Leadership Team

Kristin M. Gehsmann

Dean 

As Dean, Kristin Gehsmann guides the work of College of Education leadership, faculty and staff while establishing and maintaining partnerships across the University and with South Carolina educational and district partners. Gehsmann joined the College in Fall 2023.

Prior to this role, Gehsmann served as director of the School of Education at Virginia Tech. She has held leadership positions at East Carolina University and Saint Michael’s College. She holds three degrees in the field of education; a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (K-8), a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education (birth-age 8) and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (PreK-20+). Gehsmann is credited with $20 million in sponsored research and outreach over the course of her career. A nationally recognized expert in literacy development, instruction and intervention, her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, blogs, encyclopedias, newspapers, websites and books.

Gehsmann’s leadership accomplishments include increasing externally funded research and scholarly output, creating and implementing innovative certificate and degree programs, improving the national rankings of institutions and programs, and increasing opportunity, accessibility and affordability in higher education. She is a frequent advisor and consultant on state education policy and research-based practices and has served as an advisor for DreamBox Learning, a leading educational technology provider of digital reading and math solutions.

Michelle Patrick Cook

Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies

In this position, Michelle Cook provides leadership in undergraduate programming and clinical and field experiences, supports assessment and accreditation, and participates in policy development and implementation.

Cook has served as a faculty member in science education since 2006.  She earned her Ph.D. in science education from North Carolina State University.  She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before coming to Clemson, Cook was a high school biology teacher in Raleigh, N.C.

During her time at Clemson, Cook has prepared pre-service teachers in the College of Education’s undergraduate and MAT science teaching programs.  She has provided statewide professional development to in-service science teachers though Improving Teacher Quality, Mathematics and Science Partnership, and Advanced Placement Teacher Institute grants.  Cook’s research has been funded by several NSF grants and has been included in journals such as Science Education and the International Journal of Science Education.

Celeste C. (CC) Bates

Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

C.C. Bates provides support to faculty and students in the areas of research and scholarship and graduate studies.

Bates is professor of literacy in the Department of Education and Human Development. Her research agenda focuses on the use of digital tools to enhance and deliver professional development for reading interventionists and K-2 classroom teachers, which stems from her ongoing inquiry into the teaching of children who are having difficulty learning to read and write. She has been the principal investigator on more than $10,000,000 in grants and contracts to support this work and the work of the Early Literacy Center for which she has served as director since 2009. Bates has more than 50 scholarly publications including peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, and technical reports. She received a PhD from Georgia State University in Language and Literacy with a concentration in Early Literacy. Bates began her career as primary grades teacher, interventionist, and literacy coach in Greenville County, SC and Newton County, GA.

Kristen Cuthrell, Ed.D.

Chair, Department of Education and Human Development

Kristen Cuthrell, Ed.D. serves as chair of the Department of Education and Human Development in the Clemson University College of Education.

Cuthrell served as director of the East Carolina University (ECU) Rural Education Institute in the College of Education and professor in the ECU’s Department of Elementary Education and Middle Grades Education. Over the last 15 years, Cuthrell has collaborated with others on approximately $30 million in externally funded research and outreach focused on improving and growing community partnerships in rural areas. She served as the acting state director for the North Carolina Rural Education Association, an affiliate of the National Rural Education Association. She is the Hub Liaison for the Southeast Regional Hub in the Rural Schools Collaborative.

Cuthrell served as principal investigator of ECU’s current Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant and previously served as co-principal investigator of ECU’s first TQP grant in 2009. She was a principal investigator on a federal contract for a federal, statewide scaling grant for full-service community schools in North Carolina.

David S. Fleming

Chair, Department of Teaching and Learning
Interim Chair, Department of Education and Human Development

David Fleming supports the faculty and students in the Curriculum and Instruction, Teaching and Learning, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Middle Level Education, Mathematics Teaching, Science Teaching, and Secondary Education programs within the Department of Teaching and Learning.

