
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
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Produced by the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, “Speaking of... College of Charleston” features conversations with faculty, students, staff, alumni and supporters who bring prestige and positive recognition to the university across a wide array of academic endeavors, professional interests and creative passions.
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"Teachable Moments," a Minute of Education for Students and Parents
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
07/15/24 • 20 min
On this episode of Speaking Of...College of Charleston we talk to Dr. Rénard Harris, associate professor of management in the School of Business. Dr. Harris is the host of Teachable Moments, a radio program about education topics for parents and students on South Carolina Public Radio.
Teachable Moments airs every Friday at 6:44 a.m., 8:44 a.m., 1:33 p.m., and 4:48 p.m., but you can listen any time on South Carolina Public Radio.org or today.charleston.edu/podcast.
Launched in April 2024, Teachable Moments covers topics that range from cell phones in the classroom to getting ready for college to teacher shortages. This is a great partnership between the College of Charleston and South Carolina Public Radio for many reasons, one of which is the opportunity to showcase the expertise of our faculty to the 315,000 weekly listeners across the state.
“The College of Charleston is proud to partner with S.C. Public Radio on educational content that will inform and, maybe, even entertain its listeners,” says President Andrew Hsu. “Professor Harris is a gifted teacher-scholar and he can pack a lot in only a minute of instruction!”
Dr. Harris says he loves hosting Teachable Moments because each episode is a conversation with the wider community. “It’s not about high-end research. Nobody’s going to get tested on it, nobody’s going to fail, we’re just having a conversation in the studio,” he says. “It’s a teachable moment that hopefully inspires listeners to talk about with their neighbor, family and community and hopefully those discussions will make those spaces better.”
Sean Birch, director of South Carolina public radio, says Teachable Moments aligns with their mission to keep South Carolinians informed and connected to the world around them in a way that’s entertaining and accessible.
“Dr. Harris’ energy and positivity – not to mention the tasty licks of his harmonica – are a natural fit for our public radio style. We are proud to partner with the whole College of Charleston team and look forward to growing our shared efforts in the future.”
Featured on this episode:
Dr. Rénard Harris is an Associate Professor of Management in the School of Business at the College of Charleston. He holds an Ed.D in teacher education. Since his time at the College of Charleston and several years prior, he has explored multicultural education, diversity, equity and inclusion, storytelling, cultural relevance and leadership. He is often called upon to serve as a keynote speaker, inclusion facilitator and consultant for businesses and educational institutions.
Resources from this episode:
· S.C. Public Radio and the College of Charleston launches “Teachable Moments”
· Rénard Harris Celebrates International Blues Day on Harmonica

Inside The College of Charleston- Paul Schwager, Dean of the School of Business
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
03/29/23 • 11 min
Paul Schwager, dean of the School of Business, talks about program growth in the School of Business, partnerships with local and regional businesses, student internships and more. The host is Mike Robertson from University Communications.

