Faculty and Staff
The faculty and staff of the CTE pursue ongoing professional development to stay abreast
of current trends in higher education and specific CTE programming areas. Individual
staff members seek out research and publication opportunities in their areas of expertise,
in order to contribute to new knowledge and establish CTE as statewide and national
leader in the field.
Faculty

Nate Carnes, Interim Director
Nate Carnes is the Interim Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence. In addition to three
education degrees and a permanent Ohio teaching certificate, he earned his Ph.D. in
Education Administration with an emphasis in science education at Miami University
(OH). His teaching performances, that span more than 40 years, have resulted in awards
and citations of teaching excellence at the University of South Carolina, state, regional
and international levels. Among these citations, he is the recipient of the prestigious
2007 ASTE Science Teacher Educator of the Year, a recognition of international distinction;
South Carolina Association for Middle-Level Education 2018 Jennifer L. Wilson Teaching
Excellence; and the College of Education 2011 Lee Maidment Spirit of Service awards.
His scholarly activities explore pedagogical issues and innovations within and beyond
science education.

Aisha Haynes, Assistant Director
Aisha Haynes is the Assistant Director at the USC Center for Teaching Excellence.
She oversees the CTE’s Instructional Design team. Haynes is a certified Quality Matters
Peer and Master Reviewer and has earned Online Teaching certifications from the Online
Learning Consortium. She teaches an online Computer Applications in Business course
for Palmetto College. Her research interests include: instructional design in online
learning environments, online course accessibility, Universal Design for Learning
(UDL), and collaboration and engagement in online learning environments. Haynes is
active on state and national committees related to instructional design, online learning,
and accessibility.

Karen Edwards, Faculty Mentor
Karen Edwards is a senior instructor in the Department of Retailing, where she teaches
retail- and law-related courses in both online and face-to-face formats. Edwards is
certified by Quality Matters to review and assess the quality of online courses offered
by higher education institutions. She earned her Juris Doctor Degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law and her bachelor’s
degree from Coker College in Hartsville, S.C. She is a frequent presenter and past
Associate Director for Distributed Learning Pedagogy at USC's Center for Teaching
Excellence. Edwards is a faculty mentor for the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Stephanie Milling, Faculty Mentor
Stephanie Milling is a faculty mentor for the Center for Teaching Excellence. She is the Head of Dance Education in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Originally
from Texas, Milling left home at fourteen to attend the Walnut Hill School for the
Performing and Visual Arts and graduated with honors in dance. Milling also completed
her pre-professional training at prestigious programs such as the Boston Ballet School,
the Houston Ballet Academy, and Les Grands Ballets Canadians in Montreal, Canada. Since
her performing career, she has taught in a wide variety of artistic and educational
environments, including company classes for Dallas Black Dance Theatre I and II, several
public schools within the New York City Department of Education, Texas Christian University,
Texas Woman’s University, and the University of North Texas. She also served in the
capacity of Assistant Dean for the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop
University prior to her appointment at the University of South Carolina.
Instructional Design Team

Gloria Washington, Instructional Designer
Gloria Washington is an instructional designer at the Center for Teaching Excellence with 24 years
of experience in higher education at the University of South Carolina. She serves
as a co-chair for the Provost Advisory Committee for Women Initiatives (PACWI). She is a Blackboard Certified Trainer and a Blackboard Exemplary Course Program
Reviewer. Washington completed the Quality Matters’ Applying the QM Rubric and Higher
Education Peer Reviewer courses. Before coming to CTE, she worked in Teaching and
Technology Services and as a Technology Director for the Ted Mimms Foreign Language
Learning Center. Washington serves as Associate Editor for the International Journal of Innovative Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. She is the President-Elect of the Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning (ADEIL). Washington also authors the blog, Pedagogy Before Technology. She holds a Doctor of Education, a Master of Arts in Education, and a Master of Business
Administration. Her expertise is in the pedagogical use of technology to support teaching
and learning. Her instructional design philosophy is “pedagogy first, technology second.”

Casey Carroll, Instructional Designer
Casey Carroll is an instructional designer with the Center for Teaching Excellence
at USC. Carroll works with all who teach to support the creation of innovative and
accessible courses and the continued development of teaching skills. He also works
with instructors teaching online to help with course design and learning technologies.
Prior to joining CTE, Carroll designed curriculum for professional training and leadership
development. He has also taught First-Year English and English as a Second Language
at the University of South Carolina. Carroll holds a master’s degree in linguistics
from USC and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and psychology from Pacific Lutheran University.
Staff

Michelle Hardee, Program Manager
Michelle Hardee is the Program Manager for all graduate student Teaching Assistant
training at the University. Hardee is responsible for developing the CTE’s graduate
TA/IA training seminars, developing and teaching the GRAD 701 Teaching Assistant Development
course required of all new TA/IAs, and helping students progress through the Preparing
Future Faculty Program. She regularly coordinates with the Graduate School and other
university academic partners on graduate student professional development workshops
and events. Hardee received her B.S. in Zoology at Texas A&M in 1995, an M.S. in Marine
Biology at the College of Charleston’s Grice Marine Laboratory, and her Ph.D. in Marine
Science from the University of South Carolina. Additionally, Hardee teaches the Honors
section of the Marine Science Program’s Oceans and Society course every semester.

Helena Johnson, Web and Multimedia Developer
Helena Johnson is CTE's Web and Multimedia Developer. She is responsible for developing,
editing, and delivering information about the Center's programs and services through
Internet-based communications, multimedia, and print. With degrees in Media Arts and
Computer Programming, Johnson began her career in corporate communications. Prior
to joining CTE, she worked for creative and production companies as a producer and
writer.

Sharon Flenniken, Administrative Coordinator
Sharon Flenniken is the Administrative Coordinator for the Center of Teaching Excellence.
She is coordinates the general administrative activities for CTE. She is responsible
for maintaining the databases regarding CTE events, activities and assist in preparation
of reports and other informational documentation. She also serves as the hiring manager
and Human Resources liaison for CTE and, in coordination with the Director, manages
and monitors the CTE budget.
Prior to joining the University of South Carolina and CTE, Flenniken earned her Bachelor’s
of Science in Business Administration and her Master’s in Business Administration
degrees from Southern Wesleyan University. She has 13 years of experience in Accounting,
Financial Reporting and Office Administration.