June 07, 2023, Megan Sexton
When Clay and Grainne Owen’s son Killian died of leukemia at age 9, the family’s tragedy became their mission — to find better treatments and make childhood cancer a curable disease. Their charity, Curing Kids Cancer, has raised more than $25 million since 2005.
June 02, 2023, Page Ivey
Steve Benjamin, former mayor of Columbia and two-time graduate of USC, is director of the Office of Public Engagement and a senior adviser to the president and the White House. Benjamin sat down with USC Today earlier this year to discuss the job and how his experiences as a political science major and law school student prepared him for his 12 years as Columbia mayor and for his new role in the White House.
May 31, 2023, Laura Morris
Three University of South Carolina faculty members and five alumni are featured in the Top 50 Women in South Carolina list published May 22 by the website Women We Admire.
May 26, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Office of the Provost has named Shannon Means as the new vice provost for strategy and innovation. She will begin in her role on June 1.
May 25, 2023, Alexis Watts
You never know what will be behind the next open door. Evan Delp and Bob Magee (both 2021, international business) had no idea that a chance meeting during a scholarship interview at the Honors College would lead to a lifelong friendship and joint pursuit of their musical passion.
May 25, 2023, Megan Sexton
Darla Moore School of Business marketing associate professor Xiaojing Yang along with researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, examined the effects of pet exposure on consumers’ subsequent judgments and decisions, even in ads that are not focused on pet products.
May 25, 2023
South Carolina’s economic future depends on a world-class workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. That’s why assistant professor Hengtao Tang is studying how to make STEM courses more effective, inclusive and accessible to a wider range of people.
May 24, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Education professor Catherine Compton-Lilly traveled to Taiwan to help two communities reclaim indigenous language loss through children’s books.
May 24, 2023, Lauryn Jiles
South Carolina nurses and nursing students learned from leading health professionals about the impact that underrepresented, minoritized and disadvantaged background nurses have on increasing health equity throughout the country during the College of Nursing’s StAND-UP: SC Conference on May 11.
May 24, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Army ROTC Gamecock Battalion received the prestigious MacArthur Award, which recognizes the program for excellence in academics, physical training, character, and percentage of commissioned officers.
May 24, 2023, Téa Smith
Tarlan Chahardovali, an assistant professor in the University of South Carolina’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, and Christopher McLeod, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, have developed the concept of inspirational labor as part of a study exploring the extra work that professional female athletes do for the future of their sports.
May 22, 2023, Q&A by Craig Brandhorst
In “A Brilliant Commodity” (Oxford University Press), USC history and Jewish studies professor Saskia Coenen Snyder explores the diamond trade of the late 19th century and the critical role played by Jews at every level of an emerging international commodity market.
May 22, 2023, Megan Sexton
At the University of South Carolina’s Aging Brain Cohort, researchers from across the university are exploring how people’s brain health changes as they get older.
May 22, 2023, Chris Horn
Many children are not only minimally participanting in physical activity but also have fallen behind in acquiring basic motor development skills that dramatically hinders their capability to play.
May 22, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
When it comes to understanding the challenges related to pregnancy, birth and early childhood, USC’s researchers deliver answers.
May 19, 2023, Chris Horn
One in five youth and young adults with diabetes in the U.S. lives in a household with limited or uncertain availability of nutritional food, a precarious situation that makes coping with diabetes difficult. Arnold School of Public Health researchers are learning more about this special population and are planning an intervention study to help.
May 18, 2023, Lauryn Jiles
The University of South Carolina is one of only six institutions in the country selected to partner with Boeing on its Accelerated Leadership Program, in which a select group of students will gain hands-on learning experience working with engineering projects and innovative technologies
May 17, 2023
Mani Sockalingam’s research supports the development of advanced composite material systems that could find application in the production of lightweight structures for the aerospace, automotive and defense sectors. He seeks to address fundamental scientific challenges at the intersection of materials-mechanics-manufacturing while mentoring students to conduct meaningful research.
May 17, 2023, Megan Sexton
Ashley Poston, who earned her English degree from USC, has published nine books across multiple genres. Her first adult novel, "The Dead Romantics," was a Good Morning America Book Club selection and a N.Y. Times bestseller. Her latest book, "The Seven Year Slip," will be published June 27.