A member of the Clemson faculty since 2006, he has served in such roles as Program Coordinator, Associate Dean, Interim Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, among others. Prior to his work at Clemson, Fleming was a faculty member at the University of Florida, a high school teacher in Hampton, South Carolina, and an elementary school teacher in Columbia, South Carolina.

Fleming's research and service focuses on the teaching/learning processes in physical education/activity, program evaluation, and out-of-school time education programming. He has been the Principal Investigator for over $6 million in external grants to support his work. Currently, he is the Principal Investigator for GoalPOST (Goal-Oriented Performance in Out of School Time), a partnership between Clemson University and Anderson School District #1 as well as the Pickens County School District. The focus of the project is measuring the development of achievement goal orientations and academic achievement through an out of school time education program designed to foster a mastery learning environment. The project is funded by the USDOE.

Hans W. Klar

Professor and Department Chair, Department of Educational and Organizational Leadership Development

In this role, Hans Klar supports faculty and students in the Athletic Leadership, Education Systems Improvement Science, Educational Leadership, Human Resource Development, and Student Affairs programs.

Klar has served as a faculty member and coordinator of the educational leadership programs at Clemson University since 2010. He received his PhD in Educational Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to commencing doctoral studies, Klar served in a variety of teaching and educational leadership positions in Australia, China, and Japan, including Associate Dean for English Programs at the Sydney Institute of Language and Commerce at Shanghai University.

Klar’s research is centered on fostering leadership development in rural and high needs schools through research practice partnerships. At Clemson, he has led the South Carolina Successful School Principals’ Project and co‐directed a leadership coaching initiative called the Leadership Learning Community. He has also served as a visiting scholar at the Universidad Andrés Bello in Santiago, Chile and at the Center for Principal Development at Umeå University in Umeå, Sweden.

Lisa Taylor

Chief of Staff and Operations

Lisa Taylor ‘92 joins the Clemson University College of Education as the Chief of Staff and Operations (COS). The COS will provide comprehensive operational support in the dean’s office and serve as an advisor, strategic partner and liaison to the College’s leadership team, advancement, faculty, staff and governmental affairs.

Taylor brings over 30 years of executive-level experience in strategic planning, product development, operations, client management and data analytics. She leads multi-functional teams by building a culture of trust, collaboration and continuous improvement. Her previous accomplishments demonstrate her ability to assess complex situations, utilize data to inform actionable strategies and leverage technology to enhance operational efficiency and engagement. In her most recent role, Taylor served in Clemson’s advancement division as the University Development Team’s college and unit liaison. Taylor earned a bachelor’s degree in financial management from Clemson University.  

Taylor lives in Seneca and has two children, Luke (20) and Lila Grace (17), and two dogs, Zeus and Rigby. She enjoys hosting tailgates and cheering on the Tigers. We are delighted to welcome her to the College!

Lee D’Andrea

Director of College Relations

Kathryn “Lee” D'Andrea currently serves as the Director of College Relations and a Professor of Practice in the College of Education at Clemson University. Prior to her public school career retirement, in June 2015, Dr. D'Andrea served as Superintendent of Anderson School District 4 for six years. She previously served the district as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction from 2003-2006.

Dr. D'Andrea grew up in Anderson County, SC, before earning her Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Georgia. In 1976, she began her career as a first grade teacher in Columbus, Georgia. She also served as Coordinator of Early Childhood and Family Literacy, Principal of West Market Family Education Center, and Assistant Superintendent of Data and Accountability in Anderson School District 5. From 2006-2008, she was the Superintendent of the School District of Pickens County. A lifelong learner, Dr. D'Andrea earned a Master’s Degree and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Education Leadership from Clemson University. She served on numerous state/regional committees and task-forces. Her areas of education interest include leadership development, systems reform and capacity building, policy and politics of education.

