CHARLESTON - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Dean of the College of Charleston School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs
• Dean, School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs

Aimee Arias, Ph.D., was appointed the dean of the College of Charleston School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs on July 1, 2023. In this role, Arias will build upon the school's dedication to preparing students to become discerning, knowledgeable and engaged global citizens. An innovative leader, educator and researcher, Arias fosters collaboration in teaching and research; builds industry, community and international connections; and handles all aspects of research funding. In her previous role as associate dean of research and creative activity in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University, Arias worked to develop a research strategic plan for FAU to increase proposals for external funding, diversify the external outlets for proposal submission, expand cross-discipline faculty collaboration and enhance the promotion of research success. Among her achievements is the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Brazil's Universidade Federal Fluminense to support faculty research collaborations and student exchanges. Also at FAU, Arias was assistant director of the Leon Charney Diplomacy Program. In this role, she trained students for participation in Model European Union competitions, served as the on-site advisor for National Model United Nations and created the South Florida High School Model European Union. She also served as chair of the Department of Political Science, where she developed a five-year plan focused on enriching education, promoting cultures of research and inquiry, and connecting FAU to the community and industry. Education 2001: Ph.D., in International Studies, University of Miami 1997: M.A., in Inter-American Affairs, University of Miami 1995: B.A., in International Relations, the George Washington University Career Highlights 2017-2023: Associate Dean of Research and Creative Activity, Florida Atlantic University

Job Titles:

• Executive Vice President
• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Executive Vice President for Student Affairs
• Executive Vice President for Student Affairs at the College
• Stern Student Center, 3rd Floor

Alicia D. Caudill is the executive vice president for student affairs at the College of Charleston. She began this position in July 2015. In this role, Caudill provides leadership to the Division of Student Affairs, made up of the Office of the Dean of Students, Residence Life, Counseling and Substance Abuse Services, the Career Center, the Collegiate Recovery Program, the Higdon Student Leadership Center, Victim Services, Upward Bound and Pre-College Programs, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Disability Services, Student Life, Student Health Services, Campus Recreation Services, Multicultural Student Programs and Services, and the Center for Civic Engagement. Caudill also holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the College of Charleston, The Citadel and the University of Georgia. Caudill holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio; a master's degree in student personnel services from the University of South Carolina; and a doctorate in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia. Her research interests include families of college students and women in higher education. Prior to joining the College, Caudill worked for the University System of Georgia for 13 years, serving as the associate vice president for student life at the University of West Georgia and the dean of students at Gainesville State College (now the University of North Georgia), as both the associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students and director of student activities. Caudill has also held positions at Florida Southern College, Lambuth University and Mercer University. Caudill served on the Board of Trustees and the Alumni Council at Otterbein University. Education 2007: Ph.D. in College Student Affairs Administration, University of Georgia 1997: M.Ed. in Student Personnel Services, University of South Carolina 1995: B.A. in Public Relations, Otterbein University Career Highlights 2015-Present: Executive Vice President for Student Affairs, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• President
• Administration
• Executive Vice President at Toledo

Before joining the College, Hsu was the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at The University of Toledo, a public research university in Ohio with 21,000 students, 220 bachelor's and master's degree programs and 40 doctoral programs. In this role, Hsu led the university through a strategic planning process and oversaw its implementation. Through a campus-wide effort, the strategic plan implementation resulted in significant progress in student success, research and scholarly activities, and fundraising: The university has improved its first-year retention rate by more than 10% and graduation rate by 5.5%, and research award and fundraising are both up by 20%. Before becoming provost and executive vice president at Toledo, Hsu served as the dean of engineering at San Jose State University and as the associate vice president for research and the dean of the Graduate School at Wright State University. Throughout his career, Hsu has remained actively engaged in the community. He is currently the chair of the Board of Governors for Rocket Innovation (a Toledo nonprofit). He has also served on the Leadership Council of CalCharge (a statewide nonprofit organization in California), the Board of Governors of Edison Materials Technology Center in Dayton (Ohio), the Board of Governors of the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio, and was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels as chair of the Indiana Bioproduct Commission. As a faculty member, Hsu exemplifies the faculty-scholar model. He received numerous teaching awards as a professor, maintained a continuously funded research lab for 15 years and published 98 refereed journal and conference articles. He is a fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE) and is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Hsu earned his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1986. He then worked in industry for 11 years with Sverdrup/NASA and Rolls-Royce, where he developed unique industry perspectives and leadership skills, before joining academia in 1997. In his free time, Hsu enjoys tennis, classical music and spending time with his wife, Rongrong, and four daughters, Carol, Kristie, Jenny and Emma.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• General Counsel at the College
• Interim General Counsel

