Dr. Vanessa Nelson-Reed
Dr. Vanessa Nelson-Reed has served as an Instructor of Record for the University of South Carolina Grant Writing Certificate Program since 2011. Since that time, over1500 individuals from all over the country have received grant writing certification to pursue various areas for grant writing. Since 2024, Dr. Reed has conducted proposal writing development services full-time in USC's Carolina Grants and Innovation Hub. As the Director for Proposal Development, Vanessa Nelson-Reed supports university faculty by offering research development services as they prepare for submission. She and her staff of grant writers assist with the comprehensive and enhanced research development services for the Carolina Grants and Innovation Hub.
Before this role, Reed served as Director of Federal Programs for Colleton County School District in Walterboro, South Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of South Carolina, her master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Virginia Tech and her Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership Studies from Capella University."
Chris Segars
Chris Segars has more than 30 years’ experience from a myriad of roles, capacities, and industries throughout her career. At the University of South Carolina, Chris serves as a Director of Development in the Corporate & Foundation Relations Department. In this role, she acts as a liaison between the University and foundations and corporations with a philanthropic mission. She identifies, cultivates, and solicits prospective corporate and foundation donors; provides stewardship for assigned donors; and assists in managing the prospect portfolio information.
Since joining USC in December 2019, she’s helped secure more than $7 million in funding. Prior to coming to USC, she worked as the Grant Administrator for the City of Columbia for almost 11 years. While at the City—and acting as a one-person department—Chris garnered almost $32 million in grant funding, specializing in large competitive federal, state, and private/foundation solicitations. In addition, Chris has been a freelance writer for her company, More Than Just Words, for more than 25 years, specializing in creating training, technical, fundraising, and marketing materials and content.
Chris possesses her GPC certification, one of only 10 credentialed grant professionals in South Carolina, and maintains an active membership in both the national and SC chapters of the Grants Professional Association. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Francis Marion University, where she received her BA degree.
Dr. Teresa Dillard
Dr. Teresa Dillard spent 45 years with the State of South Carolina as an educator in Spartanburg School District 5 and as an Education Associate at the South Carolina Department of Education in Columbia. She also has over 30 years of experience in grant writing and analysis. In addition, Dr. Dillard has degrees in education, management, and business. Her expertise is extensive, focusing on areas such as PreK - grade 12 educational and adult structures and related learning strategies, school reform initiatives, state and federal accountability, curriculum and instruction, business education, management, literacy, adult learning, business strategies, and grant writing and analysis. One of her favorite aspects of being an educator is collaboration with learners of all ages to ensure they are successful in their endeavors.