Demystifying College Applications, Tips from Jimmie Foster, VP of Enrollment Planning
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
07/25/24 • 18 min
On this episode of Speaking of...College at Charleston, we talk about the college admission process with Jimmie Foster, Vice President of Enrollment Planning at the College. The conversation covers various aspects of preparing for college, from when to start thinking about applying to understanding the importance of grades, extracurricular activities and campus visits. Foster addresses common misconceptions about college admissions, the reduced significance of standardized tests like the SAT and the holistic review process adopted by many colleges. Foster offers advice for parents on supporting their children and emphasizing the importance of finding the right fit financially, academically and socially.
Foster’s take away advice is that campus tours give students the opportunity to preform a bench Test. “Every student should have that moment where they can sit down for just five minutes by themselves on a bench somewhere on that campus and just watch and get that feel of campus to know if they can see themselves here.”
Featured on this Episode:
Jimmie Foster Jr. is vice president of enrollment planning as of May 2023. In this role, Foster leads the Division of Enrollment Planning, made up of the Office of Admissions, the Visitor Center, the Office of Financial Assistance and Veterans Affairs and the Office of Enrollment Information.
Foster returns to this position at the College of Charleston after spending three years as vice president of enrollment management at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Foster's experience at the College spans more than a decade where he held several roles including vice president of enrollment planning and director of first-year student admissions. Foster also served as dean of admissions and orientation at Northeastern University in Boston. He began his career in admissions at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Before moving into higher education, Foster worked on national political campaigns, including time on a U.S. Presidential campaign. He has been a presenter at national professional development conferences including NACAC, ACT/NRCCUA and Ruffalo Noel Levitz.
Foster has enjoyed being a part of the College's First Year Abroad Experiences where he has been involved with the UK Soccer Experience course since its inception in 2012. Foster is passionate about English football and enjoys having the opportunity to work directly with first-year students by co-presenting the eight-week long seminar that culminates in leading study-abroad experiences to the United Kingdom based on the theme of the sociology, history and economics of soccer.
Resources from this Episode:
- Admissions website: https://charleston.edu/admission/index.php
- CofC Quick Facts: https://charleston.edu/admission/rankings-accolades/quick-facts.php
- How to apply: https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/index.php
- College at a glance: https://charleston.edu/about/college-at-a-glance.php
Office of Admissions Hours
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Phone
843.953.5670
Email
Office of Admissions
[email protected]
International Students
[email protected]

Telling Stories of the Traumatic Afterlife of Lynching
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
05/31/23 • 38 min
Mari Crabtree, associate professor of African American Studies at the College, joins us on this episode of Speaking Of... to talk about her latest publication, My Soul Is a Witness: The Traumatic Afterlife of Lynching.
The book, which was published by Yale University Press, provides an intimate look at the aftermath of lynching as seen through the personal accounts of Black victims and survivors who lived through and overcame the trauma. Crabtree speaks with Matthew J. Cressler, associate professor of religious studies at the College, about her research.
“I wanted my book, to be kind of resting on the foundation of that work (from the Equal Justice Initiative), and focus on stories of individual people, because those lives are the reason the numbers matter, ultimately and that was something I didn’t want to lose,” says Crabtree. “So that’s why I wanted to invite the reader into these particular communities, and kind of weave these communities, these stories, these families into the book. (...) I wanted people to feel the full weight, or as much of the weight as they could carry, of the personal side of these of these lynchings.”
Featured on this Episode:
Mari N. Crabtree is a writer and an associate professor of African American Studies at the College of Charleston. Her research seeks to excavate Black life beyond the binary of suffering or resistance by exploring how culture provides a lens for understanding the struggle for Black liberation but also Black ingenuity, joy, and love. Her book, My Soul Is a Witness: The Traumatic Afterlife of Lynching, was published in 2022 by Yale University Press as part of the New Directions in Narrative History series. She also has published essays in Raritan: A Quarterly Review, Rethinking History, Contemporaries, Chronicle of Higher Education, and elsewhere.
Matthew J. Cressler is associate professor of religious studies at the College of Charleston. He is the author of Authentically Black and Truly Catholic: The Rise of Black Catholicism in the Great Migrations (NYU Press, 2017) and has written for America, The Atlantic, National Catholic Reporter, Religion News Service, The Revealer, Slate, U.S. Catholic, andZocalo Public Square. He is a member of the Charleston Area Justice Ministry, a grassroots coalition of more than thirty congregations coming together to make the Lowcountry a place that is just and equitable for all.
Resources:
My Soul Is a Witness: The Traumatic Afterlife of Lynching (Yale University Press, 2022)
Review in The New Republic of My Soul Is a Witness:
James Baldwin’s collected essays, The Price of the Ticket