Charles J. "Chuck" Baker III serves as general counsel at the College of Charleston. He began this position in 2023. In his role, Baker provides legal advice to the College's senior administration, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and other personnel that act on behalf of the College. Baker is a trial lawyer with more than 35 years of experience representing clients across a diverse range of professions, businesses and industries. In advising clients and advocating their positions, he strives to embody core values of integrity, devotion to clients and respect for the individual. He has extensive litigation and dispute-resolution experience in the following areas: real estate and zoning, the construction industry, professional liability and mass media. He has argued appeals before the South Carolina Supreme Court and the South Carolina Court of Appeals. Baker is active in the Charleston community, having served as president of the College of Charleston Alumni Association, a member of the College of Charleston's Board of Trustees and a member of the Charleston County Board of Zoning Appeals. Baker received his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He graduated magna cum laude from the College of Charleston with a B.A. in biology. Education 1984: J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President
• Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Director of the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education

Courtney A. Howard is the chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at the College of Charleston. She began this position in October 2022. In this role, Howard provides leadership to the Office of Institutional Diversity and serves as a member of the president's cabinet. She is responsible for advocating and promoting a campus culture in which all can thrive and be engaged at the College of Charleston. She provides strategic and programmatic leadership for collaborative initiatives that advance diversity, equity and inclusion as critical components of the College of Charleston experience. Howard joined the College of Charleston in 2011 and has served as director of the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education, as well as the School of Education's interim dean and associate dean. Prior to joining the College, Howard worked at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., for seven years, serving as a tenured faculty member and administrator in the School of Education. She previously worked at Baldwin-Wallace College (now University) in Berea, OH. A science educator, she has served as a public middle school science teacher and science museum outreach coordinator. Howard remains engaged in professional associations and community through board leadership and active membership. For 10 years, she served as secretary/treasurer for the Southeastern Association for Science Teacher Education. She has held leadership roles in Trident United Way, SC Commission on National and Community Service, Multiplying Good in South Carolina (formerly Jefferson Awards Foundation) and the Charleston Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Howard actively serves the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative, Four Rivers Outreach Community Development Corporation and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Howard holds both a doctorate and master's degree in curriculum and instruction from University of Florida, and a bachelor's degree in biology from Florida A & M University. Education 2003: Ph.D., Curriculum and Instruction (science education), University of Florida 1999: M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction (secondary science education), University of Florida 1997: B.S., Biology, Florida A & M University Career Highlights 2022-present: Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, CofC

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Chief Advancement Officer of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the College of Charleston Foundation
• Officer of Institutional Advancement

Daniel H. Frezza is chief advancement officer of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the College of Charleston Foundation. He began this position in February 2023. Frezza leads an organization of professionals engaged in a coordinated, campus-wide approach to university development, alumni relations, stewardship and advancement services in efforts to establish and grow a culture of engagement and philanthropy. He is also responsible for overseeing institutional funds management and growing the endowed funds held for the College by the College of Charleston Foundation. He serves as a member of the president's cabinet and works in close partnership with the president, provost, executive team, deans and volunteer boards. Before joining the College, Frezza served as associate vice president of strategic operations and annual giving at William & Mary and the chief strategic operations officer for the William & Mary Foundation. Frezza's leadership was instrumental in many of William & Mary's most recent philanthropic achievements in their billion-dollar "For the Bold" campaign, especially in the areas of alumni participation and engagement. Before joining William & Mary in 2011, Frezza was the director of annual giving at Appalachian State University and, prior to that, assistant director of alumni programs at East Carolina University. Frezza has a master of education in higher education administration from North Carolina State University and a bachelor of science in communication with a minor in business from Western Carolina University. Education 2006: M.E., Higher Education, North Carolina State University 2004: B.S. Communication, Western Carolina University Career Highlights 2023-present: Chief Advancement Officer of Institutional Advancement, College of Charleston and Executive Director of the College of Charleston Foundation

