Today, I use AI both professionally and personally. It has been a go-to for looking up answers on questions of the moment as well as getting quick-hit summaries from some lengthy reports. On the homefront, I have used AI to get ideas for family trips and activities. Simply put, it is an incredible resource. And with the next iteration becoming more agentic, where AI can carry out tasks for you (like driving a car or taxi, delivering a package, making travel arrangements, paying bills or taking notes in a meeting), its everyday usefulness is developing exponentially.

But the pitfalls are real, too. On the education front, some students use AI to complete assignments, passing off AI-generated content as their own. In some courses, it has become a game of cat-and-mouse between faculty and students in how AI is used and detected. While I don’t want to diminish the issues around academic integrity, banning AI from the academic experience is not really an option either, especially if we want our students to be competitive with this tool once they graduate.

That is why the College selected “Intentional AI” as its most recent cross-campus, cross-disciplinary project. Every 10 years, the College is reaccredited in order to be eligible for federal and state funding, and part of that reaccreditation process includes something called a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) – basically a 10-year project that will help enhance the overall university experience. Twenty years ago, we created the first-year experience to help students better acclimate to campus; 10 years ago, we focused on sustainability literacy. I believe Intentional AI as a QEP will be vastly more important for our students.

Since 2023, our Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, directed by Margaret Hagood ’92, has been leading working groups and hosting workshops for faculty to get a better handle on how AI might be incorporated into their coursework and teaching practices. This fall, Calvin Blackwell, a professor of economics and former department chair, was selected to lead our QEP efforts to embed AI literacy and its ethical engagement across the curriculum (see “Five Questions” here). This work will be vital to the institution responding to student needs.

Each year, the world changes faster and faster. While some may fear that we are marching toward a Blade Runner–like dystopia driven by powerful technologies such as AI, it is the College’s place to be a center for optimism and preparation, showing students a way forward and developing skills for the present and future. That is how the College of Charleston has thrived for more than 250 years, and that is how we will continue to be successful for centuries to come.

What is intentional AI?

AI is already a part of everyday life. I recently read a research paper reporting that 700 million people use ChatGPT weekly. That is 10% of the world’s adult population! When you add other AI platforms like Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude, you can see how ubiquitous these technologies have become. AI will continue to spread exponentially, and individuals and institutions need to adapt. It means selecting and using AI tools to contribute to the College’s mission instead of allowing hype and inertia to determine our use of AI.

What is your role as director of intentional AI?

At a simple level, my role as QEP director is to help guide the QEP, which is a component of our reaccreditation process. More broadly, my role is to help our community adapt to AI.

What drew you to serving as director?

I have been interested in AI ever since a student used the technology to cheat on one of my (economics) exams. That was a wake-up call! As I learned more about AI, I came to believe that it will significantly impact society in general and academia in particular. In economics, we talk about “creative destruction” as the process by which new technology and industries supplant the old. I didn’t want to be “creatively destroyed” by AI, so I started learning more about it and even taught a course on generative AI. I want to help the College adapt to this new technology, and I thought I could help in the role of QEP director.

Why do you think taking an intentional AI approach is the right course of action?

AI opens up vast new capabilities for all members of the College community. Unfortunately, some of these capabilities inhibit our ability to fulfill our mission. Intentional AI attempts to adapt to this technology while staying true to the College’s core mission and values.

How do you think AI is going to impact the campus community?

As Yogi Berra famously said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” I don’t know how AI will impact our community, but I am certain it will. One of the many challenges in adapting to the technology is that its capabilities constantly change and are subject to what Ethan Mollick has called the “jagged frontier.” I hope this QEP will help the College adapt to the changes AI will bring. – Darcie Goodwin

“I have education in my bones,” says Booker, whose mom was a kindergarten teacher and whose dad was an elementary school principal before both became school district administrators in Lynchburg, Va. “My parents both really impressed upon me the importance of educational achievement.”

The educational fortitude instilled in her by her parents helped push her, but there was still something missing. In many instances, Booker was one of the few African American girls in her classes.

“It was this quandary where I felt like I was achieving at a high level,” she says, “but I did not necessarily feel what we call in the research literature a sense of belonging.”

“I remember talking to my adviser, and I was kind of in this word salad, trying to figure out what I wanted to study, what to write for my dissertation, and beyond. My adviser said, ‘I think what you’re trying to explore is school belonging.’”

Twenty years later, Booker’s research and personal experiences have helped her flourish in her career focusing on just that. She examines the feelings students experience in the classroom in a qualitative way across multiple developmental age points, highlighting learning environments where students are valued, respected and welcomed.

“When I look at school belonging, I’m looking at the student, how they feel about their teachers, how they feel about their peer group and then how they feel about the content,” she says.

Finding a sense of belonging has not been an issue for Booker at the College, where she started in 2013 as an adjunct in teacher education. She is now a full professor in the School of Education who has also served as associate dean and interim dean in the Graduate School. (Husband Anthony Greene is the director of African American studies.)

Last summer, the School of Education launched its online Doctor of Education degree program, with Booker serving as its director. A total of 38 students made up the program’s first cohort.

“We knew we wanted it to be a cohort model,” says Booker. “The reason we did that is because we wanted people to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of community right from the beginning.”

The program focuses on learning and inquiry and is designed for professionals working in various environments who are ready to reimagine learning, improve educational systems and develop new solutions to complex educational challenges.

