The Citadel Swain Family School of Science and Mathematics is Proud to Present the 2022 Inductees into The Citadel Academy of Science and Mathematics!
Distinguished Alumni Award
Dr. Joe Sanders (Class of 1962) Pre-Allied Health – Pediatric Physician, Professor, Mentor, Philanthropist
After graduating from The Citadel in 1962, COL. Sanders, Jr. accepted a commission in the Regular Army and went on active duty while a student at the Medical College of SC (now MUSC). He was on special “excessive leave” program while in medical school and graduated in 1967. He went on to Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco to complete an internship. He remained there to do two years of residency training in pediatrics followed by a one year fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at San Francisco Children’s Hospital (while still on active duty in the Army).
After graduating from The Citadel in 1962, COL. Sanders, Jr. accepted a commission in the Regular Army and went on active duty while a student at the Medical College of SC (now MUSC). He was on special “excessive leave” program while in medical school and graduated in 1967. He went on to Letterman Army Hospital in San Francisco to complete an internship. He remained there to do two years of residency training in pediatrics followed by a one year fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at San Francisco Children’s Hospital (while still on active duty in the Army).
With his post-graduate medical education completed, he was transferred (by choice) to Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Colorado in 1971 where he established the military’s first fellowship training program in adolescent and young adult medicine. When he retired from the Army in 1986, he had trained some 29 Fellows in Adolescent Medicine. Dr. Sanders completed the clinical/academic phase of his career by serving of the faculty of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia, the University of Georgia’s medical school in Augusta.
He began his second career in 1988, in administrative medicine, when he was recruited to join the staff of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as the Associate Executive Director. Five years later he was promoted to the position of Executive Director/CEO. Located in the Chicago area, the AAP is a non-profit association of some 65,000+ Board Certified Pediatricians. COL. Sanders directed a staff of 350+ employees with an annual budget of 70+ million dollars. Their primary functions were to (1) provide postgraduate education opportunities for Pediatricians and (2) to establish standards of care for the pediatric population (birth to age 21). They accomplished the former by sponsoring a plethora of education courses around the country and by publishing a peer-reviewed scientific journal and several review journals, textbooks, and manuals. The second function included producing policy statements and guidelines related to the medical care of children – for example, the schedule for receiving childhood immunizations. Other activities included such things as developing educational materials for parents (books, pamphlets, etc.) and maintaining an office in Washington where they actively advocated (lobbied) for children’s issues.
COL. Sanders retired from this challenging but rewarding phase of his career in 2004, and he and his wife finally made it back to their native South Carolina.
RADM Will Rodriguez (Class of 1977) Mathematics and Computer Science – Rear Admiral, Engineer, Advisor.
Upon graduation from The Citadel in May 1977 with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, Rear Admiral Will Rodriguez was commissioned an Ensign through the NROTC Scholarship Program. He immediately reported for duty aboard USS Thomas C. Hart (FF 1092) where he was designated as a Surface Warfare Officer. In June 1980, he reported to the staff of (Tactical) Destroyer Squadron 32.Upon graduation from The Citadel in May 1977 with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science, Rear Admiral Will Rodriguez was commissioned an Ensign through the NROTC Scholarship Program. He immediately reported for duty aboard USS Thomas C. Hart (FF 1092) where he was designated as a Surface Warfare Officer. In June 1980, he reported to the staff of (Tactical) Destroyer Squadron 32.
Rear Admiral Rodriguez attended the Naval Postgraduate School from 1982 to 1984, receiving a Master of Science Degree in Systems Technology (Command, Control and Communications with emphasis in Computer Science and Communications Engineering). While at the Naval Postgraduate School, he was selected for lateral transfer to the Engineering Duty Officer Community. His Engineering Duty Officer tours of duty included Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Long Beach, California in New Construction Shipbuilding; Electronics Material Officer and Combat Systems Maintenance Officer aboard USS Midway (CV 41); the Test and Evaluation Manager and Systems Engineer for the MILSTAR Joint Terminal Program Office at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command; and the Aircraft Carrier Service Life Extension Program Manager, and Deputy Assistant Program Manager for In Service Carriers, for the Aircraft Carrier Program Office, and the Group Director for the Integrated Information Systems Engineering Group in the Engineering Directorate at Naval Sea Systems Command. From September 1994 to July 1997, Rear Admiral Rodriguez served as the Officer In Charge of the Naval Command, Control and Ocean Surveillance Center, In Service Engineering, East Coast Division, Norfolk Detachment, or NISE East Det Norfolk (formerly NAVELEX Portsmouth), located at St. Juliens Creek Annex, Portsmouth, Virginia.
