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Faculty/Staff News
Thomas Green Academy
welcomes four new members
 The
Thomas Green Clemson Academy of Engineers and Scientists belatedly
celebrated its 10th anniversary with the induction of four new members
in March. Last year’s ceremony was cancelled because of a
February snowstorm. Honorees from 2004 and 2005 were inducted in
this year’s combined ceremony.
Candidates for selection into the academy are judged on three criteria:
1.
conspicuous success in their career,
2.
significant contributions to society through professional or service
activities, and
3.
notable contributions to engineering/science practice.
Lee
Miller (Ph.D. Elec. Eng. ’67) has the unique distinction
of being the first person to receive a Ph.D. in electrical engineering
from Clemson. Following graduation, he became a senior scientist
at the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) in N.C. He was the principal
investigator on a NASA contract focused on developing a satellite-borne
radar altimeter – a feat that had never before been accomplished.
Few
in the general population recognize the impact that radar altimetry
from space has had upon their lives. Data collected by radar altimeters
has been used to chart the oceans’ basins and to study gravitational
anomalies, sea currents, global warming, and tidal variations –
all of which have important implications for weather prediction
and for characterizing climatic changes. Current commercial application
of radar altimetry data from space include petroleum exploration
and navigational aids used by both ships and aircraft.
In
1972, Miller co-founded Applied Science Associates, Inc., and until
his retirement approximately five years ago, he led a variety of
studies, primarily in the radar, microwave, and antenna fields for
NASA and the Department of Defense.
Larry
Taylor (B.S. Chem. ’62; Ph.D. Chem. ’65) has
exhibited a lifelong commitment to teaching excellence. After completing
his B.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry, here at Clemson, he did postdoc
work at Ohio State, and then joined the faculty at Virginia Tech
in 1967. During his tenure, he has coauthored more than 350 peer-reviewed
publications and has directed 27 M.S. theses and 36 Ph.D. student
dissertations. It’s estimated that he’s touched the
lives of some 15,000 students during his career.
His
publication record distinguishes him as one of the elite chemical
researchers in his generation – not only in terms of productivity,
but also in the quality of the information discovered. Spanning
several fields – from classical inorganic syntheses and characterization,
to supercritical chromatography, one finds breadth and depth in
his research. Perhaps his most remarkable achievement is one that
is most difficult to quantify. He has served as the elected chairperson
of the chemistry department at Virginia Tech since 1998. In the
face of adversity and limited resources, he has provided incredible
leadership and built the confidence of his faculty to achieve even
higher goals.
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George
Fletcher (M.S. Env. Sys. Eng. ’72) left Clemson in
1972 with an M.S. in Environmental Systems Engineering. Over the
next three decades he established an outstanding reputation, both
locally and nationally in waste water treatment. In 1993, he established
The Fletcher Group, a collection of environmental management and
engineering companies that operates on a philosophy of balancing
economic development with environmental management. In 1999, the
South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers named him Engineer
of the Year. The following year he was named 2000 Business Person
of the year by Greenville Magazine.
His
community leadership accomplishments include roles as president
of The Rotary Club of Greenville, Chairman of the Greenville Chamber
of Commerce and Chairman of the Clemson Research Center Task Force.
He has been a major supporter of Clemson’s International Automotive
Research Center, and was heavily involved in Greenville’s
Vision 2025 project – a strategic planning effort for Greenville
that encompasses a time horizon of more than two decades. His concern
for the quality of life in Greenville County is reflected by a decade
of service as a United Way volunteer.
John
Hardaway (B.S. Cer. Eng. ’67) completed his undergraduate
work at Clemson in ceramic engineering and followed that with a
Masters from Iowa State University. He began his professional career
with the United States Patent Office, and later obtained his J.D.
degree from the University of Tennessee.
His
grounding in ceramic engineering, combined with his training in
the law, has allowed him to cultivate an international reputation
in intellectual property law.
He
was recently elected to the U.S. Council for the International Federation
of Intellectual Property Attorneys, the world’s only association
for intellectual property attorneys in private practice. He is also
current chairman of the American Intellectual Property Law Association,
the preeminent intellectual property law association in the United
States.
Hardaway
was chairman, and remains a board member of The Japan America Association
of South Carolina, where he helped expand relationships between
Clemson University and scientists and academe in Japan. He lent
his considerable energy and expertise to the effort to establish
The Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies
(COMSET).
His
many civic activities include Meals on Wheels, St. James Episcopal
Church, Rotary International Youth Exchange Chairperson, Children’s
Hospital of the Greenville Hospital System, and the Greenville YMCA.
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