About Us

Valinda W. Littlefield, Ph.D., is associate professor emerita, History, at the University of South Carolina and Interim Director, USCB Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE).  She received a B.A. in History and a B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina Central University and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. Dr. Littlefield specializes in late nineteenth and twentieth century African-American History. Her current research focuses on African American rural southern women schoolteachers during the Jim Crow era.  She is a co-editor of South Carolina Women: Their Lives and Times, a three-volume account of SC Women published by University of Georgia Press and the editor of 101 Women Who Shaped South Carolina, published by USC Press. She serves or has served on the boards of the S.C. Historical Society, S.C. State Museum, the SC Authors’ Academy, One Columbia, and the S.C. Council for African American Social Studies.

Rhonda Carey serves as ISRE’s programs and projects coordinator, assisting with the development and presentation of public programming events including the Institute’s annual symposium, teacher’s institute, and history series. She is passionate about engaging with and involving the community, especially students, and the Institute’s non-profit partners in collaborative learning opportunities and research projects. Her previous positions include Program Director in student affairs at Georgia State University, Event Planner for the City of Beaufort’s Downtown Development and Community Services and serving as Co-Chair for the Cultural District Advisory Board.

Elizabeth Laney, M.A., serves as ISRE’s research associate, helping to spearhead the institute’s research initiatives including compiling the first muster roll of the 1st SC Volunteers of African Descent / 33rd USCT, as well as giving public presentations, working with students and teachers to enrich Reconstruction curriculum, and managing the institute’s social media accounts. She is a historian and genealogist with 20+ years experience in South Carolina historic sites & museums who specializes in the history of African American communities, South Carolina’s African American military heritage, and the Reconstruction Era.

Francena F.L. Turner, Ph.D., is the ACE Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow at the USCB Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era (ISRE). She received an A.A.S. in Respiratory Care from Fayetteville Technical Community College, a B.A. in History from Fayetteville State University, and an Ed.M. in Educational Policy Studies and a Ph.D. in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership with a concentration in History of Education from the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign. Dr. Turner is most interested in issues of equity, agency, and thriving in education and she specializes in qualitative research methodologies and in late 19th and 20th century Black women’s education and career trajectories and Black student collegiate resistance. Dr. Turner is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in History at Fayetteville State University where she teaches courses in African American History, Oral History, and the Harlem Renaissance. She serves on the board of directors for the Black Oral Historians Network and the African American Educational Research Organization @ Melchor Quick Meeting House.

Hi, I’m Anna Ard-Roberts, and I’ve been part of the USCB community for over 10 years. In my role, I support several areas across Academic Affairs, Student Development, Interdisciplinary Studies, the Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era, Institutional Effectiveness and Research, and Human Services and Public Health programs. I also serve as a Student Success Coach and Human Resources Liaison, helping to make sure things run smoothly behind the scenes.

My background is in Early Childhood Education, which shaped my approach to communication, empathy, and relationship-building. I genuinely enjoy working with people and creating a sense of connection and community across campus—whether that’s helping a student find their footing or collaborating with faculty and staff to support our shared goals.