For more than 80 years, this resilient American beech, known as the “Root Tree” or “Medusa Tree,” has endured bitter winters, withering heat, and the curious hands of generations of visitors. A beloved landmark on Furman University Way at Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina, the Medusa Tree began its life in the Furman Arboretum on the original Furman campus in the city’s downtown.
A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT
Elizabeth Davis
The ability to bounce back, to weather stress and to be better for it – at Furman, resilience means all of these things.
But we are all navigating an extraordinary time. Today, resilience also demands that we meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, parrying, adapting and innovating to ensure we continue to provide students with an unparalleled education, one that enables them to become engaged, responsible citizens. With this as our focus, we’ve instituted health and safety protocols embodied in the Paladin Promise, reimagined classroom instruction and engaged-learning experiences, and taken countless other stabilizing measures throughout the university.
The Furman Advantage
In 2016, President Elizabeth Davis launched The Furman Advantage with $47 million from The Duke Endowment. This integrated pathway, guided by a diverse community of mentors, prepares students for lives of purpose and accelerated career and community impact – demonstrating the value of a Furman education.
4 years in a row
PURPOSE AND PROMISE
Engaged learning is at the center of a Furman education. And because of that strong institutional foundation, we have been able to respond flexibly and creatively to the challenges of this moment.
Where Excellence Gathers
They come for the rigor, for the mentoring and belonging, and for the intellectual exploration that leads to a purposeful life. Furman is where excellence gathers.
– XINXIN (ANNA) ZHANG ’20
The Meaning of Belonging
A diverse campus community that reflects our entire society is not only necessary to achieve academic excellence – it is the path to a diverse, engaged citizenry capable of leading the way through this pandemic and preparing to overcome the challenges that come next.
A NEW ERA FOR ATHLETICS
Immense change unfolded at Furman Athletics this year, from the arrival of a new athletics director to a refocusing of the university’s varsity sports.
An Enduring Impact
From weatherizing local homes to providing tax preparation to revealing the effects of gentrification on neighborhoods – Furman students, faculty and staff champion this community and recognize our privilege of being a part of it.
– JORDAN HARRIS ’20
SHAPE THE FUTURE
Every charitable gift, whether of time, talent or financial resources, is an act of optimism.
