The Citadel Swain Family School of Science and Mathematics is Proud to Present the 2024 Inductees into The Citadel Academy of Science and Mathematics!
Distinguished Alumni Award
Dr. William H. Porter, ‘62
Dr. Bill Porter graduated from The Citadel in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. He continued his academic pursuits to earn a MS in Clinical Chemistry from the Medical University of South Carolina and a Doctorate in Biochemistry from Vanderbilt University. He currently serves Laboratory Medicine at the University of Kentucky. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Porter has made significant contributions to the fields of clinical biochemistry and laboratory medicine. Notably, his pioneering research on ethylene glycol poisoning played a pivotal role in shaping international treatment guidelines, saving countless lives worldwide.
At the University of Kentucky Medical Center, Dr. Porter held positions as Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Director of Clinical Chemistry, Toxicology, and Core Clinical Laboratories. His dedication to and residents, leaving an indelible mark on the future of the field. With a prolific publication record comprising over 100 scholarly articles, Dr. Porter has demonstrated his expertise and influence in the scientific community. Furthermore, his commitment to academic excellence is exemplified by his establishment of a Research Fellowship and Lecture Series in Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry at The Citadel, highlighting his enduring connection to his alma mater. Dr. Porter’s exemplary leadership and significant contributions to the field of pathology and laboratory medicine make him a deserving recipient of a 2024 CASM Distinguished Alumnus Award.
Dr. Wade H. Sherard III ‘66
Dr. Sherard graduated from The Citadel in 1966 with a BS in mathematics. He received his MS in mathematics from the University of South Carolina and a Ph.D. in the teaching of mathematics from Vanderbilt University. He has taught mathematics for 45 years, 44 at Furman University. Dr. Sherard has published 13 books on mathematics for students from grades 3-12, which have sold over 100,000 copies, as well as a variety of journal articles. He has served in leadership positions in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics. In addition to giving over 100 talks for teachers at national, regional, state, and local conferences, he has led in-service training and mathematics workshops for South Carolina teachers.
He served as Senior Safety Consultant and Inspector to the Department of Energy for research laboratories, nuclear reactors, process plants, and waste remediation sites. In 1996, Jim Lockridge founded Safety Professionals, Inc. to provide reliable solutions to occupational and environmental health problems. He is a lifelong supporter of The Citadel and its values. As a cadet, Jim performed a critical role in the successful integration process serving as roommate and mentor for one of the first African Americans to graduate from The Citadel. Two of his three sons graduated from the Citadel and his daughter earned a master’s degree in psychology from The Citadel Graduate School. Jim’s brother graduated from The Citadel in 1956, his cousin in 1974, and his granddaughter is a member of the Class of 2024. Reverend Jim Lockridge exemplifies the values and character The Citadel strives to achieve in its graduates and his accomplishments bring recognition to The Citadel and SFSSM.
Early-Career Faculty Award
Dr. Deepti Joshi – Cyber and Computer Sciences
Dr. Deepti Joshi is a Professor of computer science, data science and AI-related courses. Dr. Joshi is passionate about undergraduate research having supervised more than 40 students on diverse for social unrest detection, big data analytics, building social unrest vocabulary through text and images using data-driven approaches, and twitter data analysis for social sensing. She has published over 30 peer-reviewed publications, six with undergraduate students as lead author and 4 with graduate students as lead author.
Dr. Joshi has received internal research grants from The Citadel provost grant awards. She has also received approximately 8 million dollars in funding through research grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense. She is currently conducting research with open data sources, including news sources, and other regional and national level statistics-based datasets to develop algorithms and a system to anticipate social unrest within a geographic context. Dr. Joshi also works extensively with the STEM center on in-service teacher professional development projects where her goal is to enable K-12teachers to teach computational thinking, computer science, and artificial elevated the visibility and prestige of SFSSM and The Citadel and make her a deserving recipient of the 2024 CASM Early Career Faculty Award.
Staff Award
Col. John H. Bradham (PhD), USAF (Ret.)
Dr. Bradham joined the Physics Department in 2013 as an adjunct professor and Physics Department degree in mathematics from the University of South Carolina and MS and Ph.D. degrees in meteorology from Texas A&M University. Prior to his Citadel tenure, Col. Bradham held pivotal roles at the South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA), spearheading the design, development, and implementation of advanced computer software systems for various US Navy Department Organizations.
Dr. Bradham had a distinguished military career in the USAF Air Weather Service, where he was Commander of the Third Weather Squadron. His exceptional leadership, supporting the Ninth Air Force and the US Central Outstanding Unit award with V device for his service in Vietnam and the Legion of Merit for his pivotal role at the Pentagon on the Air Staff as Director of the Command and Control Systems Division. His multifaceted career, marked by excellence and dedication to service, make him deserving recipient of the 2024 SFSSM Staff Award.
Non-Tenure Faculty Award
Mr. Rene Hurka – Physics
Mr. Hurka earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physics in 1993 from Cornell University. After graduating from Cornell, he held an adjunct teaching position in the physics department at SUNY in Fredonia, NY, and in 2002, Mr. Hurka earned a MS in Physics at the University of Pittsburgh. In his years at The Citadel, Mr. Hurka has been actively involved in the improvement and development of physics laboratory experiments and has regularly revised and expanded the physics department’s laboratory manual.
For a number of years, he tutored Officer Candidates in preparation for the NUPOC interview, and in 2012, he received a Certificate and Medal of Appreciation from The Citadel’s NROTC unit. In more recent years, Mr. Hurka has coordinated departmental tutoring with the Student Success Center and has created and developed a new FSEM class, “Physics and the Nature of Reality,” which covers topics in the philosophy of science, Special and General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics at a level appropriate for non-STEM and STEM freshman. Mr. Hurka’s exceptional teaching skills and his ability to foster student learning and engagement make him a deserving recipient of the 2024 CASM Non-Tenure Faculty Award.