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Dean, Honors College and Interim Dean, School of the Arts

As of October 2020, Elizabeth Meyer-Bernstein is the dean of the College of Charleston Honors College. From 2014 to 2020, she served as the associate dean of the Honors College and director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. As of July 1, 2023, Meyer-Bernstein serves as the interim dean of the School of the Arts. Meyer-Bernstein came to Charleston 19 years ago from Philadelphia, where she trained as a post-doctoral fellow in neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2005, as a faculty member in the College of Charleston's Department of Biology, she spearheaded the effort to create a neuroscience minor, which was only the second to be offered in South Carolina and is currently one of the largest minors in the College's School of Sciences and Mathematics. She has taught courses in comparative physiology, neurobiology and a capstone seminar for neuroscience minors. Meyer-Bernstein was instrumental in securing external program funding totaling more than $2.9 million to support student success, including grants from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Colonial Academic Alliance. As associate dean of the Honors College, Meyer-Bernstein made significant contributions to the Honors College's student success efforts, curricular reform, program development, assessment, alumni engagement and donor activities. Some highlights include her collaboration with the Honors Faculty Committee to overhaul the Honors curriculum to increase the diversity of course offerings, flexibility for faculty and students and pedagogical innovation. On the admissions and recruitment front, Meyer-Bernstein worked closely with the Honors admissions team to admit high-quality students to the Honors College and to increase the first-year class enrollment by nearly 40 percent. She has established partnerships with the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina to provide research opportunities for students. She also oversees the "Medical Humanities" mentoring cohort and advises numerous students. Meyer-Bernstein earned her bachelor's degree in biological sciences from Smith College and her Ph.D. in neurobiology and behavior from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her doctoral research centered on functional neuroanatomy of the circadian timing system. She has received numerous external and internal research grants to study circadian rhythms in a variety of organisms and has published extensively in the field. She has successfully mentored numerous undergraduate students in her laboratory and her current research focus is understanding the molecular basis of rhythmic behavior in the sea anemone. Education 1998-2002: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania 1998: Ph.D. of Philosophy in Neurobiology and Behavior, State University of New York at Stony Brook 1990: A.B. in Biological Sciences, Smith College Career Highlights 2020-Present: Dean, Honors College, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Dean, School of Education

A native of Dorchester County, S.C., Frances C. Welch is the dean of the School of Education. The school is comprised of the Department of Teacher Education as well as numerous centers, services and special programs. Welch has devoted more than 45 years of her professional life to the education and development of teachers, health professionals and youth. She has many accomplishments, most notably, the design and implementation of the Teacher Leader program; the Call Me MISTER program at the College of Charleston, which encourages African American males to become teachers; the Center for Partnerships to Improve Education; the Early Childhood Summit; has led several successful national reaccreditations; and worked on several stages of the design, construction and move into a new School of Education building. She has expanded international education opportunities by establishing the English Language Institute at the College, facilitating a bilateral agreement with National Kaohsiung Normal University (Taiwan) and launching an exchange program in Ecuador. From May 2019 to June 2020, Welch was the College's interim provost and executive vice president of academic affairs. In this role, Welch served as the chief academic officer of the College of Charleston and was a key member of the president's senior staff. She oversaw academic programs, faculty affairs and many academic support functions, and worked to ensure that the College of Charleston fulfills its institutional mission and goals. During her tenure, she steered the development and approval of two new degree offerings, systems engineering and electrical engineering, and she co-chaired the steering committee that created the College's new 10-year strategic plan. Service at the College and to the greater community is a significant part of Welch's professional life. She is a member of the Foundations, Inc. National Advisory Board, past chair of the Committee on Opportunities in Science of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, a member of the Engaging Creative Minds Board, the Charleston County School District Advisory Board, the Trident United Way Board, the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement, and other local boards. She is active in Alpha Delta Kappa, serving as past chair of the Credentials Committee and past membership chair for the Southeast region. Welch frequently presents at professional meetings, sharing her research and pursuits. The author of approximately 40 articles and two books, Welch is currently working on several manuscripts, focusing on school leadership and evaluation of teachers. She is certified in South Carolina in the following areas: elementary teacher and principal, superintendent, learning disabilities, mental disabilities and school psychologist. Welch is also licensed as a psychologist specializing with children and adolescents. Career Highlights 2020-present: Dean, School of Education

