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Our Faculty

College of Education, Human Performance, and Health Faculty

At the University of South Carolina Upstate, we take pride in our dedicated faculty members, recognized as some of the best in the region. Our faculty, experts in their fields, represent all academic areas and are committed to academic excellence.

Our faculty are focused on helping students succeed and grow in their chosen fields of study. With a combination of real-world experience and academic rigor, they provide hands-on learning opportunities, preparing students for successful careers.

Explore our faculty below and discover how their expertise and dedication make the University of South Carolina Upstate a leader in higher education across the Upstate South Carolina region.


Dr. Tonia Bauer | Assistant Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education

Dr. Tonia Bauer | [email protected]
Assistant Professor of Early Childhood and Elementary Education

864-503-5513

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC), 3012

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Reading comprehension
  • Reading motivation
  • Explicit vocabulary instruction
  • Educational technology integration

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Sinead Brien | Assistant Professor of Middle/Secondary Science Education
profile photo of Sinead Briend

Dr. Sinead Brien | [email protected]
Assistant Professor of Middle/Secondary Science Education

864-503-5507

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC), 3025

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Science Education
  • Frameworks of Teaching
  • Community-engaged Science Education
Dr. Matthew Brisebois | Associate Professor of Exercise and Sport Science

Dr. Matthew Brisebois | [email protected]
Associate Professor of Exercise and Sport Science

864-503-5866

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC), 3018

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • High-Intensity Functional Training and CrossFit-like exercise
  • Patterns of aerobic and resistance training on cardiovascular health
  • Dietary supplements for health and performance
  • Technology and AI to promote physical training

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Stacy Burr | Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education

Dr. Stacy Burr | [email protected]
Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education

864-552-4236

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC), 3021

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Early Childhood
  • Teacher Retention
  • AI in the Classroom

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Kara Davis | Assistant Professor

Dr. Kara Davis | [email protected]
Assistant Professor of Community Health

864-503-7366

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3023

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Search and Rescue Public Health Emergency Management & Preparedness
  • Medical-Legal Partnerships
  • Public Health Program Evaluation

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Greta Freeman | Professor of Elementary Education
profile photo

Dr. Greta Freeman | [email protected]
Professor of Elementary Education

864-503-5524

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3007

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Early Childhood and Elementary Education
  • Children’s Literature
  • Literacy
  • Nomophobia

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Brooke Hardin | Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Coordinator of Teaching Fellows

Dr. Brooke Lee Hardin | [email protected]
Associate Professor of Elementary Education and Coordinator of Teaching Fellows

864-503-5521

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3014

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Literacy Education
  • Writing Instruction
  • Teacher Education
  • Children’s Literature
  • Content Area Literacy

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Tina Herzberg | Professor and Coordinator of the Visual Impairment Education Program

Dr. Tina Herzberg | herzbe[email protected]
Professor and Coordinator of the Visual Impairment Education Program

864-503-5572

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3039

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest: Dr.
Herzberg’s research interests include STEM education for students who are blind
or have low vision, braille literacy, assessment of students who are blind or
have low vision, tactile graphics, and efficacy of continuing professional
development for professionals who serve students who are blind or have low
vision. Her research has been primarily published in the premier journal in her
field, Journal of Visual Impairment & Blind. In 2024, she was honored to
receive the Corinne Kirchner Research Award from the American Foundation for
the Blind. This award honors individuals whose timely and innovative research
advances understanding and champions impactful policies and practices for and
by people who are blind or have low vision.

Resume (PDF)

Dr. James Kamla | Chair for Human Performance and Health and Professor for Physical Education

Dr. James Kamla | [email protected]
Chair for Human Performance and Health and Professor for Physical Education

864-503-5851

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3013

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Physical Education

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Caitlin Metheny | Assistant Professor of English Language Arts Education
profile photo of Caitlin Metheny

Dr. Caitlin Metheny | [email protected]
Assistant Professor of English Language Arts Education

864-503-7751

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3024

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Children’s & Young Adult Literature
  • Critical Literacy
  • Disability Studies in Education
  • ELA Curriculum & Instructional Design
Dr. Rebecca Mueller | Associate Professor of Social Studies Education

Dr. Rebecca Mueller | [email protected]
Associate Professor of Social Studies Education

864-503-5532

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3011

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Social Studies Education
  • Inquiry
  • Questioning
  • Teacher Education
  • Standards Implementation

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Holly Pae | Professor

Dr. Holly Pae | [email protected]
Professor

864-503-5556

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3007
Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • School Reform
  • Student Advocacy

Resume (PDF)

Victoria Pennington | Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education
profile photo

Victoria Pennington | [email protected]
Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education

864-503-7407

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Early Childhood Education
  • Play Literacies

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Patrick Saracino | Assistant Professor of Exercise and Sport Science

Dr. Patrick Saracino, CSCS, CISSN | [email protected]
Assistant Professor of Exercise and Sport Science

864-503-7752

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3017

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Exercise and nutrition strategies to optimize health and human performance in healthy (sport and tactical athletes) and clinical populations 
  • Protein feeding strategies for optimizing exercise recovery, metabolism, health, and performance
  • Sports nutrition and dietary supplements 
  • Hormonal impact on health and performance

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Sharda Jackson Smith | Interim Dean / Associate Professor of Elementary Education

Dr. Sharda Jackson Smith | [email protected]
Interim Dean / Associate Professor of Elementary Education

864-503-5570

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3004

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Educational Policy
  • Education Finance
  • Teacher Advocacy

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Renae Swanson | Dean of the College of Education, Human Performance, and Health

Dr. Renae Swanson | [email protected]
Dean of the College of Education, Human Performance, and Health

864-503-5157

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC), 3004

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Family Mental Health Counseling
  • System Based Practices
  • Child and Family Therapy

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Refika Turgut | Associate Professor of Literacy and Language Education

Dr. Refika Turgut | [email protected]
Associate Professor of Literacy and Language Education

864-503-5520

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3015

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Translanguaging
  • Teacher Preparation
  • AI literacy in K-12
  • Multilingualism

Resume (PDF)

Brandon Watkins | Instructor of Education Foundations

Brandon J. Watkins | [email protected]
Instructor of Education Foundations

864-503-5456

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3033

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Social Media Literacy
  • ELA Curriculum Development & Instructional Planning
  • Children’s & Young Adult Literature

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Ugena Whitlock | Professor of Curriculum & Instruction

Dr. Ugena Whitlock, Ph.D. | [email protected]
Professor of Curriculum & Instruction

864-503-5733

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3016

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Curriculum Theory
  • Curriculum Studies of Place
  • Currere and autobiography research methodologies
  • Narrative inquiry
  • Place in contexts of race, class, gender, and religion

Resume (PDF)

Dr. Matthew Yeomans | Assistant Professor of Exercise and Sport Science

Dr. Matthew Yeomans | [email protected]
Assistant Professor of Exercise and Sport Science

864-503-5529

College: College of Education, Human Performance, and Health (COEHPH)
Building and Room Number: Health Education Complex (HEC) 3010

Research/Scholarship/Area of Interest:

  • Biomechanics and Neuromuscular Motor Control

Resume (PDF)