CHARLESTON, S.C. − The Citadel School of Science and Mathematics will be hosting the inaugural Citadel Academy of Science and Mathematics awards banquet on March 13, 2014 at the Charleston Marriott. The event will be a celebration of science and mathematics and a showcase of outstanding science and mathematics individuals from The Citadel and the affiliated community. The event will also highlight the creative work of our students and their faculty advisors, and major new initiatives within the School of Science and Mathematics. This year's honorees will include The Honorable Senator Fritz Hollings, Dr. Henry Cross, Dr. Edward Bray and Dr. Chuck Groetsch. Student awardees will also be recognized.

Former U.S. Senator and former Governor Ernest F. Hollings is a Citadel and University of South Carolina Law School graduate who has championed the causes of environment, science and public policy throughout his illustrious career in politics. He has sponsored many laws to safeguard our coasts and oceans such as the Coastal Zone Management Act (1972) and is recognized as the legislative "father" of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He was instrumental in bringing NOAA marine laboratories to South Carolina, including the Hollings Marine Laboratory, and championed creation of the Medical University of South Carolina's Hollings Cancer Center, which is the only nationally designated cancer center in SC. Throughout his career, Hollings was a strong supporter of technology as a means of maintaining US industrial competitiveness. For example, in 1975, he authored the Automobile Fuel Economy Act, the nation's first standards to improve fuel efficiency and decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil. When he was governor, Hollings championed the legislation to establish the state's technical education system and the public educational television network. In 1961, he declared "in our complex society, education is the cornerstone upon which economic development must be built." His 1961 vision of using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education as cornerstones for economic sustainability, industrial competiveness, and quality of life are finally being realized.

Dr. Henry D. (Hank) Cross, III, is a physical chemist holding degrees from Georgetown University, Holy Cross College, Stevens Institute of Technology and California Coast University with additional graduate study at The University of Notre Dame and Harvard Business School. His professional career has been spent in all aspects of new product development and commercialization. He spent 36 years with Colgate Palmolive retiring as their Technical Director. In addition to leading the development of biodegradable and phosphate free detergents, he was deeply involved with the successful introduction of such familiar brands as Irish Spring, Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid, Etonic footwear and Bike Football Helmets. Cross held a number of administrative positions in professional and public organizations. He was a division director for The American Society of Testing and Materials, Chairman of Task Groups developing standards for football helmets, footwear and mouth guards, President of The Hockey Equipment Certification Council, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committees Sports Equipment and Technology Subcommittee and Chairman of The U.S Shooting team. Cross has been an avid competitive shooter for 71 years. He was a First String All American at Georgetown, a Distinguished Marksman and President's Hundred for the U.S. Army and a lifetime Alumnus of The U.S. Olympic Shooting Team. He is currently Chairman and Managing Director of The Cross Human Performance Testing and Research LLC. Dr. Cross has generously supported the creation of the Human Performance Laboratory at The Citadel.

Dr. Edward Warren (Ned) Bray III, MD, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon with the Greenville Health System University Medical Group. A graduate of The Citadel, class of 1965, and of the Medical University of South Carolina, he completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Greenville Health System and has over 37 years of medical experience in the Greenville area. Bray's career started with military service, as chief of orthopedic surgery at the U.S. Lyster Army Hospital in Fort Rucker, Alabama. This was then followed by a succession of academic appointments which included working in the Greenville Hospital system, the Medical University of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina and Duke University. From 2001-2012, Bray was chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at the Greenville Hospital System. He is currently the associate dean of the Graduate and Continuing Medical Education of the Greenville Health System. In 1992, he received the Frank H. Stelling II, MD Excellence award from the Greenville Hospital System.

Dr. Charles (Chuck) Groetsch holds the position of Distinguished Professor of Mathematical Science at The Citadel, after serving as the first Dean of the School of Science and Mathematics. He is an internationally recognized authority on the mathematics of inverse problems and stability theory of unbounded operators. Groetsch is the author of numerous research papers and nine critically acclaimed books, some of which have been translated into Japanese and Chinese. He has held visiting appointments at universities around the world, and has served on the editorial boards of nine research journals. The Mathematical Association of America recognized him with the George Pólya Award for expository excellence in 1994. He was inducted a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2011 in recognition of his "distinguished contributions of the application of mathematics to science, particularly in the areas of inverse or ill-posed problems, approximation theory, and mathematical modeling". Groetsch loves teaching, has taught many courses at all levels and enjoys nothing better than blending mathematics, science and history in classroom. One student wrote "Professor is very enthusiastic and goes above and beyond to explain the material."

The goals of The Citadel Academy of Mathematics are to foster an enhanced awareness of the Science and Mathematics mission of The Citadel and mathematics activities our students and faculty accomplish. The criteria for induction into The Citadel Academy of Science and Mathematics include national or international recognition of accomplishments in education, research, clinical practice, government or military service, and/or administration/management; professional achievement and career and/or military service distinction; service to society and community; and/or service and support to The Citadel. The inductee must either have a science background or have contributed to the advancement of science.

The Citadel Academy of Science and Mathematics Faculty award recognizes an exceptionally successful faculty member (current, past or retired) who has significantly impacted the students and/or The Citadel during their time at the college. Their accomplishments could be in teaching, scholarship or service.