Administration

The Honorable J. Derham Cole, Jr. has been selected to serve as interim chancellor while a national search is conducted for USC Upstate’s next chancellor.

Dr. David Schecter is the provost and senior vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at USC Upstate. He comes to Upstate after nearly 20 years in the California State University system, most recently as vice provost at California State University – Bakersfield (CSUB).

Daniel Feig was introduced as the director of Athletics and Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics at USC Upstate on May 29, 2018.

Kim Jolley is interim vice chancellor for University Advancement and interim executive director for USC Upstate Foundations. She comes to Upstate from SunTrust, where she served for 11 years as city president and commercial relationship officer in Spartanburg.

Dr. Robert Britton “Brit” Katz is interim vice chancellor of Student Affairs and dean of students at USC Upstate. He comes to Upstate with more than 30 years of higher education experience, including 16 years at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was vice-president and senior dean for Student Life and assistant professor of education.

She has almost 30 years of experience in admissions and enrollment services. She is a USC Upstate graduate and has completed the Harvard Admissions Leadership Program and certification in enrollment management.

Sheryl Turner-Watts is the chief financial and operations officer and vice chancellor for finance and administration/Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) for athletics and her responsibilities include all facets of the budget planning process and ensuring the design, implementation and maintenance of systems of control/compliance to ensure the integrity of the financial and fiscal operations.

As Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, Alphonso Atkins Jr. serves as the Chief Diversity Officer and EO/Title IX Coordinator for USC Upstate.

Jessica Blais oversees all communications and marketing initiatives as part of the University Advancement division, and serves as a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet.

Adam Long serves as the Chief Information Officer at USC Upstate. Long previously served as USC Upstate’s director of institutional research and business intelligence where he led a professional staff with comprehensive responsibility for institutional research, data and reporting administration, and enterprise applications. 

Stacey Mills graduated from USC Upstate in 2003. In 2016, he became executive director of USC Upstate’s Greenville Campus. The Spartanburg County native taught at Woodmont High School in Piedmont, S.C., from 2004 to 2009 before returning to his alma mater as the assistant director of student life. In 2015, he became interim executive director of USC Upstate’s Greenville Campus.

Dr. Kim Purdy is assistant vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and dean of University College. University College is USC Upstate’s home for its academic support services and special academic programs, including the Student Success Centre, Honors Program, Centre for International Studies and others. 

Dr. Khrystal Smith was named interim dean of students at USC Upstate in January 2019. Since 2015, she has served as the university’s assistant dean of students and director of student life where she oversees several programs.

Dr. Pamela Steinke serves as Vice Provost and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and SACSCOC Institutional Liaison.