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 
Assistant 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

Scott Harris
Assistant Professor
American Politics, Judicial Politics, Political Theory
B.A. George Washington University
J.D. George Mason University School of Law
M.A., Ph.D. West Virginia University

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 

Jim Griffis
Associate Professor
Ancient Philosophy, Game Theory, Rationality
B.A. Wabash College
Ph.D. State University of New York at Buffalo

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