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

H. Gibbs Knotts was appointed the dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in October 2020. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of the following academic departments: communication, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies and sociology and anthropology. Before assuming the role of dean, Knotts served as the department chair of the College's Department of Political Science from 2012 to 2019. In the area of political science, he teaches undergraduate courses in American politics and graduate courses in the public administration program. Knotts has published works on political participation, Southern politics, public administration and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Articles have appeared in a variety of outlets including the Journal of Politics, Public Administration Review, Political Research Quarterly, The American Review of Public Administration, State Politics and Policy Quarterly, PS: Political Science and Politics, Social Science Quarterly, Southern Cultures, Southeastern Geographer and Social Forces. He also co-edited The New Politics of North Carolina (University of North Carolina Press, 2008). He has two co-authored books: The Resilience of Southern Identity: Why the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People (University of North Carolina Press, 2017) and First in the South: Why South Carolina's Presidential Primary Matters (University of South Carolina Press, 2019). He received the College of Charleston's Distinguished Research Award in 2017. Prior to arriving at the College of Charleston, Knotts worked at Western Carolina University, where he served in a variety of administrative roles including MPA director, graduate school and research associate dean, political science and public affairs department head and College of Arts and Sciences interim dean. While at WCU, he also received the 2004 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, the 2010 Board of Governor's Teaching Award and the 2010 University Scholar Award. Knotts is a frequent contributor to various media outlets, including the BBC, France24, Global TV News (Canada), Al Jazeera American, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, FOX News, FOX Business, MSNBC, KUT News, CNN, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, USA Today and The Washington Post, among many others. Education 2000: Ph.D. in Political Science, Emory University 1997: M.A. in Political Science, Emory University 1993: B.A. in Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Career Highlights 2020-present: Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Vice President
• Administration
• Vice President of Enrollment Planning

Jimmie Foster Jr. is vice president of enrollment planning as of May 2023. In this role, Foster leads the Division of Enrollment Planning, made up of the Office of Admissions, the Visitor Center, the Office of Financial Assistance and Veterans Affairs and the Office of Enrollment Information.

Job Titles:

• Chief Financial Officer
• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Executive Vice President for Business Affairs, Chief Financial Officer

John F. Loonan is the executive vice president for business affairs and Chief Financial Officer at the College of Charleston. He began this position in June 2020. In this role, Loonan provides leadership to the Division of Business Affairs, made up of the Budget and Finance Department that includes Payroll, Budget, Treasurer and Controller; the Purchasing and Contracting Department; Facilities Management; Office of Human Resources; Public Safety; Campus Services, which includes student residential housing and dining, parking services, real estate management and Sottile Theatre, as well as internal audit operations. Loonan holds a bachelor's degree in business administration - accounting, from Siena College in Loudonville, New York, and a master's degree in business administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Prior to joining the College, Loonan worked for Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania for seven years, serving as vice president for finance and administration. Before that, he served as vice president of finance and fiscal services at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, now SUNY Polytechnic, and president of Fuller Road Management Corporation, SUNY Poly's property and building management corporation. Education 2019: Graduate Certificate eCornell, Financial Management

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Vice President for Facilities Management
• Vice President for Facilities Management at the College

