ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – Jermaine Whirl ’06, president of Augusta Technical College, will give the Commencement address to Winthrop University graduates at two undergraduate ceremonies on May 7.
His speech will be among the highlights of the university’s celebration this week of its graduates. Interim President George Hynd will oversee the conferring of degrees to nearly 870 students during two undergraduate Commencement ceremonies on May 7 and one graduate Commencement ceremony on May 5, all taking place at the Winthrop Coliseum.
Whirl was appointed president of Augusta Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, in November 2020. In his short tenure he’s established a new health science campus, a new automotive regional training facility, six academic schools, completed a full rebrand of the college, enrolled the largest freshman class in the last three academic years, and secured the college’s first million-dollar gift.
Before accepting the presidency at Augusta, Whirl served as the vice president for learning and workforce development at Greenville Technical College and previously as the college’s vice president for economic development and corporate training.
Whirl’s higher education career began at Winthrop where he first served as an academic advisor/tutor to provisionally admitted students in the LEAP program. He also volunteered in the offices of institutional advancement and alumni relations, where he led the Student Alumni Council.
Over the years, Whirl has served on regional and national boards, taskforces and committees for organizations such as the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. His work has been acknowledged through multiple awards and recognitions including Winthrop’s Alumni Professional Achievement Award.
A Charleston, South Carolina, native and second-generation technical college graduate, Whirl earned his Associate of Arts degree at Trident Technical College, a bachelor’s degree in economics at Winthrop, a Master of Business Administration degree at Charleston Southern University, a second master’s degree in adult education & community leadership at Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern University) and a doctorate in organizational leadership at Valdosta State University.
Winthrop’s Commencement schedule is as follows:
Thursday, May 5
7 p.m. – Master’s or specialist degrees will be awarded to nearly 230 graduate degree candidates. Hynd will present the Jane LaRoche Graduate Faculty Award to Dustin Hoffman, an associate professor and director of Graduate Studies in the Department of English.
Saturday, May 7
10 a.m. – College of Arts and Sciences and College of Visual and Performing Arts undergraduate candidates
3 p.m. – College of Business Administration and Richard W. Riley College of Education undergraduate candidates
Hynd also will bestow the Distinguished Professor Award on Adolphus Belk Jr., professor of political science, and the Outstanding Junior Professor Award on Claudia O’Steen, an assistant professor of fine arts, during the May 7 morning ceremony.
Rock Hill residents who are not attending the Commencement ceremonies may want to stay away from the Winthrop Coliseum area due to the heavy traffic anticipated during the two days. Signs will be posted near the coliseum encouraging those not attending to take a different route.
For those who cannot attend the May 5 and May 7 ceremonies, they will be available for viewing via live stream on YouTube. Please visit the university's homepage and click on the "Commencement Information" graphic to access the video and other important information regarding Commencement.
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or longshawj@winthrop.edu.
