2012 Governor’s Awards in the Humanities Announced

SC Humanities  is pleased to announce that two extraordinary South Carolina individuals and one university institution will be recipients of this year’s annual Governor’s Awards in the Humanities, presented at a luncheon to be held October 30, 2012 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia.  The three recipients are: Dr. Karen Chandler, Associate Professor in Arts Management at the College of Charleston; Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio, retiring President of Winthrop University; and the University of South Carolina Press located on the Columbia campus.

Established in 1991, the Governor’s Awards in the Humanities recognize outstanding achievement in humanities research, teaching, and scholarship; institutional and individual participation in community-based programs that promote public understanding of ideas and issues related to the humanities; excellence defining South Carolina’s cultural life to the nation or world; and exemplary support for public humanities programs.  From 1991-2011, fifty-nine awards have been presented.  SC Humanities is completing its 39th year as the state-based program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Karen ChandlerDr. Karen Chandler is Associate Professor in the Arts Management Program at the College of Charleston.  During her career at the College, which began in 1999, she also directed the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture (2001-2004).  She is most widely known as a co-founder in 2003 of the Charleston Jazz Initiative. Numerous funders, including both the National Endowment for the Arts and SC Humanities, have supported this project.  Dr. Chandler has not only planned numerous performances in Charleston, but she has collected oral histories and archival materials and convened several academic conferences related to this theme.  She has contributed greatly to the knowledge we have of South Carolina musicians, including important work on the Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston.  For her work in Lowcountry music history, she has been honored by the MOJA Arts Festival in Charleston and the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission.  The City Council of Detroit awarded her a testimonial resolution for her research on the life and career of famous Motown jazz bassist, James Jamerson, who was from Edisto Island/Charleston.

 

 

Anthony DiGiorgioDr. Anthony J. DiGiorgio became Winthrop University’s ninth president in 1989. After receiving degrees from Gannon College and Purdue University and further postdoctoral training in psychology and educational development, DiGiorgio attended the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.  His educational career includes teaching high school English in New Jersey, serving as an instructor and administrator at Purdue University, attaining the rank of Vice President for Academic Affairs during 19 years of service at The College of New Jersey, and becoming the longest-serving president of any public university in South Carolina – 23 years.  Winthrop has grown from a regional college with a venerable history to a national-caliber comprehensive university. While at Winthrop, DiGiorgio has vigorously supported humanities initiatives and publications.  Under his leadership and financial commitment, Winthrop continues to sponsor the Philological Association of the Carolinas and has hosted international and national conferences on Robert Frost, Eighteenth Century Studies, and Irish Studies.  For seven years, The College English Association was headquartered at Winthrop.  He has worked tirelessly to fund endowed professorships in English and History.  DiGiorgio served two terms on the board of directors of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and on the boards of the Charlotte division of the Federal Reserve Bank, the Charlotte Regional Partnership for Economic Development, and the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce, among other professional associations.

USC Press logoThe University of South Carolina Press is the state’s oldest and largest regional publisher.  Since its creation in 1944, the Press has published a wide range of titles falling under the rubric of the humanities.  The Press currently has 1,000 books in print, and more than half are devoted to the heritage and culture of our region.  Not surprisingly, nineteen previous Governor’s Award in the Humanities winners have been either USC Press authors, collaborative partners, or contributors.  The Press published The South Carolina Encyclopedia and is the largest exhibitor and leading source of non-fiction authors for the South Carolina Book Festival.  The Press is a partner for the South Carolina Center for the Book, Pawley’s Island Moveable Feast, the Upstate’s Book Your Lunch program, the South Carolina Library Association Conference, the South Carolina Writers Workshop, the Southeastern Wildlife Expo, and the South Carolina Historical Association annual conference.  USC Press is truly one of the most effective promoters and supporters of the humanities in the state.  It advances good opinions of our shared heritage and complex history and introduces good writers to interested readers.  It is also branching out from traditional print forms to engage readers through digital mediums.  Publishing more than 50 titles annually, USC Press will continue to bring to life new facets of the South Carolina experience.

The 2012 awardees will be honored at a luncheon on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201. A reception will take place from 11:00 – 11:45 a.m., and the luncheon and awards program will start at 12:00 p.m.

As of October 29, 2012, the event is sold out. Thank you for your interest!

To learn more about the Governor's Awards in the Humanities and to see a complete list of the previous fifty-nine recipients, please follow the link to the Governor's Awards in the Humanities page of SC Humanities website.

The mission of The Humanities CouncilSC is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. SC Humanities programs and initiatives are balanced, reflecting sensitivity to the diversity of ideas, encourage open dialogue, demonstrate integrity, and are ethical in operations.