AU Spotlights

A few years ago, Danielle Rondinelli, a marketing major and supply chain minor in the College of Business, saw a social media post about becoming a bone marrow donor and felt led to respond.

Rondinelli, who approaches life with a servant’s heart, found out she was a match for a potential donor. She then went through the steps toward the donation process. Individuals with various types of bone and blood cancers face a difficult future, so bone marrow transplants give them the gift of time.

Rondinelli submitted her DNA sample to the bone marrow registry, run by Be the Match, a nonprofit organization, followed by lab work and several doctor visits. In early March, when it was time to donate, she flew to Chicago to the facility where the procedure was performed.

As she was going through the donation itself, Rondinelli’s thoughts focused not on what she was going through, but rather on who she was helping. She thought about her donation as a way to show Christ’s love to another person.

“When you’re sitting there and you’re looking at this machine... It’s just kind of a moment where that pain just doesn’t become important anymore, because you’re able to see what a blessing it is that you’re able to do something,” she said.

Maya Learmonth, an alumna from Austin, Texas, and a graduate of the Anderson University College of Arts and Sciences, studied how thyme, a Mediterranean herb, can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

Learmonth was awarded for her presentation at the 22nd Ernest E. Just Scientific Symposium, held February 25, 2022, at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

“Essentially we’re treating these rapidly growing cancer cells with these extracts made from thyme and it’s stopping the growth to some extent of these cancer cells. The idea is to be able to keep the healthy cells alive and to kill the cancerous cells at the same concentrations,” Learmonth said.

According to Dr. Diana Ivankovic, director of the Anderson University Center for Cancer Research, this is the fifth time that an AU student won national research awards at MUSC.

“Maya Learmonth managed to shine and represent our University gloriously,” said Dr. Ivankovic.

For more than a decade, students in the Anderson University Center for Cancer Research have advanced-level opportunities for research on the undergraduate level. The Ernest E. Just Symposium celebrates the life of the noted African-American biologist and is held annually in February.

“Redefining AUthenticity” is a new album that combines the creative talents of AUthenticity, one of the premier commercial music ensembles in The South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University.

The album was recorded in the new Anderson University Music Media Studios, part of the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music in The South Carolina School of the Arts. The album is available on Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes. CDs became available in August.

The album consists of pop, rock, R&B, blues, Latin, acoustic ballads and jazz fusion. What’s more, all tracks are original compositions showcasing the talents of eight songwriters and their distinctive personalities.

“We come from different walks of life with different musical traditions, based on our cultural backgrounds and things like that. Every track you’re going to jump into a different musical world. That’s what makes it really exciting,” said AUthenticity member and recent AU graduate Max Milian, keyboardist, vocalist and music director for the album.

Beyond performing, AUthenticity members are also learning about the music industry. Creating and performing their own songs helps students grow as musicians, according to Dr. Derick Cordoba, director of the Johnny Mann Center for Commercial Music.

A group of 21 students from the Anderson University College of Arts and Sciences traveled to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the United States to study subtropical environments.

Students from the Subtropical Ecosystems class, along with Dr. Joni Criswell, associate professor of biology were at Pigeon Key Island, Florida last May to see firsthand the biodiversity of the subtropical regions of the United States and learn about conservation efforts and the effects of pollution.

Dr. Criswell says that observing subtropical and tropical ecosystems is beneficial. Pigeon Key is a five-acre island with a marine science center located along the old Seven Mile Bridge. It was originally the location for a work camp connected with construction of the Florida East Coast Railway in the early 20th century.

“We were on this island to learn more about conservation efforts and also to physically see what we had learned about in class, like coral reef ecosystems and how they were affecting marsh ecosystems and mangrove ecosystems—mostly just to give us a better view of how our oceans work, how our ocean life is built upon these ecosystems that are subtropical and how we’re dependent on them for the future of the world,” said rising junior biology major Brianna Rao.

Thanksgiving is an extra special holiday for Nikki Young, a 2017 graduate from Taylors, South Carolina, who played on the Trojan Women’s Basketball Team. That’s when her father, Dion Young, gained a new lease on life.

“His kidneys crashed pretty rapidly,” Nikki said. “We didn’t know what was wrong until he tested positive for COVID. Because his kidney was only functioning at two percent, we had to move very fast.”

Nikki and her siblings were tested for a potential match. No match was found, but thankfully, through the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), Dion still found lifesaving help. UNOS allows an individual
to donate a kidney to someone in need. In return, a family member or someone on a donor list donates theirs. Nikki was a match for a young man in need, and a nurse with Prisma Health was a match for Dion. Sur- gery took place during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2021 at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Going through this experience and seeing her father’s return to a more normal life makes Nikki and her family strong believers in the living organ donor program. Details about becoming a living kidney donor can be found at the National Kidney Foundation website.

Throughout history, people have expressed themselves by what they wear.

Last semester, Art Foundations students in The South Carolina School of the Arts at Anderson University explored in depth wearable designs and what they communicate.

The Conceal and Reveal 3D Wearable Project challenged the students to create a wearable sculpture using one repeated material (either mass produced or natural) that they transformed as much as possible to visually communicate something they either reveal or conceal from others emotionally, culturally or socially.

“We talked in lecture about how adornment across cultures is meant to communicate a message about the wearer and looked at both historical and contemporary examples. We also discussed the cultural values that determine some of the different ways people dress in western culture. We also talked about marketing and stereotypes and critiqued our own culture a bit, identifying stereotypes and discussing ways in which they can be harmful,” said The South Carolina School of the Arts Foundations Coordinator Bethany Pipkin.

The students presented their creations in a runway show across the stage in Daniel Recital Hall of the Rainey Fine Arts Center, ending with a photo shoot by Professor Jer Nelsen.