The Winter 2021 edition of College of Charleston Magazine has bene published, and many graduate students, faculty, and alumni can be found featured on its pages. Below is a summary of those featured, and how to find out more about their work:
Jason Coy, Ph.D. – M.A. in History Faculty: Dr. Coy is featured for his recent publication The Devil’s Art: Divination and Discipline in Early Modern Germany (University of Virginia Press, 2020), which explores the role of divination in early modern Germany, from soothsayers to witch doctors. Dr. Coy formerly was the program director for the M.A. in History program, and his publication is featured on page 26.
Cara Delay, Ph.D. – M.A. in History Faculty: Dr. Delay’s latest publication, Birth Control: What Every Woman Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2020), offers more than just a user guide to birth control, but a detailed analysis of the role of family planning in society and how birth control has empowered women and increased access to educational and professional opportunities. She teaches graduate coursework in Gender and Sexuality in Modern Europe, and her latest work is featured on page 26.
Adam Domby, Ph.D. – M.A. in History Faculty: Dr. Domby teaches graduate-level coursework on Reconstruction and the Civil War. His latest publication, The False Cause: Fraud, Fabrication, and White Supremacy in Confederate Memory (University of Virginia Press, 2020) is about the effort to recast the Civil War into a heroic defense of the South, and how these narratives buttress white supremacy in ways that resonate today. Dr. Domby is active in the M.A. in History program, serving on committees for five current students. His publication is featured on page 26.
Rachel Donaldson, Ph.D – M.A. in History Faculty, & Julie Eichelberger, Ph.D – M.A. in English Faculty: Drs. Donaldson and Eichelberger are featured for their work in contextualizing the history of the College digitally on discovering.cofc.edu. Dr. Eichelberger is a member of the 250th anniversary Historical Documentation committee, where she works with College staff, faculty, and even M.A. in History student Grayson Harris, who is credited as a researcher and website curator. Dr. Donaldson expanded this work to help showcase student-produced content in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Slavery in Charleston (CSSC). Her graduate students, which include M.A. in History student Grace Hall, helped to research and write th
Dr. Heather Fullerton
ematic tours for the site. Their feature can be found on page 19 in the magazine.
Jean Everett, Ph.D – M.Ed. in Science and Math for Teachers Faculty: Dr. Everett teaches a graduate-level class in botany for teachers. Several of her classes highlight the Venus flytrap, which is native to South Carolina, the only places it grows in the entire world. Dr. Everett hopes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service will soon classify this rare plant as “endangered” so more conservation efforts can be made to preserve the species and is featured on page 36.
Grant Gilmore III, Ph.D – M.A. in Community Planning, Policy, and Design Program Director: Dr. Gilmore is featured on page 20 for his work with scholar-in-residence Harlan Greene to uncover a drawing of the College’s first schoolhouse. Recent alumna Ali Heath ’20 is also featured for her work mocking up a 3D rendering of the structure. Heath is now a Community Planner for the Naval Forces Engineering Command (NAVFAC) in San Diego, CA.
Rodney Rountree ’87
Heather Fullerton, Ph.D – M.S. in Marine Biology Faculty: Dr. Fullerton is featured for her work documenting hydrothermal vent systems on page 28. She has worked with graduate students in both the M.S. in Marine Biology and M.S. in Environmental & Sustainability Studies programs, including recent marine biology alumna Alejandra Enriquez ’20, with whom Dr. Fullteron is co-authoring a paper.
Rodney Rountree ’87 – M.S. in Marine Biology Alumnus: Marine biology alumni Dr. Rountree is featured on pages 44-53, which goes in-depth into his research in ichthyology and the sounds of freshwater and marine ecosystems. He details what motivated him to apply to the College back in 1983, including a meeting with current faculty member Dr. George Sedberry.
Heather Spalding, Ph.D – M.S. in Marine Biology Faculty: Dr. Spalding is featured on page 12 for her work documenting invasive killer alga in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument off the coast of Hawaii. Her graduate student, Taylor Williams, presented her work on this project at our 2020 Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) in November. Watch the video here.
Dr. Heather Spalding
Brad Thompson, M.S. in Environmental & Sustainability Studies Candidate: Thompson is a current student featured on page 32 for his work with geology professor Scott Persons, Ph.D. Thompson traveled with Dr. Persons to Wyoming this summer to assist with an online fieldwork class. The class began a partnership with the Paleon Museum outside Jasper, Wyoming, which will open the door to more fieldwork experiences for paleontology students in the future.
Alumni Notes:
Pauly Appleton ’12 – Master of Public Administration: Appleton earned his J.D. from UIC John Marshall Law School in December 2019 and currently resides in Chicago.