From March 1999 to June 2004, Rear Admiral Rodriguez was selected for command as the Program Manager for the Naval Electronic Combat Surveillance Systems and Maritime Cryptologic Systems, and subsequently, he was the Major Program Manager for the Navy Command and Control Systems, including the Global Command and Control Systems – Maritime, at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and PEO C4I & Space.
Upon selection to Flag Rank in March 2004, Rear Admiral Rodriguez was assigned as the Chief Engineer for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. Between November 2005 and February 2006, he was the Acting Commander for SPAWAR, and during the month of September 2007, he was the Acting Program Executive Officer for Enterprise Information Services. Rear Admiral Rodriguez retired from active duty effective 01 October 2008.
From 2008 to 2012, Rear Admiral Will Rodriguez was the Director of Outreach, West Coast and a Professor of Practice in Systems Engineering for the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He was responsible for business development and relation building between the Naval Postgraduate School and its external customers. In November 2008, he co-established, becoming the President & CEO, the San Ysidro Education Vanguard Foundation to improve the education of children in the San Ysidro School District by working with the leadership of this District to fund programs that lead to measurable results in student achievement.
In January 2013, he was hired as the Chief Engineer for the Global Source Energy Corporation, San Diego, CA where he directed all Global Source Energy Projects; he is the technical authority for all GSE Projects.
Since October 2016, Rear Admiral Will Rodriguez has been a Navy IT Lead Consultant for Suss Consulting. Moreover, he is currently the National President of ANSO, a member of Mission: Readiness; former member of the East County DEFCOMM, San Diego Foundation Science and Technology Working Group, the San Diego Leadership Forum, AFCEA and ASNE. He is also on the advisory committee to The Citadel’s School of Science and Math and a volunteer for the Henderson County (NC) Youth Leadership Program.
CAPT Geno Paluso (Class of 1989) Mathematics and Business Administration – Decorated NAVY SEAL,
CAPT Geno Paluso was born and raised in Washington, Pa and attended college at The Citadel in Charleston S.C where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics in May of 1989. He began his military career in the Navy after being commissioned an Ensign upon graduation and immediately reported for duty as a student at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA where he graduated with class 164 in January 1990. He served as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer on active duty, serving for over 25 years before taking his current position after retiring from the Navy in July 2014, and is currently the Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.
During his career, CAPT Paluso held leadership roles and commanding special operations forces in the Balkans, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has led men and women in combat at all levels. CAPT Paluso has a Master’s of Military Science from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, as well as a Master’s of Science in National Security Strategy Resourcing from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces now known as the Eisenhower College.
CAPT Geno Paluso was born and raised in Washington, Pa and attended college at The Citadel in Charleston S.C where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics in May of 1989. He began his military career in the Navy after being commissioned an Ensign upon graduation and immediately reported for duty as a student at Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, CA where he graduated with class 164 in January 1990. He served as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer on active duty, serving for over 25 years before taking his current position after retiring from the Navy in July 2014, and is currently the Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. During his career, CAPT Paluso held leadership roles and commanding special operations forces in the Balkans, Africa, Iraq and Afghanistan. He has led men and women in combat at all levels. CAPT Paluso has a Master’s of Military Science from the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College, as well as a Master’s of Science in National Security Strategy Resourcing from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces now known as the Eisenhower College.
Upon retirement in July 2014 after 25 years of service, he returned to his alma mater and immediately assumed the position as the Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel. As the Commandant, he reported directly to the President for the leadership training, administration, military training, housing, good order and discipline and overall cadet life of the 2,400 member Corps of Cadets. His main duty was to provide the senior leadership for the Corps of Cadets. In this capacity, he has been instrumental in the development and implementation of numerous yearly experiential training courses for all four classes of cadets to include the Cadre Leader Reaction Course, Knob Leader Reaction Course, Sophomore Leader Reaction Course, Corporal Academy, Sergeants Academies, Commander and Staff Academies, as well as the development and implementation of leadership changes designed to better prepare our cadets to become principled leaders. Each of these experiential training evolutions trains over 600 cadets benefiting from each iteration, totaling over 2200 cadets each year for the past 5 years.
