Posted on: March 26, 2024; Updated on: March 19, 2024 By Hannah Cambre, hcambre@mailbox.sc.edu
The Office of the Provost takes great pride in celebrating faculty and staff excellence
at the University of South Carolina. Each year, the faculty awards ceremony provides
an opportunity to formally recognize the exceptional work our faculty and staff are
doing, spotlighting remarkable teaching, advising, service and research.
“These awards represent one small step the university takes each year to recognize
and celebrate the tireless efforts of our outstanding faculty to advance knowledge
through their research and scholarship, to innovate in teaching and mentoring students,
and to serve our university and our external communities,” says Mary Anne Fitzpatrick,
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Dean of the Faculty.
This year’s ceremony will honor twenty-one outstanding faculty and staff members from
nine different schools or colleges and three system institutions. Spanning diverse
disciplines and boasting impressive resumes of accomplishments, this year’s awardees
exemplify a steadfast commitment to academic excellence, flourishing research and
transformative teaching in our university community.
“This caliber of excellence is a testament to deliberate investment in teaching, mentorship,
research and community education,” says Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
and Provost Donna Arnett. “The achievements of this year’s faculty award winners represent
the remarkable strides we are making campus-wide, and it’s truly a privilege to have
such exceptional scholars contributing to our university community.”
Please view this year’s award winners below.
USC Columbia Teaching Awards
Dr. Joynelle Jackson, Ed.D., MSN, RNC-MNN
Associate Professor College of Nursing
Dr. Joynelle Jackson is an associate professor in the College of Nursing. She has nearly two decades of
experience in the nursing profession and is involved in extensive community-based
research on breastfeeding education and support. As a graduate of the College of Education,
she is an expert in curricular development and classroom management, which she has
used to develop and deliver innovative, engaging upper-level nursing courses in both
face-to-face and online formats. Dr. Jackson’s network of health care relationships
throughout the state helped her successfully place hundreds of students in their clinical
preceptorships at hospitals and recruit students to the online RN to BSN program,
which she directed from 2016 to 2022. She was instrumental in allowing students to
complete the required rigorous 266-hour clinical experience in a virtual format during
the pandemic.
Dr. Sara Lindsey, M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor Pediatrics School of Medicine Columbia
Dr. Sara Lindsey is an assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine Columbia.
She has been a faculty member at the School of Medicine for 17 years and holds a clinical
position at Prisma Children’s Hospital, where she educates many of her former students
who are completing their residencies. Dr. Lindsey values experiential learning, creating
interactive, case-based learning sessions as well as providing hands-on task training
and simulated patient encounters at the Prisma Health Simulation Center. She also
serves as a faculty advisor for a number of student interest groups, including the
Pediatric Interest Group, one of the most active student organizations at the School
of Medicine. Dr. Lindsey is dedicated to fostering lifelong learning, encouraging
personal development and providing a four-year mentorship experience to her students.
Dr. Ken Shimizu
Professor Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Ken Shimizu is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences.
He has been a faculty member at the university since 1997 and served as department
chair for six years. He is also a past winner of the Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate
Teaching Award and the Russell Research Award for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering.
Dr. Shimizu regularly teaches organic chemistry at the undergraduate level, using
adaptable and student-centered approaches to instruction that reflect in both stellar
end-of-course evaluations and student course outcomes. Besides his commendable instruction,
he excels at providing support and mentorship outside the classroom, training undergraduate
and graduate researchers, and co-authoring publications with his students. We are
pleased to name Dr. Shimizu the 2024 Michael J. Mungo Distinguished Professor of the
Year.
Dr. Subrahmanyam Bulusu
Professor Earth, Ocean and Environment College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Subrahmanyam Bulusu is a professor in the School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment at the College of
Arts and Sciences and has been with the university since 2005. He has used his expertise
in oceanography to build and develop new courses in satellite oceanography and sea-air
interaction for the physical oceanography graduate program, as well as redesign core
graduate courses in marine science. Dr. Bulusu is actively involved in graduate training
through research supervision, mentoring and advising, he has authored or co-authored
95 peer-reviewed publications, and his students have published 70 papers as first
authors in major journals under his supervision. He is a passionate, committed professor
whose goal is to produce future colleagues in the field of marine science.
