Elizabeth Gordon receives South Carolina Academy of Science Faculty of the Year Award

When Elizabeth Gordon learned she would be the recipient of the South Carolina Academy of Science (SCAS) Faculty of the Year Award, she allowed herself a moment to soak it in. For Gordon M’97, a senior lecturer in the Furman University Department of Chemistry, the announcement was just what she needed in the wake of a fire in January that took her home.

“I was excited to have some good news – this wonderful award,” she said. “It offered timely reassurance that meaning can coexist with loss, and it reaffirmed my commitment to empathetic teaching.”

The award was presented to Gordon when the SCAS held its annual meeting on March 28.

John Kaup, director of science education in Furman’s Office of Integrative Research in the Sciences (OIRS), said the Faculty of the Year Award is special. “This honor represents a single statewide award across all STEM disciplines, and it is focused specifically on outstanding teaching,” he said. “I’m thrilled Elizabeth is being recognized by SCAS for her fine work.”

Campbell Romero ’27. Photo provided.

Campbell Romero ’27, a biochemistry major from Orlando, knows how much Gordon invests in her students.

“Chemistry wasn’t in the cards for me,” said Romero who admits she was not fan of the discipline in high school. “It just wasn’t a subject that I was good at,” she said.

But Romero took Introduction to Chemistry with Gordon in her first year, and all that changed.

“Dr. Gordon took the time to sit with me and explain things and show me all the neat aspects of chemistry. We talked about forensics podcasts and acids. She made chemistry genuinely fun,” Romero said.

Beyond teaching, Romero said Gordon’s encouragement, transparency and humor are qualities that continue to resonate with her.

“She saw my potential. I would never have become a biochemistry major if it weren’t for her. And I wouldn’t have discovered the passion I have for chemistry,” said Romero, a Furman EMT who plans to enroll in med school after graduating.

For her part, Gordon said the award is meaningful in many ways.

“It affirms the core values I strive to bring to my teaching – differentiating instruction, meeting students’ individual needs, and building strong, supportive relationships,” she said. “It reassures me that the efforts I make each day are truly benefiting my students and contributing positively to their learning experience.”

Gordon, who joined the chemistry department in 2002, has a slew of people to thank for the award.

Tim Hanks, the Charles Ezra Daniel Professor of Chemistry and Gordon’s original research advisor, encouraged her to become a teacher after hearing her first seminar talk in graduate school. She also appreciates John Kaup for his guidance in the application process.

And for her formative years as a college instructor and the opportunities that ensued, she is grateful to her three early bosses, Alan Day at Greenville Technical College, Howard Thomas at Erskine College and the late Furman Professor Emeritus Lon B. Knight who passed away in 2025. Chemistry Professor Laura Wright advocated for Gordon’s first promotion at Furman from adjunct to lecturer after 15 years of service.

In addition to her master’s in chemistry from Furman, Gordon holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Mississippi State University. She earned a teaching certificate in the physical sciences from Furman in 1998.