Matthew Zhou
Matthew embraced his love for writing and majored in English. It's a different path than many of his peers, but it is taking him where he wants to go. That, to him, is part of diversity: letting people be themselves.
What makes us diverse?
Each person in the College of Arts and Sciences brings a unique perspective or life experience. As our life stories intersect in the classroom and elsewhere on campus, we learn from each other.
Our video series I am the College of Arts and Sciences highlights some of the diversity within the college. As you watch or listen, think about what makes you unique.
Nicole White
When a South Carolina graduate became her mentor, Nicole saw how she could use psychology to help other people improve their lives. She followed in her mentor's footsteps. At UofSC, she found community not only in her doctoral program, but also in the Black Graduate Student Association.
Luke Rankin
At one time, Luke thought UofSC would be too close to home. But when he stepped foot on the horseshoe, he fell in love with campus for himself. He joined student government and became president. He had three internships. And he was able to learn from a diverse group of friends who gave him a new perspective.
Shayn Green
Shayn focused on studio art in high school, but in college she discovered UofSC's media arts major, which allowed her to expand her skillset with a focus on illustration and animation. She says McMaster College, home to the School of Visual Art and Design, was a welcoming place where creative students thrive together.
Paula Vasquez
Paula Vasquez was a first-generation college student. Now that she's a mathematics professor, she tries to help first-generation students learn to navigate the college experience in STEM fields.
Jessica Frankle
Jessica was a musician and a scientist. She didn't want to pick just one. Fortunately, she didn't have to. Her mentors helped her thrive in the arts and sciences. Now a master's student in geology, she shares how she contributes her artistic perspective to a scientific team, as well as how learning new perspectives on her team enriches life.
Xuhong Su
Political Science professor Xuhong Su gives back in every way that she can by being a champion and mentor for her students. To her, diversity means working together to make society more inclusive for everyone.
McKenna Simmons
McKenna Simmons majored in psychology because she wants a career where she can help people. But it ended up being a great way to find friends.
The #IamCAS team
This project is more than two years in the making. We thank the following individuals for their roles.
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
2018-2019 co-chair, Student Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement subcommittee
College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee.
Rachel Shomaker is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biological Sciences and is pursuing her degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Her research examines the diversity and plasticity by which aquatic unicellular eukaryotes acquire and make use of different types of resources, and she received a 2018 SPARC grant from the Office of the Vice President for Research at USC for this work. Rachel’s greatest passion lies in her classroom and with her teaching, and she is constantly working to create the most inclusive, supportive, and engaging environment for her students to learn and grow in. She was an active participate in the design of the “I am CAS” project and served as the Co-Chair of the Student Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement subcommittee of the CAS Diversity committee for the 2019-2022 academic year. When she is not thinking about microorganisms and working on expanding her teaching repertoire, she can likely be found collecting houseplants, writing poetry, and snuggling with her two sweet feline companions, Mika and Holo.
2019-2020 co-chair, Student Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement subcommittee
College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee
2019-2020 co-chair, Student Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement subcommittee
College of Arts and Sciences Diversity Committee
Matthew Greenwold graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2006 with a BS in Biological Sciences and 2011 with a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences. His research interests vary from the evolution of bird feathers to the evolution of photosynthesis in algae. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Tyler in the Biology Department.
Project Consultant
Sherard “Shekeese” Duvall is a film and messaging professional from Columbia, South Carolina. He specializes in visual storytelling, film education, media strategy, diversity consulting and is an advocate of Hip-Hop culture. He is an accomplished editor, director, and producer for commercial and documentary projects for VH1, Discovery Channel, ESPN, Justice 360 and many more. His unique skill set has been gained from a wide variety of directorial, managerial and technical skills in marketing, strategic planning, market research, project development, finance and operations. A 2001 University of South Carolina (Media Arts) graduate, he is currently owner and executive producer at OTR Media Group.
Thulani Makena is a 2019 graduate of the University of South Carolina. He studied Media Arts with a focus on Animation and Printmaking. Thulani worked on the production, graphic design, and post-production teams on the IAMCAS project. He would like to create media for LGBTQIAP+ and Brown/POC children and is currently working as an independent freelancer in comics and animation.
Autumn Smith is a 2019 graduate of the University of South Carolina. She majored in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in Media Arts. Autumn worked as this projects photographer and video editor. She is currently working as the Communications Strategist at The South Carolina Education Association and looks forward to developing her career as a photographer and content creator!
Shayn Green is a 2019 graduate of the University of South Carolina. She studied Media Arts with a focus in animation and Studio Art with a focus in illustration. She worked on the production, post-production, and graphic design teams of the IAMCAS project. She would like to illustrate children's literature along with continuing to publish books of her own. She is currently working on her second self-published poetry book.
Timellia Johnson is a 2019 graduate of the University of South Carolina. She studied media arts with a focus in graphic design. Timellia worked with the team on the production and the graphic design of the IAMCAS project. She plans to further study media and production along with a newfound interest in marketing.
Nakil Tolliver is a senior at the University of South Carolina. He is currently a Media Arts major. Nakil worked on the production, and graphic design teams on the IAMCAS project. He would like to further study and reflect the relationship between new media and local community.
Jordan Mullen is a 2019 graduate of media arts from the University of South Carolina. She does a range of media work, mainly focusing on animation and cinematography. She worked on the animation, motion graphics, text, and cinematography, as well as filling in where necessary on the IAMCAS project.
Final post-production editing and rollout
Director of Communications, College of Arts and Sciences