Good News

PC's student delegation, headed by senior Sarah Loftis, won "Best Small Delegation" at this year's South Carolina Student Legislature. This award is voted on by delegates to the student legislature, which includes students from all over the state. In addition, PC students Ralph Guerra and Hallie Ridings were elected by their peers to serve as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.

After Charlotte McGuinness learned that Susan Gentry, Director of Counseling, was diagnosed with breast cancer in July, the ZTA sorority wanted to show support and bring awareness to this illness by offering items to help with recovery and well-being. ZTA surprised Gentry with gifts, love and support. Susan Gentry was overcome with tears of joy and gratitude stating, "this cause is so important to me because it affects one in eight women. The support I've felt while going through this process has given me strength and courage. These ladies are definitely changing the world for the better." Since its founding in 1898 ZTA's philanthropy has been Breast Cancer Awareness and Education. Nationally, ZTA raised $500K for breast cancer research this year alone.

Senior Kennedy Wright and career advisor Lynn Downie spent the morning of Oct. 14 supporting the United Way of Laurens County as volunteers at the 2nd annual Clay Shoot fundraiser. They enjoyed catching up with Dr. Norman Scarborough, who was one of the participants. The United Way supports the local community through financial support of area nonprofit agencies, community gardens, and a variety of other programs and initiatives. Dum Vivimus, Servimus!

One of our alumni, Dr. Alex Yarborough (2016), has written a children's book about getting a flu shot; Our Best Shot. Dr. Yarborough is currently a pharmacy manager with Sam's Club Pharmacy in the Columbia area. You can support her by obtaining a copy through Amazon.

On Saturday October 1, 2022, Dr. Afeli was honored with the award for Higher Education Teaching Excellence from the Ivory Coast government minister, Mr. Kouadio Konan Bertin. This is the first edition of this award, which honors professional achievements of Ivorians abroad. The ceremony was held at the Ivory Coast embassy in Washington, DC.

Barrett Moody, '25, had the pleasure of presenting a economic growth and development goal to the city council Monday evening. Project Expand is meant to bring a connection between the community, students and businesses.

Dr. Terry Barr’s latest collection of essays, The American Crisis Playlist, has been released by Redhawk Publications in Hickory, N.C. In his essays, Barr uses popular music as a means to cope with the politics of the last several years and the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a widely published author whose essays have appeared in a variety of literary magazines and reviews. Several of his collections, Don’t Date Baptists and Other Warnings from My Alabama Mother and Secrets I’m Dying to Tell You, are also available in print. Barr teaches creative nonfiction, modern literature, and film studies at PC.

After serving 24 years as the Graduation Coach and College and Career Counselor at B.E. Mays High School in Atlanta, Ga, BoBo Beasley retired on 6-30-22. At a retirement celebration, he was surprised with a proclamation from Andre Dickens (Mayor of Atlanta) and the City Council of Atlanta naming 6-24-22, Harold BoBo Beasley Day in the City. BoBo has seen over 5000 students graduate from high school and watch over 3500 attend post secondary institutions. He was blessed to have 10 of his Mays graduates attend Presbyterian College and graduate. BoBo and wife Paula have been married for 38 years and are the proud parents of Jessica Nicole and Dr. Harrison (Angelica) Beasley. They have four "granbees", Lennox, Jackson, Hunter and Elani.

PC's Voter Registration Drive registered nearly 50 new voters this past week. Among them was senior Will Pontoon, pictured here with Kennedy Wright (one of the event's organizers) with his mock ballot. In addition to registering students to vote, the Voter Registration Drive featured a real voting machine (with a mock election) and encouraged people to serve as poll workers on Election Day. Many thanks to the Political Science Club, SGA and the Counseling & Wellness Office for co-sponsoring this event! If you have not yet registered to vote, you can do so online at vote.gov.

Thirty students met Lima One Capital representatives to learn about careers in the financial lending industry with this growing firm headquartered in Greenville, SC. The Career & Professional Development office facilitated a panel discussion on the PC campus with four Lima One employees representing the areas of sales, mortgage services, analytics, and information technology including alumnus Kevin Yascur 2019. Students with strong problem-solving and communication skills are encouraged to apply and join an organization offering excellent benefits and competitive pay.

Scott Todd '12 was recognized by the Greenville Business Magazine as one of the Best and Brightest under 35. Scott was a 2012 political science major at PC and earned his J. D. from the University of South Carolina Law School in 2015. He has served as an assistant solicitor in the 7th and 13th Circuit Solicitors Offices before moving to private practice. In January 2022, he became a partner with Sumner & Todd, LLC.

Twenty students traveled to Costa Rica to learn about Environmental Psychology and Memory with Dr. Stephanie Freis and Dr. Sarah Burns. This was the largest Maymester group of the semester, and their focus was on Costa Rica's culture surrounding conservation.

Laurens County School District 56 names Olivia Craven Gardner, an 8th grade science teacher at Clinton Middle School, Teacher of the Year. Gardner is a product of the local schools and a graduate of Presbyterian College in 2015.

Jon Smith '11 has joined The Christman Company as a senior conceptual estimator in the construction management and real estate development firm’s office in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Jon is skilled at communicating project cost estimates and analytics and connecting with the trade contracting community,” said Marty Gibbs, senior vice president, and general manager for The Christman Company’s operations in Knoxville. “We’re glad to have him join our team to support project planning efforts.” Smith has already contributed his expertise to projects led by The Christman Company, including at Smith & Wesson in Maryville, Tennessee. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from Presbyterian College and has worked in construction since 2011.

