class you find things that might work
better next time if we approached it this way or did it that way.”
Cruze is teaching genetics for the first time this semester. Her courses also include biological
inquiry, human physiology and comparative reproductive biology.
READ MORE
Best value
The Princeton Review recognizes Wofford College on its Best Value Colleges for 2022 list.
Wofford College continues to be recognized by The Princeton Review as one of its Best
Value Colleges for 2022.
The publication recognized 209 institutions with the designation, which is based on return-
on-investment (ROI) ratings. More than 650 colleges and universities were surveyed for the
list.
“Wofford’s continued recognition by a prestigious publication like The Princeton Review
reinforces our commitment to student success by giving attention to access, quality and
emphasizing graduation within four years,” says Nayef Samhat, Wofford’s president. “Many
people across campus support these initiatives while remaining focused on finding new ways
to make the student experience at Wofford even better.”
The Princeton Review evaluated more than 40 data points for institutions, including
academics, affordability and career preparation. Colleges and universities are not ranked,
but the publication does have seven categories of ranked lists. Wofford is No. 14 among the
Top 20 Best Alumni Networks for private colleges and universities. That’s a move up one
spot from 2021.
READ MORE
Ethan DiBlasio ’22 named Outstanding Chemistry
Major
The Western Carolinas Local Section of the American Chemistry Society recognized Ethan
DiBlasio ’22 as Wofford’s Outstanding Chemistry Major. He has participated in research
projects focused on microbiology and organometallic chemistry and presented at multiple
research symposiums.
DiBlasio, from Moore, South Carolina, has served as a general chemistry and organic
chemistry teaching assistant and a peer tutor on campus. Outside of academics, he has
served as president of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, president of the fly-fishing
club and an ambassador level scribe for ScribeAmerica. He also actively volunteers in the
community. After graduation, DiBlasio will continue work as a medical scribe while applying
to medical school.
Wofford’s physics students share joy for science
Micheal Mason ’23 and Gray Price ’24 watch Cleveland Academy of Leadership students launch rockets
during a physics demo day organized by Wofford’s Society of Physics.
Wofford’s Society of Physics is among many chapters to win a $500 Marsh White Award
from the Society of Physics Students, which is part of the American Institute of Physics. The
grant is intended for community outreach, and the students used the funds to conduct a
physics demo day at Cleveland Academy of Leadership. The school’s STEM Club launched
air rockets, traced an image of the sun using a solar viewer, designed and made paper
airplanes, and experienced angular momentum with an extra-large gyroscope. Wofford
students led demonstrations related to tornadoes, lightning and pressure that included a bed
of nails.
Milliken Lecture Series on Sustainability and
Public Health
Former state Rep. Harold Mitchell will cap a month of environment and sustainability events
when he speaks at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, in the Jerome Johnson Richardson Theatre.
Mitchell’s presentation is titled “The ReGenesis Project: Environmental Justice in
Spartanburg.” Now a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council,
Mitchell will speak on his experiences advocating for equity in Spartanburg and the
relationship between environmental justice and public health.
His discussion is part of the Milliken Lecture Series on Sustainability and Public Health.
Save the date for Homecoming
Homecoming 2022 will be held Oct. 28-29. Keep an eye on the weekend’s webpage,
which will have updates with the complete schedule, links for registration and a list of
who’s coming. Classes ending in 2 and 7 will celebrate reunions.
Athletics updates
Ridgeway named 2022 SoCon Coach of the Year, Earl tabbed All-SoCon
SoCon tabs Dorighi, Vitus as Players of the Week
Follow us @woffordcollege


Conquer and Prevail Issue 109 April 28 2022

Daily Announcements September 2022

Wofford College.  Department of Athletics

Women\u27s Golf Record Book 2022 (Post Fall)

This article uses the theory of the narrative creation of the self to contend that the Confessio Amantis creates a space for narrative healing within the acknowledgement of mortality. Rather than being traditionally funny or ending in amorous or military victory, Gower’s poem uses the encyclopedia knowledge of the interpolated tales to establish a healing narrative in the face of failure and loss

Grinnell, Natalie S

Writing Into Hope: Laughter, Sadness and Healing in John Gower\u27s Confessio Amantis

