People
Dr. Terri F. Bruce
Facility Director
The director of the facility is Dr. Terri Bruce. Dr. Bruce holds bachelor’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Applied Biology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has over 12 years of industrial experience, including process design engineering and product development. She received her doctorate in Biological Sciences in 2009 from Clemson University, specializing in Cell Biology. In addition, Dr. Bruce has over 9 years of teaching experience at the collegiate level and was a former recipient of the Clemson University Outstanding Teaching Assistant of the Year Award.
Rhonda Reigers Powell
Manager/Research Associate
Rhonda Powell has served as the Assistant Manager of the Clemson Light Imaging Facility since July 2012. Rhonda earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences in 2001, and a Master of Science in Microbiology in 2009, both from Clemson University. She also holds a secondary education teaching endorsement in Biology from the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence. Prior to joining the Clemson Light Imaging Facility, Rhonda worked for more than 10 years in a cell biology research laboratory. She won the College of Science Exceptional Team Member Award for 2017 and retired from her role as a Staff Senator at the end of April 2018, after serving since 2015. In her role as a Staff Senator, she served on the Staff Senate Scholarship Committee. A piece of her work was displayed in the 2018 Clemson Passport to the Arts event.
Justin Scott
Research Specialist
Justin joined the CLIF in Summer 2014 and was a member of Tiger Band, KKPsi Nat'l Honorary Band Fraternity, the Clemson University Gospel Choir (CUGC), and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). After receiving a BS in Electrical Engineering in Spring 2015, Justin stayed as a temporary full-time employee for two months after graduation. During his time in the CLIF, Justin streamlined the analysis technique for squirrel whisker analysis, finalized the design for the first officially Clemson-branded CLIF brochure, and wrote the first CLIF user manual, which outlined the procedures for using the LEXT optical profiler. He also designed and prepared marketing materials for our imaging contest and light microscopy symposium. He rejoined the CLIF staff as a full-time research specialist in the Fall of 2016. Justin is our full time technician for the Biorad S3E (fluorescence-activated cell sorter), and has attended a flow cytometry class in Washington D.C as well as a flow cytometry interest group meeting in Charleston, SC to further educate himself on the subject. Justin also manages trainings for the Olympus LEXT optical profiler, the Leica SPE Confocal, and also coordinates intake of all new users of the CLIF. Since completing his MBA from Clemson in Spring of 2022, Justin also serves as the primary institutional administrator over iLab, the core management software utilized by Clemson's Division of Research for scheduling, billing and reporting services across the main campus research core facilities.
Graduate Students
Katelyn Joye
Katelyn joined CLIF in the Summer of 2023. She was introduced to the opportunity by Dr. Aggie Simionescu. Before joining CLIF, she was enrolled in a dual degree program and received her BS in Math and Engineering from Anderson University and her BS in Bioengineering from Clemson University in 2023. She was the founder and President of the Engineering club at Anderson University. Katelyn is continuing her education at Clemson University for her Ph.D in Bioengineering with Dr. Terri Bruce. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games, reading, and spending time with her cat Sprite and her dog Cheech.
Current Interns
Alexandra Harding
Avery Herren
Holly White
Ruxi Xia
Nimasha Jayasinghe
Sylvanie Johnson
Delaney Gilmore 
Alumni
Amayia Davis
Griffin Thomas
Griffin Thomas joined CLIF in Summer 2022 through Clemson University’s UPIC internship program. He was introduced to CLIF by Dr. Bruce. He is a sophomore biochemistry major from Clemson, South Carolina. He is part of the Rotaract Service Club and Narrative Medicine Club. He is also a member of the Clemson Undergraduate Student Government’s History Committee. He was placed on the President’s List for the Fall 2021 Semester. After graduating, he hopes to attend medical school in pursuit of his goal of providing individualized, patient centered care. In his free time he enjoys golfing, watching baseball, cooking, and trying new restaurants. He is excited for the opportunity to learn more about imaging for its applications in the medical field.
Sophia Altieri 
Sophia joined the CLIF in Fall 2020 through Clemson University’s UPIC internship program from the recommendation of her genetics advisor, Dr. Alison Starr-Moss. She graduated with her BS in Genetics in 2022 with Minors in both Art and Biological Sciences. Sophia was a social media coordinator for our Facebook and Instagram accounts and has been trained on the Leica SPE confocal, Olympus LEXT optical profiler, Leica GSD/TIRF Widefield systems, Leica M125 Stereoscope, and Leica THUNDER Model Organism Imager. She was the facility's primary website coordinator and designer of the CLIF brochure and social media posts. Sophia has worked as a peer-assisted learning (PAL) leader for general chemistry in the past, and has been involved with the Tiger Band, Symphonic Band, Flute Choir, and cello lessons. Sophia was a part of the honors college and was awarded Most Outstanding Junior in Genetics in 2021. After graduating from Clemson, Sophia aspires to attend graduate school for her Ph.D. to study forensic genetics. In her free time, she enjoys reading fiction, listening to music, and art in any form.