“We all have multiple problems, concerns and issues that bubble up in our organizations,” says Booker. “We want to equip our students with the ability to see that problem, name it, define it and bring to bear unique perspectives on how we can improve dynamic work settings.” – George Johnson

To conduct their research, Reynolds and Ice are using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). There are only a few fNIRS systems in the world, and Oprisan obtained one through a grant. Given the complexity of the project, Reynolds and Ice determined that they could not execute it on their own and enlisted experts and resources to help set up the device, interpret data, create surveys and choose the optimal music to elicit responses.

Dwight Krehbiel, professor emeritus of psychology at Bethel College, designed the psychometric instrument. Bill Manaris, professor of computer science and director of the College’s Computing in the Arts program, selected three distinct music pieces to help Reynolds and Ice map a subject’s musical preferences: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata, Oscar Peterson’s C Jam Blues and Yuja Wang’s Schoenberg Suite for Piano Op. 25.

It took Reynolds and Ice five months to figure out how to operate the fNIRS effectively. The fNIRS sensors, which sit on the skull like a cap, emit infrared light into the brain and detect when parts of the brain are activated.

Reynolds and Ice studied nine subjects with mixed results. They discovered that the sensors struggled to read the scalps of people with dark hair and that their ideal candidate was bald. Despite the challenges, they had results.

“Zack and Chip definitely saw the change in the power of gamma bands; I knew they could do it,” says Oprisan, who hopes more students will join the research project. “This type of research is usually done by postdoc fellows, but here the research is conducted by undergrads — amazing.”

While more research is required, the long-term goal is to see AI incorporated into a more mobile and wearable fNIRS that could be worn on a day-to-day basis by people living with neurodegenerative diseases. – Ugochi Mercy Udochu

One that Shaon Lahiri is attempting to unravel.

An assistant professor in the School of Public Health, Lahiri addresses global health issues by probing the human behavior that causes them – or that resists easy resolution.

Lacking understanding of women’s behavior in rural Kenya that leads to high teen pregnancy rates, Western-based philanthropic organizations might be tempted to helicopter in and provide modern contraceptives. But Lahiri’s research found that legal and social forces, not a lack of supply, are what inhibit the use of contraception. By leveraging gender norms that highly value female mentors, Lahiri and his cohort of women’s groups could provide contraception and encouragement for positive results.

“Simple supply-side approaches are likely to fail without considering the social forces,” he says. “The beauty of the field is that it applies to so many things.”

Combining elements of psychology, economics and public health, Lahiri has investigated diverse issues around the globe – how to reduce tobacco use in China, drug abuse in the U.S. and domestic partner violence in Rwanda, to name a few.

That diverse experience and global reach is a metaphor for Shaon (rhymes with town) Lahiri’s life. Born in India to English-speaking Bengali parents, he moved to the Arab sultanate of Oman as a child, just as women there secured the right to vote. While he was attending the American International School, Lahiri’s English lost most of its Indian lilt and reinforced a social dilemma: Not quite Indian nor Omani nor American, he was the quintessential “other.”

Coming stateside for college at the University of Michigan, Lahiri studied psychology, focusing on what makes serial killers tick.

Following an epiphany about the power of social determinants in shaping individuals’ behavior, Lahiri switched gears and earned a master’s degree in public health from Imperial College of London and a doctorate in social and behavioral sciences in public health from George Washington University. During and since, he has hunted cultural underpinnings to construct strategies for behavior change.

That kind of science leads to surprising conclusions. Research on the ubiquitous DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, in which police helped youth improve their decision-making to avoid drug abuse, found 40 years of ineffectiveness – or worse.

Why? “Backfiring scare tactics and cringe,” Lahiri says, referring to lame authenticity, awkwardness or embarrassment. “The canonical example is when parents try to use cool slang and fall flat. It can have a boomerang effect in public health.”

The idea of cringe brings to mind the 1938 movie Reefer Madness, in which wildly exaggerated claims about the effect of marijuana transformed the film into a comedy about the idiocy of authority figures – or the oft-parodied “This is Your Brain on Drugs” public service announcement, to which teens shrugged. Research has demonstrated, too, that cringey videos for charitable causes can significantly reduce a person’s intention to talk to family and friends about mental health.

For Lahiri – who peppers his undergraduate public health, global health and health promotion courses with snippets of his research – addressing the cultural challenges underlying public health boils down to three words: Other people matter.

– Barry Waldman

“After all this time, the thing that continues to fill me is seeing that spark in a student’s eyes – that moment of epiphany when they connect with their passion,” says the artistic director of CofC Stages, the live-performance arm of the Department of Theatre and Dance, for which McCabe has designed more than 100 productions. “That never gets old.”

For McCabe, that moment came when she found her way to the College after her parents relocated to Charleston, and she spent a year studying engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

“My heart just wasn’t in it,” she says, adding that an Introduction to Theatre class at the College was a catalyst. “I wasn’t a theater kid growing up, but I was a dancer, and I learned how to sew very young with my mom and grandmother’s help.”

She discovered the costume shop and learned that students could be hired to work there.

“I was the first in my family to attend a four-year institution, and I had to pay my way through school,” she says. “No one goes into theater for money, but I did!”