Wofford Today Summer 2022

Wofford Today Winter 2022

ISSUE #126 | NOV. 22, 2022 | FROM THE OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Helping hands
Bladen Bates ’23 is interning with JumpStart, a ministry that helps prepare previously incarcerated people
for re-entry into society.
By Robert W. Dalton
People who are trying to rebuild their lives after spending time in prison carry the burden of a
lot of unflattering labels: Criminal, ex-con, jailbird.
Bladen Bates ’23 prefers a kinder label: human beings.
Bates, an art history and psychology major from Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina, is an intern
with JumpStart, a ministry that helps prepare people who’ve been incarcerated for re-entry
into society.
“There’s a stigma on people who were incarcerated,” Bates says. “Some people only see
them as criminals, but they are humans just like us. They deserve a second chance.
Sometimes the only thing that separates us from them is one mistake.”
READ MORE
An update from college leaders
President Nayef Samhat and other senior leaders will provide an operations update during a Dec. 5 town
hall.
Join President Nayef Samhat and members of Wofford College’s senior leadership team for
a Zoom webinar, 4 p.m. EST, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. The webinar will focus on college
operations with a report on enrollment.
Register in advance.
College leaders will take questions during the event, with priority given to those who pre-
submit questions. Email WoffordNews@wofford.edu with questions or topics you would
like covered.
Terrier Startup Challenge
Megan Santos ’23, a biology major from Concord, North Carolina, and Kate Timbes ’23, a studio art major
from Columbia, South Carolina, placed first in the Terrier Startup Challenge with their pitch for Talking
Pieces.
The seventh annual Terrier Startup Challenge was held Nov. 17. Eight business pitches by
nine students were heard by a panel of judges as the students competed for $10,000 in
startup funding. Learn more.
On her way
Nneka Mogbo ’20 is teaching English in Algeria as a Fulbright Fellow. Her fellowship, originally scheduled
for 2020, was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Robert W. Dalton
When her Fulbright Fellowship was postponed and then canceled because of COVID-19,
Nneka Mogbo ’20 mourned and moved on.
Then, as quickly as it was taken away, the opportunity reappeared. Mogbo departed for
Algeria in October, where she is serving as an English teaching assistant.
“I got a call in February that it was back on,” says Mogbo. “It was really bittersweet. While I
was excited, I was also concerned that I’m not the same person I was when I was a fresh
graduate.”
Mogbo learned in the spring of 2020 that she had been selected for the fellowship. Just days
later, with the pandemic starting to shut down the world, she was told it was on hold.
READ MORE
Wofford posts impressive NCAA graduation
success rate data
The Wofford volleyball team is one of nine athletics teams at the college that posted a score of 100 with
its graduation success rate.
The NCAA has released the latest Graduation Success Rate for all Division I institutions.
Wofford had nine of 14 teams post a score of 100, the highest score available. The overall
GSR for Wofford was a 96, which ranked second in the Southern Conference and first in
South Carolina.
READ MORE
Celebrating first-generation college students
Dr. James Stukes, assistant dean of student success and college access, MauriAnna Richardson ’25,
Laila Villeda ’26, Isa Ortiz Calzada ’24 and Anthony Tarulli ’25 pose with a proclamation from Spartanburg
City Council in recognition of First-Generation College Celebration Day.
On Nov. 14, first-generation college students from Wofford and Spartanburg’s other colleges
and universities were recognized with a proclamation during a Spartanburg City Council
meeting in recognition of First-Generation College Celebration Day. MauriAnna Richardson
’25, a chemistry major from Columbia, South Carolina; Laila Villeda ’26, an undeclared major
from Cumming, Georgia; Isa Ortiz Calzada ’24, a double major in French and francophone
studies and international affairs from Greenville, South Carolina; and Anthony Tarulli ’25, a
double major in biology and environmental studies from Bluffton, South Carolina;
represented Wofford at City Hall with Dr. James Stukes, assistant dean of student success
and college access.
The college’s Office of Student Success hosted its fifth annual First-Generation College
Student Celebration Week from Nov. 7-10. Caitlynn Myer ’18 gave the college’s first keynote
address during First-Generation College Student Celebration Week, and a gathering was
held at the president’s house for students, staff and faculty who were first-generation college
students. Students also got to know each other during karaoke and bingo.
Panoff recognized
Dr. Robert Panoff (center) received an award from the largest computer science professional society in
the world during its conference in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Robert Panoff, scientist in residence and instructor of computer science, recently became
the first recipient of the Educational Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computational
Science Education by the ACM SIGHPC chapter. ACM is the largest computer science
professional society in the world. Panoff was recognized for his work assisting faculty with
the integration of computational science in the undergraduate curriculum. He is widely known
for developing Interactivate, a set of modeling tools to assist in the teaching of pre-college
science and math. He also has received numerous National Science Foundation grants to
provide workshops for faculty, K-12 teachers and students.
Panoff received a $2,000 honorarium and recognition at the SC22 meeting in Dallas, Texas,
earlier this month.
Follow us @woffordcollege


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Conquer and Prevail Issue 103 March 10 2022

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 12 Issue 12

Conquer and Prevail Issue 109 April 28 2022

Daily Announcements September 2022

Women\u27s Golf Record Book 2022 (Post Fall)

Writing Into Hope: Laughter, Sadness and Healing in John Gower\u27s Confessio Amantis

Wofford Today Summer 2022

Wofford Today Winter 2022

Conquer and Prevail Issue 126 November 22 2022

Daily Announcements February 2022

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