University of South Carolina

Margot Ballantyne, Undergraduate Marketing and Design Assistant

A senior Visual Communications major from the great state of North Carolina, Margot joined the OSE team in May 2012 as a marketing and design assistant. She is responsible for creating all design work for the office and assisting with the execution of various marketing plans. Margot will graduate in December 2013 and hopes to find a job in the graphic design field.
Contact Info: 803.777.0081
ballanty@email.sc.edu

Sarah Darling, Graduate Assistant

Sarah is a native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of Millersville University in Millersville, Pennsylvania with a degree in Speech Communication- Public Relations. As a graduate assistant she is most excited about assisting students in finding purposeful engagement opportunities while also managing their academics! Sarah works on assessment initiatives for OSE, the Student Engagement Plan, and also as an ACE Coach in the Student Success Center.
Contact Info: 803.777.0081
darlinsc@mailbox.sc.edu

Kimberly Dressler, Coordinator

Kimberly has a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications and a M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina. Growing up in Fort Thomas, KY a suburb of Cincinnati, OH she didn’t imagine that she would be living in South Carolina, but that is where she has spent the past ten plus years. Kimberly also teaches University 101 and serves on numerous campus committees that focus on increasing student success and retention. Kimberly has presented at many conferences on the topics of the first-year experience, living learning communities, sustainability in the co-curriculum, the sophomore-year experience, peer leadership and cross campus partnerships. In the office, Kimberly works with The Sophomore Initiative, coordination of peer leader programs, management of all Domestic Study Away programs, office marketing, and various other programs.
Contact Info: 803.777.2142
kdressler@sc.edu

Jimmie Gahagan, Director

As the Director for Student Engagement at the University of South Carolina, Jimmie also teaches a University 101 class, designed to increase first-year student success. He has presented and published widely on topics that concern residential learning initiatives, the first-year experience, academic advising, leadership development, the sophomore year experience, spirituality, and student retention. In 2009, Jimmie received his Ph.D in Higher Education, from the University of South Carolina. He also has a M.A. in Student Affairs and Higher Education from the University of South Carolina, and a B.A. in political science from the University of Richmond.
Contact Info: 803.777.1445
gahagan@sc.edu

Sandra Greene, AmeriCorps*VISTA

Sandra is a New York native, and will be working with the Office of Student Engagement as the AmeriCorps*VISTA. Sandra just completed a year with AmeriCorps: Project Grow in Madison, Wisconsin, and is thrilled to continue working as an AmeriCorps member. This past May, Sandra graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a BA in History and History of Science. Sandra is excited to work with both the Office of Student Engagement and the South Carolina Honors College in promoting service-learning with USC students.
Contact Info: 803.576.5712
greenes9@mailbox.sc.edu

Derek Henrichs, Graduate Assistant

Derek is a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program and is driven to help students develop their full potential, both inside and outside of the classroom. Originally from Illinois, Derek is a proud graduate of Treveca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN where he received his BBA in Accounting. His work is primarily focused around promoting Service-Learning through courses, pedagogy, and resources to faculty, staff, students, and community partners of the university.
Contact Info: 803.777.0081
henrichd@mailbox.sc.edu

Kasha Klinegores, Graduate Assistant

Kasha is a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at the University of South Carolina. From Lynchburg, Virginia, she received a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Elementary Education from Roanoke College in Salem, VA in 2009. She began working in higher education in the fall of 2010 as an Admissions Counselor for Roanoke College, recruiting students from the mid-atlantic area. She primarily works with domestic study away programs, including the National Student Exchange, faculty led domestic trips and other domestic travel opportunities.
Contact Info: 803.777.6731
klinegor@mailbox.sc.edu

Chika Kusakawa, Graduate Assistant

Chika is a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at USC. She is from Princeton, New Jersey and earned her B.A. in Biology and a minor in Psychology from Elon University, in North Carolina. She served for two years as an AmeriCorps* VISTA through Campus Compact and as a NCCC Pacific Team Leader. She is most excited about helping students discover and develop skills through experiential learning! In the Office of Student Engagement she works primarily with Sophomore Initiatives and Peer Leadership programs.
Contact Info: 803.777.0081
kusakawa@mailbox.sc.edu

Dottie Weigel, Assistant Director for Student Engagement and Service-Learning

Prior to her work with the Office of Student Engagement, Dottie served on the publications team at the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. She has presented at several national conferences and published on topics such as student development theory and transition in the first year of college. Dottie holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the University of South Carolina and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from King College and master’s degree in student development from Appalachian State University.
Contact Info: 803.777.6336
weigel@mailbox.sc.edu