May 16, 2023
Growing up in a poor area of North Georgia, Melissa Nolan saw the negative effects infectious disease could have on a community – and after working in Latin America, she saw how infectious disease interventions could mitigate these kinds of effects. At USC, the assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics is combining her domestic and foreign research interests for maximum impact.
May 16, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Aphasia is a language disorder that can occur after a stroke. It is especially prevalent in South Carolina, which has one of the highest stroke rates in the nation. Researchers at C-STAR — USC’s Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery — are working to better understand it.
May 12, 2023, Communications and Marketing
The University of South Carolina will invest $10 million over the next four years in five new interdisciplinary research institutes that will address some of the Palmetto State’s biggest challenges, including health, education and water quality.
May 12, 2023, Téa Smith
Tori Edsel’s dreams of being a dancer came to an abrupt halt when she suffered a stroke at 16. The third-year early childhood education major’s experiences during her recovery helped change her outlook and gave her a new dream: helping children in similar situations.
May 11, 2023, Abbey Smith
Sarah Davis’s endometriosis diagnosis spurred the NIH-funded researcher to pursue motherhood while completing her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences. As she prepares to celebrate her first Mother’s Day, Davis reflects on what it means to have a successful academic career while starting a family.
May 10, 2023
Since establishing an Artificial Intelligence Institute in 2019, the university has seen growing interest in the subject across campus. There are now dozens of researchers throughout the university exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to advance fields from health care to manufacturing.
May 10, 2023
Sanjib Sur first became interested in millimeter-wave because of its potential to bring low-cost wireless connectivity to underserved populations. Today, Sur is working on designing next-generation wireless network architectures and ubiquitous sensing techniques that make smart objects truly smart.
May 09, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Teri Browne will assume her role as dean of the College of Social Work on May 15.
May 06, 2023, Michaela Taylor
Sarah Sylvester and the Cocky persona have become incredibly close over her two-year stint as one of the most recognizable mascots in college sports.
May 05, 2023, Craig Brandhorst / Illustrations by Dré Lopez
Evolutionary biologist Tim Mousseau has been studying the ecological effects of radiation at Chernobyl for decades, even during wartime.
May 05, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Rohit Verma will start in his role as dean of the Darla Moore School of Business on July 1.
May 05, 2023, Lauryn Jiles
When Jenna Wilson became director of the Carolina Closet, she never imagined she’d be in the graduation business. She launched a joint collection project for students unable to buy their own cap and gown.
May 04, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The largest graduating class in the University of South Carolina’s history will participate in spring commencement ceremonies in Columbia on Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6.
May 04, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Ann Vail will assume the role at the university’s Graduate School on July 1.
May 02, 2023
In the fall of 2019, newly hired USC Upstate chemistry professor Anita Nag was looking at the virus responsible for a 2002 SARS outbreak in China. Her hope? To understand how virus proteins suppress certain functions in their hosts to make it easier for the virus to reproduce. Within a few short months, her work took on great import as the world battled a slightly different version of the virus that causes COVID-19.
May 01, 2023, Hannah Cambre
For many, reaching the age of 65 means slowing down and enjoying retirement. Aliza Burton, an English major at the University of South Carolina, has chosen a less traditional path.
April 28, 2023, Prakash Nagarkatti, Mitzi Nagarkatti
There are signs advertising delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC and CBD, or cannabidiol, everywhere. Professors of pathology Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on whether it is safe to consume them and which claimed medicinal benefits hold up to scientific scrutiny.
April 27, 2023
Russell Pate, a public health professor and director of the Children's Physical Activity Research Group, played a key role in SC FitnessGram, a project led by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control that aims to evaluate and improve health-related fitness among public school students.
April 27, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Poet Ray McManus won a 2023 Governor’s Award for the Arts, but the USC Sumter English professor’s impact stretches beyond the page.
April 26, 2023
Chang Liu entered the field of biomedical engineering as an undergraduate with the long-term goal of improving human health care through engineering solutions. Over the past 15 years, his research has touched on multiple life science disciplines, including biomedical engineering, molecular diagnostics, bio-nanotechnology and proteomics.
April 25, 2023
As the Class of 2023 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.