Following graduate school at the University of Virginia, where she received a masterʼs in costume design, she became an assistant to the late Tony Award-winning designer Martin Pakledinaz, who was working on Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway. One of McCabe’s most memorable experiences with Pakledinaz was assisting him in designing the more than 40 tutus and many other costumes that appeared in San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker in 2004.

“They’re still wearing those same costumes today,” boasts McCabe, who worked on more than 16 major Broadway productions with Pakledinaz and about 20 off-Broadway and festival productions in the early 2000s.

As much as she thrived in the fast-paced culture of Broadway, she missed Charleston and started teaching as a visiting assistant professor in 2006. The following year, when she was offered a tenure-track position, the joy she found working with students was the deciding factor in choosing College Way over Broadway.

She loves to help students discover their passion and then follow their dreams, which is why she gives them opportunities to work in CofC Stages to understand the realities of the work itself. It’s not easy.

“It takes more than just getting the work done,” she says. “It takes a special drive and passion and a desire to be part of the whole collaborative environment.”

She makes teamwork a cornerstone of the program. This hands-on environment gives students opportunities to try out different parts of the production. One semester, a student might be designing costumes for Romeo and Juliet, and another, they could be the spotlight operator for A Chorus Line.

This “lab” work leads to well-rounded students who are more marketable but more importantly have an appreciation for each other’s roles in the whole production process. McCabe has been intentional about this structure, pulling from her professional experiences to create a top-notch theatre and dance program with her colleagues.

She is still a student herself in many ways. After two decades of teaching at the College, McCabe says she’s still learning and still loving it.

“It’s all about allowing mistakes to happen,” she says. “That’s what keeps it interesting. – Amy Stockwell

“In my second or third year of teaching, a colleague mentioned it,” he recalls. “We all thought, That’s a silly name; that’ll never catch on.”

Today, as an associate professor of literacy education at the College, O’Byrne spends his days teaching, researching and pondering how we use technology to read, write and think. His focus? How to be more thoughtful about what and how we communicate, minding the impact of technology on our everyday lives.

O’Byrne, who describes himself as a college dropout who worked his way back up through community college, says it’s important to share his personal journey with students at the start of each semester.

“I tell them, ‘For some of you, being in college is the norm and even expected. For others, it’s a minor miracle. You’ve already won.’”

Sharing his own story is O’Byrne’s way of connecting with students who live in a digital world. He finds his their perspectives on AI and other rapidly evolving technology fascinating.

“AI can be used to create funny videos, but it can also cause fear because sometimes you can’t believe what you see,” he says.

A prolific creator, O’Byrne manages his own website, blog and “digital garden,” where he shares thoughts and works in progress. He helped build the Mozilla Web Literacy Framework and cowrote the definition of digital literacy for the National Council of Teachers of English, shaping the frameworks used by organizations worldwide to navigate digital transformation.

O’Byrne notes that the one constant in education – like in life – is change. “The recent buzz is all around AI, but we’ve been here before. Whenever technology changes society, we have an opportunity to make adjustments – or not. Are we redefining how we work? Some of us are. Others are sharing cat GIFs.”

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. O’Byrne is hyperaware of his responsibility as an educator to embrace technology, including AI. “If we do not give students the opportunity to use these tools and think critically about them, they’ll be left behind.”

His passion isn’t limited to just helping students understand tech tools; it extends to faculty and staff, as he advocates for using AI to harness, not hinder, students’ learning experiences.

O’Byrne is the director of the Initiative for Literacy in a Digital Age, which named him the winner of its 2021 Divergent Award. He’s quickly scaling up work that focuses on supporting both educators and learners, recognizing the importance of honoring diverse perspectives.

“A lot of my work,” he says, “explores how we can use digital tools and platforms to give students a voice and empower them to advocate for themselves and their communities.” – Christine Mahoney

Sarlo was excited about the five-day trip aboard the Nancy Foster, but the first day wasn’t what he imagined.

“I was seasick,” he says. “It was overwhelming at first. I only knew two people, so I was nervous – but everyone was welcoming. The crew answered all my questions, and the food was great. I got to explore parts of the seafloor no one’s seen before and take a big step toward my future career.”

The group also surveyed the seafloor for deep-sea corals 100 nautical miles off the South Carolina coastline.

“The moment we found the corals was different for almost every person on board,” says Sarlo, who is from Greer, S.C. “For the students, myself included, it was a great moment of wonder and excitement. There was something special about the first time discovering something on the seafloor in real time.”

In addition to discovering deep-sea corals, Sarlo learned more about seafloor mapping, which involves several steps, starting with determining depth. For this, a multibeam echosounder is often used, as it covers wide areas while the boat moves — like mowing a lawn in stripes. The collected data is then processed using software to create detailed maps of the seafloor.

“On top of learning so many skills and working on one of the coolest boats in the NOAA fleet, I made lifelong connections with students from around the country that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” says Sarlo. “I would deeply encourage any student who can get this opportunity to fight tooth and nail for it. It was one of the most valuable things I have done during my academic career.”

Conducting research on a NOAA ship was part of Sarlo’s Summer Undergraduate Research with Faculty grant. He continues to work alongside Haley Cabaniss ’15, assistant professor of geology and environmental geosciences and director of the Benthic Acoustic Mapping Program, to expand a submarine volcano database and identify traits that help determine which ones pose a threat and which do not. Their work involves significant mapping and comparison with an existing satellite survey, which revealed about 43,000 submarine volcanoes.

