Articles and Insights

How do we build communities where every child, family, and neighborhood can thrive? What does it take to move beyond awareness and into action on the social and community conditions that shape our health? These are the guiding questions at the heart of the 2026 Building Brighter Tomorrows...Read more

The Master of Arts in Advocacy and Social Policy equips students to become effective advocates and leaders at every level, “from grassroots to grass tops,” as Shaniece Criss, director of the program, explains. The program is valuable for people from all walks of life and all kinds of...Read more

In today’s competitive world, having in-demand skills can be a compelling factor in climbing the career ladder or securing a spot as a top candidate for a new role. Emerging technology means it’s even more important to ensure our skills are relevant.  But, for many working professionals, finding...Read more

With the fall semester well under way, our 2025-26 Shi Institute Fellows have already been hard at work pursuing diverse projects in alternative transportation, communications, and sustainability culture change. From planting and harvesting on the Furman Farm to tracking Furman’s greenhouse gas emissions, these students are gaining valuable,...Read more

Joshua and Jordan Burrell have played football together since second grade. Football has always been a passion for the twin brothers, who went on to play football together at Blythewood High School in their hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. After high school, they went in different directions; Joshua...Read more

A safe and stable home is one of the most important foundations for good health. Join the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health (IACH) for our next Community Health Conversation, “Housing is Healthcare,” as we explore the powerful connection between housing and well-being—and...Read more

by Kelly Gregory, Catherine Schumacher, and Susie Shannon When you fly into the Estonian capital of Tallinn, first you see the woods. These vast swaths of green quickly give way to huge gray blocks of Soviet Era architecture. Finally, you notice the pointed red roofs and multi-colored walls of one...Read more

For as long as she can remember, Eva fostered a deep curiosity for the sciences. As a three-year-old, she would flip through her children’s anatomy book, captivated by the systems of the human body. She would eagerly share fun facts like “Did you know the cerebellum is the...Read more

by Wendy Thacker When Did Being a Kid Stop Being Just Being a Kid? Remember the days of Kool-Aid mustaches, PB&J sandwiches from someone else’s mom, and playing outside until the streetlights turned on? When fresh air, sunshine, snow, sleet, or rain didn’t stop us, it simply changed...Read more

September 5, 2025 Since gaining its independence from Russia in 1991, Estonia has risen to the top of educational rankings, both in Europe and around the world. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international test that allows for the comparison of educational systems globally. Estonia’s...Read more

The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health is pleased to announce its 2025–2026 calendar of public events, including the return of the popular Community Health Conversations series and the annual Building Brighter Tomorrows conference. Now in its second year,...Read more

What if one small shift in thinking could transform your team—and possibly your entire organization? When we...Read more

We are so excited to introduce our Summer 2025 class of Shi Institute Student Fellows! Representing six states, seven countries and 13 different academic majors and minors, this diverse group will tackle real-world sustainability projects across the state this summer from Greenville to Bluffton. “We are so lucky...Read more

By Stella Frisbie ’25 Looking back on my time at Furman, some of my most meaningful moments happened not in a classroom, but in conversations—at sustainability tabling events, with peers passionate about change, and eventually, in a meeting with President Davis to discuss the future of Furman’s Climate...Read more

By Vanessa Amasi ’26 Joy Baker (left) and Vanessa Amasi (right) looking at utility data reports. When it comes to warming hearts and homes, I could not think of a better way to do it than through my...Read more