CofC’s Indiana Jones talks about his sea monster discovery and other paleontological treasures
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
12/06/22 • 17 min
Scott Persons, College of Charleston assistant professor of geology and curator of the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History, and a team of researchers generated a lot of excitement when they discovered the Serpentisuchops (sur-pen-ta-soo-kops), a previously unknown prehistoric marine reptile in 2022.
Persons knew he wanted to be a paleontologist from the time he was two and a half years old. To test his determination, Persons’ parents lied about his age (he was 12 years old) to enroll him in a dinosaur hunting exhibition in Wyoming’s Glenrock Badlands.
“My parents were very concerned about this career path I’d chosen,” explains Persons. “They thought, we'll send him to this camp, throw him into the deep end in the hot Wyoming sun with a shovel and pickaxe for a couple of weeks, and we'll see if he still wants to stick with it. And as it happened, I fell in love with the work and the environment.”
Since that initial expedition, Persons has returned to the Badlands without exception every single summer. Now, CofC students join him on a fossil expedition at the College’s Paleontology Field School in Glenrock. After listening to Persons on this Speaking Of ... podcast episode, you’ll be eager to hop on a plane and head to the Badlands.
Featured in this Episode
W. Scott Persons grew up on a rural farm in the mountains of North Carolina. He first became a “dino-maniac“ at the age of two-and-a-half when his father bought him his first dinosaur book. Since then, he has joined fossil hunting expeditions in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert; the volcanic ash beds of Liaoning, China; Africa’s Olduvai Gorge and throughout the American and Canadian West. Persons has had the honor of studying and working under his two biggest childhood heroes -- world-renowned paleontologists Robert Bakker and Philip Currie. His research focuses on understanding dinosaur ecology and the evolution of dinosaur locomotion. His work has been featured on the National Geographic and Discovery channels and in the Smithsonian and Discover magazines. In addition to his role as assistant professor, Persons serves as curator of the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History. So far, Persons has “hunted for fossils and eaten pizza on six continents.’
Resources
CofC Paleontologists Uncover Strange New Prehistoric Sea Monster
No Bones About It: CofC’s Paleontology Field School is Way Cool
CofC Professor, Alum Help Identify New Species of ‘Tyrannosaurus’
Personal Website: http://scottpersons.org/
Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences at CofC

The Frightening History of Witchcraft and Sleep Disorders
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
10/11/22 • 24 min
In this episode we speak with CofC junior Francesca Gibson and Jason Coy, chair of the History Department, about the experience of bewitchment in the 15 and 1600s. Funded by a Summer Undergraduate Research with Faculty (SURF) grant, Gibson and Coy explored a time in history when people believed in and feared witchcraft. Their research closely examined this fascinating period of time through the lens of history and psychology. A time when someone, usually a woman, could be accused of witchery based on the testimony of a member of the community and then sentenced to death. Digging deep into a treasure trove of archived sources like court testimonies, the research reveals the power of the mind to cause sleep disorders, nighttime terrors and physical pain.

Celebrating 15 Years of the Bully Pulpit
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
11/20/23 • 19 min
On October 3rd, 2007, the College of Charleston started a brand new political communication lecture series called the Bully Pulpit Series. The goal was to have national politicians who were running for president come to the College and speak to students about politics and how they planned to communicate to the public if they were elected President of the United States. Over the last 15 years, 32 politicians have participated in the series. The events have ranged from very small, intimate gatherings to huge events attracting thousands of people. Some of the more memorable candidates include then Senator John McCain, former president Barack Obama, president Joe Biden and Stephen Colbert, who was the host of the Comedy Central program, The Colbert Report at the time, and his "ROCK ME LIKE A HERMAN CAIN" Primary Rally in Cistern Yard.
Featured on this Episode:
H. Gibbs Knotts was appointed the dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in October 2020. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is comprised of the following academic departments: communication, English, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies and sociology and anthropology.
Before assuming the role of dean, Knotts served as the department chair of the College's Department of Political Science from 2012 to 2019. In the area of political science, he teaches undergraduate courses in American politics and graduate courses in the public administration program.
Knotts has published works on political participation, Southern politics, public administration and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Articles have appeared in a variety of outlets including the Journal of Politics, Public Administration Review, Political Research Quarterly, The American Review of Public Administration, State Politics and Policy Quarterly, PS: Political Science and Politics, Social Science Quarterly, Southern Cultures, Southeastern Geographer and Social Forces. He also co-edited The New Politics of North Carolina (University of North Carolina Press, 2008). He has two co-authored books: The Resilience of Southern Identity: Why the South Still Matters in the Minds of Its People (University of North Carolina Press, 2017) and First in the South: Why South Carolina’s Presidential Primary Matters (University of South Carolina Press, 2019). He received the College of Charleston’s Distinguished Research Award in 2017.
Amanda Ruth-McSwain is an associate professor of communication at the College of Charleston. Her teaching and research interests are in strategic communication placed in agricultural contexts. More specifically, her specializations are in leadership communication and organizational public relations. Since her 2005 start at the College of Charleston, Dr. Ruth-McSwain has taught over 12 different courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, including Leadership Communication, Strategic Communication Campaigns, Public Relations Cases, Business Communication and Ethics in Leadership Communication.
Ruth Mc-Swain has served in a variety of leadership roles at the College. From 2011-2021, she served as the Director of the Bully Pulpit Series. She also served as the Interim Associate Dean for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences from 2019-2021, and as Director of the Master of Arts in Communication program from 2013-2019.Resources from this Episode:
The Bully Pulpit SeriesStephen Colbert at the College “Rock Me Like A Herman Cain: South Cain-Olina Primary Rally”