Sarlo chose the College for the opportunities it would provide him to establish a firm foundation for his future. His experiences have been more than what he expected, and he looks forward to more opportunities.

“Nikolai has a passion for maps that is contagious,” says Cabaniss. “This, paired with his curiosity about submarine environments and his desire to engage in science that benefits society, makes him the perfect student to take on this work.” — Abby Albright

“I didn’t really know exactly what field of engineering I wanted to do,” says the senior from Rock Hill, S.C., who decided to major in systems engineering at the College. “Systems engineering was able to give me a wide variety of options and potential career paths to kind of let me continue to figure it out and find who I was in the whole process.”

The major came with several other benefits, too.

“The College of Charleston allows for a very intimate, close connection with your teachers and your mentors and advisers – and they are motivated for you to succeed through all sorts of opportunities to get hands-on experience in the industry,” says Smith. “They really give you the best advice for you to pursue your dreams and aspirations.”

Take, for example, Qian Zhang, assistant professor of engineering, who helped Smith get an internship with a Siemens lighting panel assembly plant in Roebuck, S.C., during his sophomore year and into the following summer.

“She’s been with me the entire way, giving me advice on entering the workforce, showing me potential directions I could take,” he says. “She definitely helps me narrow down and pick the best opportunities that are going to be best for myself.”

It was a great choice. Working on the Siemens assembly line optimization project pushed him to step up in ways he didn’t expect. By ensuring clear communication with the line workers and the material handlers, he recognized early on that their insights and collaboration were essential to making the improvements successful.

“Building trust through relationships while keeping lines of communication open allowed our process enhancements to really spark change,” he says.

The importance of communication was reiterated in his summer 2025 internship at Volvo in Ridgeville, S.C., which makes the fully electric EX90 and Polestar 3.

“System engineering requires a lot of teamwork, just for the simple fact that you’re working with such a wide variety of different teams and components – anything from assembly line workers to the stakeholders in the company,” he says. “It’s really important to have those communication skills and be able to work very well in teams and hold everybody accountable at the same time – including yourself.”

And, because he worked with several different teams, he was able to explore the various aspects of systems engineering.

“It showed me a different perspective on my career, and I was able to explore different options,” says Smith, who discovered his love for solving real-world problems – whatever those may be. “As a systems engineer, you can go anywhere – from automotive to civil to industrial – so you really have a very wide variety of options and career paths.”

Regardless of the path he takes after graduating in May, Smith knows his systems engineering degree will get him where he wants to go – with a lot of money. – Alicia Lutz ’98

“Professor (Lancie) Affonso told us to have a ‘big, hairy audacious goal,’” explains the computing in the arts major. “Mine were to travel more and to get accepted into the Google Data Center Summer Immersion Program.”

Michael, a computer science major and data science minor, learned about the program through an email.

“I want to give a shout out to Rebecca Utz,” says Michael of the administrative coordinator for the Department of Computer Science. “Several of the experiences on my résumé are because of her emails about opportunities, like Google.”

The siblings, who are from Myrtle Beach, S.C., teamed up and helped each other apply to the program. At the Career Center, they participated in AI interviews to get tips on presenting themselves, got help crafting their résumés and learned how to better market themselves.

In addition, Michael and Gabrielle worked on tech projects. At DigSouth, they participated in an AI short film competition and received a free trial of OpenArt AI. Michael attended the IBM Call for Code event in Columbia, S.C., where his group won second place for the chatbot they designed on WatsonX AI to bridge the food insecurity gap. The siblings also volunteered in the Harbor Hacks Hackathon.

Their hard work paid off. They were both accepted into the competitive program.

“I loved getting immersed in different fields and learning the diverse career paths that are available,” says Michael. “Everyone, no matter their field of work, had some wisdom to pass on.”

Despite all the career paths at the data center, Gabrielle’s area of interest – user experience – was not represented. After connecting with interns at other Google locations, she managed to speak with the director of user experience design, who recommended what she should do in school and shared resources she could utilize.

Michael and Gabrielle appreciated Google’s supportive work culture, which encouraged wellness breaks, game room visits and inclusive events celebrating their employees.

“I also liked learning what it means to be ‘Googly,’” says Gabrielle. “It’s all about being personable and bringing good energy. Google wants people to bring their personality, so desks often look like a kid’s desk with all sorts of toys.”

They also appreciated how no one is off limits at Google. 

“Everyone is equal; everyone is humble,” says Michael. “You can go to the top leadership, and they will lend an ear. There’s someone for everyone at Google: There are people from many different paths and disciplines. We now have people who have offered to help us with future opportunities, because they took a similar path.”

Participating in the program helped the Manns narrow their scope of interest. Gabrielle is now exploring a career in project management, and Michael has eliminated a couple of areas from his list of career possibilities.

Meanwhile, they are ready to help CofC students who wish to participate in the Google Data Center Summer Immersion Program. 

“We learned so much in the application process, so we can lend a hand to anyone interested,” says Michael.

That’s exactly what any Google employee would do. – Darcie Goodwin

To bridge technology and art, Martini developed a research project, Human Contributions to Digital Fabrication, transforming digital photographic images into three-dimensional sculptures using 3D printing, laser and plasma cutting, and experimenting with materials like plastic, plywood, plexiglass, steel and aluminum.

