Karen Chandler is the Director of the Graduate Certificate in Arts and Cultural Management at the College of Charleston. She is also the Co-Founder of the Charleston Jazz Initiative and has researched the impact of Southern Jazz musicians on American and European history. Chandler has had experience directing the College of Charleston’s Research Center for African American History and Culture, specifically leading the arts and cultural programs. She received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Hampton University, her Master’s Degree for Music Education from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. for Studies in Arts and Humanities at New York University. Chandler was won many honors and awards pertaining to her work in South Carolinian connections to Jazz and African American Heritage. She has also published work focusing on Gullah Culture, Charleston Jazz, Management in the Arts, and other related topics.

Chandler’s hometown of Nashville, Tennessee influenced her interest in studying the music and piano work of Southern African American composers as a child. Gathering the influence of both classical European music mixed with her connection to the Black Baptist churches of the South, Chandler was nurtured in two culturally mixed and interconnected backgrounds of music. Beyond personal connections to the South and its musical and cultural heritage, Chandler has continuously centered her professional work around similar topics. In much of her independent research, she has concentrated on the impact of Charleston’s Gullah music on the development of jazz in both the United States and Europe. Furthermore, Chandler confirms that “Gullah rhythms and musical Africanisms of Charleston deserve attention in the jazz canon as they are an undeniable American artifact.” In addition to her distinguished and plentiful publications, Chandler is currently “working on a jazz anthology based on the work of the Charleston Jazz Initiative.” She is also working on an extension of her 2018 essay, “Bin Yah (Been Here). Africanisms and Jazz Influences in Gullah Culture.”

Professor Jean Everett is a Senior Instructor in the Biology department at the College of Charleston, whose expertise is on the natural environment of the south. She received her PhD in forest ecology and botany from North Carolina State University, her MS in environmental sciences with an emphasis on ecology from the University of Virginia, and her BS in forest resource management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Her interests include plant community and ecosystem interactions, forest ecology, seed banks, restoration ecology, particularly in longleaf pine systems, and rare plant and plant habitat surveys. 

Even though Professor Everett has lived in Charleston for almost 40 years, she does not consider herself a Southerner because most of her definitions of “southerners” are “quite negative based on experience”. She mentioned that she and her husband came to Charleston as “reluctant transfers for the company [her] husband worked for” because of a “scarce job market”. She did say that she would consider herself a mid-Atlantic southerner because it doesn’t have as close of an association with the “racist… conservative politics” that are typically tied to the deep south. 

Professor Everett has conducted several plant surveys for various state and national agencies, mainly for “rare plants in the Francis Marion National Forest”. She has helped relocate “several endangered plant populations” on SC Heritage Preserves. She has also done work with The Nature Conservancy which is a non-profit that helps combat climate change and protect our natural resources. Her expertise is on the Longleaf pine ecosystem. She is interested in the agricultural and ecological impacts that the declining population of longleaf pine has had on our society. She also mentioned the negative stereotypes that are associated with the longleaf pine such as “women sweeping the pine needles from dirt yards” when in reality, it was just a precassion for stopping the frequent fires from spreading. Her connection to the Southern Studies program is giving lectures on the dominant ecosystem of the longleaf, particularly in an agricultural aspect.

Professor Michael Lee is a Communications professor at the College of Charleston with a Ph.D. in Communication studies, an M.A. in Communication, and a B.A. in Political Science. Besides teaching courses that focus on public speaking, argumentation, persuasive managing, political campaigns, and media in politics as well as researching political branding and audience responsiveness in American politics, Professor Lee is also the director of graduate studies at the College of Charleston. As one can see, communications is a wide-range field of study. 

Professor Lee makes clear that Communications “as a field is quite diverse,” offering possibilities in many different types of work including marketing, media, advertising, PR work, and consumer research. So, when asked to define communications, Lee led me to the original definition of rhetoric (a sub-area he studied) explaining it “as the faculty of observing the means of persuasion in any particular case. To drive this point even further, Lee stated that from his teaching, he wants his students “to become better arguers.” He says, “I hope that they’ll be more attuned to making precise arguments with plausible evidence, and I hope they’ll demand precise arguments with plausible evidence from others.”

