College of Charleston Welcomes New Employees

The College of Charleston is excited to welcome this group of new employees! Whether they’re stepping on campus for the first time or taking on a new role on campus, these new Cougars bring a lot of experience, talent and enthusiasm to the community.

Find out a little about these new colleagues below – and be sure to extend a warm welcome to them all!

Kisha Galloway
Director of Benefits and Wellness Programs, Office of Human Resources

Background: I am originally from New Jersey, but I’ve lived in the Charleston area for over 20 years. I started my HR career by working at PEBA in Columbia and have worked at several state agencies and local subdivisions since.

Interests: My family and friends are important to me. In my spare time I enjoy reading and watching old movies. Silent Movie Sundays on Turner Classic Movies is a particular favorite, but I generally enjoy anything made before 1969. I also enjoy shopping and spending time with my family.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to finding new ways to help fellow employees increase their knowledge of our current benefit offerings and introducing new programs to increase benefit utilization and satisfaction.

Bryn Gerding
Assistant Researcher, Department of Physics and Astronomy

Background: I grew up in Charleston, went to undergrad in San Diego, then moved back after I graduated.

Interests: My hobbies are rock climbing, reading and cooking.

Looking Forward: Getting paid to do MATH. I’m so excited to do MATH.

Annie Grimes ’24 (M.F.A.)
Residence Hall Director, Department of Residence Life

Background: I was born and raised in Conway, Arkansas, a town where my two siblings and I grew up with our grandparents as our neighbors, and our cousins only a quick drive away. I went to college in my hometown, too – at the University of Central Arkansas, and studied creative writing and sociology. My love for writing, and perhaps a desire to expand my horizons, propelled me to apply to M.F.A. programs. I got accepted by the College of Charleston two years ago and, through my enrollment, I was able to secure a graduate residence hall director position at McConnell Residence Hall. I served in this role for two years and absolutely loved getting to work with the student and professional staffs, as well as all of the residents. As I looked toward graduation in spring 2024, I knew that I didn’t want the experience to end quite yet. So, I came back!

Interests: I love to read and write. I love to spend time with my friends – playing board games, getting coffee, going on walks around Charleston. I’m big into thrift shopping, and I’m definitely not a minimalist, so I like to acquire cool knickknacks and add them to my apartment. I’m a huge karaoke fan, so I jump on any opportunity I can for a fun night out. I think kindness and curiosity are super important me, so I’m always hoping to try new things and meet new people who inspire me to be my most authentic self.

Looking Forward: I’m most excited to meet the student staff I will be working with for the school year. My most cherished relationships in Charleston are the ones I’ve developed with the RAs and DAs that I have supervised. I just think that the work they do in the halls is so important and necessary, and I love that I get to be there for them as they navigate what can often be a stressful and difficult, yet rewarding, role. The memories I’ve made with my staffs as a grad hall director have been priceless, so I can’t wait to make some more. I’m just so proud of all of them.

Margaret Nyland
Assistant Director, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs

Background: My family moved to Charleston from the Washington, D.C., area (Mclean, Virginia), where I practiced federal regulatory law. I have three grown children – two who live locally and one who lives and works in NYC.

Interests: I enjoy theater (acting), yoga, long walks and equestrian sports.

Looking Forward: I am looking forward to being part of a vibrant college community.

Nicholas Principe
Associate Director, First Year Experience

Background: I have spent most of my life in the Southeast, having lived from Florida to Maryland, but I’ve been in Charleston since 2013 and absolutely love living here. I have two wonderful adult kids, one of whom graduated with a double major from the College of Charleston, and the other is a successful chef here in town. Although I originally wanted to be a fisheries biologist, I fell in love with teaching when I started working part time as a lab instructor at Ursinus College, a small liberal arts college just outside of Philadelphia. I worked there for 10 years as a full-time instructor, teaching, advising and conducting research. I began teaching part time at CofC in 2017 in the Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program and then taught my first First Year Experience course – called Fish, Fisheries and Food for the Future – in 2018. My passion for teaching and my strong support for the CofC FYE program prompted me to successfully apply to be the first-ever FYE Faculty Fellow for 2023–24. The combination of teaching in FYE and working behind the scenes as FYE Fellow has been a truly rewarding experience and I cannot wait to get started as the associate director of FYE.

Interests: My relationships with my family and friends are incredibly important to me, and – as anyone who knows me will tell you – I have a passion for our natural world. I recently completed my Lowcountry Master Naturalist Certification, which means when I’m not working, I’m typically outside, birding, catching reptiles, taking macro photos of insects or volunteering on conservation projects here in the Lowcountry. I love learning new things and then applying what I’ve learned in a way that is in service to others and to our planet.

Looking Forward: Although I have been working at CofC for seven years already, I am very excited to begin this new chapter as associate director of FYE. Our FYE program is incredibly unique, blending both a peer facilitator–led seminar with a wide selection of courses taught by talented faculty, and I want to continue to help this program thrive and grow into the future by bringing to it all of my energy, experience and passion.

Samantha Snyder
Assistant Registrar for Student Services, Office of the Registrar

Background: I moved around all over, graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, with a B.S. in geology. I worked for the U.S. Geological Survey for a few years, then SCDOT, and then I decided I wanted a career change and I started being an academic advisor at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina. I switched to admissions a little over a year in, and I’m really stoked to be transitioning from a two-year to a four-year institute.

Interests: I enjoy tennis, reading and binge watching TV shows and movies.

Looking Forward: I look forward to experiencing the CofC culture and learning registrar processes.