The Clemson University Commission on Women presented its 2023 Awards of Excellence for the Advancement of Women in a ceremony on April 26.
The awards are presented in five categories. This year’s winners were:
- Faculty — Cynthia Sims, associate professor of human resource development
- Staff — Khristy Glover, accountant and fiscal analyst for regulatory services
- Graduate student — Dixizi (Krystal) Liu, doctoral student in industrial engineering
- Undergraduate student — Erin Jones, genetics
- Gender Equity Champion — Jordan Morehouse, assistant professor of strategic communication
The commission annually honors individuals who make outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life for women and inspire women’s leadership and success at Clemson University. The awards honor women whose actions and accomplishments meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Demonstrates a commitment to advancing gender equity, diversity and inclusion.
- Engages in work that positively affects the lives of women, especially Clemson University faculty, staff and/or students.
- Serves as a role model or mentor in the lives of Clemson University women.
- Serves as a role model or mentor in the lives of women in the community.
- Exhibits active involvement in causes and/or organizations that directly impact the status of women (e.g., pay equity, violence against women, women’s health, caregiving responsibilities, etc.).
Cynthia Sims
Cynthia Sims is an Associate Professor of Human Resource Development and the inaugural director of the Clemson University Faculty ADVANCEment Office. Her research focuses on the influence of gender, race, ethnicity, and other identities on workplace leadership. She has produced various award-winning scholarly works on issues relevant to women’s experiences in higher education and business. She worked with the NSF ADVANCE initiative founding and co-leading the Trailblazers program, including enabling faculty to identify tools to recruit and retain women in leadership roles effectively. As a result, leaders across intersecting identities can work toward equitable outcomes individually and systemically.
Khristy Glover
Khristy Glover is an Accountant and Fiscal Analyst in Clemson’s Regulatory Services Division, where she also serves as Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Planning Committee. As Chair, Khristy develops and delivers content for diversity and inclusion education programs that help drive culture change that has greatly benefited the advancement of women in her division and supports a working environment where everyone has an opportunity to succeed. Khristy is a dedicated mentor and is developing and facilitating a leadership development program for the women she works with in Regulatory Services. Khristy is a leader in the community and the office, serving on the Board of Directors for Pendleton Foundation for Black History and Culture.
Dixizi (Krystal) Liu
Dixizi (Krystal) Liu is a Ph.D. student in Industrial Engineering. Her research focuses on applying machine learning and big data analytics to emergency management for vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, with explicit consideration of their special needs. Dixizi is a delegate to the Graduate Student Government Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and actively mentors several undergraduate women in STEM research projects through various organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers. She also supports women through community services, having worked as a Tiger server to help Safe Harbor provide safe shelter, counseling, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence.
Erin Jones
Erin Jones is an undergraduate student majoring in Genetics and minoring in Women’s Leadership and Biochemistry. Her career goals include pursuing an MD/Ph.D. specifically to affect positive change regarding US infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates. Her dedication to her goals is evident through her focused undergraduate research, working as an emergency medical technician, and volunteering at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. She has mentored incoming students, is a teaching assistant for a clinical applications and medical practice course and has been a member of the University student government. She has also completed months-long training to be an advocate for survivors of sexual assault with the Pickens County Advocacy Center. Jones’s accomplishments were recognized broadly by the University with her selection as the College of Science Outstanding Junior for 2022-2023.
Jordan Morehouse
Jordan Morehouse is an Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication. Her research interests include public relations, non-profit organizations, engagement, and religious communication and management. Jordan goes above and beyond mentoring her students, from providing advice on salary negotiations to empowering students to feel comfortable speaking up in class. As a teacher, Jordan is known for activities that benefit women of all intersectional identities by creating assignments through which students contribute to advocacy efforts and expand their knowledge on intersectionality and gender equity. Such examples include readings that focus on Indigenous women and LGBTQIA+ advocacy and the creation of communication materials for Bridge II Sports, Planned Parenthood, Trans Women of Color Collective, and the Red Cross.
“You are all leaders and mentors, and you are helping Clemson to be a better university for future generations of women who will study here or work here,” said President Jim Clements at the event.
About the Commission on Women
The Clemson University Commission on Women was established to improve the quality of life for women at Clemson. The commission’s charge is to discern the status of women at Clemson University and document findings; discover and pursue the removal of institutional barriers identified by the commission; collect information and/or conduct research regarding issues affecting women, including the study of practices followed at other Universities’ Commissions on Women; and explore problem areas limiting equal opportunities and advancement.
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