Jim Charles, School of Education, published a review of Chad A. Barbour’s FROM DANIEL BOONE TO CAPTAIN AMERICA: PLAYING INDIAN IN AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE (The University of Mississippi Press, 2016) in THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN CULTURE. 41:1, March 2018, 91-92.
Jim Charles, education, presented a paper titled “Out of the Cupboard and into the Classroom: Children and the American Indian Literary Experience” at the SW Popular/American Culture Association Conference on February 16, 2017 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Congratulations to 14 members of the USC Upstate faculty who have received RISE awards.
The RISE, or Research Initiative for Summer Engagement, program provides financial support to pay for summer salary, research supplies, travel related to research and undergraduate student support.
2017 USC Upstate RISE Recipients:
| Recipient Name | Project Title |
| Jack Cheng | Nonlinearities of Mortgage Spreads over the Business Cycles |
| Michael Dinger | IT Role Embeddedness: Testing A Theory of IT Professional Behavior |
| Ann Hoover | The Role of Power in the Backlash Effect |
| Rebecca Mueller | Learning by Doing: The Impact of Question Development and Implementation on Teachers’ Understanding of Compelling Questions |
| Allison Pingley | Czeching out of Communism |
| Nolan Stolz | Recording Two Original Orchestral Compositions: “From The Hudson” and “Prairie View” |
| Matthew Placek | Online News and Citizen Support for Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe |
| Nicole Richardson | Through a Glass Darkly: Ye Shaoyuan’s Search for His Deceased Daughter in a Late Ming Séance |
| Kimberly Shorter | Effects of MTHFR Function on Epigenetics-Related Genes’ Expression in Folic Acid-Treated SH-SY5Y Cells |
| Ning Yu | Developing an Open Source Deep Learning Tool Based on a Novel Auto-Encoder Algorithm |
| Emily Kofoed | Silence at the North Pole: Russia’s Rhetorical Strategy for Arctic Sovereignty: An Analysis of International Political Discourse in an Information Age |
| Tina Herzberg | Case Studies of Established Print Readers Learning and Using Braille and Technology in School and Home |
| Calvin Odhiambo | Black-White Racial Disparity in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among People with HIV-AIDS in America: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |
| Felicia Jenkins | Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in African American Women |
To see a list of all 35 faculty members recognized in the USC system.
From left, Professor RNDr. Pavol Sovák, rector of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, presents Dr. Vince Connors with the Commemorative Medal of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice on December 19, 2016.
Congratulations to Vincent A. Connors, Ph.D., professor of Biology at USC Upstate, who received the 2016 Commemorative Medal of the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice December 14, 2016.
Professor RNDr. Pavol Sovák, Rector of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, presented Connors with the award for his contributions to science and education at the university during the completion of his sabbatical stay.
Connors traveled to the Slovak Republic during the fall to teach graduate seminars and classes in Symbiosis and Parasitism at Pavel Jozef Safarik University in Kosice. He also conducted research on fish parasitic diseases at the Slovak Academy of Science’s Institute of Parasitology, also in Kosice. His teaching and research focused on parasitic diseases of humans and wildlife, both of which are extensions of his long-term studies of a wide range of parasites, ranging from a deadly human pathogen to parasites that effect the performance and health of economically important fish along the East coast.
Connors was named the 2015-2016 recipient of the USC Upstate Annual Award for Faculty Excellence in Scholarly and/ or Creative Pursuits. His scholarly focus is on immunobiology, with special emphasis on host-parasite relationships. His research holds significant potential for advancing studies in human parasitology and also contributes to our knowledge of the natural environment of coastal South Carolina. Based on an invaluable body of data collected over decades of meticulous fieldwork, Connor’s interpretations and analytical insights have contributed greatly to complex, large-scale studies that monitor the vitality of our regional ecosystem.
Vince Connors
Congratulations to Vince Connors on his most recent publications, presentations and lectures. Connors also was recognized as a Fulbright Scholar and for Excellence in Scholarly/ Creative Pursuits.
Recent Publication:
Taliercio, M. A., T. L. Darden, V. A. Connors, W. A. Roumillat, I. de Buron. 2016. Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis: A New Host for a Parasite of Potential Public Health Concern. Comparative Parasitology. 83(1):29-35.
Recent Presentations of Research:
Kristina M. Hill-Spanik, Isaure de Buron, Vincent A. Connors, Mary Frances Babrowicz, and William A. Roumillat. 2015. Donax variabilis: a vector for a digenean of the Florida Pompano, Trachinus carolinus. Presented at the 90th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists, June 6-10, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
Recent Invited Lectures and Research Seminars Presented (5 total):
Invertebrate immunity and precursors to the vertebrate immune system. Univerzity veterinárskeho lekárstva a farmácie v Košiciach, Slovakia (University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice, Slovakia). November 24, 2016.