Inara Devji 
Serena Gilmore 
Serena joined CLIF in the fall of 2019 through Clemson's UPIC program after learning about it from her brother and previous CLIF intern, Devante Horne. She is from Anderson, SC and graduated in 2022 with her BS in Bioengineering and Minor in Chemistry. Her time at the CLIF included working on various histology processes, with emphasis on paraffin embedding and sectioning, and time spent working with the Leica WF/GSD/TIRF system, Leica M125 Stereoscope, Leica Thunder, and Olympus LEXT optical. She also worked on antibody testing and optimization for staining procedures. Aside from the CLIF, she was involved at Clemson as the Outreach and Recruitment Chair for the Black Honors Association, President of Clemson Student United Way, and Co-Director for Paw Pantry. She also conducted ovarian cancer research developing peptide nanocarriers at the Nanobiotechnology lab in the Bioengineering department. Serena will be attending the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine.
Conrad Epps 
Conrad joined the CLIF in the spring of 2019. He spent time with the Leica M125 stereoscope, Leica SPE confocal, Olympus LEXT optical profiler, and the Nikon AZ100 multizoom. He also worked extensively on the Leica Model Organism imaging system with THUNDER and wrote the SOP for this system. Conrad also worked for Dr. Bruce on two of her projects and was able to do plenty of in-house imaging and training during his time. After graduating in 2021 with a genetics degree, Conrad is attending the University of Georgia's Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience. He hopes to conduct novel work on the characterization and treatment of neuromuscular disorders.
Tykia Blakney 
Tykia graduated with a bioengineering degree in 2021 and is from Hartsville, SC. She joined CLIF in the Fall of 2018 through the Clemson University UPIC Program. Her primary duty was to assist Dr. Bruce in her research project. She had also spent time on the Leica SPE, Leica M125 stereoscope, and has worked on histology and a sample preparation project. Tykia is continuing her education at Clemson University for her master's degree in bioengineering.
Mary Patrucco 
Mary is from Charleston, SC, and graduated from Clemson in Spring 2020 with a degree in genetics. She joined CLIF in the Spring of 2019 through the Clemson University UPIC program. Mary worked on a placenta imaging project as well as a histology and sample preparation project. Since graduating in 2020, she has been working in the Marchuk lab in the department of Molecular Genetics and Biology at the Duke School of Medicine as a research technician, where they work with a variety of genetic diseases affecting vasculature. In the next 2 or 3 years, she wants to pursue a master’s degree in Genetic Counseling.
Jennifer Cabezas 
Jennifer is from Greenville, SC, and graduated from Clemson in the Spring of 2020 with a Microbiology-biomedicine degree. Jennifer joined CLIF in the Summer of 2019 and worked on histology and sample preparation projects as well as writing the SOP for our Leica WF/GSD/TIRF system. Since graduating, she has participated in the NIH-funded PREP (Postbaccalaureate research education program) at the University of South Carolina where she works in a translational cancer therapeutics lab within the College of Pharmacy. Starting Summer 2021, she will be pursuing her Ph.D. at the Mayo Clinic and ultimately her M.D.
Brandy Pinckney 
Brandy, from Moncks Corner, SC, graduated from Clemson in the Spring of 2019 with a degree in Microbiology. She joined CLIF in the Spring of 2018 through the Clemson University UPIC program. Brandy spent time on the Leica SPE, Leica Stereoscope, and LEXT 3D Optical Profiler. A piece of her work was displayed in the 2018 Clemson Passport to the Arts event. Since graduating in 2019, Brandy has been working in a flow cytometry core facility in Boston. She primarily works with nano flow cytometry and has been collaborating with other groups to work on standardizing data acquisition and sharing. Her plans for the future include learning as much as she can from her current mentor and then eventually running a flow core of her own.
Dalia Saif 
Dalia is from Greenville, SC, and graduated from Clemson in the Spring of 2019 with a degree in Microbiology. She joined the CLIF in the Summer of 2018 through the Clemson University UPIC program. Dalia took over the role of coordinator for the CLIF Facebook page and the Microprints Marketplace. She also spent time on the Leica Stereoscope and LEXT 3D Optical Profiler. Since graduating in 2019, Dalia has been studying for her Master of Public Health and Master of Public Policy focused on global health and international policy at the University of Michigan. She plans to work for an NGO focused on global health diplomacy in the future.
