Rebecca Short never expected the Upstate to be where she’d build her career.

A proud Greer native, Rebecca always envisioned a career in Washington, D.C. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University and both her master’s and doctorate in public administration from Auburn University, she set her sights on the nation’s capital, where she planned to work in public policy. But what she expected would be a temporary position at Clemson University became an unexpected opportunity—one that has kept her in the Upstate for the past 13 years and allowed her to help prepare the next generation of South Carolina’s workforce.

When Rebecca accepted the position at Clemson, she was still focused on a future in Washington.

“I told Dean Anand Gramopadhye that I was really on my path to be in D.C. within the next five years,” Rebecca said. “But being in this role really changed my whole world.”

What Rebecca saw as a temporary stop, Gramopadhye saw as an opportunity. He encouraged her to help lead the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development (CUCWD)—a role that ultimately transformed not only her career, but the impact she could have on others.

Today, Rebecca directs CUCWD, an organization dedicated to developing digital training tools that prepare people for careers in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, mobility and other high-demand industries. Working alongside technical colleges across the state, the center creates virtual reality experiences and interactive training modules that allow students to build practical skills in realistic environments.

One example is CUCWD’s partnership with Greenville Technical College, where the team developed guided virtual training for the Aircraft Maintenance Technology program. Students can gain valuable experience by practicing procedures in the virtual environment before working on the actual airplane, making training more accessible while helping them build confidence before entering the workforce. View a demonstration of the training modules here.

Demonstration of a virtual reality training tool developed by the CUCWD.

While the center’s mission is rooted in South Carolina, its expertise has earned national recognition. CUCWD has collaborated with organizations including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA. In just the past few years, the center has trained more than 20,000 people. Despite those national partnerships, Rebecca says the focus has never changed.

“It all comes back to our land-grant mission as a university—to support the economic and workforce development of the state,” she said. “I love that we can show people in both urban and very rural parts of South Carolina that there are meaningful careers available that allow them to support themselves and build a life they’re proud of.”

Rebecca says there’s no better place for that work than the CU-ICAR campus. “In addition to being a showcase for the university, it’s perfectly located in the engineering epicenter of the state,” she said.

Being based in Greenville has also brought Rebecca back to the community she grew up near. Living close to downtown, she enjoys spending time at Unity Park and along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which will extend through the CU-ICAR campus in 2026. She also frequently reconnects with lifelong friends in Greer, another Upstate community that has experienced tremendous growth over the years.

Today, Rebecca says she has found the opportunity to do the kind of work she always hoped for—just in a place she never expected.

“The research I am able to do here is different from what I thought I’d be researching in public policy,” she said. “But I am still able to make an impact, specifically on workforce investment for the state.”

Clemson University is proud to announce BMW of North America as the primary sponsor of Deep Orange 17, the latest iteration of the flagship vehicle prototyping program. Deep Orange is a framework within the university’s Department of Automotive Engineering that immerses graduate students in an environment that mirrors a real-world automaker or Tier-1 supplier, bringing students, faculty, and industry partners together to design, engineer, and build a fully functional concept vehicle.

“Deep Orange is an incredibly unique program that prepares students to make an impact on the industry from day one,” said Greg Mocko, Deep Orange Program Director. “We’re proud to have a partner in BMW that is not only investing financially, but has been generous with its time, expertise, and mentorship of our students. While we’ve unveiled some remarkable prototype vehicles, the best product from this program is always the students.”

For Deep Orange 17, a team of 25 graduate students is collaborating closely with BMW engineers to develop a solar-integrated, energy-positive electric vehicle concept. The concept would redefine vehicle efficiency by producing more energy than it consumes over a standard 24-hour commuting cycle. The project launched at the beginning of 2025, with the prototype scheduled to be unveiled this August. View the latest project video update here.

“Clemson University is the only institution we know of where master’s students design and build a fully functional prototype vehicle in less than two years,” said Stephan Augustin, Project Manager of Research and New Technologies at BMW. “The talent and vehicles coming out of this program are amazing, and we haven’t seen anything else quite like it.”