April 24, 2023, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina’s master’s in international business program retained its spot as the best in the country for the 10th consecutive year, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings released Tuesday (April 25).
April 21, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning is celebrating the Graduation with Leadership Distinction Program's tenth anniversary. Take a look at some of the earliest graduates with leadership distinction.
April 21, 2023, Communications and Marketing Staff
The university's Board of Trustees met on Friday (April 21). Here's a look at what happened during the meeting.
April 20, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Ethena Inez Lighty has left her mark on the Carolina and Columbia communities through her dedication to leadership and service.
April 20, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina celebrated the naming of a residential hall after pioneering educator and civil rights advocate Celia Dial Saxon at a public ceremony on Friday (April 21). Saxon is the first African American to be honored with a building name on the Columbia campus.
April 20, 2023, Page Ivey
To combat South Carolina’s nursing shortage in the next few years will take a team effort, involving health care companies as well as universities who train the essential health care workers. Prisma Health is providing $5 million to five South Carolina schools, including USC Columbia and USC Upstate, which will receive $1.3 million each. The program also helps the next generation of South Carolina nurses understand their roles within a larger health care system.
April 19, 2023, Téa Smith
When Lee Patterson earned her master’s in social work from the University of South Carolina in 2012, she never imagined putting it to use at Richland Library — or any library. But 10 years later, she is doing exactly what she set out to do when she entered the field: help people.
April 19, 2023
Ralf Gothe is part of a group of scientists exploring quantum chromodynamics at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia. His work focuses specifically on the strong interaction between quarks and gluons, two elementary particles essential to quantum field theory.
April 19, 2023, Megan Sexton
University of South Carolina Libraries took something of a leap of faith when it partnered with the Marine Corps on a massive project to digitize 19,000 cans of film, documenting the operational history of the Corps throughout the 20th century. Thanks to donors Richard and Novelle Smith of Columbia, the effort to catalogue, store and digitize more than 2,000 hours of film received a significant boost.
April 19, 2023, Laura Kammerer
William C. Hubbard, dean of the School of Law, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences which is a prestigious fellowship of scholars and leaders. Distinguished members include Benjamin Franklin and Colin Powell, and current members include more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.
April 18, 2023, Téa Smith
The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville has been awarded a $400,000 grant by The Duke Endowment to evaluate the implementation of Exercise is Medicine Greenville (EIMG), a physical health promotion model for health care providers. Exercise is Medicine Greenville is a patient-referral program through which highly qualified professionals work to improve the health and well-being of the community through physical activity, lifestyle changes and education.
April 18, 2023, Toby Jenkins
Associate professor of higher education Toby Jenkins writes for The Conversation on the widespread educational impacts of hip-hop.
April 17, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Honors College senior Robert William Pokora III drew on his family’s experience with organ transplant to restart an organization at the University of South Carolina that advocates for people to sign up to be donors. The Greer, South Carolina, native is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor.
April 17, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Honors College senior Charlotte Ann Pollack did not let the pandemic stop her from excelling even when the worldwide shutdown significantly altered her plans. The Fort Mill, South Carolina, native is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor.
April 14, 2023
For the past decade, Palmetto College has helped students from the Upstate to the Lowcountry attain degrees where they live and work.
April 14, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina has announced the postponement of "A Celebration of Dawn Staley featuring Robin Roberts" due to unavoidable scheduling conflicts.
April 14, 2023
Daniela Friedman grew up watching her mother suffer with cancer and struggle to make sense of the complicated information she received about her diagnosis and treatment plan. Today, that experience drives Friedman’s efforts to improve how health information is communicated to older and diverse populations.
April 13, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
The Discover USC event showcases student research at the university, especially the work of seniors, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. These projects represent all disciplines in research, scholarship, leadership and creativity. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the annual, systemwide showcase will be held 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 21 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
April 13, 2023
Jessica Klusek’s work focuses on communication difficulties associated with the FMR1 premutation — the genetic mutation found in women who are carriers of fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism.
April 11, 2023
Peiyin Hung joined USC’s Arnold School of Public Health in 2018 after a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. An assistant professor of health services policy and management, Hung explores maternal health and rural health disparities.