Dr. Kelly Goldberg
Clinical Assistant Professor Anthropology South Carolina Honors College
Dr. Kelly Goldberg is a clincial assistant professor of anthropology for the South Carolina Honors College,
where she teaches the human origins laboratory course and offers service and experiential
learning opportunities for students across the university. She has a passion for fostering
interdisciplinary research and ensuring accessibility to historical, archaeological
and anthropological research with an emphasis on social justice. Dr. Goldberg’s annual
summer archaeology field school is a key component of the department of anthropology’s
training mission, and she is committed to outreach for underrepresented communities
in her field, including high school and HBCU students. She is an outstanding instructor
whose work in accessibility led to her creation of an online course on biological
anthropology, allowing a fully online core lab course offered during the pandemic.
Dr. Jeanne Britton
Curator Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections University Libraries
Dr. Jeanne Britton is a curator of the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at University
Libraries, holding one of few such positions nationwide. She regularly teaches courses
through the College of Arts and Sciences as well as seminars in the South Carolina
Honors College. Dr. Britton thoughtfully integrates materials from the Irvin Department’s
collections into her coursework, helping students achieve traditional objectives but
also have unique experiences in hands-on research and experiential learning. She is
consistently commended by students for her ability to guide discussions, her true
interest in student success and her sense of humor. In addition to teaching, Dr. Britton’s
digital humanities projects allow student employees to gain humanities research experience,
resulting in consistent grant funding and producing several Magellan Scholars.
Dr. Ӧzgür İnce
Clinical Associate Professor Finance Darla Moore School of Business
Dr. Ӧzgür İnce is a clinical associate professor of finance in the Darla Moore School of Business.
He teaches several large sections of finance courses that all business majors are
required to take, earning consistently high rankings in spite of class size due to
his commitment to strong instruction and integration with current events. Dr. İnce
values student engagement with the course material and was among the first in his
department to use student response technology such as iClicker and TopHat, leading
his colleagues in the effective transition to online learning during the pandemic.
He wrote his own course textbook and hosts the book as well as other recorded material
on TopHat for only $6, collectively saving his students more than $50,000 per semester.
Dr. Armen Shaomian
Associate Professor Sport and Entertainment Management College Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
Dr. Armen Shaomian is an associate professor of sport and entertainment management in the College of
Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management. He is a classically trained pianist with
extensive experience in live music entertainment, using current events, guest speakers
and online media content to engage his students both inside and beyond the classroom.
Dr. Shaomian is passionate about teaching and mentorship, serving as faculty principal
of the Preston Residential College for Leadership. As the only tenured faculty member
specializing in entertainment management, his courses play a key role in educating
students in the sport and entertainment management curriculum. Dr. Shaomian developed
six new courses as well as fully revising three other courses to provide more comprehensive
offerings, which position his students to be more competitive in a fast-paced industry.
USC Columbia Research Awards
Dr. Peter Chametzky
Professor Art History School of Visual Art and Design
Dr. Peter Chametzky is a professor of art history in the School of Visual Art and Design who has been
with the university since 2012. He is one of the world’s leading scholars of 20th-
and 21st-century German art, focusing on contemporary German art through the lens
of an increasingly diverse German society and 21st-century German art from a multinational
perspective. Dr. Chametzky has been invited to speak nationally and internationally
at various institutions, and his book Turks, Jews, and Other Germans was recently
published by MIT Press. It is the first book to approach the study of art in Germany
today from a multicultural perspective. His works are groundbreaking in his field
and have firmly established him as an influential figure in German art history.
Dr. Natalia Shustova
Professor Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Natalia Shustova is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences.
She is an internationally renowned researcher in the field of sustainable energy,
with 114 publications and a “highly cited” designation from the Royal Chemistry Society.
She is a past winner of the Sloan Research Award, Cottrell Scholar Award and Dreyfus
Teaching-Scholar Award, all of which are extremely competitive national recognitions.
Dr. Shustova researches nuclear waste management at Savannah River National Laboratory
and also explores solar energy as a clean energy alternative. She is equally dedicated
to outreach, facilitating the Women-in-Science Program, designed to bring together
initiatives that support African American women pursuing STEM professions in South
Carolina. Dr. Shustova has mentored more than 55 undergraduate students in research,
14 of whom are past Magellan Scholars.
Dr. Igor Roninson
Professor and Director of the COBRE Center for Targeted Therapeutics Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences College of Pharmacy
Dr. Igor Roninson is the director of the COBRE Center for Targeted Therapeutics and a professor of drug
discovery and biomedical sciences in the College of Pharmacy. He has been at USC since
2011 and is nationally and internationally renowned for his work on cancer treatment.
