Posted September 6, 2018
As the semester begins, new faces are filling the halls. Many belong to awe-inspired, first-year students witnessing all this college has to offer. Others belong to our new faculty.
Please join me in welcoming nine new faculty. With bold ideas, diverse experiences and creative thinking, these individuals help us continue to offer high-quality education.
Let me briefly introduce them:
School of Library and Information Science
- Valerie Byrd Fort joins us as an instructor. She makes an impact in the classroom but will also have an impact coordinating Cocky’s Reading Express, our literacy outreach program.
- Dr. Jenna Spiering joins us as a new assistant professor, recently earning her doctorate at the University of Iowa. She believes in challenging traditional texts by introducing voices and writings that students find unfamiliar.
- Dr. Kim Thompson is an associate professor joining us from Charles Sturt University in Australia. Kim is an accomplished teacher and respected scholar.
School of Journalism and Mass Communications
- Nina Brook is a new instructor. She brings a wealth of professional experience both in the newsroom and the classroom.
- Dr. Mary Anne Fitzpatrick joins us as a professor. Mary Anne is a seasoned administrator in higher education with a reputation as a top-notch scholar. She plans to teach courses in the areas of health and media effects.
- Dr. Sabrina Habib is an assistant professor. Her research focuses on the creative process and communicating complex scientific information. Sabrina’s teaching focuses on socially responsive understanding of communication.
- Dr. Jungmi Jun joins us an assistant professor. Inside the classroom, she focuses not just on sharing knowledge but also on developing well-rounded, culturally informed students.
- Michelle LaRoche is our new Baldwin Chair in Business and Financial Journalism. She has over 22 years of experience with Dow Jones and recently earned her master’s in education from Harvard. Michelle will be teaching students how to cover business. She’ll also be building a program to bring attention to our initiative in business communication.
- Kirsten Pellizzaro joins us from Arizona State University where she is completing her doctorate. Kirsten will utilize her professional experience and education to train broadcast journalism students.
There is much more to share about these new faculty members. We’re excited to have them join the team. I look forward to seeing all the great things our faculty, both new and experienced, will accomplish this year to take us to the next level.
Go Gamecocks!
Tom Reichert