The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences announces the 2026 Class of McCausland Faculty Fellows, recognizing six outstanding early-career faculty for excellence in teaching, research and student mentorship at the University of South Carolina.
Biochemistry junior Ria Kothari combines lab research and service work to make a tangible impact, from designing new antimicrobial compounds to leading USC's Habitat for Humanity chapter.
University of South Carolina chemistry professor Caryn Outten has been named a 2026 fellow of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for her groundbreaking research on fungal infections and iron metabolism, as well as her excellence in teaching and mentoring at the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences.
A new grant from the National Institutes of Health will help USC faculty study fragile X-associated health conditions, which may affect thousands of people in South Carolina, and identify new ways to diagnose and treat the conditions.
USC Columbia sophomore Audrey Webb won the 2025 holiday card design contest. A computer science major from Fort Mill, South Carolina, Webb's winning design imagines what the Cocky statue on campus would look like if it snowed. Her design is featured on President Michael Amiridis' and First Lady Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis' holiday card, and it earned Webb a $500 gift card.
Assistant professor Feilong Ma joined USC's Department of Psychology with a research mission to understand how individual brains shape who we are and to advance tools that may transform neuroscience and clinical care.
An environmental chemistry research lab at USC at the forefront of efforts to find and identify disinfection byproducts in U.S. water treatment systems has discovered a new, highly toxic class of byproducts.
USC chemistry professor Linda Shimizu has a long list of accomplishments, including recently being named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, one of only 36 chemistry professors worldwide to receive the honor in 2025 for scientific and professional accomplishments.
Millions of times smaller than a grain of salt, nanocrystals have become extraordinarily useful in electronics, drug delivery, biological imaging and beyond.
Heading into 2025, the field of higher education faced significant challenges. But at the University of South Carolina, all signs point to dynamic growth and institutional strength.
Paige Canady planned to write a straightforward honors thesis, the kind that might get read once or twice, then put on a shelf. But after collaborating with an art education student, the project became a cleverly illustrated children’s book, one that Canady hopes will be read by families everywhere.
As the December Class of 2025 prepares to walk across the commencement stage, graduates leave the University of South Carolina with memories of enduring friendships, newfound passions, supportive mentors and life-changing experiences.
USC has launched the new Center for School Behavioral Health to strengthen K-12 mental health across South Carolina. The interdisciplinary effort will expand research, support school personnel and help improve outcomes for students and families.
Scientists working with the James Webb Space Telescope discovered three unusual astronomical objects in early 2025, which may be examples of dark stars. Alexey Petrov, a USC endowed chair in physics, writes for The Conversation on how this could alter scientists’ understanding of how ordinary stars form.
Through a community service internship with Columbia's Harriet Hancock Center, sociology and women's and gender studies student Julia Smith discovered her passion for advocacy and turned classroom lessons into a career dedicated to strengthening her community.
USC Honors College student and public health major Hannah Brennen, who was a Rhodes scholar finalist, plans to attend medical school to pursue her interest in maternal health.
Senior Gracie Bellah started at USC with her plans mapped out. A history and anthropology double major in the Honors College, she dove into historical research and became a leader in student organizations. Her experience helping other students as a McCausland College ambassador helped her decide to take her career plans in a new direction.
South Carolina Honors College student Michael Pitre has been named a finalist for the 2026 Marshall Scholarships. If selected, he plans to pursue an MPhil in biological sciences to develop novel treatments for Parkinson's disease before returning to USC for medical school.
As the university marks the celebration of First-Gen College Celebration Week, we caught up with first-generation students, alumni, faculty and staff who are thriving in the classroom and beyond.
Associate professor Brett Sherman fell in love with philosophy as a teenager, before he even understood what he was reading. Now, the 2025 Mungo J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award winner inspires a similar curiosity in his students at the University of
Researchers in the McCausland College are tackling global challenges -- from waterborne disease affecting 400 million people to children's emotional development through art -- with support from funding secured by the McCausland Grants Operations team.
There are only about 384 North Atlantic right whales remaining on Earth. That’s fewer than the number of students living in the Capstone dorm. The latest count is cause for alarm, and the whales’ leading killers are entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes.
As a first-generation college student and an Asian American, Sarah Tra worried about whether she would be able to find community and connect to her culture on campus. But joining organizations like the Vietnamese Student Association and the Asian and Pacific Islander Activism Association has given her the opportunity to connect with her community through fundraisers, rallies and events that showcase culture through food, music and dance.
USC professor Chester DePratter has been sorting through archaeological evidence gathered over nearly four decades of investigation at the 16th century Spanish settlement of Santa Elena on present-day Parris Island. Here's what he and his team found.
Snapping shrimp can create shockwaves strong enough to stun prey. But how do they survive each other’s blasts? USC biologist Dan Speiser and his team discovered that a special “orbital hood” — a helmet-like shield around the shrimp’s eyes and brain — protects them from these powerful shockwaves. Collaborating with biomedical researchers at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, the team is now studying the hood’s structure to design next-generation helmets that could protect human brains from shock waves and even reduce the risk of PTSD in military personnel.