The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences welcomed 18 new faculty members across six departments this year, who will help the college continue to achieve its mission of building people and communities. Some of these faculty were previously part-time in the college, and the college is excited to have expanded their roles to a full-time capacity for an even greater impact on its mission.
Meet the faculty members by school/department:
Department of Communication
Jordan Morehouse, Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication
Education: Bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Ouachita Baptist University; master’s degree in mass communication from the University of Houston; doctorate in mass communication from the University of North Carolina
Previous Work Experience: Social media strategist at The Company of Others and social media director at Local Houston magazine
Research Interests: Strategic communication, public relations, advertising, non-profit organizations, religious communication
Victoria Skye Wingate, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in human development from the University of Alabama; master’s degree in general/experimental psychology with a concentration in social psychology from Morehead State University; doctorate in communication from the University of California, Davis
Previous Work Experience: Teaching assistant at all three above institutions, and research assistant at Morehead State University and University of California, Davis
Research Interests: Bullying, communication, mediated communication, interpersonal processes, mental health
Virginia Harrison, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and doctorate from Penn State University
Previous Work Experience: Assistant director of development at Penn State Brandywine; manager for individual and corporate stewardship at the Mural Arts Philadelphia; public relations specialist at Penn State University
Research Interests: Non-profits, donor relations, relationship management, sports PR, sports fan relationships
Brandon Boatwright, Assistant Professor and Director of the Social Media Listening Center
Education: Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Clemson University; doctorate from University of Tennessee
Previous Work Experience: Lecturer in the Department of Communication for four years before pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee
Research Interests: Intersection of social media analytics, influence, and social issues in sport; role of online opinion leaders in conversations related to social justice issues in the context of sports
Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
Aby Sene-Harper, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in sustainable development from Warren Wilson College; master’s degree in international tourism management from University of South Carolina; doctorate in recreation, park and tourism sciences from Texas A&M University
Previous Work Experience: Post-doctoral researcher at North Carolina State University; Pathway Postdoctoral Fellow at Clemson University
Research Interests: Park and conservation area management; strategy and policy development engaging historically marginalized communities in the protection and management of cultural and natural resources in U.S. and Sub-Saharan Africa parks and protected areas
Department of Psychology
Dawn Sarno, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Bridgewater State University; master’s degree in applied experimental human factors psychology and doctorate in human factors and cognitive psychology from the University of Central Florida
Previous Work Experience: Graduate research assistant at the University of Central Florida; adjunct lecturer at Valencia College
Research Interests: Applied visual cognition, working memory, training, cybersecurity, 3D and performance, training
Dustin Souders, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s degree in cognitive psychology and doctorate in cognitive psychology from Florida State University (FSU)
Previous Work Experience: Graduate research assistant at FSU; interdisciplinary post-doc (civil engineering and political science) with the Purdue Policy Research Institute; and Nextrans Lab studying issues around autonomous vehicle policy
Research Interests: Aging, transportation, and technology acceptance and use; how advanced vehicle technologies can help older adults maintain their community mobility
William Volante, Lecturer
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s degree in applied experimental human factors psychology and doctorate in human factors and cognitive psychology from the University of Central Florida (UCF)
Previous Work Experience: Instructor at UCF, adjunct faculty at Valencia College
Research Interests: Human-robot interaction, social influence, trust and automation
Lesley Ross, Associate Professor and SmartLIFE Endowed Chair in Aging and Cognition
Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology and French and master’s degree in secondary education from University of Montevallo; master’s degree and doctorate in lifespan development psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Previous Work Experience: Associate professor of human development and family studies at Penn State University and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Research Interests: Maintaining independence, mobility, cognition and health of older adults; cognitive aging and assessment; everyday functioning; mobility outcomes including driving and falls; longitudinal design and analysis; brain health
Click here to learn more about her new role.
Department of Public Health Sciences
Sarah Floyd, Clinical Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in health promotion and behavior and master of public health degree from the University of Georgia; doctorate in health services research from the University of Florida
Previous Work Experience: Post-doc and research assistant professor at the University of South Carolina
Research Interests: Treatment effectiveness, practice-based evidence, health care quality and outcomes
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice
Shelia Cotten, Associate Vice President for Research Development, Office of Research Development; Provost’s Distinguished Professor; and Professor with a joint appointment in the Department of Communication
Education: Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wake Forest University; graduate work, including a doctorate in sociology, at North Carolina State University; post-doctoral fellowship at Boston University School of Public Health and the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts.
Previous Work Experience: Michigan State University (MSU) Foundation Professor and associate chair for research in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State; director of the Sparrow/MSU Center for Innovation and Research
Research Interests: Social, educational, health and workforce impact of technology use
Read more about her role here.
Tom Maher, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in sociology and history; master’s degree and doctorate in sociology from the Ohio State University; post-doc at the University of Arizona working on youth activism
Previous Work Experience: Lecturer at Purdue University and post-doc at the University of Arizona
Research Interests: Social movements, political sociology, and organizations
David M. Markus, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree and doctorate in anthropology from the University of Florida; master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Arkansas
Previous Work Experience: Lecturer in anthropology at Clemson University; adjunct lecturer in communication and graduate instructor in communication and anthropology at the University of Florida; graduate instructor in anthropology at the University of Arkansas
Research Interests: Historical archaeology, diaspora studies, material culture
Kyle McLean, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Appalachian State University; master’s degree and doctorate in criminology and criminal justice from the University of South Carolina
Previous Work Experience: Assistant professor at Florida State University
Research Interests: Policing, criminological theory, social psychology
School of Nursing
Luigi Boccuto, Lecturer
Education: Medical degree and specialization degree in medical genetics from Catholic University of Sacred Hearth in Rome, Italy
Previous/Current Work Experience: Internal resident at the Institute of Medical Genetics of the Catholic University of Sacred Hearth, Rome, Italy; research scholar, staff scientist, and assistant research scientist at the Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, South Carolina; clinical assistant professor at the Clemson University School of Health Research; chief scientific officer at STALICLA, SA, Geneva, Switzerland; research assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine; medical collaborator and geneticist consultant at Dante Labs SRL, L’Aquila, Italy
Research Interests: Autism spectrum disorder and related conditions, particularly Phelan-McDermid syndrome; overgrowth and cancer pathways; metabolic disorders.
Taylor O’Neal, Lecturer
Education: Bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing from Clemson University
Previous Work Experience: Registered nurse at the neuro trauma ICU and interim sepsis coordinator at Prisma Health
Research Interests: ICU delirium, mental health in stroke patients, nursing student/new graduate nurse mental health
Melinda Jenkins, Lecturer
Education: Bachelor’s degree in nursing and doctor of nursing practice from Clemson University; master’s degree in nursing from Emory University
Previous Work Experience: Nurse practitioner, most recently as an advanced heart failure nurse practitioner in Athens, Georgia
Research interests: Chronic disease management, palliative care/end of life issues, interprofessional communication, healthcare team building
Nancy Kate Durham, Assistant Professor
Education: Bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Appalachian State University; bachelor’s degree in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia; master’s degree in nursing from Clemson University; and doctor of nursing practice from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Previous Work Experience: CEO, principal investigator and sub-investigator of Mountain View Clinical Research in Greer, South Carolina; nurse practitioner and director of diabetes clinic at the North Hills Medical Center in Greenville, South Carolina; medical science liaison for Sanofi Pharmaceutical; medical science liaison for Abbott Diabetes Care in Inman, South Carolina; and volunteer at Taylors’ Free Medical Clinic in Taylors, South Carolina
Research Interests: Diabetes and pre-diabetes
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