@Claflin: Welcome Dr. Warmack, H. N. Tisdale Avenue, Summer Food Program, and more

The World Needs Visionaries

Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack Named Ninth President at Claflin University

The Claflin University Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack as the ninth president of the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in South Carolina, effective August 1, 2019. He succeeds Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, who is retiring after 25 years of transformational leadership at the Orangeburg, S.C., institution founded in 1869.

"Dr. Warmack was unanimously chosen to lead Claflin University from a pool of highly qualified applicants," said James K. Lehman, Chair of the Board. "We believe he will continue Claflin's upward trajectory, keeping the university among the nation's leading institutions of higher education. He brings a brand of leadership that is inclusive, transparent and inspires teamwork."

He inherits the leadership of an institution experiencing unprecedented growth and achievements in enrollment, fundraising, annual alumni giving rate, and ranked as one of the top ten (#7) HBCUs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.

"I am honored to lead one of the nation's premier Historically Black College and Universities that has a tradition of producing visionary leaders and a proven track record devoted to student success," Warmack said. "My aspiration is to honor President Tisdale's amazing legacy, by continuing the Claflin standard as a beacon of excellence in higher education for future generations to come. I am humbled by the opportunity afforded me to carry the torch and to continue the growth and development of Claflin University as a dynamic and powerful center of scholarship, research and education."

Dr. Warmack will assume the mantle of leadership at Claflin after serving the last five years as President of Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri. He brings more than 20 years of progressive administrative experience in higher education at five distinct higher education institutions.

Dr. Warmack earned a Bachelor's degree in Education and Master's degree in Sociology from Delta State University. He earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Higher Education from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. He completed post-doctoral work in Educational Leadership at Harvard University School of Education. Dr. Warmack is married to LaKisha Warmack and they have one daughter, Morgan.

Click here to view the press conference that was held on Monday, June 10.

Recent Stories About Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack

To learn more about Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack, Claflin University president-elect, you may click below (and share) recent stories that are related his new appointment at Claflin University.

Times and Democrat

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

St. Louis American

HBCU Digest

Roland Martin Unfiltered

SC House of Representatives Names Section of Orangeburg Street to Honor Claflin President Henry N. Tisdale

The SC House of Representatives approved a resolution to name Goff Avenue from US Highway 601 to US Highway 21 in Orangeburg, S.C., to Dr. H.N. Tisdale Avenue. The announcement and presentation of the official highway sign bearing the name of Claflin President Henry N. Tisdale's was held during the Alumni and Friend's Breakfast hosted by the Orangeburg, S.C. Chapter of the Claflin University International Alumni Association on Saturday, May 18. Dr. Tisdale will retire on June 30, after 25 years of visionary leadership as Claflin' eighth president. The idea was first introduced as a resolution before the S.C. House of Representatives, and Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg, served as the primary sponsor.

Claflin University Offers Free Breakfast and Lunch Through Summer Food Service Program

Claflin University is now offering free breakfast and lunch to children under 18 through its Summer Food Service Program. No formal registration is required for children wanting to participate in this program. Meals will be served in the Claflin University Dining Center on Monday through Friday (excluding holidays).

The seven-week program is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). "Many children go without eating breakfast and lunch during the summer months since they aren't in school where those meals are served," said Gwendolyn Phillips, TRIO Director at Claflin University. "We are grateful to be able to provide those meals for the children in a loving and caring environment," she said.

Breakfast will be served from 8 until 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. until 12:15 p.m. The program will conclude on Friday, July 26.

For more information on the program, please call Gwendolyn Phillips at (803) 535-5058.

Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program to Receive Grant from U.S. Department of State Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad

The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program (Benedict College, Claflin University and Voorhees College) has been selected to receive a $35,000 grant as part of the U.S. Department of State's 2019 Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad. The Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by World Learning.

The Carolina Cluster Career Pathways Program was created in December 2016 through a $6 million grant by the UNCF® Career Pathways Initiative (CPI), funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. The priorities of the grant are to improve employment outcomes for graduates through guided pathways, curricular enhancements, and integrated co-curricular engagement.

"We are pleased to support U.S. colleges and universities from across the United States as part of our suite of initiatives aimed at increasing American student mobility. We are committed to providing more opportunities for American students to benefit from the rich experience of studying overseas," said Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The Capacity Building Program for U.S. Study Abroad seeks to increase the capacity of accredited U.S. colleges and universities to create, expand, and diversify study abroad programs for U.S. students. In addition to the small grants competition, the program will also offer opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators at U.S. colleges and universities to participate in a series of virtual and in-person study abroad capacity building activities.

For a full list of grant recipients for the 2019 competition, as well as information about upcoming Capacity Building Initiative workshops and resources under this same program, please click here.

Alumni News

Marcus T. Fogle, '09, is the new director of development for the University of South Carolina. In his role, he will serve as the chief fundraiser for the U of SC Honors College.