The project was supported through a Summer Undergraduate Research with Faculty grant and was designed “to explore how technology can enhance the human experience often consumed by the digital world.”

“Art is about connection, so I did want to bring that human element into it,” says the senior studio art major, who is fascinated by environmental portraiture because of how personal and intimate it can be to capture someone in their own space. “It often leads to deeper and more valuable conversations when they are in a comfortable and familiar space.”

And so that’s where she started – by visiting people in their own spaces. Specifically, she connected with women over the age of 65 who have lived in Charleston their entire lives. Using the Nextdoor app, she found six women who allowed her to visit them in their homes, where she interviewed and photographed them.

“I was surprised how open the women were,” says Martini, who grew up in Mt. Pleasant.

Connecting the women’s homes to technology was the more challenging and exciting part.

Martini, whose focus had always been photography, was introduced to the cutting-edge technology and expanded possibilities in the new Simons Center Sculpture Studio while taking sculpture classes with Jarod Charzewski, assistant professor of studio art. Intrigued by the art form, she wanted to take the familiarity of photography and manifest it through sculpture.

“Once I had the photography portion, I thought, I’m going to create a fictitious living room,” says Martini, who – after compiling her photography into a book, The Women Who Stayed – used the highly technological equipment in the Sculpture Studio to make replicas of items she photographed in the women’s homes.

The installation she created (pictured) combines the homes and interviews of all the women through things like tables, knickknacks, clocks, wood paneling and shelving. From the fabric of the chair inspired by the wallpaper in one of the women’s houses to the framed cross-stitched quotes (“Calculated Risk” and “Never Sold My Soul for a Job”) in others: everything she created connected to the women. “I was able to work with older women and technology and connect the two in an unexpected way.”

Because of the new studio and technology, if you can dream it, you can build it, says Charzewski. “So much more is at our fingertips.” And it’s becoming more and more second nature to use this equipment and technology – something that’s much more intuitive to younger generations.”

Notes Martini: “I had never done any of this before. I was ready for something new. I was a novice sculptor, but now I have the confidence to work with all sorts of equipment and technology, and I know I can build pretty much anything.” – Alicia Lutz ʼ98

“My mom finally intervened and told me that I can keep this pain or turn it into a passion,” says Brown. “Her words were like being doused with cold water. I suddenly woke up to the fact that I had a household of people struggling with their pain.”

Brown hoped to create a scholarship for students like her who have lost a parent or guardian. “I spent two years trying to get the scholarship off the ground, writing letters, speaking at meetings, pitching at coffee shops,” she says. “Nothing landed.”

Then, at her senior honors night, Brown’s Williston, S.C., community surprised her with the Change of Cadence Scholarship and handed her responsibility of the scholarship’s management. Honored by her community, Brown made it her mission to get funding for the next Change of Cadence scholar.

Brown’s mother taught her the importance of scholarships, and at CofC, she applied for and received the Swanson Family Endowed Scholarship, the Charles C. Swanson Memorial Scholarship and the Mary Kay Holloway Jollensten Memorial Endowed Scholarship, among others.

Supported by scholarships, Brown worked campus jobs to fund the Change of Cadence Scholarship – a challenge for most, but not for Brown. Fortunately, she had banked some credit hours through a dual-enrollment program that allowed her to earn an associate degree by her senior year of high school.

The summer before coming to CofC, Brown joined the Speedy Consolidation and Transition program, which helped her adapt to college.

“Not everything was like I envisioned, so it was helpful to learn the realities of collegiate life,” says Brown. “The College can be intimidating. Coming from a very small town, I didn’t know how to establish a presence.”

Currently a theatre major in the Honors College, she plans to pursue the College’s Master of the Arts of Teaching in the performing arts. Brown has been involved in all aspects of theater, from stagehand to costume crew.

“Cadence is really thoughtful about everything she does,” says Laura Manning Turner, associate professor of theatre and dance. “One of her goals as an educator is to ensure that everybody feels included, from students with physical limitations to those with cognitive issues. She has a heart for all people.”

Making a difference is in Brown’s DNA and includes volunteering in the educational enrichment programs Kids on Point and Charleston Promise Neighborhood.

“Volunteering helps me feel that the College is not just where I’m going to school; it is where I currently live,” she says.

Brown stays busy with extracurriculars but still prioritizes her studies. As a senior, she has already reached the maximum graduate credit hours she can apply to the M.A.T.

At the same time, Brown keeps her eye on awarding the Change of Cadence Scholarship, which has supported four students in Barnwell and Aiken counties since she first received it in 2023.

“I’ve always wanted to be someone who gives back,” she explains. “Now I’m in a position where I can do that. I know it’s not ideal for me to give a scholarship when I am struggling to pay for school, but the connections and difference the scholarship is making are not possible otherwise.” – Darcie Goodwin

Enter the Schoen Foundation, which established the Schoen Foundation Endowed Program Fund for Veteran and Military Students. The influx of $1.1 million has been a game changer. Not only have the program’s resources expanded, but it also has the means to continue its work in perpetuity.

As part of the family-led foundation, Kelsey Sutton ’14 wanted to give back to her alma mater, which had a profound impact on her just as her grandfather’s service in the U.S. Marines had on him and his wife. William and Sharon Schoen established the foundation to support veterans by advancing their education.

“Public service is a gift our veterans and military personnel have given, and our foundation wants to ensure they have access to quality education,” says Sutton. “We are honored and humbled to be able to help make the next step easier for people who have given so much for our country.

