Eleven students at Coastal Carolina University were a part of the cast of a new play that was presented by the CCU theatre department. The play is called "Dance Nation" by Clare Barron, and it is about a young adolescent girl that is filled with laughter, anger, and tears. "Dance Nation" is a powerful drama that embodies the insecurities of young women and shows them overcoming obstacles in life to show that they are powerful. This drama aims to show the world the humanity of young women and attacks our tendency to "cutesify" girls by casting adult age women to play their roles. This play was performed in the Edwards Theatre for two weekends.

Two Coastal Carolina University juniors have been named Fall 2019 Swain Scholars. As Swain Scholars, these students will plan and implement community outreach and research projects designed to improve the quality of life of Horry County residents.

More than 445 students were eligible to participate in Coastal Carolina University's summer commencement program on Aug. 9. F. Eliza Glaze, Ph.D., a CCU history professor and the 2019 HTC Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Lecturer, gave the commencement address. Glaze spoke to students about success, saying that it is about more than finances. "We all need to earn enough to live, or even better, to establish some financial stability for ourselves and our loved ones. But even more than that, success is about doing something that we love and that is worthwhile to all."

More than 80 Coastal Carolina University students were inducted into Phi Eta Sigma during the 2018-2019 academic year. Phi Eta Sigma is the honor society for freshmen and was founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois.

Six Coastal Carolina University students were members of the Phi Sigma Tau philosophy honor society during the 2018-2019 academic year. Phi Sigma Tau is the International Honor Society in Philosophy that was founded in 1930 and incorporated as a nonprofit corporation in 1955. The society now has a network of more than 200 chapters internationally. Undergraduate students are eligible for active membership if they have completed three semesters or five quarters of the college course, rank in the upper 35 percent of their class, and have completed at least two semester courses or three quarter courses in philosophy with an average grade of over the second highest grade of the working scale.

Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) was first organized at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, in 1967. The international organization now consists of chapters in various colleges and universities in North America and overseas. Eight Coastal Carolina University students joined the local chapter this past spring. The mission of Upsilon Pi Epsilon is to recognize academic excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the computing and information disciplines.

Coastal Carolina University had 25 students join the Phi Sigma Pi national honor fraternity during the Spring 2019 semester. Phi Sigma Pi national honor fraternity is a gender-inclusive organization dedicated to promoting lifelong learning, inspiring members to lead, and cultivating lasting fraternal bonds, while always living with honor. Members have the goal of improving humanity through the principles of scholarship, leadership and fellowship. In order to join Phi Sigma Pi, students must have completed a minimum of one semester or one quarter of collegiate work and earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale.

As part of Coastal Carolina University's Maymester Education Abroad offerings, 11 students spent more than two weeks in France on a faculty-led trip. The Discovering France through Food and Landscapes faculty-led program is designed to support undergraduate learning and provide an interdisciplinary, site-specific and chaperoned study abroad experience in one of the world's top tourist destinations. Students explored and engaged in activities in culturally significant and diverse destinations, including Paris, Fontainebleau, Burgundy and the Marne Valley. Through multiple course options in history and geography, students conducted site-specific research on French landscape, commemoration, ecology, gastronomy and heritage practices. The credits earned support their undergraduate requirements (core, major/minor, cognate or elective).

A dozen Coastal Carolina University students participated in the Field Methods in Oceanographic Analysis: Study Abroad at the Scottish Marine Institute faculty-led program for three weeks, studying at the Scottish Marine Institute (SMI) in Oban, United Kingdom. SMI is a world-class research and teaching center with areas of emphasis in Arctic Seas, Dynamic Oceans (climate research), and Marine Renewable Energy. Students completed a 3/1 credit MSCI laboratory course while abroad, learning how to work with oceanographic data: how to acquire data (online or shipboard sampling), process data using appropriate software, and present data to a scientific audience. Each student chooses a type of data to process, interpret, and display in an oral presentation at the end of the course. This program leverages the local setting by inviting guest lecturers to introduce students to the types of data they use. The group compared and contrasted data from Long Bay with data from SMI, and students took a sampling cruise aboard one of the Scottish Association for Marine Science research vessels to participate in the collection of physical measurements in Loch Etive for analysis.

