Carolyn Silver named director of Furman’s Bridges to a Brighter Future

GREENVILLE, SC – Carolyn Silver has been named director of Furman’s college access and success program, Bridges to a Brighter Future. Her appointment begins March 1.

Silver brings more than a decade of experience in higher education and nonprofit management. After starting her career in corporate communications in Greenville, she transitioned to Clemson University, serving as a writer/editor for University Advancement and Student Affairs.

She also served as faculty at Clemson, teaching undergraduate communications and graduate student affairs, and at Tri-County Tech teaching English and writing. She was most recently employed by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to design and manage a professional internship program available to the campus’s 23,000 undergraduates. Her work at UNCC also included career counseling, teaching writing, and revamping the University Honors College first-year curriculum.

After earning her Ph.D. at Clemson University in 2011, Silver worked with community leaders in Spartanburg to create a 501(c)(3) to increase educational attainment across the county. During that time she led efforts to raise $1 million, create connections among county public high schools and colleges, and institute the first annual Spartanburg College Fair.

Throughout her career, Silver has remained active with leadership programs and student service organizations. She regularly presents and publishes her research on collegiate academic success and career preparedness.

Silver holds a bachelor’s in communications from James Madison University, a master’s in professional communications from Clemson, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership from Clemson.