April Langley

Director, African American Studies Program 

April Langley joins the college as the director of African American Studies and as an associate professor in the Department of English Language and Literature.  

Dr. Langley earned her doctorate in English at the University of Notre Dame and has taught in higher education for two decades. Most recently, she served as chair of the Black Studies Department at the University of Missouri-Columbia. 

As director of African American Studies, Langley leads the interdisciplinary program as it highlights the African American experience throughout history. Langley is particularly focused on showcasing how nuanced explorations of diverse and complex meanings invite questions and reconsiderations of knowledge too often taken for granted. 

Langley looks forward to working with faculty and staff who are passionate about their students and their research. 

“I know I will find a wonderful academic home at University of South Carolina and especially in the Department of African American Studies,” Langley says.  

“I’m excited to be a part of the half century legacy of AFAM and all the meaningful work ahead of us.” 

Wendy Regoeczi

Chair, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice 

Wendy Regoeczi joins the college as chair and professor for the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She brings with her over twenty years of experience as an educator in the field of criminology. 

Dr. Regoeczi earned her doctorate in sociology from the University of Toronto before joining the faculty at Cleveland State University. Among other leadership roles, she served as interim associate dean for faculty in CSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and as director of their Criminology Research Center. 

As department chair, Regoeczi serves as the liaison between the administration and faculty while encouraging diversity and professional growth among faculty and students. 

“I was drawn to this opportunity at UofSC by the top-notch faculty in the department and the strong graduate program,” Regoeczi says. 

“I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues, further building on the strengths of the department, getting to know the students and developing relationships with community partners.”  

Alexey Petrov  

Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy 

Alexey Petrov joins the college as the chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Endowed Chair in Physics. 

Dr. Petrov was a professor for two decades at Wayne State University. He holds a doctorate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Cornell and Johns Hopkins. 

Petrov’s research focuses on applications of effective field theories to analyses of electroweak interactions and QCD, studies of CP-violation and heavy flavor physics. His work has been continuously funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.  

As chair of the department and endowed chair in physics, Petrov brings his breadth of experience as a scholar and educator to the leadership of the department to further the innovative work and growth of his colleagues and students. 

"I was drawn to UofSC because of the research excellence in the department and the exciting learning opportunities that the college provides for its students,” Petrov says. 

Carl Dahlman   

Director, Walker Institute of International and Area Studies 

Carl Dahlman comes to the college as director of the Walker Institute and as a professor in the Department of Geography. He is returning to UofSC after 16 years at Miami University where he directed their International Studies program. 

Dr. Dahlman first served as an assistant professor of geography and Walker Institute associate after earning his doctorate from the University of Kentucky in 2001. His research focuses on the effects of armed conflict on human populations. He has co-authored a detailed book on post-war Bosnia and is currently writing a book about post-war Kosovo. 

Dahlman brings his experience as a leader and his passion for education. He has received commendations for teaching excellence, having offered a variety of courses on global topics, including refugee studies, population and migration, political geography and geopolitics. 

“I am very fortunate to be returning to UofSC’s Department of Geography where I began my career and now find wonderful colleagues both old and new,” says Dahlman.  

“I look forward to leading the Walker Institute and working with so many excellent colleagues, as well as shaping our new cyber program.”