April 10, 2023, Andersen Cook
From a young age, University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith tested the limits around him; now, he’s one of the world’s leading experts in autonomous vehicle law, an emerging field where the boundaries are being set.
April 10, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
As senior director of policy and research at Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, Chynna A. Phillips is taking on poverty one partnership at a time.
April 06, 2023
Today’s pharmacists are key to fighting the spread of infectious disease, administering vaccines for everything from COVID-19 to shingles. College of Pharmacy assistant professor Tessa Hastings is on a mission to improve how they do that.
April 05, 2023, Chris Horn
Robert Hock, a USC's College of Social Work professor, is heading an NIH-funded study to assist parents of children recently diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The project deploys autism parent navigators experienced in finding and using resources for children on the autism spectrum to serve as guides for uninitiated parents.
April 04, 2023, Abbey Smith
Undergraduate researchers thrive at the University of South Carolina. If you need proof, look no further than the Goldwater Scholarship, a national award recognizing the exceptional work and dedication of STEM undergraduates towards their research careers.
April 02, 2023, Erin Newman
To help you prepare for fall registration on the horizon, we have put together a list of 12 off-the-beaten-path classes to consider to fill that last elective gap.
March 31, 2023, Megan Sexton / Photos by Kim Truett
Blue Sky begins a conversation about his six-decade career as an artist this way: “I should have been an engineer.” He swears he’s not joking. But think what Columbia would have lost if Blue Sky had not filled the public arena with color and whimsy and boldness and giant pieces of art that have become Capital City landmarks.
March 30, 2023, Cecilia Dore
As the semester winds down, there are several events to celebrate our graduating seniors. Here is a roundup of those events.
March 29, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Alumna Isabelle Khurshudyan loved her career as a hockey reporter. She found her calling as a war correspondent.
March 28, 2023, Megan Sexton
April Cone, the dean of the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie, plays a key role in her community — a region where she has lived her entire life.
March 28, 2023
Neuroscientist Roozbeh Behroozmand directs the Speech Neuroscience Lab in the Arnold School of Public Health, which examines the neural bases of speech and its disorders in people with neurological conditions.
March 28, 2023, Téa Smith
First-year marketing major Jala Lewis helps key players on the women’s basketball team craft the signature hairstyles they wear on the court.
March 27, 2023, J. Scott Parker
Reigning women’s college basketball player of the year Aliyah Boston dominates on the court and in the classroom. Boston, who is once again in contention for the Naismith award and is pursuing her second NCAA championship is also a three-time Academic All-American.
March 26, 2023, Allen Wallace
A year of work by the the 2023 University of South Carolina Dance Marathon team culminated in a huge success: $788,645 raised to fund the Child Life program at Columbia's Prisma Health Children's Hospital, part of the Children's Miracle Network.
March 24, 2023, Megan Sexton
The struggle to find recruits who can meet physical fitness and weight requirements to begin military training is a costly dilemma – in terms of national security, military readiness and dollars needed to treat injured trainees.
March 24, 2023, Rose Cisneros
McCausland Fellow Besim Dragovic has a favorite mineral —it’s garnet, of course. Garnet is a mineral that carries a wealth of information about unique locations on Earth and their history as well as element-containing rocks hold several possibilities for sustainability.
March 24, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
From editor-in-chief of Garnet and Black magazine to interviewing Martin Scorsese, Erika Ryan has left an impression on every newsroom in her career path. The mass communications alumna has explored almost all forms of news media.
March 23, 2023, Page Ivey
Many of the fans following the South Carolina women's basketball team through the NCAA Tournament have been with the Gamecocks since the beginning — some quite literally since that first women’s team played in 1974 — sitting in mostly empty arenas, cheering on their team in good years and bad. Now South Carolina is No. 1 not just on the court, but also in filling arenas with average attendance at women’s games over 12,000 and frequent sellouts of all 18,000 seats.
March 22, 2023, Grace Farrar
An estimated 450,000 South Carolinians lack internet access, but the University of South Carolina is teaming up with the state Broadband Office to bridge that gap. Researchers from across the university have developed a survey to gauge broadband need statewide, a key step towards accessing federal broadband investments.
March 22, 2023
Cultural anthropologist Monica Barra studies how racial inequalities are shaped by scientific practices, racial histories and climate change in the U.S. South.