The World is Flat: That’s why I study snails. Department of Biology, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safarika V Kosiciach, Kosice, Slovakia, November 9, 2016.
Parasite impacts on hosts: beyond pathophysioloy. Department of Biology, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safarika V Kosiciach, Kosice, Slovakia, November 3, 2016.
Factors involved in modulating the host’s immune response in the schistosome-snail interaction. Parazitologický ústav SAV, Košice, Slovensko (Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice, Slovak Republic). October 24, 2016
The evolution of the immune system – how certain invertebrates respond to pathogens. Department of Biology, Univerzita Pavla Jozefa Safarika V Kosiciach, Kosice, Slovakia, September 28, 2016.
Publishing Do’s and Don’ts. Parazitologický ústav SAV, Hlinkova 3, Košice 040 01 Slovensko (Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Science), Hlinkova 3, Košice 040 01 Slovak Republic). December 15, 2016.
Recent Awards and Fellowships Obtained (2 total):
Fulbright Scholar Award, 2016-2017. To do cooperative instruction between the Pavla Jozef Safarik University and the Slovak Academy of Science’s Institute of Parasitology in the Slovak Republic and to do research on fish parasitic diseases.
Recipient, 2015-2016 Award for Excellence in Scholarly/ Creative Pursuits. USC Upstate’s highest award for excellence in scholarly accomplishments.
Recipient: 2016 Commemorative Medal of the Pavol Jozef Safarik University in Kosice. Awarded by the rector of the Pavol Jozef Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia, for contribution to the development of the University via the completion of a Fulbright Fellowship. Awarded December 14, 2016.
Dr. Charles Love
Dr. Charles Love has been named interim dean of the School of Education at the University of South Carolina Upstate and began his duties on July 1. Love previously served in this role from 1999 to 2012.
During his 30-plus year career, he held a variety of positions in public schools including roles in the classroom and administration. He was instrumental in developing programs at USC Upstate that instill diversity into the community, including the College of Educational Enrichment for students with developmental disabilities, the Teaching Man Program for preparing minority males to become strong teachers/leaders, and the Diversity Conference, which is a pre-service teacher collaborative bringing students from various backgrounds together to discuss diverse issues and perspectives while learning from one another about cultural issues. Love is a co-founder of the Scholar’s Academy, a partnership between Spartanburg County Schools and USC Upstate, that allows students to take college courses and advanced high school classes over four years while still participating in classes and extracurricular activities at their own schools.
Love earned a Ph.D. from University of North Carolina Chapel Hills, a M.Ed. from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and a B.S. from Winston-Salem State University.
For more information contact Dr. Charles Love, dean of the School of Education at USC Upstate at (864) 503-5733 or clove@uscupstate.edu.
Chancellor Mary Anne Fitzpatrick
Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., University of South Carolina’s vice president for system planning, began serving as the interim chancellor of the University of South Carolina Upstate on Monday, August 1. She replaces Chancellor Thomas F. Moore whose resignation took effect July 30.
“I am honored to be serving as the interim chancellor at USC Upstate and to be entrusted with leading USC Upstate during this transitional time period,” said Fitzpatrick. “USC Upstate is of great importance to the state of South Carolina with its special metropolitan mission to serve the Upstate region. For more than a decade, USC Upstate has been ranked as one of the best institutions in the Southeastern United States. I have a great foundation to build upon and tremendous talent to work with—there is an innovative strength and a collaborative spirit evident on our campus. It will be my privilege to guide and nurture that spirit.”
Fitzpatrick, an Educational Foundation Distinguished Professor of Psychology, has served as vice president of system planning for nearly a year, responsible for ensuring the improvement of quality, coordination and effectiveness and long-range planning for the statewide system, which has nearly 50,000 students across eight campuses.
In the 10 years leading up to system planning role, Fitzpatrick served as the dean of USC’s College of Arts and Sciences, directing the recruitment of 300 new tenure-track faculty and overseeing efforts to open new centers, institutes and programs and a new School of Earth, Ocean and Environment.
As an associate vice president and vice provost, she spearheaded USC’s On Your Time initiative, which reengineered the academic calendar to include a third semester option during the summer that allows students to graduate sooner or pursue co-op, internship and study abroad opportunities.
USC President Harris Pastides, anticipates having a new chancellor in place by the first of the year, said Fitzpatrick is the perfect choice to lead USC Upstate during the transition.
“Dr. Fitzpatrick will make the leadership of USC Upstate her full-time mission during the coming months,” Pastides said. “She will not simply be a caretaker but will build upon USC Upstate’s momentum, advance the forward progress and ensure a strong foundation for a permanent chancellor. Her familiarity with the system and the USC Upstate campus, as well as her skills as gifted administrator and higher education leader, will prove invaluable during this time.”
