Spotlight on the faculty and staff award winners 

Jay Chapin 

The Alumni Distinguished Cooperative Extension Public Service Award was presented to Jay Chapin, professor of entomology at the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville. Chapin has served at the Edisto REC for 32 years. He has conducted research on control of Hessian fly and barley yellow dwarf virus on small grains and burrowing bug on peanut crops. His pest-management programs for these crops have become the standard for extension programs across the Southeast. Chapin recently received the Bailey Award, the highest award from The American Peanut Research and Extension Society. His research and programs have helped thousands of peanut and small grains growers across the region. The annual award recognizes extension administrators, specialists and agents for work in the classroom and in the field. It is the highest award given to an extension professional.

Mike Vatalaro and Elizabeth Milam Lomas

Mike Vatalaro and Elizabeth Milam Lomas received the Thomas Green Clemson Award for Excellence. Each received a plaque and $2,500. Their names are recorded on a perpetual plaque in the R.M. Cooper Library. The library also receives $2,500 to purchase books related to the recipient’s department. The Thomas Green Clemson Award for Excellence was created to honor outstanding faculty and staff who have made significant contributions to academic life at Clemson.

Vatalaro is chairman of the art department at Clemson and is known for his artistic abilities that include the creation and operation of South Carolina’s only anagama, a wood-fired kiln based on ancient Japanese design. The anagama, nicknamed “Vatagama” by his students, was built by Vatalaro with the help of students and other artists in the woods near Hartwell Lake.

In 1994 Vatalaro created the annual Soup and Salad Bowl Sale, which is held each spring in the outdoor courtyard at Lee Hall and has raised as much as $6,000 for supplies.

Lomas is associate director of financial aid at Clemson and has extensive knowledge of state regulations associated with scholarships and financial assistance. She is a member of the South Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (SCAFSAA) and works closely with the Commission on Higher Education. In addition to knowing the specifics of financial aid and legislation, Lomas is known for her patience and ability to explain the fine points and processes to coworkers, students and their families.

Mike McLeod

Mike McLeod, CU101 professor and coordinator of the Academic Success Center, received the Prince Award for Innovation in Teaching. The annual award is named for Clemson President Emeritus Philip Prince and recognizes outstanding teachers who demonstrate creative and novel teaching methods in the classroom. McLeod was named recipient of the award in May.