College of Charleston Welcomes New Staff

Meet the College of Charleston’s newest staff members! These new Cougars bring a lot of experience, talent and enthusiasm to the community, and they are excited to share their skills with the CofC community and contribute to the success of the College!

Find out a little about these new colleagues below – and be sure to welcome them when you see them out and about!

Michael Dickins
Director/Chief Curator, Halsey Institute of Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art

Background: Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, this is my third stint living in South Carolina. The first time was in Columbia while my spouse attended grad school at USC, the second was Spartanburg, where I served as the gallery manager for USC Upstate. I’ve spent the last 11 years in Clarksville, Tennessee, where I was the director/curator of The New Gallery and University Art Collection at Austin Peay State University.

Interests: Beyond my work in the art world, I enjoy gardening and yardwork, watching soccer, and unwinding on the porch with a glass of fine bourbon and friends.

Looking Forward: Collaborating with a dedicated team to make the Halsey a vibrant space where the College of Charleston, the local community and out-of-town visitors can engage with thought-provoking, high-quality contemporary art.

Rosalind James
Grant and Contract Accountant, Controller’s Office

Background: I’m from Neeses, South Carolina. I was a employed at Richland County School District One as a grant accountant.

Interests: God and family. My hobbies are exercising, spending time with family and friends, and reading.

Looking Forward: I look forward to building new relationships and cheering on the Cougars.

Alyson King
Administration Operations Manager, Arts Management Program

Background: I am an actor, dancer, director and producer. I earned her B.A. from the University of South Carolina in theatre, speech and dance while working at local TV station, WLTX, as a camera operator. Shortly after graduation, I moved to Los Angeles and worked in the film and television industry for 15 years. The most rewarding job I had in Los Angeles was working with the Theatrical Education Group as an actor and program coordinator, bringing Shakespeare to over half a million students. I then left Tinseltown for the high desert of Cedar City, Utah, where I simultaneously served as the artistic director of a local theater company, an administrator in the university’s English department and attended graduate school at Southern Utah University, earning my master’s degree in arts administration.

Interests: My family is important to me. I have a twin sister and a new sister-in-law. I also have the cutest gray cat named Goose. I love to travel and experience other cultures. I spend most of my spare time creating art with my husband, Jaymes.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to working with a renowned arts management program and empowering students to bring art life.

Camille McGrady
Assistant Director of CAT, Communications and Events, College of Charleston Athletic Fund

Background: I’m originally from Indiana and graduated from Butler University in 2023, where I was a member of the women’s swim team. After that, I earned my master’s degree in sport administration from the University of Cincinnati. Over the past few years, I’ve worked as the communications and resource development coordinator for a Boys and Girls Club, which gave me valuable experience in community engagement, event planning and donor communications.

Interests: In my free time, I love to read, swim and spend time outdoors. I’m also always on the lookout for new coffee shops to try. I’m really excited to explore Charleston as a new city and take in all it has to offer. I also enjoy going to sporting events – especially when I get the chance to cheer on my favorite teams from Indianapolis.

Looking Forward: I’m looking forward to being part of an experienced and passionate team, and getting to know the people who support College of Charleston athletics.

Kara Peterson
Assistant Director of Student Involvement for Facilities and Operations, Office of Student Life

Background: I am originally from Georgia, but have recently spent most of my time living in Washington state. For the past four-and-a-half years, I have been living in Washington state, as my husband is active duty Navy, and this is where we were previously stationed before being stationed here in South Carolina. While in Washington, I attended the University of Washington-Tacoma and graduated in August 2024 with my bachelor’s in biomedical sciences. While pursuing my degree, I was a member of the university’s student activities board, where I worked in a number of different roles throughout my time, such as community connections coordinator, staple events coordinator, and chair. It was through this work that I became passionate about working in student involvement, particularly at the college level, and decided to pursue this line of work as my career path. I realized through my work that I wanted to help provide students with a community within and a connection to their campus, as for myself this was a vital part of my academic journey and life in Washington.

Interests: I enjoy a wide range of activities in my spare time, including going on walks/hikes, writing, drawing, reading, watching TV shows and movies, playing video games, playing with my daughters at the park, date nights with my husband, or doing family activities such as picnics. I have recently been trying to get more workouts in during my week; however, this does not always happen.

Looking Forward: I am most looking forward to seeing and assisting with all the creative and exciting events students and departments create, and aiding in the promotion and growth of the Cougar Pantry on campus, as I know this is a vital resource to many. I am excited to be a part of the College of Charleston community, and I am elated to see what this upcoming year will bring. I look forward to getting to know the campus and those a part of it, as well as the local community.

Shane Schroeder ’25
Lab Assistant, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Background: Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, I joined the Navy as a nuclear electronics technician in 2016. I graduated from the College of Charleston in 2025 and obtained a B.S. in chemistry.

Interests: I enjoy spending time with my wife and dogs.

Looking Forward: I wanted to give back to the chemistry department because they have been so helpful and caring. I am excited to do my part to make the chemistry department thrive.

Rachel Warrens
Assistant Softball Coach, Department of Athletics

Interests: I am originally from San Diego, California. Before the College of Charleston, I worked in ticket sales for 10 months in the athletics department at University of Tennessee.

Background: I am very active and love to be outside whenever possible. I love dogs, reading, traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to working with some incredible people, coaching amazing athletes and passing on my passion for the sport that gave me so much.

Danielle Wheeler ’16 (M.A.T. ’23)
Master Teacher/Interim Director, N.E. Miles Early Childhood Development Center

Background: I grew up in Upstate, South Carolina. I graduated with my undergrad in history and a minor in classics from the College of Charleston in 2016. During COVID, I returned to CofC to work on my M.A.T. in early childhood, which I received in 2023. During that time I was a grad assistant at ECDC. Last fall I returned to ECDC as a master teacher over the toddler classroom. I have spent most of my life working in the food and beverage industry and am excited to utilize all of my past experiences to help move ECDC forward.

Interests: I love spending time with my partner and our dog. We frequently play disc golf, are out on the water, or working in our garden. Anything involving the arts, or learning and growing, and I am in!

Looking Forward: I loved working here as a grad student and had a wonderful first year as a master teacher in the toddler room. I am looking forward to continuing to grow with the other master teachers here and foster lasting community relationships.

Ezra Wingard
Digital Library Analyst, College of Charleston Libraries

Background: I’m originally from Lexington, South Carolina, and I used to be a cognitive neuroscience researcher at the University of South Carolina before coming to the College of Charleston. I also graduated with my bachelor of arts in cognitive science and psychology with a minor in French at my alma mater, SUNY Oswego, in 2023.

Interests: I love to code and I can often be found updating my portfolio website that I’m using as a passion project. I also really love listening to music, drawing, reading about dinosaurs/ancient history, and cooking! I’ve started to get into hiking and doing nature walks in my spare time as well.

Looking Forward: I’m really looking forward to working in the Addlestone Library and being able to leverage my computer science skills to make a positive impact on research and the greater academic community that the Lowcountry Digital Library serves.