Governor’s School for Science + Mathematics appoints Mr. Daniel Dorsel as school’s President

June 28, 2021

The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science + Mathematics (GSSM) is pleased to announce that Mr. Daniel Dorsel was appointed as the school’s president on June 24.

“I am honored to serve as GSSM’s president,” said Mr. Dorsel, GSSM President. “As a graduate of the school, I know firsthand how attending GSSM can change your life. While our tradition of excellence and our close-knit community remain the same, GSSM has also grown significantly from when I was a student here. We now serve over 500 high-school students each year through our residential and virtual engineering programs, and over 1000 middle- to high-school students each summer through our residential and day camps in Hartsville and across the state. Our teacher-development programs impact teachers throughout the year, and our elementary program brings GSSM-quality STEM curriculum to a number of schools throughout the state. We are also starting a new online STEM Foundations program that allows students to remain at home and complete high school with GSSM courses.

Our mission has not changed: GSSM seeks out the most talented and motivated students across the state and offers them transforming educational experiences. We fulfill this mission at our residential campus in Hartsville, and also at our students’ schools and in their homes. As we live out our mission, our GSSM community will focus on diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM education, and on increasing GSSM’s educational footprint in Hartsville and across the state.

We are blessed with an outstanding faculty and staff, with generous legislative support, and with impactful partnerships with businesses, universities, and school districts. Our over 2500 alumni are changing the world inside and outside our great state. As we prepare to welcome the Class of 2023, our thirty-fourth class, in August, hope and excitement run high, both for our new students and the rest of us at GSSM. The future of GSSM is bright. Together we will build on our proud past and make our school even better.”

Mr. Dorsel began his journey with GSSM as a member of the school’s first graduating class in 1990. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and later received a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech and a M.A. in Educational Administration from Notre Dame.

He entered the education field in 2000 as a classroom teacher, athletic director and coach. He went on to serve as a Director of Advancement, a high school principal, and ultimately returned to GSSM in 2012 to be the Senior Vice President for Residential.

Mr. Dorsel began serving as the interim president in January. After an extensive search, The Board of Trustees unanimously agreed with the recommendation of the Presidential Search Committee that Mr. Dorsel be GSSM’s next president.

“I’m thrilled that a Govie, from the inaugural class of Govies, will be leading our school,” said Robert Brown, GSSM Board Chair. “I met Danny when he came back to give an address as we dedicated our first expansion. During that speech, he indicated that one day he would love to return to the school to serve the alma mater which had such a positive impact on him as a student. I know that this firsthand experience will translate into a positive impact for our students, our school and our state.”

Mr. Dorsel lives in Hartsville, and will continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the National Consortium for Specialized STEM Schools (NCSSS).

 

About GSSM

One of the few specialized public residential high schools of its kind, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science + Mathematics (GSSM) exists to push motivated young learners beyond their perceived levels of academic ability. Founded in 1988 under the leadership of the late Governor Carroll Campbell, GSSM has consistently raised the bar for STEM education in the Palmetto State. GSSM’s two-year residential high school program—as well as its virtual high school program, summer camps, and outreach programs—all invite young people to explore the subjects they love in a diverse, inclusive, and uncommonly supportive academic environment. Here, challenge is viewed as a gateway to opportunity. GSSM students embrace the school’s rigorous approach to education and in so doing begin to realize their full potential. Learn more by visiting www.scgssm.org.