John P. Morris is the vice president for Facilities Management at the College of Charleston. He began this position in February 2018. In this role, Morris provides creative vision, leadership and management for Facilities Management, which includes capital planning, design and construction; physical plant operations; utility services; environmental health and safety; and sustainability. In this role, Morris provides creative vision, leadership and management for Facilities Management, which includes capital planning, design and construction; physical plant operations; utility services; environmental health and safety; and emergency management. Morris is charged with overseeing the College's physical assets, which includes more than 150 buildings covering more than 3.6 million gross square feet, as well as buildings at the College's regional sites. He is responsible for more than $9 million in state operating funds along with approximately $6.8 million in residential life/ housing services and athletics facilities management, and an $8.1 million utility budget. Morris holds a bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering from Colorado State University. He is also a licensed professional engineer in both Colorado and Arizona. He holds numerous certificates and registrations in the areas of engineering and facilities management. Prior to joining the College, Morris worked for Northern Arizona University for five years as associate vice president for facilities services and for University of Colorado Boulder for seven years as director of facilities operations. He also worked at Colorado State University for 24 years in various facilities management roles. Morris is past president of the Rocky Mountain Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA), past senior representative to the APPA Executive Board, an APPA Fellow and past chair of the APPA Credentialing Board. He has also served on several APPA Facilities Management Evaluation Program (FMEP) teams. Morris served as chair of the City of Fort Collins Electric Utilities Board and vice chair of the City of Fort Collins Water Utilities Board. Education 1989: M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University 1982: B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University Career Highlights 2018-Present: Vice President, Facilities Management, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Dean, Libraries

John W. White has served as the dean of libraries at the College of Charleston since 2014, following a two-year appointment as interim dean. In his role as dean, White leads the College Libraries in their mission to serve as the hub for student and faculty discovery and collaboration. With senior administration, White guides the Libraries' vision and ensures its position as the heartbeat of campus and sanctuary for the nearly one million annual patrons. The Libraries include the region's premier research library, the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library; Special Collections; and the Grice Marine Library, the John Rivers Communication Museum and the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture. White has been with the Addlestone Library since 2001. He has served as an archivist, department head and associate dean. He has been the principal investigator on more than a dozen state, federal, and private foundation grants. These grants have funded important archival processing projects, the digitization of historic records held by the College of Charleston and its partners, and the founding of the Race and Social Justice Initiative following the tragedy at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in downtown Charleston. Previous appointments also include director of the Lowcountry Digital Library; regional co-director of the South Carolina Digital Library; and the director of the Program in the Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World. White is the author of a number of works on Southern history and politics, including "Race, Grass Roots Activism and the Evolution of the Republican Party in South Carolina,1952--1974," in Glenn Feldman's Painting Dixie Red: When, Where, Why, and How the South Became Republican (University of Florida Press, 2011) and "The White Citizens' Councils of Orangeburg County, South Carolina" in Winfred B. Moore and O. Vernon Burton's Toward The Meeting of the Waters: Journeys in the History of the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina, 1901--2003 (University of South Carolina Press, 2008). He is the co-editor of Data Driven: Digital Humanities in the Library, which was published by the Purdue University Press. He is also co-editor of Challenging History: Race, Equity, and the Practice of Public History (University of South Carolina Press). Education 2006: Ph.D. in History, University of Florida 1999: M.A. in History, College of Charleston 1996: B.A. in Political Science, Bridgewater College Career Highlights 2014-Present: Dean of College Libraries

Job Titles:

• Dean, Graduate School

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Founding Director of South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance
• Senior Vice President for Innovation and Industry
• Senior Vice President for Innovation and Industry Engagement
• Senior Vice President for Innovation and Industry Engagement and Distinguished Professor of Industry Practice

Knudt Flor is senior vice president for Innovation and Industry Engagement and distinguished professor of Industry Practice. In 2022, he retired after 33 years' experience within the BMW Group Global Production Network including five years as president and CEO at BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina. He was the second-longest serving president of the Spartanburg plant. Flor began his career with BMW in 1988 at the Engine Plant in Munich as an engineer of production. He then served in several roles in Quality Assurance and Quality Management. From 1996-2000, he worked at the Spartanburg plant managing quality assurance of Car Assembly and Purchased Parts. He has also served as vice president of Production at BMW Plant Munich, director of BMW Plant Rosslyn in South Africa, and senior vice president of Manufacturing at BMW Brilliance Automotive Joint Venture in Shenyang, China. Most recently, Flor served as senior vice president of Corporate Quality for the BMW Group. Flor is the founding director of South Carolina Fraunhofer USA Alliance. He serves on the Advisory Board for the NC Zeitgeist Foundation, as chairman of the board of directors for Autos Drive America and as a board member for the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, Inc.

