Director of Athletics Ralph Patterson named Dr. Sandra Rouse the interim head coach of the Scarlet Poms dance team in April 2019.
"It is absolutely incredible that Sandra has offered to lead the Scarlet Poms on an interim basis," Patterson said. "Our dance team deserves the attention they will get from Sandra, and she will help us build the program back to a championship caliber team. I am excited for the team, and so grateful to Sandra for her willingness to make a difference!"
Originally from Barnwell, Rouse studied ballet, modern dance, and jazz dance in Aiken at Crosby's School of Dance with Carl Crosby and Kia Valentine. She continued with her study at Columbia College, double majoring in Psychology and Dance and becoming a member of the Columbia College Dance Company.
Since then, Rouse has served as a Guest Artist at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, danced with the Orangeburg Civic Ballet, and choreographed numerous routines for dance teams, cheerleading squads, and pageants. Most recently, she created jazz, modern, ballet, and African dance pieces for Orangeburg Civic Ballet and annually assisted with staging The Nutcracker.
At Newberry College, she teaches a May Term course, The Art and History of Dance, to share her knowledge and love of the art form.
"Dance has been a part of my life since I was eight years old," Rouse said. "I'm delighted to work with the Scarlet Poms as we continue to build this amazing program."
Rouse currently serves as Newberry College's Dean of Students and serves on President's Council, the institution's senior leadership team. She is responsible for providing strategic direction for the student-focused areas of the college and works with departments across campus to develop programs that promote student success, support retention, and ensure timely graduation.
She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and earned an M.Ed. in Student Personnel Services from University of South Carolina.
