Articles and Insights
Explore stories, research, and perspectives from across Furman’s community. Here you’ll find articles that showcase learner journeys, highlight the impact of our partnerships, share innovative research applications from faculty and industry experts, and reveal the career outcomes our programs help make possible.

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Leadership Begins Within
Organizations invest billions of dollars each year in leadership development, yet many programs fail to produce lasting behavioral change. The difference is rarely the quality of the curriculum. Exceptional leadership does not begin with strategy, influence or communication. It begins with self-awareness. Before leaders...Read more -
Leading with Head, Heart and Hands: Dr. Katrina Hutchins
Dr. Katrina Hutchins entered higher education by following her passion. After recognizing that people spend most of their lives at work, she launched a consulting company with a mission to help professionals thrive and experience true wellness in their daily work. Today, she brings that passion to Furman University, where...Read more -
From Classroom to Action: M.A. in Advocacy and Social Policy’s Practicum Experience
The M.A. in Advocacy and Social Policy (MAP) program takes learning beyond the classroom. Through practicum placements, students apply their knowledge alongside community partner organizations working in advocacy and social policy. Students spend six to eight hours weekly with partner organizations, applying classroom learning to real-world challenges...Read more -
A Different Kind of Experience: MS-CEM’s Fieldwork
Fieldwork in Furman’s Master of Science in Community Engaged Medicine (MS-CEM) program offers students the opportunity to become embedded with a community-based partner working to advance health and well-being across a wide range of sectors. Students join a team in a defined role, gaining hands-on experience while...Read more -
Advancing Responsible Growth, Resilience and Sustainability Across South Carolina Communities: A Case Study from the City of Greenwood
What Responsible Growth, Resilience and Sustainability Mean for South Carolina Communities South Carolina is now the fastest-growing state in the nation. The U.S. Census Bureau’s...Read more -
Building Better Readers: Jennifer’s Story
My name is Jennifer Baskin, and my most recent teaching role was serving as a reading interventionist at Westcliffe Elementary in Greenville, SC. I have been teaching for fifteen years with many of those years spent as a reading interventionist and teaching kindergarten and first grade. As a teacher, I...Read more -
Turning Passion for Sports into Purpose
With so many people passionate about sports and actively involved in them, Furman saw an opportunity to create the Sports Development and Community Partnerships graduate certificate to help leaders leverage sports as a force for engagement and change. “Sports is an important way that people can reach...Read more -
From Exam Room to Classroom: Dr. Al Mina’s MS-CEM Anatomy and Physiology Course
Ask Dr. Al Mina what the M.S. in Community Engaged Medicine’s Anatomy and Physiology course is about, and he will tell you it’s not solely about memorization. The most important aspect is to understand the language first, then use it to understand how the...Read more -
Emme Buzhardt, MSIL ’26 Hooding Ceremony Speech
New Master of Science in Innovation and Leadership graduate Emme Buzhardt was selected by her classmates to speak on their behalf at the Graduate Studies Hooding Ceremony on August 14, 2026. To follow is Emme’s speech. Good evening and welcome. My name is Emme Buzhardt, and I am so humbled...Read more -
Mapping the way Towards Sustainability – City of Travelers Rest Planning Fellow
This summer, I began seeing maps in my dreams. As part of my fellowship with the City of Travelers Rest, I dove headfirst into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to process, analyze, and visualize data. Even in my sleep, I drew measurements, tinkered with basemaps, and configured coordinates. Read more -
Clearly Furman raises $505.5 million to propel university into its third century
When Furman University President Elizabeth Davis announced the public launch of Clearly Furman, the Campaign for Our Third Century, she said “This is Furman’s moment.” “Our moment to come together, to propel our university into its third century with clear vision and the resources to meet our enormous potential,”...Read more -
Not Just an Elective: MSIL’s Practicum Course
Among the many opportunities available to M.S. in Innovation and Leadership (MSIL) students, the practicum course stands out as one of the program’s most transformative learning experiences. It’s an elective that gives hands-on experience in innovation and leadership. The course has become a defining part of the...Read more -
Beyond the Art Room: Matt’s Growth Through Literacy
As a veteran elementary art educator, I would never have expected to be on the cusp of earning my master’s degree in literacy from Furman University. Art education impacts a variety of content areas such as having students draw and label cells in science class, create a...Read more -
Your Brain Wasn’t Built for AI—But It Can Adapt
As a stress physiologist, I’ve spent my career studying how the human brain reacts to perceived threats. Right now, AI is registering as one of the biggest threats in the modern workplace, and most companies are budgeting for thewrong problem.Read more -
Anna Cass Connects Medicine With Humanity
Every Monday morning, Anna Cass ’00 volunteers at Place of Hope, a day shelter for those experiencing homelessness. She sees it as a way to get to know her neighbors and better understand the barriers they face....Read more