Job Titles:

• Leader
• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Senior Vice President of Information Technology / Chief Information Officer

Mark A. Staples (Ed.D., MBA) is the senior vice president and chief information officer at the College of Charleston and oversees the Division of Information Technology. More than just a technology leader, Staples is a thought leader in the business of higher education. His ability to converge technology into the business of higher education creates a transformative impact on both revenue and operational efficiencies. He has also established a reputation for bridging the gap between technology and the rest of the institution, fostering a culture in which technology is thoroughly integrated with every aspect of the institutional mission, reinforcing rather than complicating institutional objectives. His contributions to the field through publications and presentations span a broad range of topics, including IT culture and leadership, the impact of social media on knowledge management and communities of practice, organizational change and design, mobile technology, effective budgeting in higher education, and the digital revolution's impact on the teaching and learning mission of higher education. His doctoral research investigates the sustainability of higher education given the rapidly changing technological landscape, highlighting where technology has failed to live up to its potential and identifying the necessary cultural and fiscal steps required for a transformative use of technology in an educational context - becoming a digital university. Staples is an adjunct faculty member in the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, teaching both in the classroom for the undergraduate MIS program and online for the executive MBA program. He was voted Favorite Professor in 2012. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Toledo Alumni Association, serving on the communications and outreach subcommittees. Away from work, Staples has been a radio personality, the producer of a weekly syndicated television program and has owned and operated a recording studio, producing and engineering music and voiceover production. He has also been a concert and music festival promoter and spent several years as a college and high school sports official for football, basketball, baseball and volleyball. Education 2020: Doctorate of Education, Northeastern University 1998: MBA, The University of Findlay 1998: B.S. in Human Relations, The University of Toledo Career Highlights 2016-Present: Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Director of Athletics

Matt Roberts is the director of athletics, serving in that role since January 2017. Roberts directs the day-to-day operations of the College's athletics department, including the operational planning, resource allocation, budget development and financial management of the department. Roberts oversees the College's 19 NCAA Division I varsity teams. As athletics director, Roberts has created a strategic plan for Cougar athletics that emphasizes four main pillars: academic excellence, competitive success, community engagement and program integrity. Roberts previously served as the deputy director of athletics at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. At SMU, Roberts helped administer the day-to-day operations of the entire athletics department and served as the administrative liaison for the football and men's basketball programs. He also assisted in the development of a departmental strategic plan, community engagement and customer service initiatives, and in the coordination of SMU post-season travel. Prior to SMU, Roberts served as the associate athletics director for development at the University of Oklahoma, where he was responsible for the overall administration and leadership of the athletics development office, including oversight of the Sooner Club, major gift and endowment programs. At OU, he also led a variety of marketing efforts as well as served as the sports administrator for the men's and women's tennis programs. A 1997 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Roberts earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports sciences. He later attended Ohio University and completed his master's degree in sports administration in 1999. A former student-athlete, Roberts was a walk-on pitcher for UNC and finished his collegiate career as an undergraduate assistant coach, working with the Tar Heels' pitching staff. Afterwards, he was a member of UNC's athletics department, working in the ticket office and later coordinating the marketing for men's and women's soccer, women's basketball and men's and women's lacrosse. Roberts and his wife, Amanda, live in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., with their two children, Carter and Tucker. Education 1997: B.A. in Exercise and Sports Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 1999: Master of Sports Administration, Ohio University Career Highlights 2017-Present: Director of Athletics, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Dean, School of Business