March 21, 2023, Grace Farrar
Assistant professor of sociology Jaclyn Wong's book "Equal Partners?" dives into relationship inequality within dual-professional couples.
March 21, 2023, Cassandra Jones Havard
Professor of law Cassandra Jones Havard writes for The Conversation on the risks of the government saving failing banks.
March 21, 2023, Page Ivey
DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, ’97 law, is only the second woman of color to serve on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Benjamin sat down with USC Today after her recent confirmation to the federal bench to talk about life choices and how her experiences in law school have guided her career.
March 21, 2023, Dana Woodward
Michael Sagas will take the helm at the university’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management on June 15.
March 17, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina’s Board of Trustees approved a two-year contract extension for Athletics Director Ray Tanner during its March meeting Friday (March 17). Also on Friday, USC’s Board of trustees received updated on student parking and mental health initiatives.
March 16, 2023, Emily Miles
Described as a visionary leader and a passionate educator, Meera Narasimhan, M.D., has been at the forefront of telehealth in South Carolina. Her passion for addressing disparities in health care delivery and her advocacy for mental health awareness have led Narasimhan to a leadership role in medicine in the state.
March 16, 2023, Reagin von Lehe and Cecilia Dore
Former student body presidents share their accomplishments since graduating and reflect on the notable role.
March 15, 2023, Alexis Watts
The Columbia-Richland Fire Department is now equipped with unexpected tools to battle blazes: maps, graphs and statistics. A University of South Carolina geography graduate lead the way in bringing these tools that calculate and cut off many fire risks before they even occur.
March 14, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
As a tribute to the Black alumnae featured in the student-produced documentary The Backbone, USC’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion installed 18 personalized bricks on the Horseshoe. The honorees' stories span seven decades of university history.
March 13, 2023, Derek W. Black
Constitutional law expert and professor of law Derek W. Black writes for The Conversation on the limitations of presidential student loan forgiveness.
March 08, 2023, Michaela Taylor
Poetry has been ingrained in Jennifer Bartell Boykin’s life since she was young, and it’s followed her through adventures as a student, journalist, teacher, advisor and more. Now, it’s empowering her as Columbia’s new poet laureate.
March 08, 2023, Téa Smith
Since its inception, the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Carolina has fostered multiple partnerships to infuse artificial intelligence expertise into the framework of research at USC. Founding director Amit Sheth and the five new faculty he helped recruit have secured funding for a growing team of over 40 researchers.
March 07, 2023, Chris Horn
In their drive to develop new catalysts for energy production, Jochen Lauterbach's research team is using artificial intelligence to speed up and improve the process of finding novel combinations of catalyst materials.
March 03, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Jahleel Johnson gains confidence and insight as part of a prestigious youth exchange program between the U.S. State Department and the German congress.
March 01, 2023, Alexis Watts
David Banush took the helm as dean of University of South Carolina Libraries in November. He has seen his career come full circle from shelving books as a 17-year-old to leading the libraries into a new era.
March 01, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
From building the city’s canal to founding St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Irish immigrants and their descendants have a rich history in Columbia dating back to the 19th century. Eric Friendly, research coordinator for Historic Columbia, the community from the first wave of immigrants that arrived in the 1820s.
February 27, 2023, Dan Cook
Former Columbia mayor Steve Benjamin, a two-time alumnus of the University of South Carolina, has been named as a senior advisor to the White House and director of the Office of Public Engagement.
February 25, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
Through her marketing major, Jala Lewis is learning how to manage her cosmetology business that she started in high school. Jala’s Extensions became a reality for Lewis when she posted her progress in learning how to braid on social media — her peers in school were impressed. Now, she has braided Zia Cooke’s, Bree Hall’s, and Chico Carter Jr.’s hair in USC athletics.
February 24, 2023, Allen Wallace
As a partner and vice chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, Sheila Johnson is the only African American woman with ownership in three professional sports teams. Students in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management are gaining unique insights from Johnson as she returns for a second semester to co-teach a class on leadership.
February 24, 2023, Dana Woodward
The university’s trustees welcomed three new members at their meeting Friday (Feb. 24). The board also approved 10 new academic programs and a variety of program modifications.
