Meet the team, and check back daily as each student will share his or her entries!

Frances Ford, Instructor

Conservation Lecturer, Conservation Lab Specialist

Frances Henderson Ford has both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Historic Preservation (College of Charleston, 2003; University of Pennsylvania, 2006). She has had a long-standing interest in materials conservation, and in graduate school concentrated in that area, particularly the field of paint and ornamental plaster conservation. She currently works an as independent conservator as well as heading conservation initiatives for Richard Marks Restoration, a nationally known restoration contracting company based in Charleston. In addition to her work focusing on historic interiors, she is much in demand for her skills in cemetery restoration and stone conservation, and has been entrusted with the repair of some of the oldest graves in Charleston.

Frances is an active scholar as well as a practitioner, and has participated in conferences up and down the east coast, as well as internationally, most recently presenting at the 2nd Historic Mortars Conference in Prague, Czech Republic. She has a long-standing interest in the important 19th-century Philadelphia marble mason, John Struthers, and has presented a paper on the Struthers tomb of George Washington at Mount Vernon. She continues to research and document the work of Struthers and his company. She serves as conservation lecturer and laboratory manager for the Clemson/College of Graduate Program in Historic Preservation teaching HP 810 Conservation Lab, HP 811 Advanced Architectural Conservation and HP 819 Investigation, Documentation and Conservation.

Kendy Altizer

Bachelor of Arts in History, Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, University of Texas-Arlington

I grew up in a series of small towns on the coast of Texas; my dad was a minister and we moved every couple of years. One of the first questions I was always asked at the beginning of every ecclesiastical tour of duty was, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” My answer was always, “I want to dig in the dirt”. From the time I was three, you could find me in the front or backyard of whatever house we were living in at the time, digging holes, trying to find cool stuff.

After graduating from college with a double degree in History and Anthropology, I spent a number of years working in Cultural Resource Management in a variety of capacities in several different states. My focus was prehistoric archaeology and I spent many a happy day out on survey in remote areas of the United States documenting prehistoric and historic resources. I eventually began spending more and more time in the office writing reports and learning the business side of Cultural Resource Management. While I enjoyed the consulting aspect of archaeology, I found myself wanting a different challenge but I wasn’t really sure what that challenge might entail. During a vacation to the southeast in 2011, I had an epiphany while taking a tour at Drayton Hall. I was so inspired by the grounds and the building itself that I began to see historic preservation in a completely different way than my previous experience had allowed. Less than a year later, here I am in the Graduate Program for Historic Preservation in beautiful Charleston.

My focus in this program is the rehabilitation, conservation, and restoration of historic buildings and I hope to apply what I have learned in the program to archaeology as well.

Kavan Argue

Bachelor of Design in Architecture, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

I grew up in the small town of Jefferson, WI. Ever since I was younger I have had an interest in anything that had to do with architecture. I think all of the trips I took when I was younger to Europe and Central America really showed me how many ways one could look at and interpret something as simple as the basic necessity for shelter.

This ultimately led me to pursuing my undergraduate degree in architecture with a minor in geography. As I was going through my studies in Minnesota and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with architecture I found historic preservation. It was a perfect fit. I could continue my love of architecture in a way that incorporated my analytical thinking and documentation/research skills. I am very excited for the next two years here at the Clemson University MSHP program– and everything that is to come.

Megan Funk

Bachelor of Business Administration & Marketing, University of Kentucky

As an undergraduate student at UK, I dabbled in a few majors. My first choice, rather my parent’s first choice, was pre-pharmacy, but, although good at math and science, nothing about the major sparked my interest. My loves were creativity, art, design and the constant newness that comes from those fields. I also loved old structures and exploring forgotten spaces like my great grandmother’s farm house, still full of old trunks, dressers and hatboxes. The contents of these spaces had always intrigued me and made me curious to know more about how people had once lived. Combining those two loves I switched my major to interior design and planned to do a focus in historic preservation. My coursework there exposed me to even more aspects of the built environment, including issues of sustainability and re-use. Through other events, I actually ended up with a marketing degree, but what I had learned from my interior design classes and projects stuck with me. I watched as the downtown area of Lexington went through many changes, some of which promoted preservation and some of which ignored it altogether. After a year of working in various fields, I knew I wanted a more focused path and even more than that, I knew I wanted to work with preservation and be a part of the way in which it shapes and preserves the identity of places.

