Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed is a career educator whose education and teaching experience span 28 years in public and private schools and universities. A recent retiree from the University of South Carolina (UofSC), she holds Bachelors, Masters and Specialist degrees from UofSC and an earned doctoral degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Florida. Prior to directing a research and teaching center at UofSC , she taught elementary and middle school and served as school site coordinator of the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program, a college preparatory system designed for students with academic potential, many of whom were first generation college attendees. While Director, Dr. Reed also co-coordinated the design and implementation of the Apple Core Initiative (ACI), a scholarship program for incoming freshmen to the USC College of Education’s teacher education program. Currently, she serves on the selection committee for the $1.7 million Emily Clyburn Honors College Scholarship at South Carolina State University, a public HBCU. Dr. Reed is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a Rotarian. She is co-owner of a property investment company, 49 Magnolia Blossom, LLC and President of its non-profit arm, Magnolia Blossom SC. Dr. Reed is also the CEO of Palmetto Issues Conference, LLC, an issues-based advisory group advocating for accessible and equitable policies in education, health, housing and infrastructure. Dr. Reed is married to Mississippi native Walter A. Reed. They have two adult children – Walter A. Clyburn Reed and Sydney Alexis Reed. The Reed family resides in South Carolina.