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College of Education

HESA Faculty

Our program faculty include both full-time faculty members as well as full-time campus leaders who serve as affiliate faculty.

Our program faculty include:

Christian Anderson, Ph.D.

Christian Anderson, Ph.D.

Christian Anderson is an Associate Professor of higher education. His primary research focus is on the history of higher education and the organization and governance of higher education (particularly the role of faculty). 

Michelle Bryan, Ph.D.

Michelle Bryan, Ph.D.

Michelle Bryan is the  Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of South Carolina

Amber Fallucca, Ph.D.

Amber Fallucca, Ph.D.

Amber Fallucca manages the assessment initiatives aligned with UofSC Connect, including requirements for the Quality Enhancement Plan and Graduation with Leadership Distinction. 

Dan Friedman, Ph.D.

Dan Friedman, Ph.D.

Dan Friedman provides leadership for four academic courses, including over 260 sections of the first-year seminar (UNIV 101), a research/inquiry course (UNIV 201), a residentially-based special topics seminar (UNIV 290) and a capstone seminar (UNIV 401).

Toby Jenkins-Henry, Ph.D.

Toby Jenkins-Henry, Ph.D.

Toby Jenkins-Henry is an Associate Professor of Higher Education. Her work focuses on the use of culture as a politic of social survival, a tool of social change, and a transformative space of creative and critical pedagogy. She is considered a national expert on cultural inclusion and the student experience in higher education focusing particularly on the innovation and transformation of university cultural centers. 

Jamil Johnson, Ph.D.

Jamil D. Johnson, Ph.D.

Jamil D. Johnson brings forth an extensive background in student affairs administration, teaching, mentoring, advising, and supporting undergraduate and graduate students. 

Kirsten Kennedy, Ph.D.

Kirsten Kennedy, Ph.D.

Kirsten Kennedy serves as Associate Vice President for student housing and well-being. Kennedy oversees Student Health Services, University Housing and its faculty-led and associated living and learning communities.  

Kate Lehman, Ph.D.

Kate Lehman, Ph.D.

Kate Lehman, PhD, serves as director of the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition where she provides leadership for all Center operations, strategic initiatives, conferences and events, publications, and scholarly and research activities.

Spencer Platt, Ph.D.

Spencer Platt, Ph.D.

Spencer Platt is an Associate Professor in the department of Leadership, Learning Design, and Inquiry.

Chas Thompson, Ph.D

Chas Thompson, Ph.D.

Chas Thompson's (he/him/his) research is centered around minoritized college students’ experiences at U.S. institutions of higher education, with a particular focus on college students with minoritized sexual and gender identities. 

Christina W. Yao, Ph.D.

Christina W. Yao, Ph.D.

Christina W. Yao, is a qualitative researcher who primarily studies undergraduate and graduate student engagement and learning in higher education. 


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