Garrett Sayre 
Garrett is from Spartanburg, SC, and graduated from Clemson in December 2020 B.S. Microbiology. He joined CLIF in the Fall of 2018 through the Clemson University UPIC Program. Garrett worked on compiling a list of data for Dr. Terri Bruce's grant proposal, and also assisted in the updating of our Microprints store. He was trained on the Olympus LEXT and Leica SPE. Since graduating in 2020, Garrett has taken a full-time job as an EMT for Prisma Health Oconee EMS. His plans for the future include attending either USC Columbia School of Medicine or Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) to pursue an M.D. and specialize in either emergency medicine or general surgery.
Jonnise Macomson
Jonnise was a Microbiology major from Spartanburg, SC. She graduated from Clemson in Spring 2018. She joined the CLIF in the Fall of 2016 through the Clemson University UPIC program. Jonnise spent time on the Leica Stereoscope and the LEXT 3D Optical Profiler and was the primary website coordinator. She developed a CLIF coloring series to use for STEAM events and microscopy outreach. Jonnise and Mia collaborated on a project, where their work was displayed in the 2018 Clemson Passport to the Arts event. Since graduating in 2018, Jonnise has had a wide range of experiences. Directly after college, she worked as a Lab Analyst with an environmental engineering firm in Greenville, SC for about a year. She then relocated to Charlotte, NC for her first sales role selling HR/people management software to small and medium businesses. Now, she works as an Inside Sale Representative for the Global Services and Support Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific. In the future, Jonnise hopes to attend an MBA program and further develop her career in sales and business development, specifically in the medical and biotechnology industry.
Mia Warner
Mia graduated from Clemson in the Spring of 2018 with a degree in Bioengineering. She joined the CLIF in the Fall of 2016 through the Clemson University UPIC program. Mia spent time on the Leica Stereoscope and LEXT 3D optical profiler and was the coordinator of the CLIF Marketplace. Since graduating in 2018, Mia had moved to Memphis, TN to attend pharmacy school at UTHSC. In her free time, Mia likes to rock climb and has had the opportunity to climb at different places all over the United States. She got engaged last year, 2020, and will be getting married next Spring! After graduating from pharmacy school, Mia hopes to do a residency in oncology or critical care pharmacy.
Sarah Dorsey
Sarah Dorsey, a Bioengineering major from Blythewood, SC. She joined the CLIF through the Clemson University Professional Internship/Co-Op (UPIC) program in the spring of 2016. Sarah has experience working on the Leica M125 stereoscope and has spent time operating the Olympus LEXT OLS 3D Laser Measuring Microscope. Her primary duties focused on graphic design, development of CLIF media, general office tasks, keeping the inventory of all the CLIF's equipment and tools. A piece of her work was displayed in the 2018 Clemson Passport to the Arts event. Since graduating in 2019, Sarah has been working as a design engineer and quality/regulatory manager for a speech therapy production company.
Colin Fair 
Colin, a Bioengineering major from Walpole, Massachusetts. He joined CLIF in the Fall of 2017. Colin has spent time on the Leica SPE and Stereoscope. He worked on several projects, including sectioning and staining an entire butterfly proboscis in hopes to find out more about how the structure of chitin allows the butterfly to draw up liquid.
Ty Rivers
Ty Rivers, a Chemistry major from Hartsville, SC, joined the Clemson Light Imaging Facility as a UPIC intern in the fall of 2015. During his time as an intern, he served as the website's primary coordinator in addition to working as part of a team that fulfilled a major imaging contract with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Ty was trained to proficiently use the Olympus LEXT Optical Profiler, Leica M125 Stereoscope, and the Nikon LV-UDM. He has spoken on his experiences as a microscopist at Clemson's "Unleash Your Inner Tiger" conference and our Annual Microscopy Symposium. Ty began medical school in fall 2018 at the Medical University of South Carolina and is currently considering general surgery or anesthesia.
Jonah Robison
Jonah Robison graduated with a Bioengineering major and Economics minor from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. He joined the Clemson Light Imaging Facility fall of 2015 as a Clemson University UPIC intern. As the Print and Social Media Coordinator, Jonah developed posters, flyers, and other ads to market the facility across various media. He excelled in various Adobe suite programs and spent some of his time with the Leica M125 stereoscope and the Olympus LEXT Optical Profiler. Since graduating in 2019, Jonah has worked in IP and now primary research. He is currently working on a Mountain Bike Apparel Start-up.