“The goals of Veteran and Military Student Services closely align with our mission and my grandfather’s story,” she adds. “Nontraditional students, like returning veterans and military students, often face added responsibilities that can challenge their success. We hope the Schoen Foundation’s support helps them overcome these challenges and thrive in this next chapter.”

The generosity of the Schoen Foundation will be giving veteran and military students access to numerous resources to help them succeed.

The College is also the first university in the Southeast to partner with Warrior Scholars, a nonprofit that holds a summer academic boot camp for veteran and military students.

“We start with the STEM boot camp because we have a lot of students focusing on computer science and engineering,” says Jessica Wilkes, director of Veteran and Military Student Services. “The boot camp is a great way to get ready to be a student again. There are so many differences between the military and academia, from writing style to interactions.”

Another important arena the Schoen Foundation supports is the Veteran Peer Advising program. The grant to pay peer advisers just ended, so the new funding came at the perfect time. The advisers help with everything from how to access resources and mental health training to veteran resources and work-life balance.

“All of our incoming students are paired with a peer adviser to learn how to navigate the College,” says Wilkes. “It can be tough to break in when you are a nontraditional student.”

The Schoen Foundation has also helped with the Veterans Vault, a library of school-related equipment that they can check out from the services’ office, and the Veterans Aid Fund, which helps with unexpected emergency expenses.

“The Schoen Foundation has created a real chance for us to provide what our veteran and military students need to succeed at the College with a strong, supportive community,” says Wilkes. “The Schoen Foundation has completely transformed our program in ways that I know will help our veteran and military students thrive at the College for years to come.” – Darcie Goodwin

Jestice found her calling when she began playing violin in fourth grade. She received her violin, Alianora, which was made in Germany around 1800 and is named after a 14th-century noblewoman, in 10th grade. Jestice meticulously cleaned Alianora so that it offered a rich tone that she loves to this day.

In college, Jestice’s plans to become a secondary school music teacher ended with hand surgery. She pivoted to history, focusing on medieval European history. Still, she continued to play violin.

“It took me a long time to get past the pain threshold when playing, but I did because I had scholarships and had to play,” explains Jestice. “I just manipulated my wrist and hand differently than other players.”

When she joined the history department in 2012, she also joined the College of Charleston Orchestra, which had less than 20 players, and began one-on-one lessons with Tomas Jakubek, adjunct professor of violin.

“I have slowly and carefully worked with Tomas to be able to bend my wrist,” says Jestice. “Now I am stretching and twisting as I work my way down the neck of the violin. I am almost to the end of the fingerboard.”

With a more agile hand, Jestice finds even greater joy in playing with the orchestra, which has since expanded to 80 players. She enjoys interacting with students as a peer and watching them bloom under Yuriy Bekker, conductor of the CofC Orchestra and violin instructor.

“It’s beautiful to watch them respond and come up to a new level in their playing,” says Jestice, who acknowledges her playing has also improved, though she chooses to remain third chair of the second violins where she can serve as an anchor and students can key off her. She also shares tricks to making a violin tone better and brings students quality strings that offer a richer, complex sound.

“Not only does Phyllis exemplify how music can remain a meaningful part of one’s life journey regardless of career path, she is also a constant source of inspiration and ideas,” says Bekker. “She is a wonderful player, and I know she makes a positive impact on the students around her. Phyllis also has been an angel investor in our students. For Carnegie and now for Boston, Phyllis donated to the Orchestra Fund to cover the travel expenses for two of our students who wouldn’t have been able to make the trip otherwise.”

Jestice wants the orchestra students to feel the camaraderie that develops when traveling to perform.

“Making music together is the ultimate team sport,” says Jestice. “We are so reliant on each other; it’s a dynamic that requires everyone to be on. That is why I want all our students to have the opportunity to go to Boston; it will be a transformative experience that they will carry with them the rest of their lives.

“Music is a way to understand life,” adds Jestice, who hopes her bequest to the Department of Music will allow more people to develop a passion for its intrinsic value. “Life is awfully empty without music.” – Darcie Goodwin

“I turned to him and said, ‘This is exactly where I’m going to go to school,’” she says. “I was drawn by how beautiful it was, the culture, the eclectic mix of students – everything about it. I knew instantaneously that this was the place for me.”

When it came time to look at colleges, Campbell didn’t bother applying elsewhere. Her gut feeling as a 9-year-old was reinforced once she was on campus. She recalls a vivid memory after her freshman orientation of happening upon Tracy Chapman performing on campus.

“I remember thinking, This is the most magical place on Earth.”

Initially, she wasn’t as clear on a career path, but a series of positive experiences at the College helped bring her future into focus. Majoring in English laid the foundation for a career that routinely taps her creative side. Campbell particularly remembers history classes taught by Randy Sparks.

“He was so great at storytelling. He definitely stood out.”

Meanwhile, a part-time sales job at Garfield Jewelers, then on King Street, helped develop her business sense. “I really enjoyed solving people’s problems and being part of these special moments in their lives,” she says. “You have this great opportunity to make people happy.”

To this day, Campbell counts proprietors Carol Garfield ’89 and her late father, Allen, among her mentors.

