She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the College of Charleston and her Master of Science and Ph.D., in both communication and information, from the University of Tennessee. Dr. Garland has taught courses in public speaking, theories and principles in human communication, communication research methods, interpersonal communication, and senior seminar at the University of South Carolina Upstate; she also has experience teaching business and professional communication and professional skills development. Her research falls under the umbrella of instructional communication with two foci: the impact of faculty messages on college student identities and student outcomes; as well as student, course and program assessment and evaluation.