Drs. Cox and Brockman announced as recipients of 2027 Townes Award
HARTSVILLE, S.C. — As the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) approaches its landmark 40th anniversary in 2028, the school is proud to announce that Dr. Leland "Lee" Cox and Dr. Murray Brockman will jointly receive the prestigious 2027 Townes Award.
The announcement was made during GSSM’s signature Around the World with GSSM event on the school’s Hartsville campus. The award will be officially presented to Drs. Cox and Brockman at the Townes Award Banquet on March 10, 2027, in Columbia, South Carolina.
Established in 1993, the Townes Award honors individuals, businesses, and institutions that have profoundly transformed South Carolina. Together, Drs. Cox and Brockman represent 28 years of visionary leadership that built, shaped, and expanded GSSM into the nationally recognized powerhouse of academic excellence it is today.
- Dr. Leland "Lee" Cox served as GSSM's founding president from 1988 to 2000. Working alongside Governor Carroll Campbell, Sonoco President Charles Coker, and other key state and business leaders, Dr. Cox established the pioneering public-private partnership that launched the residential STEM high school, including creating the GSSM Foundation and securing the Milliken property where the school stands. He laid the groundwork for GSSM's rigorous curriculum in advanced mathematics, science, and research, while cultivating university partnerships and recruitment pathways that kept top-tier talent anchored in South Carolina. “My time at GSSM from 1988-2000 remains as the bright shining jewel in my career’s crown,” said Dr. Leland Cox. “I am forever grateful to the faculty and staff, board members, and other dedicated folks whose broad shoulders held me up as we all worked to realize the vision that was made possible by the noble enterprise that is the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics.”
- Dr. Murray Brockman built upon that foundational success during his 15-year presidency from 2001 to 2016. Drawing on his extensive background as an industrial chemist and head of R&D, Dr. Brockman guided GSSM through a period of immense physical and academic expansion. He spearheaded the move to a dedicated modern residential campus, more than doubled student enrollment from 128 to 288, and expanded signature initiatives like the Summer Program for Research Interns (SPRI)—which pairs students with STEM professionals for mentored research across the state and internationally. He also launched a statewide engineering curriculum combining online and residential learning, elevating GSSM's standing among the nation's leading public high schools.
"Dr. Cox and Dr. Brockman are the architects of what GSSM is today," said Danny Dorsel, GSSM President. "Dr. Cox established the model on which GSSM was built, and Dr. Brockman expanded it into a nationally renowned institution. Honoring them jointly with the 2027 Townes Award is a fitting tribute to a legacy that continues to impact generations of South Carolina students and leaders."
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