Back on campus, she cultivated leadership skills as vice president of public relations for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. “I had to plan all these events, and I remember gathering the women in the sorority and saying, ‘OK, who’s going to do what, and how is this going to happen?’ and literally delegating it,” she says. “There was a moment when I was like, Wow, this is how it’s done.”

After graduation, Campbell worked in management at Belk and Macy’s, moving around the Southeast with her husband, Michael Campbell ’97, whom she met at the College, and later, with their daughter, Eleanor, now 25. In 2020, eager to learn more about e-commerce after years of running department stores, Campbell landed at Southern Tide as vice president of direct-to-consumer and was promoted to CEO shortly thereafter.

“I’m responsible for leading the brand and ensuring that everything we do – from our product to our customer experience – reflects our brand identity and our core values.”

Since she started, the brand’s retail business has grown from one store to 38. She likes that every day at her job is different.

“I can go from a planning and allocation meeting to a product and marketing meeting,” she says. “And there’s all this creativity. And a lot of analysis. I can’t imagine doing anything else.” – Margaret Loftus

“I tell people, ‘Go to Facebook Marketplace and search air filters,’” she says. “People are constantly buying the wrong ones. One wrong set of air filters is more than one month of Propperly.”

Propperly is the property‑management app Fralinger developed to wrangle her own rental portfolio – six properties at its peak, now four – and the thousand tiny details that quietly defeat multiple homeowners, of which there are about 10 million. It’s the binder of warranties, model numbers, passwords and expenses that no longer lives in a dusty closet but in your pocket. It’s also the logical extension of a career spent coordinating a lot of moving parts to create memorable experiences for clients.

As the chief operating officer of Icebox – once a bar catering outfit, now a national experiential marketing firm – she and a small team design and execute large brand activations for spirits portfolio heavyweights like Pernod Ricard and Diageo. Her informal title is “chaos coordinator” because of the seat-of-the-pants nature of each event.

At first, after joining the firm in 2015, Fralinger was on the road much of the time, overseeing all special events, which included batching cocktails on site – five gallons at a time. “I always joke I can make the best margarita you’ve ever had, but only in a five‑gallon bucket,” she says with a laugh.

But as liability insurance crept skyward, Fralinger and her boss made a deliberate pivot in 2018, refocusing on experiential events and big‑ticket weddings, including one in 2022 for two A-list celebrities in Riceboro, Ga.

The spark for Propperly came that same year when she was living in Miami while managing six properties in Charleston. “I couldn’t remember air filter sizes,” she says. “I had 12 filters across houses. Were these 20x20s or 18x20s? I was so frustrated, I sat down and did a mock-up of the app.”

After a lot of research and legal due diligence, such as getting trademarks, she sold one of her properties to fund the initial development with a team in Mumbai, India. Propperly launched last June and now has a host of practical features like AI-assisted onboarding and tap-and-track expenses.

But success involves a lot more than a helpful interface; it takes cash flow and patience. “The fastest way to fail with a startup is to run out of cash,” says Fralinger. “Icebox affords me the ability to do Propperly.”

Though she was raised in southern New Jersey, Fralinger’s Charleston thread runs deep. Her maternal grandmother, Caroline Molony, grew up south of Broad and did a stint at the College before life took her north. Two of Molony’s daughters returned to attend CofC, followed by Emily and three cousins – and, soon, a niece.

Fralinger, who majored in hospitality, bought her first home, in North Charleston’s Park Circle for $220,000 right after graduating. “I cried at closing because they asked me to write a $200 check, and I had $212 left,” she recalls. She still owns it and now rents it as an Airbnb – a cash cow that’s been refinanced and leveraged to fund other investments and, ultimately, Propperly.

No risk, no reward, she believes. But no panic, either. A small tattoo on her left wrist reads memento mori – remember you’re mortal – anchoring a stoic practice she shares with her brother. “You can only control what you can control,” she says. “Outside forces happen. It helps me to stay calm in crazy situations and reminds me to prioritize what matters.” – Tom Cunneff

“I was there when they first launched the iPad,” says Broderick. “I remember helping a grandmother connect with her grandkids. She was so happy and shouted, ‘I can finally see them!’”

Technology to build and understand relationships is a North Star that Broderick, now the head of AI and Web3 ecosystem for the NEAR Foundation in New York City, still follows.

But it wasn’t just Apple that shaped his outlook — his majors in anthropology and religious studies at the College also played a pivotal role.

“Anthropology as a means and a lens with which to understand and connect with people fueled a lot of work in my career,” he says. “CofC taught me how to spot the waves and dive into them.”

A study abroad trip to northern India with religious studies professor Zeff Bjerken was also especially formative: “That trip helped me look at problems in the world from different angles and fostered a sense of curiosity about other people and cultures.”

That same curiosity shaped another big life decision. 

While at Apple, Broderick had a choice: continue on the company’s leadership track or take a leap of faith and travel across the world to work for the Japan Exchange Teaching Programme. He leapt.

For three years, Broderick taught English in rural Japan, an experience that deepened his interest in cross-cultural connection. That global perspective proved invaluable when Bloomberg business development recruited him to Hong Kong, placing him at the heart of international finance.

“I was this humanities major who didn’t know the difference between a stock and a bond,” he said. “From 2014 to 2019, I was getting a front-row education.”

During his time with Bloomberg, he first saw how technology could disrupt old systems. By the mid-2010s, cryptocurrency and blockchain had captured his attention. Sending money back to the U.S. to pay student loans had been slow and complicated. Thanks to emerging fintech companies, what once took weeks only took Broderick three days.

