Our Leadership

Dr. Karanfil was appointed vice president for research at Clemson University in February 2016 to steer the university’s research strategy, working closely with faculty and staff at Clemson and with collaborators in industry and the community. He was named senior vice president for research, scholarship and creative endeavors in 2023. Clemson joined the list of the nation’s top research universities as a Carnegie R1 university in 2016, a reflection of its growth in research expenditures across disciplines and increases to the number of doctorate degrees awarded and postdoctoral and non-faculty researchers on staff. Clemson’s performance across all of Carnegie’s metrics have improved under Dr. Karanfil’s leadership since receiving the R1 designation, and Clemson’s R1 classification was reconfirmed in 2018 and again in 2021. Total research and development expenditures have risen sharply and are at their highest levels of at least the past decade at $263 million in 2022.

In addition to serving as Senior Vice President for Research, Scholarship and Creative Endeavors, Dr. Karanfil serves and represents Clemson University on several boards and committees (Battelle Savannah River Alliance, SC Smart-State Endowed Chair, SC EPSCoR, Clemson University Research Foundation, South Carolina Research Authority, South Carolina Universities Research and Education Foundation, Southeastern Universities Research Association, and Oak Ridge Associated Universities). Before his current position, Dr. Karanfil served as chair of the environmental engineering and earth sciences department and later as associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. He currently maintains an active research portfolio as well, focusing on water quality and improvements to water, wastewater and hazardous waste treatment systems.

 Jeff Broomfield served as Head of Strategy & Strategic Projects for the Smart Infrastructure operating company of Siemens USA, where he was responsible for developing, driving, and executing cohesive and aligned strategies across the organization’s business fields in its key served markets for utilities, industry, and construction. This included leading and managing strategic planning activities and processes, developing and facilitating division-level strategic marketing programs, driving strategic disruption evaluations and activities, and being an executive ambassador for Siemens and its Smart Infrastructure operating company in both external and internal collaboration endeavors. 

 Tom is a Founder and Partner of Fulcrum Equity Partners. He has over 20 years of investment, financial and operating experience. Mr. Greer was the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Regency Healthcare, Inc. (“Regency”) a provider of hospice services throughout the Southeast. In 2006 Tom recapitalized Regency with EDG Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm. Tom then served as Chairman of the Board at the successor to Regency, Regency Healthcare Group, LLC, up until the sale of Regency to GTCR in April 2011. 

Angie Leidinger is a senior executive at Clemson University, serving in two key roles.  As Vice President for External Affairs, she is responsible for Clemson’s state and federal governmental relations programs and coordinates Clemson’s work with industry to strengthen the university’s economic and industry engagement. As Senior Advisor to the Board of Trustees, she supports the work of the board and facilitates relationships and information sharing with administrators, faculty, staff and students. Leidinger earned a bachelor’s degree in graphics communication from Clemson in 1990 and joined the University in 2002 as Executive Director of Governmental Affairs. She previously worked in government relations at the S.C. Department of Commerce and in the private sector.