Dr. Roninson studies factors impacting cancer at the genetic level and is credited
with discovering an explanation underlying relapse in cancers that appear to respond
well to initial treatment. He is an extremely productive researcher, with 182 published
scientific articles and 48 U.S.-issued patents. Dr. Roninson is founder of Senex Biotechnology,
where his advanced prostate cancer drugs are undergoing clinical trials. His research
productivity and innovation have been crucial to building out drug development infrastructure
at the university, bolstering junior faculty recruitment efforts.
Dr. Jessica Barnes
Associate Professor Geography; Earth, Ocean and Environment College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Jessica Barnes is an associate professor in the Department of Geography and the School of the Earth,
Ocean and Environment in the College of Arts and Sciences. She has been with the university
since 2013 and is an interdisciplinary researcher who studies geography, environmental
anthropology and the Middle East. Specifically, her research explores intersections
between climate, water and food and is grounded in Egypt, where she has conducted
extensive ethnographic fieldwork following the Arab Spring. Dr. Barnes is a productive
researcher with a global reputation for her unique analyses and methodological flexibility
ranging from ethnography to rigorous secondary source analysis to systematic interviews.
Her work is cutting-edge in its field for its integration of widely studied topics
such as food and water with global issues including supply chain challenges, political
life and gender.
Dr. Anthony Plotner
Professor Educational and Developmental Science College of Education
Dr. Anthony Plotner is a professor of educational and developmental science in the College of Education.
He is a leading scholar in the field of special education. Dr. Plotner researches
critical topics including the experiences of college students with disabilities, implications
for inclusive postsecondary education programs, and the challenges and successes of
postsecondary transitional services. He is a prolific publisher with extensive external
funding totaling more than $8 million and is committed to making a tangible difference
in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through
his work. He founded Carolina LIFE (Learning is for Everyone) in 2008, offering a
postsecondary training program to improve employment and independent living outcomes
for individuals with disabilities. The program boasts a 100 percent graduation rate.
USC Columbia Other Awards
Dr. Jeffrey Turner
Senior Instructor and Undergraduate Advisor Philosophy College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Jeffrey Turner is a senior instructor and undergraduate advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences.
He began his career at the university as a philosophy instructor in 2006, but since
2012, he has also served as an academic advisor to his department. Dr. Turner’s approach
to advising emphasizes providing each student with a one-of-a-kind experience suited
to meeting their academic and professional needs. Thanks to his deep institutional
knowledge, he is a valuable resource to other advisors across the university. His
department is relatively small, with 60-80 majors, so Dr. Turner is also committed
to being available to students and colleagues. He has a goal of demystifying the academic
bulletin for his advisees and making curricular requirements accessible so that students
can feel confident in their understanding of their degree path.
Kate Blanton
Academic Advisor Office of Student Services College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management
Kate Blanton is an academic advisor and adjunct instructor in the College of Hospitality, Sport
and Retail Management. She has been at USC since 2016 and has built her advising philosophy
around being accessible to students and providing an open, efficient line of communication.
Blanton especially values creating opportunities to positively impact students’ college
experiences through fostering academic and professional growth. She regularly volunteers
around campus on committees, as an evaluator for HRSM professional development courses
and with campus move-in activities to increase her interaction with the Carolina community.
In her role as an instructor, Blanton has taken an innovative approach to teaching,
including a highly anticipated course — Life is Just a Classroom: Taylor’s Version
— she will be teaching in spring 2024.
Dr. Sanjay Ahire
Co-Director of Operations and Supply Chain Center, Michael J. Mungo Distinguished
Professor Management Science Darla Moore School of Business
Dr. Sanjay Ahire is a co-director of the Operations and Supply Chain Center as well as a Michael J.
Mungo Distinguished Professor of management science in the Darla Moore School of Business.
When he arrived at USC in 2006, he redesigned his department’s structure to create
a practice-based program that produces some of the most qualified management sciences
graduates in the country. Dr. Ahire seamlessly integrates teaching, research, and
service as a professor, and his students benefit from his use of experiential learning
to teach practical competencies as well as his commitment to life-long career mentoring.
He values high impact applied research in evaluation and application of operations
and supply chain management improvement techniques. He developed and leads the Operations
and Supply Chain Humanitarian Initiative, helping various local organization maximize
resource use to serve at-risk populations.