Through communications, Lee is directly involved in Southern Studies personally and professionally. His personal connection to the south grew strongly in his time at the University of Georgia where he discovered college debate, which was the spark that became a wildfire of interest in communications for Professor Lee. In fact, he went on to write a book called Creating Conservatism: Postwar Worlds that Made an American Movement that deals with the postwar growth of conservatism and conservative politics. When asked what he wants his readers to take away from the book, Lee said, “I hoped that readers would understand that the growth of conservatism as a movement was tied to 10 or so key books all written after World War II.  I wanted readers to understand that the key words and phrases of conservative politics are directly tied to several sacred texts.” Because of the book’s immense success, Lee has spoken about his findings at top-of-the-line Universities such as University of Richmond, MIT, and University of Minnesota (where he earned his Ph.D.).

Becoming a successful communications academic is not only about hard work. Success in all fields comes to those who put in the work AND attempt every day, to the best of their ability, to enjoy life with a fine set of morals. Lee exhibits both of these extremely important factors and attempts to instill them in his students as well. To prove this, I asked Professor Lee what he pushes his students to achieve, and he said, “ I’d like them to enjoy their lives and make the world a little better at the same time.”

As an extra, interesting piece of this blog post, I decided to have Professor Lee choose one of his favorite quotes. He responded with a very timely and telling George Orwell quote: “In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” 

Professor Allison Welch teaches Biology of Sex and Gender; Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation Biology; and Herpetology here at the College of Charleston. She is originally from the Midwest but later decided to move down south. She got her B.S. from Truman University, her Ph.D. from University of Missouri, and her Post-doc from University of North Carolina. After school at North Carolina, she continued to live there for about 20 years.

At a first glance, I thought I would be asking questions about culture, music, or food. Professor Welch has a unique part in sustainability with respect to the South. She engages her students into her classes and they learn to appreciate what the South has to offer, naturally. Since she teaches these higher level biology courses, she has labs and projects for her students to truly connect with the material. She believes her class is like a “plug into the real world.” One specific example from her class happened over the summer. She described it as, “Two students did lab research this summer, they began collecting data on increase solidity levels on toad tadpoles.” She explained that these animals are affected by flooding and rising sea water levels. Welch sees her doing her part through this and explains it as, “I

think the preservation of our environment is a key part of preserving our culture as well.” She also mentioned she usually has field trips throughout the school year but because of the pandemic, all of those trips got cancelled. Another project she is involved in is an alternative for the field trip. Professor Welch explains this project involves research on amphibians and reptiles of South Carolina. She describes the overall goal like this, “This is a cooperative effort with the South Carolina Natural Resource Center to help their efforts.” Her students work with a department of the state to help maintain the natural environment in whatever area they are working on during that project. Overall, Professor Welch does a lot for the sustainability of the South and I think she enjoys it too.

Dr. Julia Eichelberger has taught at the College of Charleston since 1992 and became the director of the college’s Southern Studies program in 2017. She is currently Marybelle Higgins Howe Professor of Southern Literature. She attended Davidson College for her bachelor of arts in the english language and literature/letters. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is where she earned her PdD in the same subject. Born in South Carolina, she moved around the Low Country throughout her life. Even growing up, Dr. Eichelberger was aware of America’s views of the South. Media and literature throughout the country make it clear their condescending viewpoints. Thus, it’s no surprise she grew up with an internalized want to be normal or “Northern”. True, the South has many issues to be addressed: poverty as a class system, the upkeep of white supremacy, but she believes the South is largely misunderstood. Eichelberger grew up in a household surrounded by social justice which illuminated these issues to her since childhood. Such influences later led Eichelberger to become interested in studying literature; examining characters in a world like our own who adapt with rules and assumptions made by some ulterior power. 

This study of literature brought Eichelberger to her focus upon Eudora Welty. She has published two works upon Welty: Teaching the Works of Eudora Welty: Twenty-First Century Approaches, and Tell About Night Flowers: Eudora Welty’s Gardening Letters, 1940-1949. Welty has influenced Eichelberger’s teachings through her narrative writings of the South. Her ability to capture the Southern voice, humanizing the region by its citizens rather than characterizing it, gives a new perspective. Thus, Eichelberger values the telling of Southern history through stories and narratives as opposed to the easily villainized South in other forms of media. She claims it creates a connection to history and literature as the reader can see themselves within the narrative’s cast. History becomes reality, making present issues within the South, such as racism, easier to understand. Eichelberger believes literature creates a clear understanding of how conditions came to be and how we can continue writing in order to improve our own society.

