Linda and Ralph Elliott Endow Presidential Medallion Awards at TCTC
Press Release
Date: May 19, 2025
Contact: Lisa Garrett, lgarrett@tctc.edu
Linda and Ralph Elliott Endow Presidential Medallion Awards at TCTC
PENDLETON, SC --- Ralph and Linda Elliott, lifelong educators and contributors to the Tri-County Technical College Foundation, have endowed two awards at Tri-County Technical College.
The awards, which have been in existence for more than 40 years, will now be known as the Linda C. and Dr. Ralph D. Elliott Presidential Medallion for Instructional Excellence and the Linda C. and Dr. Ralph D. Elliott Presidential Medallion for Staff Excellence.
Both awards are the highest presented to TCTC faculty and staff members each year.
The Elliotts were honored at a ceremony on May 12 to celebrate their generosity and to unveil a donor recognition plaque.
“What better way to commemorate their leadership for the College and the community than to name an award for them,” said Dr. Galen DeHay, president of TCTC.
Linda Elliott retired from Tri-County Technical College on December 31, 2006, after more than three decades of dedicated service in the areas of academia and institutional advancement. In 1981, she was the recipient of the College's Presidential Medallion for Instructional Excellence.
"Ralph and I are deeply honored to endow the Presidential Medallions for Instructional and Staff Excellence at Tri-County Technical College. These awards reflect our heartfelt appreciation for the outstanding faculty and staff who go above and beyond in serving students and advancing the mission of TCTC,” said Linda Elliott.
“Linda and I are both passionate about the transformative power of higher education and having the opportunity to support and recognize excellence in this way is truly meaningful to us. With Linda having served at Tri-County for over 30 years, TCTC holds a special place in our hearts, and it is a privilege to be part of such a dedicated and inspiring community. Thank you to everyone who made the awards of excellence possible and who continue to make Tri-County a place of excellence and opportunity," said Dr. Elliott.
“The Elliotts’ longstanding commitment to and passion for teaching, learning and staff excellence made them gifted educators with a strong dedication to instill confidence and to motivate individuals to achieve their long-range educational goals,” said President DeHay.
Dr. Stephan Irwin, department head for the Associate of Science program at TCTC, was honored with the Linda C. and Dr. Ralph D. Elliott Presidential Medallion for Instructional Excellence at the College's spring convocation on May 5. The medallion is presented each year to the instructor who has contributed the most during the academic year to the profession of teaching, to the development of the College and to the students.
Dr. Irwin joined the College in 2014 as an anatomy and physiology instructor and later was named Coordinator for Instructional Activities for Science. In 2022, he took the role of program director for the School of Science and Mathematics, and in 2024 was promoted to his current position.
“When I first arrived at TCTC 12 years ago, I brought with me a passion for changing lives and making the world a better place one person at a time,” Dr. Irwin told the Elliotts at the announcement. “What this award represents to me is not my actions, but a reflection of the good in others—those who have shaped me, supported me, mentored me, and walked this path beside me. I am honored to be chosen as the recipient, not for personal recognition, but as a spokesperson for their contributions and goodwill. There can be no greater recognition, and for that, I am both grateful and deeply humbled. In all things, I promise to do my best to live up to what this reward represents.”
Linda Elliott began her TCTC career as English Department head, then was promoted to chair of the Arts and Sciences Division. In 1988, she was named the chief institutional advancement officer for the College. During her 17-year tenure as administrator of the Tri-County Technical College Foundation, assets grew from $2 million to more than $14 million, making it the largest foundation among the 16 technical colleges in the state. Founded in 1986, the TCTC Foundation remains the largest foundation in the South Carolina Technical College System.
Dr. Elliott, professor emeritus of Economics at Clemson University, concluded his tenure at Clemson when he retired in 2006. While at Clemson, he served as director of professional development, associate dean for executive education, and vice provost for off-campus, distance and continuing education. At the same time, he worked through the academic ranks from assistant to associate and on to full professor of Economics. Following his distinguished career at Clemson, he continued to contribute to higher education as a consultant with Auburn University for nearly two additional decades.
The Elliotts have been loyal donors to the TCTC Foundation over the years. At Linda Elliott’s retirement celebration hosted by the TCTC Foundation Board on December 2, 2006, it was announced that the Foundation Board, friends and family raised $36,600 for the Linda C. Elliott Instructional Excellence Endowment. In addition, Dr. Elliott announced that he would donate funds to name the College’s institutional advancement suite in her honor, and the TCTC Commission recognized her pioneering leadership in the areas of academic programs and institutional advancement and inducted her into the Order of the Trilon.
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About Tri-County Technical College
Tri-County Technical College, a public two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens Counties in South Carolina, enrolls more than 9,000 students annually and offers more than 70 major fields of study, including computer technology, industrial electronics, mechatronics, nursing, and university transfer programs. Tri-County boasts the highest student success rate among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top one percent nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. To learn more, visit tctc.edu.