February 23, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
Chance and Mackenzie Edwards packed a lot of life into a short time period: They got married, went on a honeymoon; he got laid off and they started a business — all during a pandemic. But for the College of Information and Communications graduates, the struggles led to something they’re now thankful for.
February 22, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward
As a respected scholar of Southern history and African American culture, Bobby Donaldson has served as a consultant for museum exhibitions, archival collections, oral history initiatives, documentary films and historic preservation projects. He also has been recognized for his teaching and community outreach. He credits his parents and educators — from his elementary school librarian to a “drill sergeant” professor at Wesleyan University to his mentors and colleagues at USC — for inspiring his career.
February 22, 2023, Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti
Professors of pathology, microbiology and immunology Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on endocannabinoids, compounds found in humans that are similar to those found in marijuana.
February 21, 2023
Lexington Medical Center and the University of South Carolina broke ground on a new building to train nurses on the hospital campus in West Columbia. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Tuesday, Feb. 21.
February 20, 2023, Page Ivey
Business professor Luv Sharma’s research focus on process management and improvement may sound like an unlikely match for helping kidney transplant patients, but his experience and expertise were the perfect combination for creating an intervention for a major U.S. hospital over three years (2013-16).
February 17, 2023, Megan Sexton
Researchers from the College of Engineering and Computing and the Arnold School of Public Health are studying how a person’s walking speed affects health and well being.
February 17, 2023, Page Ivey
Tourism is the main driver of South Carolina’s economy, accounting for about 10 percent of jobs in the state and an estimated annual impact of $29 billion. The University of South Carolina helps keep this economic engine humming by preparing graduates of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management to take on key roles in a variety of businesses and by helping those businesses adapt and grow.
February 14, 2023
The University of South Carolina is focused on the brain. From autism and aphasia to Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, university researchers are working across several academic disciplines to better understand how the brain works and to develop solutions that will improve people’s health.
February 14, 2023, Téa Smith
New interim bachelor of social work program coordinator Bree Alexander is eager to give students more opportunities to pursue their research interests — on their own or working with a faulty member.
February 14, 2023, Alexis Watts
New age treasure hunters, part of the South Carolina Digital Newspaper Program, are saving crucial historical information buried in old publications that are being preserved and presented online. The newspapers reveal stories from the state’s Black residents and rural communities, often overlooked by larger news outlets.
February 13, 2023, Cecilia Dore
Succeeding academically can be difficult if you are struggling financially. The Money Management program is here to help prepare you for any financial challenges you might face while in college and learn more about managing your finances.
February 10, 2023, Page Ivey
CarolinaTIP focuses on teachers in their first three years as they transition from learning how to teach to leading their own classrooms. About half of all South Carolina teachers who leave their jobs each year are in their first five years of working in the classroom. The Carolina Teacher Induction Program has reduced the number of new teachers leaving the profession by offering them coaching support from more experienced classroom leaders — most of whom are retired instructors who want to give back to the profession.
February 10, 2023, Communications and Marketing staff
On Tuesday (Feb. 14), University of South Carolina alumni and advocates will come together in support of the university’s efforts to build a stronger, healthier state. The Valentine’s Day event is a perfect opportunity for supporters to show their love for USC and thank state legislators who have helped the university fulfill its mission to provide an affordable, accessible education.
February 10, 2023, Communications and Marketing
The Veterans Legal Clinic provides free legal services to low-income veterans living in South Carolina who are facing issues with credit and related financial matters, housing, government benefits and family law. It was established in 2018 by a grant from the South Carolina Bar Foundation. Thanks to continued support from Boeing — $450,000 to date — the clinic has been able to serve more than 70 veterans since opening.
February 09, 2023, Dan Cook
The U.S. Senate voted 53-44 to confirm DeAndrea G. Benjamin to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Benjamin is a 1997 alumna of USC’s School of Law.
February 09, 2023, Nicole Meares
Gayenell Magwood focuses on community research and engagement, cardiometabolic risk and prevention, and cancer control and prevention. She is an endowed professor of nursing and is also passionate about her involvement with the American Heart Association and raising awareness for heart disease and stroke.