This idea is crucial in Eichelberger’s course. She aims to help students improve and celebrate Southern culture. She brings to light the realization that racism not only happens in the South. Just as activism is not exclusive to the North. She asks students to be proud and enjoy all kinds of Southern culture. There are traditions to embrace and help us understand who we are. Eichelberger has allowed the Southern Studies department to show how lucky we are to be a part of something much bigger than our education.

Dr. Vince Benigni has been a well-renowned professor in the College of Charleston Communications Department for the past 22 years, but his experience in public relations and sports communication extends far beyond. At the College, he has found a niche in sports journalism, and teaches Intro to Strategic Communication, Sport and Society, and Media in the Digital Age. In 1983, Dr. Benigni received a journalism degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a subsequent English degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. He received his Ph.D. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Georgia in 1999, where he began developing a presence in southern identity.

Dr. Benigni is originally from Western Pennsylvania, but has spent the last 30 years in the South studying southern college football, the role of social media in southern sports, and the SEC fandom. His work in southern studies concerns the culture and the influence that has come from southern sports, particularly football: “That SEC slogan ‘It means more’ rings true,” he says. “I think there’s some truth to that, that people in the South go a little crazy and have made the fandom as big as the sports.” He describes the football tailgating rituals to be almost a religious aspect– “You hear stories that people never get married on a college football Saturday.” Dr. Benigni is currently examining what he called the “trifecta of crises” in 2020 and their impact on southern sports– the impacts of the coronavirus and racial movements from a financial standpoint have had staggering impacts on 2020 collegiate sports. Many universities, particularly southern ones, have taken huge pocketbook hits from the lack of a fan base in the stands. Television revenues, merchandising, and tailgating spots have declined, all of which help to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into schools like Clemson and Alabama.

Dr. Benigni’s professional connection to Southern Studies has also fueled his personal one; immersing himself in the SEC fandom has only increased his stance as a huge sports fanatic, and he’s taken a greater liking to college football since moving to the South. He’s become fascinated with how at many of these southern schools, identity is based on football– the fan base and culture has shaped southern football programs to be more than the sport itself.

In addition to the impact of the coronavirus on college sports, Dr. Benigni is studying the racial imbalances in certain sports: “We haven’t seen a big explosion of black athletes in Southern country club sports like golf, or even baseball– you would think a lot might be inclined to pursue these, but there’s a real access problem for some in the South,” Dr. Benigni said. Educational and monetary gaps have prevented many struggling southern areas from promoting “country club sports.” These collegiate programs have never been as aggressive in recruiting black athletes, leaving them to reevaluate how they handle their admissions processes in today’s political climate. Lately, he’s been analyzing how many smaller southern schools– Davidson, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina– have been directing funds towards their athletic programs to then bolster their national profile, and in turn, the admissions process. Winning sports programs, Benigni says, have been instrumental in improving universities’ academic profiles as well.

Dr. Sandy Slater is one of the College of Charleston’s premier history professors, who specializes in the study and research of race, gender, and sexuality, all in the context of the Colonial Era Atlantic.
Dr. Slater was born in Turkey Creek, Pike County, Kentucky. Ever since she was young, Dr.Slater has loved history, so much so that on her childhood desk, she had a photograph of Abraham Lincoln. Growing up in Kentucky, her family taught her what it means to work hard. Her father had a large role in teaching her this lesson. As a coal miner, he worked long hours to provide what his family needed. Dr. Slater, instilled with her families’ hard-working spirit, enrolled in Lincoln Memorial Univerisity. In her time at Lincoln, she double majored in American Studies and History, while simultaneously minoring in music and English. After receiving her undergraduate degree in 2003, Dr. Slater set her sights on a Masters and Ph.D. from Kentucky University. At Kentucky University, she studied History as well as Women and Gender Studies.
Immediately out of Graduate School in 2009, Dr. Slater started teaching at the College of Charleston. She began teaching her first courses, History of Colonial Americans History and American Sexualities. Now in 2020, a tenured professor Dr. Slater is the Director of the Carolina Lowcountry and Atlantic World Program, a History Department Senator, and a History Department Internship Adviser. Dr. Slater also holds positions as Chair of the Committee on Graduate Education and resides on the Board of Directors for Consortium of the Revolutionary Era. Dr. Slater has added multiple new classes into her repertoire since starting here at the College. These classes taught by Dr. Slater include the History of the American Revolution, Queer America, and American Women. Soon she hopes to add the History of Appalachia to her growing list of classes provided to our campus community.
Dr. Slater is one of the Professors here at the College that supports our Southern Studies Program through her position in the CofC History Department.

