Our Faculty
Faculty Members
The department of history, political science, philosophy & American studies boasts a faculty of outstanding scholars with a wide range of research and teaching interests. Learn more about the faculty members who teach in the following academic areas:
History Faculty
Nicholas Gaffney
Director, Center for African American Studies
Assistant Professor
U.S. History
B.A. Morehouse College
M.A. Ohio State University
Ph.D. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Paul Grady
Professor
Early Colonial America, Spanish American
Borderlands, Atlantic World, South Carolina
B.A. Tennessee Tech University
M.A. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Ph.D. College of William and Mary
Carmen Harris
Professor
U.S. History, Southern, Agriculture,
African-American, South and Latin America
B.S., M.A. Clemson University
Ph.D. Michigan State University
Rob McCormick
Professor
Modern Europe, War Criminality,
Eastern Europe
B.A. Wake Forest University
M.A. University of South Carolina
Ph.D. University of South Carolina
Tammy Pike
Senior Instructor
World War II, Oral History, Women's History
B.A. University of South Carolina Upstate
M.A. University of South Carolina
Nicole Richardson
Associate Professor
Modern China, East Asia, Women's History,
Gender and Medicine
B.A. University of Puget Sound
M.A., Ph.D. University of California, Davis
Adjunct History Faculty
Kevin Krause
Populist & Progressive Eras, South Carolina
B.A. University of South Carolina Upstate
M.A. Clemson University
Ph.D. University of Georgia
Lori Whitmire
Modern U.S. History
Southern U.S. History
Military History
Women's History
B.A., M.A., History, University of Kentucky
ABD, History, University of Kentucky
Political Science Faculty
Allison Ellis
Professor
American Government, Presidency, Political Behavior
B.A. University of South Florida
M.A., Ph.D., University of Florida
Matthew Placek
Associate Professor
Comparative Politics, Democratization and Comparative Political Behavior
B.A. University of South Alabama
M.A., Ph.D. University of Mississippi
Trevor Rubenzer
Chair of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and American Studies
Professor
International Relations, Foreign Policy
B.A. University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
M.A. University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
Adjunct Political Science Faculty
John Bies
Latin American Politics, International Relations
B.S. State University of New York Buffalo
M.S. State University of New York Buffalo
M.A. University of Memphis
Ph.D. University of Missouri
Philosophy Faculty
Ben McCraw
Instructor
Philosophy of Religion, Epistemology
B.A. Wofford College
Ph.D. University of Georgia
American Studies Faculty
Andrew Myers
Professor
U.S. South, Military-Social Relations
B.A. Davidson College
M.A. University of Virginia
Ph.D. University of Virginia
Adjunct Religion Faculty
Yossi Liebowitz
Hebrew Literature, Interfaith Relations,
Judaica, Film Studies, Folk Music
B.A. California State University Northridge
M.A.H.L. Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion
D.D. Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion
Kirk Neely
Christian Spirituality, Theology
B.A. Furman University
M.Div. Southern Theological Seminary
D.Min. Southern Theological Seminary
Post-doctoral Merrill Fellow, Harvard Divinity School
Dennis Teall-Fleming
Comparative Religion, Biblical Literature,
Contemporary U.S. Religion
B.A. Xavier University
M.Div. Emory University