Sixteen Coastal Carolina University students were inducted into the psychology honor society Psi Chi during the spring semester. Psi Chi is an international honor society whose purpose is to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship of the individual members in all fields, particularly in psychology, and to advance the science of psychology. In order to join Psi Chi, a student must be enrolled as a major or minor in a psychology program or a program psychological in nature and have completed at least three semesters or equivalent of full-time college coursework. Students also must have completed at least nine semester credit hours or equivalent of psychology courses and have earned a cumulative GPA that is in the top 35 percent of their class.

The Coastal in Tuscany faculty-led program is a repeating program that allows students the opportunity to learn about Italian language and culture over the course of three weeks in May. Twenty Coastal Carolina University students participated in the program this past Maymester. The program is based in Arezzo, Italy, one of Tuscany's most scenic and historic walled cities. As a historical site, Arezzo dates back to the Iron Age and became an Etruscan center of considerable importance during the period prior to the establishment and expansion of the ancient Roman Republic. The city's continued cultural heritage is manifest in noteworthy Roman, medieval and Renaissance architectural and artistic sites and objects. Coastal's program is based at the Accademia dell'Arte's Villa Godiola in Arezzo, an American artistic and educational center that provides housing, classroom space, support services, and meals. During their stay in Arezzo, students become familiar with Italian social and other practices of daily life, including travel, dining out, shopping and more.

Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University with more than 900 active chapters located in the United States and abroad. They have more than 1,000 faculty advisers, and approximately 9,000 members inducted annually. Among those members inducted this year were 23 Coastal Carolina University students. Candidates for undergraduate membership must have completed a minimum of two college courses in English language or literature beyond the usual requirements in freshman English. The candidate must have a minimum of a B or equivalent average in English and in general scholarship, must rank at least in the top 35 percent of his/her class, and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college course work.

The Business Studies in Europe faculty-led education abroad program at Coastal Carolina University teaches students how the basic principles of management are applied in different socioeconomic environments. Eighteen CCU students took the education abroad trip this past May for credit. They learned about different cultures in Europe (French, German, Czech and Finnish) and how they adapt to the business environment in which they operate. Students also learned about Europe's history, culture and economy and how businesses in Europe are adapting to the integration of the European economy and to the recent financial crisis and recovery in Europe. By traveling abroad, students gain a global perspective, visit multinational companies to examine their operation and work with European students in global teams.

Six Coastal Carolina University students were inducted into Iota Iota Iota this past spring semester. Iota Iota Iota (Triota), is a national women's studies honor society with more than 50 chapters nationwide. The purpose of Triota is to promote interest in women's studies, and research in social problems affecting all women. This society also encourages volunteerism, advocacy and activism within the community as important methods for promoting and maintaining the feminist values central to women's studies.

Six Coastal Carolina University students were inducted into Pi Mu Epsilon during the spring semester, which is the mathematics honor society. Pi Mu Epsilon is dedicated to the promotion of mathematics and the recognition of students who successfully pursue mathematical understanding. In order to be inducted, you must be an undergraduate student who has completed at least the equivalent of two semesters of calculus and two additional courses in mathematics, at or above the calculus level, all of which lead to the fulfillment of the requirements for a major in the mathematical sciences. In addition, such students must have maintained a grade point average equivalent to that of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale, both for all courses that lead to fulfillment of requirements for a major in the mathematical sciences, and also for all courses that lead to fulfillment of requirements for an undergraduate degree.

Six CCU students were inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society in the most recent ceremony this past spring. Omicron Delta Kappa works to identify, honor and develop leaders in collegiate and community life. They encourage collaboration among students, faculty, staff and alumni to advance leadership. They work with students from scholarship, athletics, campus or community service, social and religious activities, campus government, journalism, speech and mass media and creative and performing arts. There are more than 300 circles of ODK in the world and more than 300,000 worldwide members. To become a member, one must display outstanding leadership and be a student who is a junior or senior and rank in the upper 35 percent of their class.

Coastal Carolina University's Department of Marine Science offers an exceptional opportunity for field experience in Biology of Sharks at the Bimini Biological Field Station (BBFS) in the Bahamas each May. The Maymester course features lectures, discussions, analysis of research papers, frequent field trips, video presentations, and personal encounters with several species of large, actively feeding and free-swimming sharks. Students have a chance to earn up to four credit hours for their graduate or undergraduate program. Seventeen CCU students participated on the trip this year during the May semester. Biology of Sharks is the course that keeps on giving: after graduating, many students return to the Bimini Biological Field Station as volunteers or interns, and several have earned paid positions at the lab.