Summer Internship at Mercedes-Benz Vans
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
09/19/23 • 29 min
On today’s episode of Speaking Of... College of Charleston, Nick Plasmati, associate director of marketing and academic programs in the Honors College, speaks with Sydney Pearson, a junior majoring in systems engineering in the Honors College, about her summer internship. Sydney interned as a project manager for Mercedes-Benz Vans at its production plant headquarters in Charleston. She spent time developing data-driven tools for MBV employees across the world to make the production process more efficient.
Sydney says the soft skills she learned from her colleagues and mentors at Mercedes-Benz will benefit her personally and professionally in the future. For CofC students who are interested in pursuing an internship, she offers this advice:
“The biggest thing I would say, is that it’s never too early to start looking for an internship. As soon as you get to college, you have the opportunity to intern at different companies. Never say no to an opportunity. The biggest thing that I would tell any new intern is to just go for it!”
Featured on this Episode:
Sydney Pearson is a Systems Engineering major and Mathematics minor from Charlotte, NC. She has always had a passion for leadership and mentorship, and exercises both of these activities through various campus organizations like the SSME Ambassador Program, Charleston Fellows, the Engineering Club and Army ROTC. Outside of the classroom, Sydney enjoys travelling, long days on the beach, exercising and exploring Charleston.
Resources from the Episode:
CofC Systems Engineering student opportunities and internships

Kathleen Parker Discusses Cannabis Legislation in South Carolina with Experts
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
08/31/23 • 61 min
This episode of Speaking Of...College of Charleston is a special edition about cannabis legislation in South Carolina. The program is hosted by Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker. Guest panelists include South Carolina State Senator Tom Davis, Gary Hess, the founder and executive director of the veterans alliance for holistic alternatives and Pawleys Island attorney Margaret Ann “Muffy” Kneece.
Featured on this Episode:
Kathleen Parker writes a weekly column on politics and culture. In 2010, she received the Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary "for her perceptive, often witty columns on an array of political and moral issues. gracefully sharing the experiences and values that lead her to unpredictable conclusions.” A Florida native, Parker started her column in 1987 when she was a staff writer for the Orlando Sentinel. She joined the Washington Post Writers Group in 2006. She is the author of Save the Males: Why Men Matter, Why Women Should Care (2008).
“Parker writes with grace, wit and style and is always prescient, prophetic, ahead of the curve.” Doug Marlette, Political cartoonist & author (1949-2007)
HONORS & AWARDS
Ernie Pyle Lifetime Achievement Award
South Carolina Academy of Authors
2010 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
1993 H.L. Mencken Writing Award
Parker divides her time between Washington, DC, and South Carolina —and points beyond. When she isn‘t immersed in writing, she enjoys interior design, an array of fur and winged friends, and long pauses with nature.
Senator Tom Davis has lived in Beaufort, South Carolina, since 1985, practicing law at the firm of Harvey & Battey, P.A. He is the managing partner in the firm’s real estate department. Sen. Davis obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Furman University in 1982, obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1985. He served in Gov. Mark Sanford’s administration as senior policy advisor, co-chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and chief of staff from 2003 to 2007. In November 2008, he was elected State Senator for South Carolina Senate District 46 and was re-elected to second and third four-year terms in 2012 and 2016.
Gary Hess is the founder and Executive Director of the Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives (VAHA), CEO of Teleleaf, and Partner of Dynamic Growth Solutions – organizations he founded to help destigmatize and provide access to medical cannabis.
Gary served in the Marine Corps for 11 years, both enlisted and as an Infantry Officer. After serving during the heaviest levels of fighting in Irag, Gary experienced the challenges of living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and pharmaceutical dependency first-hand. He used cannabis not only to manage his conditions safely on his path to recovery, but also to catalyze and expedite Post-Traumatic Growth. He is now an advocate and activist for the use of medical cannabis in post-traumatic recovery – both for veterans and trauma survivors.
In 1992 Muffy received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of South Carolina, with a major in History. She received her Juris Doctor from The University of South Carolina School of Law in 1995. After law school Muffy was employed with the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Muffy initially worked in the Family Court Division and was the Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Fifteenth Circuit Family Court when she returned to her true passion as a General Sessions Assistant Solicitor for Georgetown County. It wa