Kelly Herrick

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Bachelor of Arts in History, Elon University

Originally from Morganton, NC, I recently graduated from Elon University with degrees in English Literature and History. I have always been fascinated by both the Victorian and Edwardian Periods in England and spent most of my undergraduate career in a relationship with Victorian literature and culture. Although I originally planned to pursue an advanced degree in literature, a semester I spent abroad in England caused me to change my mind. In England, I discovered that I had a desire to preserve and interact with history in a more direct manner than pure archival research. While abroad I also became enamored with the architecture of Europe, and I found myself taking multiple photos of various buildings and structures. Upon my return to America, I discovered that obtaining a graduate degree in Historic Preservation would not only allow me to preserve historical structures, but would also allow me to participate in a more hands-on form of history. Eventually, I hope to find a way to combine and celebrate my love of architecture, cultural history, travel, and perhaps even Victorian poetry!

Lindsay Lee

Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Rutgers University

Born and raised in a small historic New Jersey town, it seemed natural that I end up on the path of preservation. My grandmother grew up, and later my mom and aunts, in a three story Victorian in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. For years I rummaged through the closets, and pried open cabinets racked with anticipation for what I might find. Equally so, our family vacations without fail, almost always involved a stop at a historic house museum or Landmark, which I loved.

When it came time for college, I was positive that I wanted to take the track of architecture, and rebuild these structures from my memories that I loved so much. However, with a last minute decision, and an admittance that math is by far my worst subject, I instead found myself on the path to preservation. I graduated from Rutgers University in 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in Art History, a minor in Anthropology and a Certificate in Historic Preservation. While my degree required I take an array of classes, I took advantage and thrived off of every historic architecture class available.

After two internships and 6 months of studying everything there was to offer in Florence, Italy, I was lucky enough to get a job working as an archaeologist for a Cultural Resource Management firm immediately following graduation. Based out of Trenton, New Jersey I was able to really get a feel for the archaeological aspect of preservation, spending two years outside digging in the field and doing both graphic work and report production. While I loved my job I always knew that grad school and building preservation were out there waiting for me. I have a serious passion for the American City and believe New York is the most magical place on Earth, but I really look forward to immersing myself in the different but exciting preservation scene in the South and Charleston in particular. Overall I’m just the curious kind of person who can’t just look at an old structure from the outside without wanting to sneak around and see what kind of bones, and secrets, it’s hiding inside.

Brittany McKee

Bachelor of Arts in History, College of Charleston

I graduated from the College of Charleston in May of 2011 with a degree in History and a minor in Historic Preservation and Community Planning. I have always had an interest in history that stems from the many history-centered vacations my family went on while I was a child. I discovered Historic Preservation late in my college career but fell in love with the field while taking a class on the documentation of historic properties. While at the College of Charleston I interned with the Historic Charleston Foundation where I primarily assisted with inspections of the foundation’s easement properties. In the fall of 2011 I began a planning program at Clemson University and while I loved my experience there it made me see that my true interests were in historic preservation and architectural history. I would like to combine my interest in both planning and preservation in my future career. I am thrilled to be back in Charleston and a part of the program!

Melissa Roach

Bachelor of Arts in History, College of the Ozarks

I grew up in Springdale, Arkansas, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Business Administration from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. I love the Arkansas Razorbacks, coffee, the St. Louis Cardinals, history, Italy, the Netherlands, reading, traveling, and World War II veterans. I am fascinated by Historic Preservation because I can study people’s interaction with their surroundings and in return, how those relationships affect cultural heritage. I am a major nerd who loves research, and I hope to work either as an architectural historian or in an educational setting, teaching children with hands-on history.

Will Smith

Bachelor of Arts in History, Virginia Tech

I grew up in Richlands, Virginia in Southwest Virginia. I received my undergraduate degree in History from Virginia Tech. I became interested in preservation when I was in middle school. I attribute most of this interest to the trips my family took to historic sites and museums. After high school I attended Virginia Tech and majored in history. While in Blacksburg, I helped put together a walking tour of the campus. After I graduated, I took a year off and among other things worked as a collections intern at a small regional museum. While interning I rekindled my passion for preservation. I realized that I wanted to have a more active role in the preservation community. The active role that the Clemson/College of Charleston MSHP program takes in the community fits that desire.