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Clemson University

CALL ME DOCTOR


The Call Me Doctor Mission

The Call Me Doctor Fellows Program aims to partner underrepresented STEM doctoral fellows with education scholars, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs to bring cutting-edge science/engineering concepts to the market, academic community, and into the K-12 classroom. The Call Me Doctor® program aims to leverage the fellows' skills and interests to excite and inform the public about cutting-edge research while preparing them for dynamic careers and scholarship.

Call Me Doctor Benefits

Doctoral students selected as CMD Fellows will receive the following:

  • $34,000 stipend per year for the two-year fellowship period
  • $750 travel award for domestic travel per academic year*
  • $1000 travel award for international travel per academic year*
  • Graduate tuition remittance (fellow only responsible for paying semester fees)

* Fellows must have an accepted abstract and research mentor approval to be eligible for travel support funds

Why We Are Different

The Call Me Doctor Fellow experience is not an ordinary fellowship. The Fellow’s graduate studies are enriched in three areas, all of which work synergistically to mold the student into a well-rounded scholar. The three focus areas are:

  • Engaged Academic Advising: Each fellow is paired with a faculty academic advisor with a track record and documented commitment to quality advising and graduation of doctoral students.
  • Commitment to Service: Each fellow must complete a service/outreach-based project to disseminate research knowledge to the underrepresented minority public.
  • Professional Development with a Plan: Each fellow will declare a professional track. Tracks include: 1) Academia, 2) the Research and Development Industry, and 3) Entrepreneurship. Each track features a series of individualized professional development experiences to accelerate the Fellow’s career after graduation.

 

 

Meet

OUR TEAM


Advisory Board

Jordon Gilmore

Jordon Gilmore, PhD

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and graduate of the Call Me Doctor Program

Angela Alexander-Bryant

Angela Alexander-Bryant, PhD

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

Delphine Dean

Delphine Dean, PhD

Chair; Gregg-Graniteville Associate Professor of Bioengineering

Stephen Creager

Stephen Creager

Associate Dean, College of Science; Professor of Chemistry

Tonyia Stewart

Tonyia Stewart, M.Ed.

Director - Graduate Recruitment & Inclusive Excellence

Melissa C. Smith

Melissa C. Smith

Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence & Graduate Studies

How to

APPLY

Applications for the Call Me Doctor® Fellowship for Fall 2024 are due April 1, 2024 by 11:59 pm EST. The availability and number of awards is subject to change each semester based on funding availability. Please view the current solicitation.

APPLY TODAY!

CMD

CURRENT FELLOWS


See what our students are saying

Student Tokea G. Payton

Tokea Payton

Tokea G. Payton graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a master's in Marine Biology. Her travels and experiences in research and education lead her to start her Ph.D. career in the Biological Sciences Department at Clemson University. Her research focuses on the impact of marine debris and debris removal on the coral reef communities in the Florida Keys. During her time at Clemson, Tokea was able to mentor elementary and undergraduate students and pursue her career as a marine science researcher, conservationist, and educator.

Student Giovani Gutierrez:

Giovani Gutierrez:

I am a first-generation American from Maryville, Tennessee and graduated from Maryville College with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. I am currently a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Kim Research Group. Through my efforts and the support of my group, I have presented at several conferences, fostering valuable professional connections. I have also had amazing opportunities to mentor several undergraduate and graduate students. In my next stage in life, I wish to pursue a career in drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry.

Student Sarah Donaher

Sarah Donaher

I graduated from Clemson with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering. I earned my M.S. in Marine Science from the UNC at Chapel Hill, studying the role of positive species interactions in improving coastal restoration. I returned to Clemson to work on my Ph.D., studying the mobility and bioavailability of radioactive metals in salt marsh plants and animal species. This work will improve risk assessments for small-scale radioactive pollution in dynamic wetland systems by employing marine mussels to provide a warning of risk.

Student Errol Francis

Errol Francis

Errol Francis II is a fourth-year Ph.D. Candidate in Computer Science at Clemson University. Prior to beginning his Ph.D. program, he graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, CA, with degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science. His research now focuses on Usable Privacy and Security and News Provenance.

Keturah Bethel

Keturah Bethel

Keturah received a B.S. in Applied Mathematics from the University of the Virgin Islands and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University. Her undergraduate research work ranged from novel semiconductors to thin films for drug delivery. As a Ph.D. candidate, she focuses on fabricating and characterizing sustainable hydrogel materials.

GIVE

Call Me Doctor™ needs the help of private donors to maintain, grow, and support the research and outreach endeavors of our Fellows. Endowment funds, outright gifts, and/or the facilities or programs they support may bear the name of the donor or someone the donor chooses to honor.

Needs include:

  • Research Funds: to provide continuing seed funds for new research initiatives and clinical/industrial/regulatory internships in the scientific and engineering disciplines supported through CMD.
  • Travel Funds: to provide support for travel to scientific meetings and outreach events for Fellows and their faculty mentors
  • Professorships: to provide professional development funds for faculty mentors working with CMD to enhance outreach and dissemination efforts within their research lab.
  • Masters (M.S.) Student Support: to provide partial support for outstanding underrepresented students meeting all CMD criteria, but in pursuit of a Master of Science (M.S.) degree. We believe that gifts in this area can be used to encourage students to continue on to the Ph.D., while allowing for the personal and professional growth that a M.S. degree provides.

Please contact Dr. Jordon Gilmore for more information or to arrange your gift.
Email: jagilmo@clemson.edu | Office: 201-1 Rhodes Research Center | Phone: 864.656.4262