Dr. James Ward is a Senior Instructor at the College of Charleston’s Art and Architectural History Department, specializing in landscape architecture. He attended various schools around the country, but eventually found a unique appeal to the University of Georgia, where he obtained three degrees. He pursued a B.A. in English during his undergraduate studies. Coincidentally, he would pass the School of Environmental Design while walking to class. His curiosity was piqued by what he observed of the studio and camaraderie in the classroom, so he took an extra class in the department. It was a step out of his comfort zone, but he discovered a real interest in the field and returned to UGA twice more to earn a B.L.A and an M.L.A in Landscape Architecture.

As a consultant landscape architect, Dr. Ward has worked on numerous projects in the South. Here in the Charleston area, he has had significant roles in the development of Kiawah Island, the aquarium, the airport, and even the College of Charleston campus. He also worked on the Charleston Visitor Center, a project he really enjoyed thanks to its community planning, public participation, and urban design aspects. However, Dr. Ward’s expertise has helped more than just the South, and more than just the United States. For two years, he was the Sole Landscape Architect for the Government of Bermuda. This was a notable experience because it allowed him to be a pioneer – “to figure things out for [himself] and not live in the wake of somebody else’s expectations”. If you were to visit the capital city of Hamilton, you would drive in on the roadway he designed and see the hilly terrain, natural parks, and historic buildings outside your window. These are still standing because of Dr. Ward’s dedication to preservation and development in a way that is true to the natural landscape.

Despite studying and working in the South for a number of years, it’s hard for Dr. Ward to define himself as a Southerner. His father was from Massachusetts, his mother was from Alabama, and he was born in Texas. Because both of his parents were in the Navy, the family moved around quite a bit. Regular relocation makes it hard for anyone to identify with a certain region, but his connection to the South has been compromised for other reasons as well. His mother was from a part of Alabama that struggled in the context of race relations, so he valued his kinship with his Northern family more so than his Southern one. Still, he has spent a lot of time in the region and found it to be a good place to work. He has special sentiments for Georgia.

Currently, Dr. Ward teaches at the College of Charleston. His courses focus on Historic Preservation and Community Planning. Every experience he’s had as a landscape architect has influenced the content that he teaches in class. The projects he’s worked on and the people he’s met have all transferred to his courses in some way or another. He likes for students to get out into the local community because, like Southern studies, landscape architecture is so deeply rooted in place. In fact, “it is a landscape, and a landscape and its people cannot be separated”. What he seeks to pass on to his students is an “appreciation of the founding – to understand where we’ve gone and the changes we’ve brought”.

Professor Mary Trent did her undergraduate education at the University of Chicago and then moved on to earn her Masters and Ph.D. at the University of California Irvine. She is a part of the Art and Architecture history at the College of Charleston and her area of specialization consists of American and African Art and History of Photography. As a part of her job, she works on African American photography, specifically set in the south in the 19th and 20th centuries. She also focuses on American art history, such as pieces that show the racial conflict that occurred during the Civil War. In her personal life, she mentions that “she didn’t grow up southern, but gained the culture through visiting a lot” due to her parents. Although she didn’t grow up in the south, her parents did and she hopes that her kids will get to grow up in the south too. She explains that she has seen some changes to the south and is curious about how it’ll change for the better. In our interview, I asked her what her overall impression of the south was and she replied “I had a stereotype of the south. I believed that it was a backward place and horribly racist. I didn’t think anything innovative was happening there.” She thought the south heavily ignored black culture and that many marginalized cultures were not studied. After coming down to the south, Trent noticed that it wasn’t all that she thought. She also realized that there were many racial issues occurring in the north too. Currently, she got permission to take care of a photo album by Ellen Craft that is now held in the Avery Research Center. She recently took an FYE class to go see the album and tell its story. Ellen Craft was enslaved in Georgia but escaped by pretending to be a slave owner with her own husband being her ‘slave’. This album is passed down through the women of the Craft family and ended up in Charleston. Trent’s emphasis on this album is that it shows what it’s like to have been a part of an African American family at that time.