Janice W. Marshall, '69, is the June honoree for the 2019 South Carolina African American History Calendar. Marshall is a Claflin University Board of Trustee member and the executive director of the James E. Clyburn Research and Scholarship Foundation. Under her leadership, millions of dollars have been awarded to students, many of whom are first-generation college pursuers and graduates. Click here to view the calendar.

Congratulations to Danielle Wilson, '13 , who recently received her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine. In July , she will begin a traditional rotating internship at Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami, Fla.

The Central Savanah River Area Alumni Chapter is sponsoring its annual $10,000 Reverse Raffle on Friday, July 26, at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion. For more information, please contact Dr. Willie L. Frazier, '75, at (706) 399-6105.

Panther Pride

Claflin University Joins Peach Belt Conference as an Associate Member for Baseball

The Claflin University baseball program will compete in the Peach Belt Conference beginning with the 2019-20 season. Athletic Director Jerome Fitch announced that Claflin has joined the Peach Belt Conference as its first associate member.

"This is a cause for celebration," Fitch said. "We played as an independent last year, but knew we had to find a home. The Peach Belt Conference is a logical choice for our baseball program. We were looking for a conference that places the welfare of the students as its priority within the context of athletic competition. Claflin has an unwavering commitment to continuing to develop a program that will compete for conference, regional and national championships. The Peach Belt Conference provides us that opportunity. This is a win-win for everyone."

The Panthers went 25-18 last season and finished in third place at the DII Independent Baseball Tournament. Claflin has made two NCAA Tournament appearances. The Panthers earned an automatic bid in 2016 after winning the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) tournament.

"Under the leadership of Dr. Fitch and Head Coach James Randall, the Panthers have been competitive in every conference they have been a part of," Commissioner David Brunk said. "They will be a welcomed addition to the Peach Belt."

The addition of Claflin brings the total number of PBC baseball teams to 12, giving the league an even number of teams for the first time since 2012. Claflin will be immediately eligible to participate in the PBC baseball tournament and for conference baseball awards in 2019-2020.

Claflin's other eight sports will continue to compete in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Claflin recently completed its inaugural season in the CIAA after joining the conference on July 1, 2018. Previously, Claflin spent 10 years in the SIAC. The CIAA dropped baseball as a conference championship prior to the 2019 season, leaving Claflin to play as an independent team in NCAA Division II.

"All the programs in the Peach Belt are really good, from top to bottom, and we want to add to that tradition," said Coach Randall. "We've played several PBC schools over the years and we are excited to be a part of it. Being in a conference and playing for a championship matters. It matters to the kids that they have something to play for."

Lee Named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II Softball First Team

Former Claflin University softball player LaKaylin Lee, '19, has been named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II Softball First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Lee was earlier named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-District Softball Team in May. The Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II Softball Team was announced on Wednesday, May 5.

The Division II Google Cloud Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2018-19 Division II Academic All-America® teams.

Lee, a 5-2, outfielder, from, Decatur, Ga., was named to the 2019 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Female Scholar Athlete of the Year and to the 2019 All-CIAA First Team. She is also a 2019 Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Softball All-Atlantic Region Second Team Selection and a member of the 2019 Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Academic All-America Scholar Athlete Team.

Lee graduated summa cum laude with a degree in business management at Claflin's historic sesquicentennial commencement convocation this past May. She finished the 2019 season ranked 11th in sacrifice flies and 32nd in runs per game in the nation. Lee finished her career with a .385 batting average, a .608 slugging percentage along with 100 of 107 stolen bases. This season she amassed 55 runs with 55 hits including nine doubles, five triples and four homeruns with 32 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 31 attempts.

She is one of 18 members of the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II Softball teams have at least a 3.90 G.P.A.

Claflin Softball Places 12 Players on the 2019 Easton/NFCA Academic All-America Scholar-Athlete Team

The Claflin University softball team had 12 members named to the 2019 Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Academic All-America Scholar Athlete Team. Any player with a 3.5 grade point average for the year is eligible for the team.

A full release of all 2019 Easton/NFCA Academic All-America Scholar Athletes and the Top 10 Easton/NFCA Academic Teams will be announced in October of this year.

Members of the Claflin University softball team named to the 2019 Easton/NFCA Academic All-America Scholar Athlete team are: Kayla Cato (Infielder), Bre'Zhay Chambers (Pitcher), Saeviah Conyers (Outfielder), Jada Garrick (Infielder), Reagan Hill (Pitcher), Camryn Hollis (Outfielder), Angel Johnson (Infielder), LaKaylin Lee (Outfielder/Pitcher), Kyra Shuler (Infielder), Ashley Thomas (Outfielder), Jamelah Thomas (Outfielder), and Shaniya Thomas (Pitcher).