BMW was a founding partner of CU-ICAR in 2007, helping to establish Clemson’s Department of Automotive Engineering and the world’s first PhD program in automotive engineering. Since then, the company has been a long-standing supporter of Deep Orange and has previously served as the primary sponsor for four projects. Earlier collaborations include concepts focused on Gen-Y mobility (DO1), human-machine interface innovation (DO2), a next-generation SUV design (DO4), and a reimagined MINI experience (DO7).

“We are grateful for the incredible partnership we have with BMW,” said David Clayton, Executive Director of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). “Beyond Deep Orange, BMW has invested in student scholarships and fellowships, collaborated on numerous research initiatives, and was a founding partner of CU-ICAR in 2007.” BMW’s Information Technology Research Center is located on the CU-ICAR campus in Greenville, SC.

Additional information about the Deep Orange program, including previous BMW-sponsored projects, is available here.

You might not guess it from his unassuming demeanor, but Doug Salway has built a career that has left a lasting mark on the automotive industry, the CU-ICAR campus and his own family.

After graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in textile design, Doug began his career designing fabrics for men’s and women’s apparel. Eight years later, in 1996, he relocated to South Carolina to join the automotive division of Milliken & Company, now Sage Automotive Interiors.

As a fabric designer, Doug takes immense pride in the intricate details of his craft. Developing materials for automotive interiors is often a three-year process — one that can easily go unnoticed by the average driver. Yet a few minutes in Doug’s office reveals the artistry and precision woven into every pattern. His meticulous approach has led to collaborations with global automakers, three technological patents and even the opportunity to purchase a vehicle featuring fabric of his own design.

In 2011, Sage Automotive Interiors moved its corporate headquarters to the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville, South Carolina. Fifteen years later, Doug still appreciates the campus’s Class A office space, amenities and community atmosphere. He also enjoys welcoming the company’s global design teams to Greenville for their biennial meetings.

Perhaps the most unexpected benefit of working on the CU-ICAR campus has been his involvement with students in Clemson’s Deep Orange program.

Deep Orange is a framework within the Clemson University Department of Automotive Engineering that immerses graduate students in the role of an OEM or supplier, challenging them to design and build a fully functional prototype vehicle in just 18 months. Along the way, students conduct research, develop customer personas and gain hands-on experience in every facet of vehicle development — including interior design and fabrication. That’s where Doug steps in.

“The students are incredibly strong on the mechanical side,” Doug said, “but they’re often less experienced with the aesthetic elements. We help guide them through colors, fabrics, trims and those types of decisions.”

Doug has contributed to multiple Deep Orange projects, including Deep Orange 10, an autonomous ride-share vehicle developed in partnership with Ford. He worked with students to create a custom seat pattern — one he notes is now being echoed across the industry — and helped develop a specialized flooring material designed to withstand heavy use while providing traction for wheelchair accessibility.

The collaboration is far from one-sided.

“I’m always inspired by how forward-thinking the students are, especially at such a young age,” Doug said. “They move from ideas to cardboard models to fully functioning autonomous vehicles in a short amount of time. It’s amazing to watch.”

Doug’s curiosity and appreciation for detail extend well beyond the workplace. At home, he enjoys spending time with his family and has recently taken up bowling, discovering that beneath its simple exterior lies a game of precision and nuance — much like the intricate work that has shaped his career. Doug welcomes the opportunity to travel, which he does at least biennially when gathering with design colleagues from across the globe. When possible, he also continues to enjoy riding motorcycles, a longtime hobby that has taken him through Maui, Death Valley, the Mojave Desert and along California’s iconic Pacific Coast Highway.

This year marks 30 years with Sage Automotive Interiors and 35 years of marriage to his wife, Ann. But among his proudest milestones is one that began nearly four decades ago. When Doug graduated in 1988, he became the first person in his family to earn a college degree. Today, he and Ann are the proud parents of two college graduates: one who followed her mother’s career path as a teacher, and another who plans to return to school to pursue a career as a dietitian, furthering the family’s shared commitment to education and lifelong learning.

Whether he’s shaping trends within the automotive industry, mentoring the next generation of engineers or encouraging education within his own family, Doug continues to weave together a legacy defined by craftsmanship, curiosity and a commitment to the next generation.

