Faculty

LEADING SCIENTIST.
TEACHER. GIRL SCOUT MENTOR.
CLEMSON TIGER.

Her honors and awards listing reads like a veritable Who’s Who and What’s What of bioengineering. The holder of the Hunter Endowed Chair at Clemson University, professor Karen Burg has been recognized by the president, the governor, the U.S. Department of Defense, MIT, the world’s premier orthopaedic foundation, a host of professional engineering and education associations, and the Smithsonian Institute.
But even with those accolades, Burg’s favorite thing is being in the bioengineering lab with eager young minds, knowing that
the discoveries they’re making today will lead to advances in patient care and individual well-being for generations
to come.
As a professor, she’s a student favorite and is a self-proclaimed, bonafide Tiger. She’s a bioengineering star who chose Clemson. And she’s leading the future.

Leading Faculty
Recruiting and retaining the best faculty members — like Professor Burg — can truly define a university’s future. Attract the right talent, and every university stakeholder benefits: students through engaged learning and access to great minds; the university, in boosting the overall academic climate and reputation; and the state through increased economic development activity, to name a few.

The Reality
Clemson’s unique focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration, engagement and enrichment prompted The Scientist magazine to name the University the No. 1 place to work in academia. But, to reach its full potential as a top-tier research institution, Clemson must recruit and retain eminent scholars, teachers and researchers, and continue the tradition of excellence established by current faculty.

Endowed chairs and professorships are the key in attracting these promising faculty members. Without these respected positions, Clemson will lose the most talented to rival schools. And at the world-class level on which Clemson University competes for faculty, these positions are no longer a perk — they are an expectation.
Clemson wants to recruit and retain these eminent scholars for our students, academic programs, research and, indeed, as a pivotal factor in the economic prosperity of our state.

The Need
Clemson University needs to raise private gifts to support endowed chairs and professorships in areas strategically tied to the University’s roadmap. Key positions critical to advancing Clemson are located throughout the University:

• Four endowed chairs and two professorships in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences
• Endowed professorships in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities
• Three endowed chairs and five professorships in the College of Business and Behavioral Science
• Complete four endowed chairs and professorships in the College of Engineering and Science
• Four endowed chairs and $500,000 for one professorship in the College of Health, Education and Human Development
• One endowed chair in the Libraries
• Four endowed chairs for Public Service Activities

Recognizing the role that world-class faculty play in building a knowledge-based economy, the state of South Carolina has created a program to match — dollar for dollar — private funding for endowed chairs related to economic development. Clemson University will seek approval for endowed chairs to qualify for this match. What this means is that, in some cases, a $2 million private investment for an endowed chair could turn into a $4 million chair, doubling the initial investment.

The Impact
The entire Clemson University Family, as well as the state of South Carolina, will benefit from the recruitment of faculty members like Professor Burg, who not only conduct research and teach classes, but who contribute to the greater good of society. Funding these endowed chairs and professorships will:

• Import the intellectual capital needed to put the University at the pinnacle of academic research.
• Bring the world’s leading researchers and scholars to South Carolina, which will enhance economic opportunities for individuals and industries throughout the state and increase the quality of life.
• Recruit more of the nation’s top students to Clemson, which will ultimately propel Clemson into the top 20.