SWU graduate receives R.C. Edwards Award
Rupal Shah, a 2004 Southern Wesleyan University graduate, left, received the R.C. Edwards Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching, presented by Dr. Gail DiSabatino, right, Vice President of Student Affairs at Clemson University.
Shah graduated magna cum laude from SWU, where she received bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry. She is pursuing a master’s degree in microbiology at Clemson University. The award, named in honor of former Clemson President R.C. Edwards, is given to a graduate assistant who shows a high level of support to the mission, vision, goals and objectives of his or her department, and who maintains an excellent academic record and commitment to the respective field of study. Shah is a cardiology technician and phlebotomist at Oconee Memorial Hospital, where she has worked for five years.
Shah also volunteers for Hospice of the Foothills in Seneca and the American Red Cross in Easley. She has served as president of the Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association and the Association for India’s Development at Clemson University.
She previously received the Walter T. Cox Award for Community Outreach and Excellence in Leadership. While at SWU, Shah received the Gladys Glover Parker Award. She was also enrolled in Southern Wesleyan’s Honors Program and was its first graduate.