“Blockchain technology democratized my access to finance,” he says, referring to the underlying technology of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Broderick came to understand blockchain not just as a technical tool, but as a way to empower and connect people globally. That insight carried him into roles with Fireblocks, Amazon Web Services and now NEAR, where his mission is about more than building products — it’s about building trust.

“Our thesis is that blockchain is trust with a capital T because of its speed and transparency,” he says.

With AI evolving at an unprecedented pace, he must stay nimble. And thanks to his time at the College, he’s ready for the challenge.

“Studying the humanities leads to critical thinking and lifelong curiosity,” he says. “If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be able to adapt as much as I do to emerging technologies.” – Liz Wolfe

From middle school on, Patton immersed himself in music, learning to play everything from the sax to the piano. But he always saw music as a hobby, a creative outlet to balance what he assumed would be a more conventional career in technology. When the North Charleston native searched for the perfect university, he felt called to the College.

“The College is the city, and the city is the College,” says Patton. “I knew CofC would give me an invaluable education, and the city’s vibrant scene would open up a wealth of networking opportunities.”

Patton was a double major in computer science and music, but the personal attention and encouragement he received from the Department of Music sparked a realization that music could be more than just a pastime.

“Kevin was a wonderful student,” says Robert Lewis, visiting professor of music and director of jazz studies. “He came in as one of the most talented kids we’ve had in the program and always had a great work ethic.”

Even though Patton recalls Lewis as one of his most challenging professors, they are good friends today, with a strong personal and professional relationship (Lewis also plays in the Charleston Jazz Orchestra).

“He saw my potential and knew what I was capable of,” says Patton. “He pushed me beyond my limits, and for that I am forever grateful. I have enjoyed seeing how our relationship has grown from when I was a student to a professional musician.”

“To imagine where I was then to where I am now in my music career, seeing my growth and improvement over time, has been inspiring,” says Patton, who also plays the clarinet and flute with the orchestra.

Patton performs his own compositions at events such as Piccolo Spoleto, the Savannah Black Heritage Festival and the Atlanta Heritage Music Festival, where he received a Maestro Award. In addition to composing and performing, he also teaches music theory to middle and high school students at Allegro Charter School of Music in North Charleston.

Patton has two jazz albums to his name. His debut album, Full Authority, which he started as a CofC student, laid the foundation for his career. His second project, It All Works Out, followed soon after graduation, and he’s currently working on a third, with no plans of slowing down.

“If you plan to have a fruitful career, you need to know what it is you want and be fluid when it comes to obstacles,” he advises anyone thinking about making a career of their passion. “No road is smooth, but if you are persistent in your trials, you can pursue anything you want.” – Abby Albright

One topic that has come up time and again on When We Disagree, our podcast about important disagreements in all of our lives, is the difference between proactive and reactive habits of healthy debate and dialogue. Proactive habits shape how we enter disagreements; reactive habits guide how we respond once things get tense. Together, they offer a road map for finding common ground and keeping conversations productive rather than polarizing.

Proactive Dialogue: Setting the Stage for Understanding

Before disagreement even begins, it helps to clarify what counts as good evidence. People rely on different forms of proof – personal experience, data, expert opinion or moral reasoning – and assuming everyone shares the same standard is a recipe for frustration. By naming how we each decide what’s credible, we build trust and reduce the chances of talking past one another.

Curiosity is another essential proactive habit. When someone presents an unfamiliar or unconvincing claim, we can ask, “How did you come to see it that way?” rather than rushing to correct them. This question shifts the tone from confrontation to exploration. Dialogue thrives when our first impulse is to understand, not to win.

Finally, it helps to remember that evidence is emotional. People’s beliefs about what’s true are often bound up with identity, belonging and experience. Recognizing this in advance allows us to approach conversation partners with empathy rather than suspicion.

Reactive Dialogue: Navigating Conflict in the Moment

Even with the best preparation, disagreements can still spark defensiveness or hurt. When that happens, healthy reactivity means slowing down rather than striking back. If you feel dismissed, ask, “What makes that hard to believe?” instead of doubling down. Slowing the pace helps both parties reengage their reasoning instead of their reflexes.

When others rely on stories or sources you find unconvincing, try to translate rather than dismiss: “So that example is meaningful to you because … ?” Doing so validates their experience without conceding the argument. If tension rises, name it gently: “We seem stuck on what counts as proof.” By talking about the disagreement, not through it, we transform friction into reflection. Healthy argument balances conviction and humility. It’s possible to stand firm in what you believe while still showing openness to new perspectives. Dialogue doesn’t always end in agreement – but it can end in mutual curiosity, a recognition that each side’s reasoning makes sense within their world.

A Courageous Path Forward

If we can get a little better – individually and collectively – at listening, arguing and thinking carefully about what counts as proof, then we can improve our world one conversation, one relationship at a time. The Civility Initiative’s mission is not to erase disagreement, but to humanize it. Each time we choose dialogue over dismissal or debate over disdain, we create space for understanding. And in those moments, however small, the world becomes just a bit more civil, more connected and more capable of change.

Professor of communication Michael J. Lee is the director of CofC’s Civility Initiative, which promotes healthy disagreement and dialogue through workshops, trainings, speakers, debates and podcasts.