March 30, 2012
SCANA's Chief Nuclear Officer Energizes Giving
Jeff Archie, ’81, Mechanical Engineering, SCANA Corp.’s chief nuclear officer, had a practical reason for becoming an SCE&G nuclear industry leader the past 30 years. His giving ways have benefited Carolina since his graduation.
“I was attracted to engineering primarily because SCE&G was building a nuclear plant in my backyard,” said the Jenkinsville native, referencing the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station that started operations in 1984. Two additional nuclear plant units are planned for the site, which Archie is helping to facilitate.
Archie has served as a general manager of engineering, general manager of Nuclear Plant Operations, and senior vice president. He was promoted as SCANA’s chief nuclear officer during a May 2010 board meeting.
Giving Back Every Year:
Archie Supports Numerous Programs
Increasing responsibilities have provided him the means to support Carolina. He does so with a never-wavering commitment to a University that offered "a great atmosphere for learning engineering-related concepts."
Archie’s philanthropic ways include significant contributions to the
Athletics Department for unrestricted use, The Gamecock Club, the Champions Club Capital Campaign Fund, the
College of Engineering and Computing, and the
marching band.
“Since the time of my graduation, I’ve participated in giving back to the University of South Carolina Athletics program,” he said. “I played sports in high school and have always enjoyed watching athletes perform while being highly supportive of my teams. By giving back, I want to help create a better environment for our athletes to compete on the field.”
Archie is a season ticket holder for Carolina football, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball.
From a Rural High School to USC:
Embracing Cultural Change
Archie was raised by his maternal grandmother, the late Mary Ellen Robinson. He played basketball and baseball for McCrorey-Liston High School, and also played the trumpet for his pep band and concert band. His son,
Bryant, a business major at Carolina, is a trumpet player for the Carolina marching band.
"I want to create a better environment for our athletes to compete on the field." —Jeff Archie, '81
Coming to Carolina starting in 1976 from an all-African American high school was “a significant cultural change for me,” Archie said, but one where the University students, faculty, staff, and overall community made him feel welcome. “I met a lot of great people during my time as a student, and left with a lot of friends.”
Impressed with the quality of Carolina’s graduate-level Nuclear Engineering program, he expressed optimism about the new SmartState Center of Economic Excellence for Nuclear Energy Science and Engineering. SCANA is one of six funding partners working with Carolina on the $4.2 million center.
“The ceiling is pretty high in what can be accomplished through this collaboration, with a number of opportunities for research and innovation such as nuclear fuel reprocessing,” he said.
—Larry Di Giovanni, Development Communications
