Shirley Staples Carter

Shirley Staples Carter is an accomplished academic leader currently serving as the Associate Dean for Access and Engagement and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of South Carolina College of Information and Communications since January 2019. With a long-standing tenure at the University of South Carolina starting in July 2003, Shirley teaches public relations management and conducts research focused on diversity in higher education and women in leadership. Previously, Shirley was the founding director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications from July 2003 to July 2008 and served as the first female and first African American director of the Elliott School of Communication at Wichita State University from July 2000 to July 2003. Educational credentials include a Ph.D. in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, an MA in Journalism with a focus on Public Relations from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor's degree in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Tuskegee University.