Sarah Fair
Sarah Howell graduated with a degree in Microbiology in the spring of 2016. She is a South Carolina native from Gaffney, South Carolina. Sarah joined the team at the CLIF in the spring of 2014 through the Clemson University Professional Internship/Co-Op (UPIC) program. Her roles at the CLIF included running training sessions on the Olympus LEXT Optical Profiler and Leica Stereoscope, planning events put on by the CLIF, helping out with basic office work, and performing general laboratory maintenance. She has had experience imaging nanoparticles on the Cytoviva and has earned a certificate for completing a course on the basics of confocal microscopy. Her final task involved teaching other interns her duties as she prepared for graduation. Since graduation, Sarah has married one of our interns, Colin Fair, and interned with Cru, a campus ministry at Clemson. The internship lead to her accepting a staff position in the summer of 2017.
Tamera Weedon
Tamera Weedon has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering major from Harrisburg, PA, and joined the Clemson Light Imaging Facility as a Clemson University UPIC intern in the summer of 2016. She was trained to proficiently use the Olympus LEXT OLS3D Laser Measuring microscope; a microscope mainly used by material scientists and engineers. Tamera was also the facility's primary website coordinator. Since graduating in 2017, Tamera has started working in industry. She first started as an applications engineer making equipment and explaining how and when to use things as technical support, and now she is an operations engineer, working as a production supervisor and manufacturing at Amcore. For the future, she plans to stick to the manufacturing operation side of engineering and continue on her path.
Devante Horne
Devante graduated from Clemson in Spring 2015 with a Bachelor's degree in Bioengineering. He earned his Ph.D. from the UC San Francisco-UC Berkeley Bioengineering joint program in 2020. Devante's graduate work consisted of determining how to stimulate healing of intervertebral disk tissue after an injury. His research is focused on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Devante joined the facility as a UPIC intern in Spring 2013. While an intern in the CLIF, Devante spent the majority of his time imaging aquatic insects for a contract imaging project. He also wrote standard operating procedures for the stereoscope and Tumblr blog articles for the CLIF. Dr. Horne is currently a research and development biomedical engineer at Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company that develops economically friendly and fast medical diagnostic tests. He leads a team that is developing an HIV diagnostic product that can be utilized in remote locations that may not have access to various medical tools.
Brittany Lamont
Brittany graduated from Clemson in Spring 2014 with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Health Sciences and obtained her Doctorate of Medicine at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, South Carolina in 2018. Brittany joined the CLIF as a student lab assistant in the Fall of 2012 and as a UPIC intern in the Summer of 2013. She stayed at the CLIF for two months after graduation. While interning at the CLIF, Brittany maintained the laboratory area of the facility and participated in an extremely large-scale project imaging more than 1200 slides of squirrel whiskers. She also designed newsletters and brochures for the facility. Brittany is a family medicine physician at Prisma Health.
Caroline Ashworth Maurer
Caroline worked as a UPIC intern in the CLIF from Fall 2014 through Fall 2015. A Clemson University Senior, Caroline majored in Nursing and graduated in Fall 2016. While a CLIF intern, Caroline was instrumental in the design and implementation of the HOOKEd on Microscopy Light Micrograph Contest and the Magnificent Microcosm light microscopy symposium. She increased the presence of the facility on social media by making improvements to our Facebook page and Tumblr blog. Since graduating in 2016, Caroline worked as a cardiovascular intensive care nurse at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center for two years. She was accepted to the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) graduate school at Texas Christain University in 2019, and will graduate CRNA school with her doctorate in December 2021. Her future plans are working as a CRNA in Florida and hopefully specializing in Cardiovascular Anesthesia.
Jessica Canavan
Jessica worked one semester as a full-time UPIC intern in Summer 2013. Though her time in the CLIF was short, she learned to use the LEXT optical profiler proficiently and wrote standard operating procedures for equipment in the lab prep area of the CLIF. A talented microscopist, she is responsible for many of the framed images decorating the facility. Since graduating with her Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree in Bioengineering in 2015 and 2016, Jessica has worked as a Healthcare Consultant and is now in a PA, or Physician Assistant, program. She plans to become a PA upon competition of the program.
http://www.clemsonbtrl.com/People.html
Krista Wunsche
Krista worked one semester in the CLIF as a part-time UPIC intern in Fall 2013. Krista participated in a contract project to image aquatic insects, both by spending time at the microscope and by editing and creating image collages. Never one to be pigeon-holed, Krista graduated from Clemson in Spring 2016 with degrees in biochemistry and political science. We are delighted to be on Krista’s resume.
