"Capitalizing on creative collaborations will not only solve national problems but will also help make Clemson more nationally competitive," said R. Larry Dooley (right, left, above, below), the new associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Engineering and Science. The former chairman of the bioengineering department filled the vacancy left when Chris Przirembel was named Clemson's new vice president for research.

Dooley, age 57, received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1969, and earned both his master's and doctoral degrees in bioengineering from Clemson in the 1970s. He worked in industry and taught at Mississippi State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Indiana State University before returning to Clemson in 1985.

Clemson is at a pivotal time in its development, he observed. "If anyone can move this university forward to the top 20 mark, it's Jim Barker. We've got the right leadership at the right time with the right message. We have an opportunity to make a difference."