Dr. Richardson was born in Tennessee, but grew up in California, where he studied Russian history and literature at the University of California's campuses in Santa Barbara and Berkeley.  He taught for many years at Wichita State University in Kansas, and was instrumental in creating and developing the Tacoma campus of the University of Washington.  He has held Fullbright grants in the former Soviet Union and Germany, has been a visiting scholar at Oxford University as well as Moscow State University, and has been active with international initiatives in Russia, Cuba, Australia, China, and Japan.  He is the author of two books (ZOLOTOE RUNO AND RUSSIAN MODERNISM: 1905-1910 and MEXICO THROUGH RUSSIAN EYES, 1810-1940) as well as numerous articles dealing with Russian urban history, Soviet-Latin American relations, and Russian and Soviet culture.  He is actively involved with the Forum UNESCO:  University and Heritage network, and has appeared at conferences and professional meetings in many parts of the world.

Dr. Beard is a Professor of English and  Associate Dean of the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts.  He has worked in the Office of the Dean since 2002 and recently served as Interim Dean of the College for 2005-2006.  Before this, he served as Director of Freshman and Sophomore English, President of the Georgia-Carolinas College English Association, and Editor of NOTE:  Notes on Teaching English.  Dr. Beard teaches courses in American literature of the 20th century, contemporary fiction, and surveys in British, American and world literatures.

Associate Professor John Navin is Associate Dean of the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts.  He teaches Early American history courses covering the Colonial, Revolutionary, Early national, and Ante-Bellum periods.  

A graduate of Brandeis University where he still teaches every summer, Dr. Navin is faculty advisor for Phi Alpha Theta, the History honor society.  His recent projects include a video produced for PBS on the settlement of Dorchester, South Carolina and book chapters on cross-cultural murder in colonial New England and on children in Holland and New England in the 17th century.   Dr. Navin is a chess enthusiast, a diehard New England Patriots fan, and a member of Red Sox nation. 

Laura Barr is the Administrative Coordinator for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.    

Laura has been with Coastal Carolina University since September, 2004. She began as Office Assistant for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, and then became  the Administrative Specialist for the Department of English, Communication and Journalism in June, 2005.  She was appointed as Administrative Coordinator for the College of Humanities & Fine Arts in January, 2007.

Laura's office telephone is (843)349-2444,and she is located in the Dean's Suite of the Edwards Humanities & Fine Arts building (Room 201).

Sharon (Sherry) Crawford joined the Dean's Office in September, 2007.  She provides administrative support for the Dean and also acts as receptioinist for the Dean's Office.  Her office duties also include assisting students with registration and applications for graduation.

Sherry moved to the area from Pittsburgh, Pa, where she was a legal assistant.  She has also served as an administrative assistant with the Office of Alumni Relations and Development in the School of Law and with the Health Sciences School, both at Duquesne University. 

Trish Brennan is the Fiscal Technician for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.  Her office is located in the Edwards Building, Room 213.