Dr. Qian Wang
Carolina Distinguished Professor, Department Chair Chemistry and Biochemistry College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Qian Wang is a Carolina Distinguished Professor and department chair of chemistry and biochemistry
in the College of Arts and Sciences. During his 20 years at USC, Dr. Wang has developed
a world-class research program in chemistry, biomaterials science and nanotechnology
that has received national and international recognition. He leads his field in studying
hierarchical assembly of proteins and nanoproteins, with more than 260 publications,
high citation rates and $12 million in external funding. Dr. Wang is passionate about
mentoring undergraduate researchers and has supervised over 90 graduate-level and
post-doctoral students. He also works to introduce young people to science research
at a young age, creating a summer camp for bionanotechnology at USC that hosts high
school and college students, in addition to his work as a science advisor at Dreher
High School.
Dr. Toni Torres-McGehee, Ph.D., SCAT, ATC
Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Graduate Athletic Training Program
Director and Associate Professor Exercise Science Arnold School of Public Health
Dr. Toni Torres-McGehee is the associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion; graduate athletic training
program director; and an associate professor in the Arnold School of Public Health.
She has demonstrated a high level of commitment to service throughout her 18 years
with the university. Dr. Torres-McGehee mentored and chaired research for 6 doctoral
students, 82 master’s students and 25 undergraduate students and has served on committees
for 14 dissertations and 34 master’s projects. As director of the athletic training
clinical outreach service program, she helps provide training services to eight counties
in South Carolina and secure diverse clinical experiences for students. Throughout
her five years as associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion, she has helped
foster a culture of equity and inclusion at the Arnold School of Public Health through
educational opportunities and programming.
Comprehensive Universities and Palmetto College Awards
Dr. Cindy Lahar
Professor, Program Coordinator Psychology USC Beaufort
Dr. Cindy Lahar is a professor and program coordinator of psychology at USC Beaufort.
Dr. Lahar is a highly effective and impactful professor who prioritizes advising and
mentorship, with 76 active undergraduate mentees last year. She played a key role
in re-envisioning the psychology program, growing the full-time psychology faculty
from three to six members, and she played a pivotal role in making the program the
fastest-growing major at USCB and third-largest major at the institution. Beyond her
impact on her own students, Dr. Lahar mentors junior faculty within her program and
recently served as director of research at USCB, leading the institution to its highest
level of sponsored awards funding in its history.
Dr. David Dangerfield
Associate Professor History USC Salkehatchie
Dr. David Dangerfield is an associate professor of history at USC Salkehatchie who
is actively involved in service to his campus, university system, community and discipline.
Dr. Dangerfield contributes to several committees, including tenure and promotion,
Palmetto College Faculty Senate Executive Committee and the Palmetto College Provost’s
Academic Advisory Committee. He engages in public-facing work through lectures and
forums and has been part of community outreach efforts on citizen advisory committees
for the city of Barnwell, where his input guides decisions on distribution of federal
funds for community development programs. Dr. Dangerfield is a volunteer consultant
for the South Carolina State Museum and Allendale County SC250 Committee, where he
supports historical research and interpretation initiatives. Within the broader history
field, he contributes to the EC Foundation Board of Directors, supporting higher education
and alumni engagement.
Dr. Dana Lawrence
Professor English USC Lancaster
Dr. Dana Lawrence is an associate professor of English and former Director of the
Academic Success Center at USC Lancaster. She emphasizes unique and dynamic course
design that features ongoing feedback, multimodal assignments including creation and
analysis of fairy tale illustrations, and holistic grading based on student growth
and accountability. Dr. Lawrence actively advises and mentors her students, facilitating
independent research projects. She accompanied a student who was presenting work at
the Children’s Literature Association Conference and assisted in helping the student
expand her paper for journal submission. Dr. Lawrence engages in continuous professional
development, such as participating in workshops on metacognition, to improve her teaching
strategies and student learning outcomes.
Dr. Justin Mogilski
Associate Professor Psychology USC Salkehatchie
Dr. Justin Mogilski is an associate professor of evolutionary psychology at USC Salkehatchie.
He teaches introductory and advanced courses in psychology on both campuses. Dr. Mogilski
has published in a number of highly ranked journals, with peer-reviewed research that
examines conflict resolution within consensually non-monogamous romantic relationships
(polyamory, open relationships, swinging), how evolution has shaped moral decision-making
about conduct in social and personal relationships, and individual differences in
predatory intimate relationship behaviors. He currently leads an international team
of evolutionary, sexuality, and relationship scientists studying relationship maintenance
strategies for consensual non-monogamous partnerships.
Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.