February 09, 2023, Chris Horn
Peden McLeod, a 1967 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law believed in public service. Founder, chairman and CEO of the Bank of Walterboro as well as a state legislator, McLeod worked tirelessly to establish and support the USC Salkehatchie campus. It’s fitting, then, that the only building named for an individual on the campus in Walterboro honors McLeod: the Peden McLeod Library, which was dedicated in 1998.
February 09, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
Growing up, USC alumna Kimberly Elchlepp religiously watched sports TV when she wasn’t playing volleyball or softball. The public relations graduate went on to make her women’s sports enthusiasm into a career at ESPN as a senior publicist on the college sports team.
February 08, 2023, Dana Woodward
The Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Analytics is the home for much the university’s broad array of institutional data. It’s where staff and faculty can go to find all kinds of key information: number of faculty, staff and students; enrollment data for each college and school; how many degrees are awarded in each area, and much more.
February 07, 2023, Ian T. Adams
Assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice Ian T. Adams and others write for The Conversation on staffing issues on the Memphis police force.
February 07, 2023, Rebecca Janzen
Associate professor of Spanish and comparative literature Rebecca Janzen writes for The Conversation on persistent crime trends in Mexico despite criminal justice reform.
February 07, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Virtual care is playing a bigger and bigger role in health care. Lorie Donelle, Emily Myrtle Smith Endowed Professor of Nursing, wants to make sure it’s not just efficient but also effective and ethical. The goal? To help people avoid misinformation and disinformation that can have negative impacts on their health care decisions.
February 06, 2023, Ian T. Adams and Seth W. Stoughton
Assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice Ian T. Adams and professor of law Seth W. Stoughton write for The Conversation on the issues surrounding specialized police units.
February 03, 2023, Alexis Watts, Grace Farrar
With only a few short months until summer, it’s time for parents to find summer activities for their children. USC offers a wide variety of summer camps for all interests from music to soccer and dance to engineering.
January 31, 2023, Alexis Watts
The School of Music is bolstering the state’s jazz scene thanks to a dedicated space to train jazz educators and artists, outreach programs to seed the state’s jazz pipeline from the Upstate to the Lowcountry and energetic faculty eager to connect students with top musicians.
January 31, 2023, Alexis Watts, Brandie Perron
School of Music students are using music as a way to connect new mothers at Camille Graham Correctional Institution and their babies through a program called The Lullaby Project, which is a project of Carnegie Hall and their Weill Music Institute.
January 30, 2023, Megan Sexton
Hope Rivers, a first-generation college student who earned three degrees from USC, is inspiring a new generation of students as the president of Piedmont Technical College.
January 27, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Physics Professor Timir Datta was recently named a 2022 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow for his research on “high-temperature” superconductors. But it’s the puzzling nature of electromagnetism that has pulled at his imagination for the last half a century.
January 26, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
The first month of the new year is rapidly coming to an end, and the initial burst of energy students may put toward resolutions can be difficult to maintain. However, USC has resources to ease the stress of classes along with trying to keep up with those personal goals.
January 26, 2023, Dan Cook
Achieving a performance career as a professional musician is notoriously difficult. But Mak Grgic, a new assistant professor of guitar at the School of Music, has done just that — playing 80-100 concerts a year, commissioning new pieces and earning two Grammy nominations.
January 26, 2023, Kyndel Lee
Miss USA Morgan Romano knows all too well that only 28% of the STEM workforce is made up of women, and she's using her platform to spark interests in young girls and help create a pipeline for more women to purse careers in the STEM fields.
January 26, 2023, Dan Cook
The Murdaugh saga is the most talked-about case in the country, inspiring sustained national media attention and an entire podcast devoted to the subject. Right at the center of it is Jay Bender, a former University of South Carolina media law professor who retired in 2016. Bender has been appointed by S.C. Circuit Judge Clifton Newman to serve as a liaison between the court and the media for the high-profile case.
January 25, 2023, Eva V. Monsma
Developmental sport psychology professor Eva V. Monsma writes for The Conversation on the negative effects of pressuring young athletes.
January 24, 2023, Grace Farrar
International business graduate students took part in an immersive experience from the university’s Rule of Law Collaborative, a whodunnit game designed to help in federal anti-corruption training efforts.
January 20, 2023, Megan Sexton
For the third straight year, the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing is ranked No. 1 nationally for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual online programs rankings released Jan. 24.
