DATE: March 10, 2008

CONTACT: Kerry Coffey, (864) 656-0312
kcoffey@clemson.edu

WRITER: Kerry Coffey, (864) 656-0312
kcoffey@clemson.edu

Clemson professor named Rural Educator of the Year

CLEMSON –- Doris Cole, research assistant professor at the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life (IFNL), a public service activity of Clemson University, has been named Rural Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Department of Commerce.

Cole is the liaison to Anderson County School District 1 for the Strong Communities initiative. Strong Communities, an initiative of IFNL, builds systems of support for families of young children with the goal of preventing child abuse and neglect.

During her career as an educator, Cole has served in many capacities including a teacher, elementary principal, director of a child development center and district-level educator. Her work at Clemson highlights her compassion and dedication to children and families; specifically in Williamston.

She was born and raised in Williamston and she has spent her professional career and her personal passion on making life better for the children and families of this rural community.

Cole has personally recruited almost 400 volunteers for mostly school-based support for families of young children and she has enrolled more than 125 families in the resulting services.

“Dr. Cole has done a remarkable job of bridging divisions in the community,” said Gary Melton, director of IFNL and Strong Communities. “The projects that she has led have brought together people of diverse ethnicity, politics and wealth, and strengthened their pride in helping children and families.”

Working in large part as a volunteer, she was responsible for organizing and finding funding for renovation of the Carolina Community Center in Williamston as a family support center. The center serves as a hub for parent-child and family activities.

“Dr. Cole has been instrumental in forming a partnership between Strong Communities and the Anderson School District 1 board. This partnership has resulted in more families in the community having a connection to someone who can help them,” said Superintendent Dr. Wayne Fowler. “Based on all of my many years working with Dr. Cole, I can not think of anyone more deserving of this award.”

The IFNL’s mission is to generate, share and apply the knowledge needed to strengthen ties between families and communities. For more information on the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life visit http://www.clemson.edu/ifnl.

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