Contact VBL Staff

The Director is Dr. Joe McDonald. Formerly a professor of sociology at Newberry, he began using service-learning in his classes in the early 1990s. He was also part of a group that created the Newberry College Shop Around the Corner, a non-profit thrift store owned and managed by the College. He has kept active in the Newberry community, serving on the boards of the Red Cross, Communities in Schools, the Council on Child Abuse and Neglect, the School Supplies Drive, and is currently Vice-Chair of the Newberry County Literacy Council. His degrees are from the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee. He has also taught and been associated with service-learning programs at Mercer University and Western Carolina University. He enjoys tennis, hiking, and walking his dog, Dylan.

Email: Joseph.McDonald@newberry.edu

Office Location: 204 Keller Hall

Phone: (803)321-5215

Amanda Mason is an AmeriCorps *VISTA volunteer. She will be serving Newberry College for the 2008-2009 academic year. She is a Powdersville, SC native. She graduated from Wren High School in 2005 and since then has attended Newberry College and USC-Upstate. Amanda plans to attend Anderson University in Fall of 2009 to complete her Bachelor's Degree in Human Services. From there, her plan is to attend graduate school and receive a Master's degree in Higher Education. Amanda hopes to continue working for a college in other service-learning programs or starting her own non-profit organization in her hometown. She enjoys reading, volunteering, watching movies and hanging out with her friends.

Email: Amanda.Mason@newberry.edu

Office Location: 203 Keller Hall

Phone: (803)321-5615

Work Study Students

Bryan Wrigley

Katie Justice