Andy Baltzegar ’06 & Jennifer Fountain Baltzegar ’10 – M.S. in Marine Biology: Jennifer Baltzegar graduated with a Ph.D in genetics from North Carolina State University in May 2020. She is a postdoctoral researcher at N.C. State, where she investigates the population genetics of the mosquito species that spreads zika and dengue. The goal is to reduce disease incidence. They live in Apex, NC.
Marissa Bamonte ’19 – M.A. in Communications: Bamonte earned her M.A. in Communications in 2019 and is the digital media specialist with the College of Charleston Admissions.
Lori Wolfe Carter ’89 – M.A.T.: Carter currently works as a teacher at Saint Rose Academy in Birmingham, AL.
Katie Scott Crawford ’04 – M.A. in English: Crawford recently published a short story “Evergreen and Expectations: A Keowee Valley Christmas Story”, revisiting the characters from her 2012 historical novel Keowee Valley. She has launched a series of seasonal retreats crafted for writers and creatives in the mountains of western North Carolina, where she resides in Brevard.
Sonya Fordham ’02 – M.Ed. in Special Education: Fordham is a teacher for Dorchester District 4 Schools in Harleyville. She is the former co-chair for the Child Welfare Committee, the National Association of Black Social Workers and the Committee of Descendants Foundation and is a researcher on the Coming of African Americans to S.C. project. A resident of Charleston, Fordham welcomed her first grandchild in August of 2019.
Andrea Carlisle Fletcher ’10 – Master of Public Administration: Fletcher and her husband, Jacob, live in Memphis, TN, with their two daughters. She is the upper school studio art and photography teacher at St. Mary’s Episcopal School.
Andie Trantham Hershberger ’04 – M.S. in Accountancy: Hershberger is a senior accountant at McGuire & Co. in Mount Pleasant. She has more than 15 years of accounting industry experience and is a certified public accountant. She resides in Mount Pleasant with her husband and two children.
Carissa Jenkins ’17 – M.S. in Accountancy: Jenkins is a CPA staff tax accountant for Baldwin & Associates and lives in Columbus, GA. She married Antonio Wright in July 2019.
Megan Prewitt Koon ’05 – M.A. in English: Koon is the adoption lead for enterprise resource planning in the IT department at Furman University, where she is also an adjunct professor in communication studies. She and her husband, Ryan, have two children. Her first novel, Sweet Divinity, was published in December 2019.
Charles Levine ’98 – M.S. in Mathematical Sciences: Levine is an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy for the U.S. Army and working on a Ph.D in network science at Northeastern University. He resides in West Point, NY with his wife, Ginger.
Phil Maier ’92 – M.S. in Marine Biology: Maier was named the Deputy Director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources’ Marine Resources Division. He has been with the agency for almost 30 years and resides in Charleston.
James Maners ’12 – Master of Business Administration: Maners is an attorney for Butler Snow Law Firm in Nashville, TN, and practices with their commercial litigation group. He earned his B.A. from Clemson University in 2008 and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University in 2019.
Kelly Nelson ’19 – Master of Business Administration: Nelson is a marketing manager for Charlestowne Hotels in Charleston. Previously, she served as the president of the American Marketing Association’s Charleston chapter.
Eliza Nixon ’19: M.S. in Environmental & Sustainability Studies/Master of Public Administration Concurrent: Nixon married John Calvin Thorn IV in December 2019 in Columbia. She is an adopt-a-stream coordinator and watershed manager for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Matthew Ojala ’20: Master of Business Administration: Ojala is deputy director of the Department of Housing and Community Development for the City of Charleston. He earned his M.P.A. in environmental policy from the University of Washington in 2012.
Katherine Pedings-Behling ’12 – M.S. in Mathematical Sciences: Pedings-Behling and her husband, Ted, welcomed their third child in December 2019. They reside in Charleston.
Jill Wessinger Piers ’12 – M.A.T. in Early Childhood Education: Piers and her husband, DJ, reside in Rock Hill, SC, and welcomed their first daughter in November 2019.
Michelle Smith ’92 – M.S. in Mathematical Sciences: Smith is the Executive Director of Institutional Research at the College of Charleston, holds two national bowling titles, and is in the Charleston and State of South Carolina Bowling Halls of Fame. In 2013, she received the Alex Sanders Award for Outstanding Public Service, and resides in Summerville with her husband, Robert.
Peter Wiggins ’20 – Master of Public Administration: Wiggins is the program manager for the Charleston County Government and resides in Charleston.
Cheryl Novak Woods-Flowers ’99 – M.A.T. in Early Childhood Education: Woods-Flowers was recently featured in The Post & Courier’s profile of 25 women who have had a meaningful impact on Charleston. She served as the first female mayor of Mount Pleasant from 1992-1997 and is now a real estate consultant for Coldwell Banker Realty. She resides in Mount Pleasant.
