Distinguished Speaker Series and 
Building Bridges to Success
 

The TIGERS Advance Distinguished Speaker Series offers the unique opportunity to bring a collaborator from outside of Clemson to campus for a 2-3 day research-focused visit.  Invited off-campus research partners (travel must be within the U.S.) can be from established collaborations or those intended to build new research teams.  The focus of these visits is to build networks of researchers from different universities to expand the opportunities for Clemson junior faculty to build research programs of national success.  The future of science, technology, mathematics and engineering is in building teams of collaborative researchers that integrate multiple techniques and disciplines to solve the big challenges of the future.  TIGERS Advance is happy to offer this funding opportunity to help facilitate its junior faculty in building these bridges to success.

Eligibility and Funding

The purpose of this program is to encourage tenure-track Assistant Professors to make professional connections with recognized leaders in their research area and to build external networks in their research field through developing collaborative research programs.  Thus, a strong case should be made by the applicant for how interactions with the proposed Collaborator during the Clemson visit will benefit his or her own research objectives and success towards earning tenure and promotion at Clemson.  Invited research collaborators are encouraged to interact with members of the faculty host’s department but are not required to give a public seminar during their visit.

Each participating faculty member can invite collaborators from other U.S. universities, federal research programs or industry partners and will receive up to $1,500 to cover travel expenses only (e.g. airfare, lodging, shuttle or car rental) for the duration of the visit. Because the program’s priority is building collaboration, the visit will be designated for one-on-one interactions with the hosts but seminars and lectures within the faculty host department and College are certainly encouraged. We anticipate making up to 8 awards for Fall 2019 and 8 awards for Spring 2020.

Applying and Selection

Applications for the 2020-2021 academic year will be announced late Spring 2020. 

Questions about this new Distinguished Speaker Series initiative can be directed to TIGERS Advance Director, Margaret Ptacek, Ph.D. (mptacek@clemson.edu).

Speaker Series- Spring 2020

•  Friday, February 21st from 2:30-3:40 in the Watt Auditorium

John Postlethwaite, Professor from University of Oregon – hosted by SCIENCE and the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry 

•  Wednesday, February 26th from 4:00 – 5:00 in the Watt Auditorium

Jenna Carpenter, Dean of Computing, Campbell University – hosted by School of Mathematics and Statistics and Association for Women in Mathematics chapter

• Thursday, March 12th from 2:00 – 3:15 in the  Watt Auditorium

Paula Hammond, Chair of Chemical Engineering MIT – hosted by the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department

• Monday, March 30th, time TBD in the Watt Center Auditorium 

Beronda Montgomery, Professor Michigan State University – hosted by SCIENCE and CAFLS – Genetics & Biochemistry and Plant and Environmental Science