Multiple leaders on the CU-ICAR campus and numerous corporate partners were recognized on the inagural list of most influential business leaders in the South Carolina produced by SCBIZ. This list honors the individuals in South Carolina that are shaping business, culture, and community across the state. The following individuals on the CU-ICAR campus were highlighted and the full list can be found here.

David Clayton
Executive Director, CU-ICAR
Associate Vice President for Economic Development, Clemson University

Ramy Harik
Director, Clemson Composites Center
Exxon Mobil Employees Endowed Professor

Dan Russian
President & CEO,
Sage Automotive Interiors

A digital twin uses real-world data to power a virtual counterpart—an idea reshaping modern engineering. For Chinmay and Tanmay Samak, mirrored counterparts is not only the focus of their research at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), it’s also their daily experience as twins who are identical in virtually every way.

Natives of Pune, India, Chinmay and Tanmay have always known what they have in common truly makes them unique. “It’s always been fun to have a twin, especially one that resonates with you,” said Chinmay. “Twins generally get compared constantly so they choose a mechanism for growing apart or at least a way to differentiate themselves, but that hasn’t been the case for us.”

From favorite foods to hobbies, and even their favorite color, the Samak twins have no answer for the common question of how to differentiate them. “We’ve been together since day one and hope to keep it that way,” said Tanmay with a smile.

At a young age their shared interests included activities like swimming, cycling, hiking and tinkering in the field of robotics. What began in 8^th grade as building line-following and obstacle-avoidance robots grew into research publications and consecutive first place finishes in NASA’s space settlement design competition. By the time they reached their undergraduate studies, they found another shared fascination: autonomous ground vehicles—a passion that would eventually bring them across the world to Greenville, South Carolina.

When considering graduate programs, the brothers developed their own unique criteria to complement university rankings and notoriety.

1. A strong academic program in automotive engineering, autonomy, and robotics
2. A direct path into a fully funded PhD program
3. Access to full-scale test vehicles and state of the art equipment
4. An opportunity to work together, in the same lab, under the same advisor

Despite having never visited, they chose Clemson University, and specifically the Automotive Engineering program located at CU-ICAR. Three and a half years later, they are nearing the completion of their PhDs, with both focused on advancing digital twin technology. Working in the Automation, Robotics and Mechatronics (ARM) Lab under Dr. Venkat Krovi, they are helping to close the loop between real-world vehicle behavior and high-precision simulation. Tanmay specializes in translating real-world data into accurate virtual models. Chinmay’s work mirrors this from the opposite direction, ensuring simulation results can be transferred reliably to physical vehicles.

Looking back on their decision, Chinmay shared what he’d tell their 2022 selves: “In a simple statement, what you are dreaming of is about to come true.”

Due to COVID-19, the twins arrived in Greenville knowing Dr. Krovi and CU-ICAR only through digital imagery, articles and virtual interviews. Their real-world experience far exceeded expectations.

Being welcomed with hands-on access to the Open Connected and Automated Vehicle (OpenCAV) during their first weeks on campus, months earlier than expected, made it clear they had found the mentor they hoped for. “Dr. Krovi is the ideal advisor, especially for us,” said Chinmay. “He’s provided the technical and academic direction for areas where he knows we need to learn and also given us the freedom to explore on our own and approach him when we need guidance.”

The positive surprises extended out of the lab as they began to explore the CU-ICAR campus and the surrounding Greenville community. “CU-ICAR has all the right people on campus,” noted Tanmay. “You have students, professors, and industry professionals, and they’re all headed towards the same objectives. No matter who you’re working with, you can’t go wrong.”

Off campus, Greenville quickly became their second home, one they describe as the perfect balance of modern and tranquil. They fell in love with the mild weather, vibrant downtown, access to nature, and as cyclists, the city’s 28-mile greenway known as the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Within the next year, Chinmay and Tanmay will add “Clemson graduate” to their list of accomplishments. From there, they hope to stay connected to academia while also joining industry through startup ventures. They plan to continue growing their online presence as the Tinker Twins and expand AutoDRIVE, the digital twin ecosystem they created together.

While the exact path ahead is still unfolding, one thing remains certain:
“Whatever it is, most importantly, we’ll do it together.”