Keshia McCrary Tiemann '06 was recently elevated to a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP in Atlanta. Keshia is a member of the firm's labor and employment practice and handles disputes and counsels clients on employment-related matters.

Dr. Bob Bryant, Dr. Jim Thompson, and Dr. Julie Meadows led a group of PC students on a Maymester trip in Charleston county. Sixteen students from Dr. Bryant's Wilderness class camped in the Francis Marion National Forest for a weekend this past spring. During the wilderness trip, they trekked through part of the Cape Romain Wilderness and National Wildlife Refuge to Bulls Island and back again.

Rising sophomore, Barrett Moody, was selected to participate in GE's Dare to Lead Women's Leadership conference this summer. The 2-day career and leadership conference was designed to help underrepresented female students of color uncover professional passions and unlock their career possibilities. The opportunity was shared by 2002 Alumni, Ja'Net Vicks through the Career and Professional Development office.

Dr. Trey Wingerson, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, presented his research, "A Debate on Alteplase for Ischemic Stroke," at the annual South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SCSHP) meeting in the spring.

Dr. Mike Rischbieter and Dr. Jim Wetzel led a group of students on a Maymester trip to the Galapagos Islands this past spring. The group's two-week exploration of the Galapagos included taking a 10-mile hike up the side of an active volcano and snorkeling. This year marks the seventh year Dr. Rischbieter has taken PC students to the Galapagos.

Rising junior Kasey Battle is spending the summer exploring her medical career options by participating in Prisma Health's MedEx Academy. A biology major and English minor, Battle plans to go to medical school and pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology after graduating from PC.

Dr. Roy Campbell and Dr. Mike Nelson led students on a Maymester trip to Fiji in June. The students learned about the history, culture, and climate of the islands in their Maymester course before traveling from island to island. The students snorkeled, hiked, went scuba diving, and more during their adventure 7,500 miles away from the PC campus.

Theta Chi raised $1,300 for the USO in the fraternity's first-ever "Goodest Boy Competition." Last semester, several PC students submitted photos of their dogs, and students voted on the dog they like most at the rate of $1 per vote. The winner of "The Goodest Boy Competition" was a female cat.

Ashby Jones '95 received the University of South Carolina’s Compleat Lawyer Award for 2022. The University of South Carolina School of Law Alumni Council established the award in 1992 to recognize alumni for outstanding civic and professional accomplishments to their community. Recipients are individuals who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and exemplify the highest standards of professional competence, ethics, and integrity. This is the most prestigious award given by the University of South Carolina’s School of Law.

Two members of The BlueStocking newspaper staff won awards in the South Carolina Press Association 2021 Contest this past spring. Mitchell Mercer won first place for Division I Sports Story and first place for Division I Sports Photograph. Sharecka Byrd won third place for Division I Arts and Entertainment.

Dr. Mary Douglass Smith, director of experiential education and assistant professor of pharmacy practice, co-authored "Developing clinical reasoning: An introduction for pharmacy preceptors" in the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. Smith collaborated with Dr. Lindsey M. Childs-Kean, from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, and Dr. Kathryn J. Smith, from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Pharmacy. https://accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jac5.1624

Dr. Talisha Ratliff received the Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award at the annual South Carolina Pharmacy Association convention in June.

Dr. Kelly Clark received the Ken Couch Distinguished Mentor Award at the annual South Carolina Pharmacy Association convention in June.

Stephanie McLaughlin Rawlinson '93 was elected to serve a second term as chairman of the South Carolina Commission for Disabilities and Special Needs. South Carolina governor Henry McMaster appointed Rawlinson to the commission in 2020, and the South Carolina Senate confirmed it. Since assuming the chairmanship, Rawlinson has spearheaded efforts to improve access to services and develop cooperative relationships with other state agencies to create joint programs which will benefit the disabled community of SC. Rawlinson also serves on the Shepherd Center Consumer Advisory board in Atlanta. She was appointed to this position in 2017 after her family was involved in a tragic automobile accident which left her daughter, Mary Catherine, a quadriplegic.

Drs. Mary Douglass Smith, Katie Ellis, & Erika Tillery presented their research, "Vaccines and Lingering Hesitancy: A Systematic Review," at the South Carolina Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SCSHP) meeting in the spring.

Wendy Stewart '93 was recognized as the Dining for a Difference Community Impact Award honoree for her personal investment and commitment to connecting and inspiring leaders to strengthen metro Atlanta's communities. Stewart, president of Global Commercial Banking for Bank of America, has worked with the GROVE PARK FOUNDATION INC to tackle the systemic issues of poverty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdW6r5h9KQI

Dr. Mary Douglass Smith and Susi Carbonneau's article, "Job Crafting in OEE," was published in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy's Experiential Education Section Winter Newsletter.

Dr. Eileen Ward earned the distinction of being an "Outstanding Reviewer" and received a Certificate of Excellence for her work as a member of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association (JAPhA) Editorial Advisory Board for the American Pharmacists Association (APhA). Ward, an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, at the PC School of Pharmacy will serve on the editorial board until 2025.