Roy Jones

Executive Director of Call Me MISTER®

Roy Jones came to Clemson University in 2003 to become the executive director of the Eugene T. Moore School of Education’s Call Me MISTER® (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program. A goal of Call Me MISTER is to place more teachers from diverse cultures and backgrounds in the classrooms of Title I elementary schools. His visionary leadership has propelled the program from a budding startup into one of the most successful and recognized diversity initiatives promoting teacher preparation in the nation. Jones has received numerous national awards and accolades, including the 2009 American Association of Blacks in Higher Education’s Pacesetter Award; being named one of the Most Creative Teachers in the South by Oxford American magazine in 2011; a 2020 inductee into the South Carolina African American History Calendar; and being invited by President Barack Obama’s White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges 2016 National 

Joseph B. Ryan

Executive Director, Sue Stanzione Distinguished Professorship for ClemsonLIFE

Dr. Joe Ryan is the Sue Stanzione Distinguished Professor of special education and 2023-24 U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Ireland. He is the founder and executive director of Clemson LIFE (Learning is for Everyone), a nationally recognized post-secondary education program for young adults with intellectual disabilities. He has taught students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) from grades K-12 across a variety of educational settings, including resource and self-contained classrooms, special day schools and a residential treatment center. Ryan has over 100 publications and currently serves as the editor of the journal “Beyond Behavior.” His research interests focus on behavioral interventions and enhancing post-school outcomes for individuals with disabilities. He has been interviewed by Anderson Cooper, CNN, Headline News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other leading periodicals, and he has given three U.S. Congressional Briefings on behavioral crisis interventions for schools. Ryan is also the founder and director of several adaptive sports programs; Clemson Letterbox Club, an educational program for children in foster care; and volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. He is a retired Captain in the United States Navy Reserve.

Leigh Martin

Executive Director, Office of Clinical Partnerships and Outreach

Leigh Martin oversees all aspects of the Office of Field and Clinical Partnerships and Outreach, including guiding all facets of students’ field experiences. In this role, she also works with College of Education faculty and staff as they move towards developing policies and practices to create partnership models with school districts.

Martin has been a member of the Clemson faculty since 2011. Since then, she has held the position of lecturer, senior lecturer, and program coordinator. Prior to her arrival at Clemson, she worked as a mathematics specialist with the S²TEM Centers and taught middle school and high school mathematics.

Martin’s research interests include mathematics instructional coaching and preservice teachers’ noticing of students’ thinking. She has published in the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, and Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, and she has spoken nationally at dozens of conferences.

Martin also serves as a reviewer for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, and the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Additionally, she has served as vice president of post-secondary for the South Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and she is currently a member of Clemson’s Inaugural President’s Leadership Institute.
 

Laura Eicher

Director, Teacher Residency

Laura Eicher oversees all aspects of the Teacher Residency Program, which includes working closely with our seven partner school districts to place teacher residents in a yearlong clinical placement and training mentor teachers to work with these residents.  She also teaches teacher residents in their graduate coursework each semester. 

Before coming to Clemson, Eicher taught high school science for 18 years in public schools in South Carolina.  Her research interests include preservice teacher education, teacher recruitment and retention, and teacher identity.

Savannah Bock

Business Officer

As Business Officer for the College of Education, Savannah Bock manages all budgetary and financial matters for the College. Working closely with administration, faculty, and staff to prepare, implement, and maintain the annual College budget, she also works with administrators to develop strategic fiscal plans for the College. Her work in this role also includes supervising the business office team of financial analysts.

Bock has served in various roles in the College since 2014, from post-award grants manager to Associate Business Officer. She previously worked at a private accounting firm before joining Clemson in 2012. She is a South Carolina native and earned her B.S in Accounting from Clemson University.

Michael Staton

Marketing and Communications Director

As marketing and communications director for the College of Education, Michael Staton leads the College’s efforts to showcase its excellence and engage and inspire its stakeholders. Staton works closely with administration, faculty, staff and students to promote the College of Education and its individual departments, centers, institutes, programs, labs and initiatives to a variety of audiences.

Staton has served as marketing and communications director since July 2022. He previously served as communications and media manager for the College of Education. He joined the distinguished staff of Clemson University in 2016, serving both the College of Education and the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. Staton previously worked in health care marketing and as a freelance journalist and public relations professional.