Navigating Your Future: Top Questions Answered by Career Center Experts
Speaking of ... College of Charleston
02/20/24 • 35 min
On this episode of Speaking Of...College of Charleston, Julia Heslin, CofC senior majoring in communication, speaks with Jim Allison, executive director of the College's career center and Karen Fritchman, director of employer relations at the career center. Allison kicks off the conversation by talking about the various offerings at the career center for students of all ages.
"In higher education and student development, probably the areas that are most underutilized or areas that would be the most appropriate to emphasize, for soon to be graduates, are to please make sure to have your resume critiqued by someone in the Career Center before you graduate," says Allison. "The hardest thing for an undergraduate student to do is apply for a job after graduation cold."
Fritchman shares some of the most common questions students ask when they come to the center. She also talks about the upcoming Spring Career Exploration Fair that is curated for all students, including those just starting to take a peek into what career might fit their passions and interests and those who are graduating and ready to start their careers. The EXPLORATION format will encourage career exploration and discovery, as well as extensive networking options beyond the traditional career fair. The fair will have workshops and programming before and after to effectively prepare students for the fair – like writing a resume, planning professional attire and enhancing communication skills. The event is on Thursday, February 29, 202, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Most Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Does my resume have to be one page?
2. Do I need a cover letter?
3. Where do I start if I have no job experience?
Final Words of Career Center Wisdom:
"National data has shown for several decades that students who utilize their college career centers have a much higher percentage of securing an internship as well as securing an interview for a full time job."
Featured on this Episode:
Jim Allison, executive director career center, earned his Bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University and a second degree in Psychology from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He earned his Master's degree in Counseling with a concentration in Student Development in Higher Education. When he is not busy in the Career Center, Jim enjoys spending time with his family, his dog, and his bird!
Karen Fritchman, director of employer relations , career center, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and her Master of Education degree in the Art of Teaching from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. Her previous experience within Higher Education includes alumni engagement, student advising, event planning, recruiting, and fundraising. She and her family love spending time at the beach with their dog, Ivy, a rescued German Shepherd, and at home with her twenty pound cat, Beefy!
Resources from this Episode:
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FAQ
How many episodes does Speaking of ... College of Charleston have?
Speaking of ... College of Charleston currently has 56 episodes available.
What topics does Speaking of ... College of Charleston cover?
The podcast is about Society & Culture, Podcasts, Education and Higher Ed.
What is the most popular episode on Speaking of ... College of Charleston?
The episode title 'Say Yes with Abstract Artist and CofC alum Brian Rutenberg' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Speaking of ... College of Charleston?
The average episode length on Speaking of ... College of Charleston is 25 minutes.
How often are episodes of Speaking of ... College of Charleston released?
Episodes of Speaking of ... College of Charleston are typically released every 18 days, 19 hours.
When was the first episode of Speaking of ... College of Charleston?
The first episode of Speaking of ... College of Charleston was released on Nov 12, 2021.
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