This success has led to the recognition and support of alumni classes endowing each of the three Leader Reaction Courses. Additionally as the Commandant, he participated as a key member of the President’s senior staff, serving on the Crisis Management Team and Strategic Planning Group. Throughout his tenure as the Commandant, he has led numerous search committees for key hires at the college to include the Director of the Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics, as well as leading the President’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion. As a result of the work of this important Task Force, the college established numerous policies and procedures as well as the President’s Diversity Advisory Board and the college’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Council. As the CoChair of the college’s Leadership Development Council, he helps guide the college’s Leader Development Program ensuring that cadets are exposed academically and experientially (on and off campus) to the key facets of learning how to become principled leaders. CAPT Paluso served as Commandant of Cadets between 2014 and late 2021.
The Vice President presiding over the 100 person Commandant’s Department, he professionally and effectively supervises a diverse staff of over 26 senior and mid-level reserve/retired officers and noncommissioned officers that serve as TAC (Teach, Advise and Coach) Officers/Non-Commissioned Officers. Additionally, he supervises other civilian employees that provide various student and cadet support services to include the Infirmary, Citadel Counseling Center, Campus Alcohol and Drug Information Center, as well as the Director for the Campus Advocacy, Response and Education program. The focus of the entire department is to provide the tools and experiences for cadets to learn and thrive in a challenging and demanding environment in their journey to becoming principled leaders. CAPT Paluso is married to the former Ms. Robin Ebhardt of Alexandria, Va. and he has three children: Makenzi (25), Trevor (19) and Roman (13). His awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards), Joint Commendation medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal (five awards), Joint Achievement Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and numerous other joint and service awards.
Early Career Faculty Award
Dr. Sarah A. Imam (Department of Health and Human Performance) – Scholar, Academic Leader, Outstanding Educator.
Dr. Imam joined The Citadel faculty in 2015. While pursuing her M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), she came in second place for the school’s Resident/Fellow Research Award in 2005 and won the Junior Investigators Award from the American Academy of Neurology that same year. Examples of her service and compassion can be found in her work at the Lowcountry Food Bank, Random Acts of Kindness, the Special Olympics Buddy Dance, a free medical clinic, and MUSC volunteer programs.Dr. Imam joined The Citadel faculty in 2015. While pursuing her M.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), she came in second place for the school’s Resident/Fellow Research Award in 2005 and won the Junior Investigators Award from the American Academy of Neurology that same year. Examples of her service and compassion can be found in her work at the Lowcountry Food Bank, Random Acts of Kindness, the Special Olympics Buddy Dance, a free medical clinic, and MUSC volunteer programs.
And that’s just scratching the surface of Dr. Imam’s accomplishments. As the pandemic began to worsen last spring, she led an initiative to address a critical shortage of personal protective equipment for South Carolina’s healthcare workers. Teaming up with The Citadel’s James Bezjian, Ph.D., and Daniel Hawkins, Dr. Imam began to manufacture N95 medical masks using 3D printers in The Citadel Makerspace, an innovative lab in the Daniel Library.
Together, the three colleagues have expertise in 3D scanning, 3D printing and medicine. Bezjian is a professor of entrepreneurship and the director of the Innovation Lab in the Baker School of Business. Hawkins is an academic technology librarian who also serves as the faculty advisor for the student Makerspace Club.
“At a time when there were so many people on the front line risking their lives and there was panic about the unknown, it was gratifying to be able to do something to help,” said Dr. Imam.
Dr. Imam and colleagues at The Citadel used 3D printing to create more than 1,000 masks for healthcare workers.
The Citadel team began printing the MUSC-designed masks, which are made out of a firm plastic material, at the end of March and continued through the first week of August. With the help of a couple of cadets and some volunteers, the trio produced 1,000 masks during that four-month period. The parts for each mask took nine hours to print, but the really labor-intensive challenge, according to Imam, was the assembly, which included putting together a filtration cartridge and attaching a rubber tubing seal and a piece of elastic.
Fortunately, a team of volunteers from the Rotary Club of Charleston and the Corps of Cadets pitched in to get the work done. “There was a lot of momentum, and it spread like wildfire,” said Dr. Imam. “We had people volunteering to help us from all over. Even kids were mailing in parts that they manufactured from home on their own 3D printers.”
Before long, the initiative had spread across the state. Coastal Carolina University also agreed to use its 3D printers to create masks, and the entire South Carolina Commission of Higher Education joined the effort, committing all of the state’s public universities to the project.