January 20, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina is celebrating a new era of leadership with the investiture ceremony of President Michael D. Amiridis, held on Friday, Jan. 20, at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia.
January 18, 2023, Page Ivey
As many as 10 percent of U.S. workers want more work hours than their companies are offering — a condition known as underemployment. College of Social Work professor Jaeseung Kim is investigating the economic and personal fallout of underemployment, including the consequences of erratic weekends, shift cancellations or lack of control over hours.
January 18, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
First Lady Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis holds two graduate degrees from USC — a master’s in art history and a Ph.D. in philosophy. Her intellectual curiosity is how she makes sense of the world.
January 17, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Indigo is tightly woven into South Carolina history, but few have worked with the rich natural dye since it fell out of favor nearly 150 years ago. Alumna Caroline Harper is bringing it back.
January 13, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
English professor and heirloom foodways expert David Shields introduces us to South Carolina seed saver Carold Wicker, whose Newberry County freezer chest is the stuff of legend among farmers, gardeners and heirloom produce detectives like Shields.
January 13, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Office of the Provost remains a source of mystery for many, but its reach extends to every aspect of academic activity on USC’s campus. Here is a look at just three of the offices that are advancing the provost’s mission of academic excellence at the university.
January 12, 2023, Megan Sexton
From policy-making surrounding cleaner energy technologies to researching better ways to make and store electricity to studying advanced nuclear materials for interplanetary space travel, University of South Carolina researchers are advancing the transition to a changing energy landscape.
January 10, 2023, Chris Horn
Amy Taylor-Perry discovered her knack for teaching while earning a Ph.D. in chemistry at UofSC. The university recognized Taylor-Perry’s teaching prowess and recruited her immediately.
January 10, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Health care workers are in the midst of a burnout crisis. As director of field education for the College of Social Work, Melissa Reitmeier has seen it first-hand when placing students in clinical sites across the state. She and her colleagues hope their new online training series will help.
January 09, 2023, Page Ivey
Four faculty members and a student have been recognized for their work on campus and in the larger community with 2023 Social Justice Awards. The University of South Carolina created the Social Justice Awards to recognize individuals who have exemplified the philosophies of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. through acts of community service, social justice or racial reconciliation.
January 09, 2023, Jabari M. Evans
Assistant professor of race and media Jabari M. Evans writes for The Conversation on the increasing role of fame and money in college sports.
January 09, 2023, Barry Markovsky
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of sociology Barry Markovsky writes for The Conversation about the superstition around the number 13.
January 06, 2023, Page Ivey
James Cook took a circuitous route to being a doctor — one that included stops as a commercial fisherman, shoe salesman and high school biology teacher before going to medical school. His experiences helped inform his practice as an OB/GYN and as a clinical professor.
January 05, 2023, Page Ivey
Basketball-wise, Dawn Staley has done it all. As a player, she won MVP trophies and gold medals. As a coach, she has won national titles, coach of the year honors and more gold medals. As a mentor, she has watched Gamecock power forward turned WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson win season MVP and a WNBA championship. But Staley also transcends the sport, raising awareness for issues she cares about and money for causes she believes in. At her core, she is an advocate — for her players, first, but also for people whose voices might not be heard.
January 04, 2023, Rose Cisneros
Archaeologists with the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at USC have studied the Camden Battlefield for decades, but their most recent finding is the discovery of a lifetime.
January 04, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
It’s no secret: public school teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate. “How Did We Get Here? The Decay of the Teaching Profession” (Information Age Publishing, 2022), edited by University of South Carolina associate professor of education Henry Tran and Iowa State University associate professor Douglas A. Smith, explores the causes and consequences of teacher attrition in South Carolina as a way to shed light on the larger crisis affecting America’s schools.
January 03, 2023, Page Ivey
Sheryl Wiskur knows how hard organic chemistry is. She has been teaching at the University of South Carolina for 15 years. But more importantly, she struggled with it herself as an undergraduate.
January 03, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Art professor Sara Schneckloth found herself in uncharted territory when COVID-19 abruptly shut down in-person instruction and she faced the challgenge of connecting with students over the internet instead of in a studio classroom. But she put technology to work to help students in her drawing graduate seminar mimic the classroom experience and create "a network of satellite studios."