USC Upstate offers more than 40 bachelor’s degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, business administration, nursing, and teacher education, and master’s degrees in education, informatics, and nursing. Among the fastest-growing universities in South Carolina, USC Upstate is a diverse and dynamic community of 6,000 students from across the Upstate, 36 states, and 15 countries.
Classes begin on Thursday, August 18 where nearly 800 new freshman students will be added to the student enrollment and 25 new full-time faculty members will begin teaching at USC Upstate.
“I look forward to meeting and interacting with students, faculty, staff, and alumni over the next few months as we work together to make USC Upstate an even stronger institution in the next decade,” Fitzpatrick, who will address the nearly 400 faculty and staff members at the annual University Day on Wednesday, August 17 at 8 a.m.
For more information, contact Tammy Whaley, assistant vice chancellor for university communications, at (864) 503-52100 or twhaley@uscupstate.edu.
Kim Buckner Land (USC ’98, MBA ’02), instructor of marketing at the George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics at the University of South Carolina Upstate, was awarded the 2016 Distinguished Young Alumna by Darla Moore School of Business at the 32nd annual Business Leadership Dinner and Awards Ceremony on April 19.
“I am proud to say that one of the Johnson College of Business and Economics faculty members, Kim Land, is recognized as one of four 2016 Distinguished Alumni of USC this year,” said Frank Rudisill, dean of the Johnson College. “This is quite an honor for Kim and we are very proud of her.”
Land is an accomplished marketing professional with a unique skill set and proven track record in leading people and organizations through process change, branding initiatives, new product launches, research projects and successful multi-media sales efforts.
Land graduated in 1998 with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of South Carolina Honors College. While at Carolina, she was a leader on campus, serving as president of Delta Zeta sorority. She was awarded the USC Outstanding Senior Award. She then completed her MBA at the Darla Moore School of Business with a 4.0 GPA.
For 15 years, Land served as marketing director for a group of New York Times newspapers in the North and South Carolina markets, including her home paper, the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. In August 2015, she began putting her experience in the marketing field to work in the classroom as a full-time instructor at the Johnson College of Business and Economics at USC Upstate.
Outside of the office, Land is dedicated to serving the community where she was born and raised. She has volunteered her time with numerous non-profit boards over the years including the Junior League of Spartanburg, Goodfellows and Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg. Land is currently the Board Chair for SAFE Homes/Rape Crisis Coalition as well as serving on the boards for the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, Oakbrook Preparatory School and Quality Counts – Spartanburg County First Steps. She also chairs a United Way Investment Council committee to allocate donor dollars within the education classification.
In addition, Land recently organized the 12th Annual Upstate Regional Spelling Bee where more than 80 students from Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties gathered at USC Upstate to compete for the title of Regional Spelling Bee Champion and the opportunity to represent the Upstate of South Carolina in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.
Land has been recognized for her professional accomplishments over the years, being named a Direct Marketing News “40 Under 40” recipient in 2014 and a Presstime Magazine “20 Under 40” recipient in 2006. She has also received many South Carolina Press Association awards over the years, as well as numerous awards for board service.
Land lives in Inman with her husband, Jason and her 7-year-old daughter, Kelsey.
Jim Charles, Education, has published a refereed book review in the most recent issue of “The Journal of American Culture.”
Charles, Jim (March 2016). “A Review of Gerald R. Gems’ Sport and the Shaping of Italian American Identity,” The Journal of American Culture, 39:1, 112-113.
Dr. Warren Carson
The University of South Carolina Upstate is pleased to announce Dr. Warren J. Carson has received the 2015 Harvey E. Beech Outstanding Alumni Award for Overall Achievement from the University of North Carolina.
The Harvey E. Beech Outstanding Alumni Award was established to recognize outstanding black alumni who have been stellar leaders within the University community and or within their local community. Carson will receive his award during the Light on the Hill Society Scholarship Awards Gala in Chapel Hill, N.C., on November 6, 2015.
Carson serves as the senior associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, chief diversity officer and Title IX coordinator at USC Upstate. In addition to his role as an administrator, he also teaches classes in English and African-American studies.
A Tryon, N.C., native, Carson earned his bachelor’s degree in English from UNC Chapel Hill in 1974. He continued his studies at Atlanta University, where he received his master’s degree in Afro-American Studies, and earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina.
Carson has been an educator for more than 40 years, 32 of which have been spent at USC Upstate. He serves nationally as chief reader for the College Board’s Advanced English Placement Literature and Composition exams. He is a past president of the College Language Association and managing editor for the CLA Journal, a scholarly journal devoted to the study of language and literature.
In 2014, Carson received USC Upstate’s Distinguished Service Award recognizing him for him numerous contributions during his tenure at the University. Throughout the years, Carson has received awards and accolades locally, regionally and nationally for his service and contributions to his community and to higher education.
Carson holds a lifetime membership in the UNC General Alumni Association, the College Language Association and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He also devotes much of his time to participating in church activities and civic affairs.