Paul H. Schwager, Ph.D. has served as dean of the College of Charleston School of Business since July 2022. A proven leader, educator and researcher, Schwager possesses the skills and experience necessary to build upon the school's legacy of excellence and to prepare it for the opportunities of the 21st century. In his most recent role as dean and W. Howard Rooks Distinguished Professor in the College of Business at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., Schwager established the Copeland Diversity & Inclusion Fellows, the Cunanan Center for Professional Success and the Thomas D. Arthur Graduate School of Business. He also reorganized the school's leadership structure to align with strategic priorities, led a successful AACSB peer review and reorganized the Business Advisory Council, with a focus on increasing diversity. In addition, Schwager has a proven track record as a fundraiser and donor steward. Prior to his appointment as dean in 2019, he served as the school's interim dean, associate dean and acting associate dean. Also at ECU, Schwager served as assistant dean and interim assistant dean for Assessment, Accreditation and Curriculum, and as professor, associate professor, assistant professor and visiting assistant professor of management information systems in the College of Business. Throughout his tenure at ECU, Schwager leveraged his research focusing on the strategic use of information technology, including the creation and enhancement of organizational capabilities as they pertain to strategic planning, resource alignment, e-commerce, internet-mediated relationships and branding. Prior to joining ECU, Schwager was an assistant professor of information systems at Appalachian State University's John A. Walker College of Business from 2000 to 2003. Before entering academia, he worked in the private and non-profit sectors. Schwager holds a doctorate in management of information technology and innovation from Auburn University, an M.B.A. from Florida Atlantic University and a B.A. in business administration from Palm Beach Atlantic College. He is an expert at leveraging technology to create and enhance organizational capabilities. Education 2004: Ph.D., Management - Management of Information Technology and Innovation, Auburn University 1997: MBA, Florida Atlantic University 1988: B.A., Business Administration, Palm Beach Atlantic College Career Highlights 2022-present: Dean, School of Business, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Chief of Staff
• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Vice President of Marketing and Communications
• Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the College

Ron Menchaca is the vice president of marketing and communications at the College of Charleston. He began this position in February 2023. In this role, Menchaca serves as a member of the president's senior leadership team and directs the Office of Marketing and Communications, which is responsible for university marketing, social media, videography, photography, campus news, College of Charleston Magazine, media relations, and crisis communications. Menchaca is a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served as a paratrooper and radio communications specialist in the 82nd Airborne Division. Following his military service, he enrolled as an adult student at the College of Charleston, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in communication, with a concentration in media studies. Menchaca began a career in journalism in 1998 at The Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston, S.C., where he won numerous state and national awards for investigative reporting, feature writing and breaking news. He co-wrote several major investigative pieces that led to government reforms, including a series on police officer misconduct, a probe into a fire that killed nine Charleston firefighters and an examination of the state's aging fleet of school buses. He was named Journalist of the Year by the South Carolina Press Association in 2007. In 2009, Menchaca returned to his alma mater to serve as director of executive communications and speechwriter in the Office of the President. He was promoted to senior director of communications in 2014 and moved to the College's Division of Marketing and Communications, where he led the creation of a campus newsroom and news website. Menchaca has served on numerous campus committees and task forces, including the Staff Advisory Committee to the President, the 250th Anniversary Historical Documentation Committee and the Historical Review Taskforce. A native of Oregon, Menchaca and his wife, Amy, live in Charleston, S.C. Their youngest daughter is a student at the College of Charleston and their oldest daughter graduated from the College in 2023. Education 1998: B.A. in Communications - Media Studies (cum laude), College of Charleston Career Highlights 2023-Present: Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Office of Marketing and Communications, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Dean, School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering

Sebastian van Delden received his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Central Florida in 2003. He started his career at the University of South Carolina Upstate, where he was awarded tenure and was promoted to associate professor. He also became director of research for the campus and helped to introduce several new faculty and student research support initiatives. At USC Upstate, he received annual awards for teaching, for research and for service to the university. With a current research interest in visual and voice-guided industrial robotics, van Delden has about 30 articles published in peer-reviewed, scholarly journals or conference proceedings. In 2012, van Delden became the department head of computer science and industrial technology at Southeastern Louisiana University. At Southeastern, he managed five disparate degree programs (computer science, information technology, engineering technology, industrial technology and occupational, safety, health & environment) in the department, which had approximately 1,100 students and 30 faculty members. Van Delden recently served as chair of the Department of Computer Science at the College since 2015. He has lead four ABET/ATMAE accredited processes in his career, helped to secure numerous industry partnerships and introduced several new academic programs. He serves on the Foundation Board for the Charleston Digital Corridor and is the public relations chair for the Rotary Club of Charleston - Breakfast. As dean, van Delden is focused on branding the mission of the School of Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering as one that strives for excellence in experiential learning, enabled through a broad-based, personalized liberal arts education. Experiential learning provides students experiences beyond the traditional classroom/lab environment in order to prepare them for graduate school or the workforce. Such experiences include undergraduate research, internships, study-abroad opportunities, service learning and other related activities. In May 2018, approximately 90 percent of Sciences and Mathematics graduates at the College reported performing at least one experiential learning activity and van Delden would like to strive towards 100 percent.

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Interim Dean of the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering

Seth Pritchard was appointed Interim dean of the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering in January 2024. Before assuming the role of interim dean, Pritchard served as the director of the interdisciplinary undergraduate Program in Environmental Studies from 2012 to 2015. He chaired the Department of Biology from 2016-2021 where he led a department of 900 students and nearly 50 faculty members. He was associate dean of the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering before being named interim dean. He teaches undergraduate courses in environmental and sustainability studies, general biology and plant physiology. Pritchard's research is on sustainable agriculture and the impacts of global environmental changes on crop production, forest ecology and management of forest products. His articles have appeared in a number of international journals including Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, New Phytologist, Ecology Letters, and Global Change Biology, and he has served as a reviewer for more than 30 international scientific journals. He published the book Crops and Environmental Change in 2005. Before entering academia, Pritchard was a botanist and research plant physiologist with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service in Alabama and West Texas where he focused on improving agricultural management practices. He has been a frequent advisor to plant biology research initiatives at the United States Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Senior Administrative Officers Team
• Administration
• Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College
• Provost and Executive Vice President
• Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
• Senior International Officer at UAB

Suzanne Austin became provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at the College of Charleston on July 1, 2020. In this role, Austin serves as the chief academic officer of the College of Charleston and is a key member of the president's senior staff. She oversees academic programs, faculty affairs and many academic support functions, and works to ensure that the College of Charleston fulfills its institutional mission and goals. Before joining the College, Austin served as senior vice provost and senior international officer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), a public research university with 23,000 students and $600 million in external research funding. In this role, Austin led UAB's strategic internationalization efforts through the Office of Global Engagement that includes the INTO UAB Center, International Education, International Student and Scholar Services and Education Abroad. She also led the Offices of Faculty Affairs, Service Learning and Undergraduate Research, the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), the UAB Writing Center, National and International Fellowships and Scholarships and UAB Army ROTC. In addition, she led strategic initiatives to enhance UAB's online offerings and increase enrollments through the Division of eLearning and Professional Studies. Before becoming senior vice provost and senior international officer at UAB, Austin served in several senior administrative positions at the University of Delaware including interim dean of the College of Education, associate provost for academic affairs, divisional dean for the Social Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, and chair of the Department of Art. Austin has been awarded an American Council on Education Fellowship and a Bryn Mawr Institute for Women Leaders Fellowship. She has also earned certification from the Society for College and University Planning. Austin has been actively engaged in community service, particularly in the area of workforce development. While at UAB, she served as a board member and member of the executive committee for the regional workforce council for central Alabama. Austin also served on the education and workforce steering committees for the United Way of Birmingham, and she chaired the Workforce Development Committee for the Birmingham Business Alliance. Austin holds a Ph.D. in history from Duke University, an M.A. in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.A. in English/journalism from North Carolina State University. Education 1984: Ph.D., History, Duke University 1978: M.A., History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1977: B.A., English/Journalism, North Carolina State University Career Highlights 2020-present: Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs, College of Charleston

Job Titles:

• Administration
• Interim Dean, School of Health Sciences

Wes Dudgeon was appointed interim dean in charge of launching the new School of Health Sciences at College of Charleston. In this role, the focus of his efforts will be to develop novel undergraduate programs that will complement the existing public health and exercise science majors.