Seventeen Coastal Carolina University students were inducted into the Beta Beta Beta biology honor society this past academic year. The Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) biology honor society is made up of undergraduate students seeking to further their knowlege in the field of biology. TriBeta has more than 200,000 lifetime members and more than 600 chapters have been established throughout North America. TriBeta was founded in 1922 at Oklahoma City University by Dr. Frank G. Brooks and a group of his students. Awards are given for outstanding individual and chapter accomplishment for the U.S. and its individual districts.

Four CCU students were were inducted into the Alpha Sigma Lambda adult honor society this past semester at Coastal Carolina University. Alpha Sigma Lambda is a nonprofit adult honor society that aims to provide an association which recognizes academically outstanding adult students in higher education. These students come together to celebrate advancement of scholarship and leadership.

Thirteen students at CCU were inducted into the national theatre honor society, Alpha Psi Omega, during the 2018-2019 year. Alpha Psi Omega is a theatre honor society for participants in collegiate theatre. It is the largest national honor society in America with 1,080 chapters. Alpha Psi Omega aims to encourage dramatic production at every step in a person's academic career.

Nearly 770 Coastal Carolina University students were named to the President's List for the Spring 2019 semester. To be named to the President's List, students must achieve a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) for the semester. CCU has a student body of 10,600. More than 2,000 students were also named to the Dean's List for the spring semester, which means more than 21 percent of the student body earned recognition on either the Dean's List or the President's List. Of those on the President's List, 141 are freshmen, 177 are sophomores, 166 are juniors and 285 are seniors.

More than 2,000 Coastal Carolina University students were named to the Dean's List for the Spring 2019 semester. That's nearly 20 percent of the student body with a grade point average between 3.5-3.99 for the spring semester. Of the dean's list recipients, 616 are freshmen, 444 are sophomores, 477 are juniors and 522 are seniors. An additional 774 students were named to the President's List for achieving a 4.0 GPA during the spring semester.

Nine students at Coastal Carolina University joined the ranks of Alpha Mu Gamma honor society this spring semseter. Alpha Gamma Mu is the first and largest national collegiate foreign lanuage honor society of the United States to recognize exceptional achievements in all foreign languages (including American Sign Lanuage).

Seven students from CCU were inducted into the South Carolina Theta chapter of the Alpha Kappa Delta sociology honor society this past semester. The Alpha Kappa Delta sociology honor society was founded at CCU in 1992 and seeks to acknowledge and promote excellence in the scholarship in the study of sociology, the research of social problems, and such other social and intellectual activities as will lead to improvement in the human condition.

Nine Coastal Carolina University students graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade point average on May 10-11 during spring commencement ceremonies. They were awarded the President's Award for this achievement.

Outstanding Coastal Carolina University students studying in the College of Science were recently recognized at the Honors Convocation ceremony on May 9, 2019.

Coastal Carolina University graduates are exactly what the world needs, according to commencement speaker and doctoral candidate Leigha Peterson. Peterson addressed the graduating class of 2019 - more than 1,200 students - during three separate commencement ceremonies at the HTC Student Recreation and Convocation Center May 10-11. "Whatever you are, put it out there," she said, "because it is better than good enough. It is exactly what the world needs!"

The Coastal Carolina University Honors Class of 2019 is the largest in history, with 83 graduates earning a total of 89 degrees. Each student has completed a rigorous curriculum consisting of at least 24 credit hours of honors courses while maintaining at least a cumulative GPA of 3.5. The average GPA of this spring's graduating class is 3.72. Each honors student also completes a final honors thesis or project which is presented in a public forum.

Nineteen Coastal Carolina University students performed in a spring concert as members CalypSamba, CCU's premier world percussion ensemble, in April. The concert was under the direction of Jesse Willis, CCU associate professor of music. The concert was held in CCU's Wheelwright Auditorium on campus and integrated unique collaborations of students, music faculty and alumni. The performance also featured steelpan player Liam Teague from the University of Northern Illinois. The ensemble played six different percussion songs, including "Sunday Morning Funk," "Pearls" and "Steel Band Times."

Coastal Carolina University students studying in the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts were awarded recognition for outstanding academic work within their departments of study in a Student Achievement Award ceremony on April 25. Outstanding freshmen, sophomore and junior students were recognized, along with various competition winners.