May 14, 2025, Brandon Pugh
Rising Honors College senior Ella Michel has been awarded a 2025 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship to continue her work at the intersection of energy, environment and community.
May 08, 2025, Thom Harman / photo by Kim Truett
Natasha Brison has practiced law and worked in the entertainment industry, starting a business as a marketing consultant for professional athletes. She also conducts research and came to South Carolina despite already earning tenure at another top institution. Now Brison brings her experience to USC's classrooms as an associate professor in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management's Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. Her diverse background is proving to be a great resource for her students as she prepares them to pursue their dreams after graduation.
May 08, 2025, Michaela Taylor
For most University of South Carolina students, Cocky is a symbol of school spirit synonymous with USC and complete with beak flaps, spurs up and fun game antics. But for seniors Nicole Hurley and John Sutay, the mascot means something more — it’s a defining part of their college experience, one they kept secret for years.
May 06, 2025, Valerie Weingart
Senior NROTC midshipman Ryan Lohr realized early that, to grow as a communicator, he couldn’t just talk about the world in his classes — he needed to engage with the world.
April 30, 2025, Jeff Stensland
The USC system will welcome thousands of new alumni in a series of commencement ceremonies recognizing bachelor’s, master’s and professional degree recipients as well as awarding six honorary degrees.
April 22, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
The University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences has a new name honoring the vision and generosity of a prominent alumnus and his family. The official name, the University of South Carolina McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, was announced on Wednesday (April 23) during a ceremony on USC's Horseshoe.
April 21, 2025, Laura Erskine
The Ice Bucket Challenge is back, and a student organization at the University of South Carolina is behind it. In March, USC's Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club launched the #SpeakYourMIND challenge, which went viral and hit the national news. Who doesn’t love to see videos of friends, family and even strangers getting doused in buckets of ice water?
April 01, 2025, Brandon Pugh
The Koger Center, USC School of Music professor Gail Barnes and USC School of Visual Arts and Design alumnus Wade Sellers have been named winners of the 2025 Governor’s Awards for the Arts by the South Carolina Arts Commission, recognizing exceptional practice or support of contemporary and traditional art forms.
March 27, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
It’s been a whirlwind semester for dancers and musicians at the University of South Carolina. Twenty-four Joffrey Ballet company members arrived on campus March 17 for a three-week residency culminating in an unprecedented collaborative performance April 5 at the Koger Center for the Arts. Students and faculty from USC’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Program and the USC Symphony Orchestra have joined forces with members of the Joffrey entourage to marry movement and music into a spectacular concert for the community.
March 21, 2025, Gregory Hardy
More than 250 University of South Carolina health sciences students learned where they’ll take the next step in their careers during national Match Day celebrations on March 19 and 21.
March 17, 2025, Collyn Taylor
The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees approved a slew of academic initiatives as well as facilities projects across the USC System during its March meeting.
March 14, 2025, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina is developing a unique clinical neurological and rehabilitation center that will house the Palmetto State’s first standalone comprehensive medical facility dedicated entirely to integrated care of patients with brain and nervous system illnesses.
March 06, 2025, Jeff Stensland
USC set a record this year with more than 60,000 prospective students applying for fall 2025 admissions.
March 06, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Dance students in the University of South Carolina’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Program are spending extra time at the barre in anticipation of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they will have collaborating with the world-famous Joffrey Ballet. The company begins a three-week residency at USC on March 17 that will culminate with an unprecedented Koger Center performance on April 5.
March 06, 2025, Carol J.G. Ward
Tayloe Harding brings more than three decades of experience with the National Association of Schools of Music into his new role as its president to advance the cause of music in American life, establish and maintain accreditation standards and provide a national forum for related issues.
February 28, 2025, Rutvik Desai
While the quality of AI systems' output sometimes rivals work done by humans, they are also prone to confidently churning out factually incorrect information. Skeptics have also called into question their ability to reason.
February 26, 2025, Brandon Pugh
As CIC’s associate dean for research, Linwan Wu is leading the college’s work to understand the influence and impact of artificial intelligence in advertising. Through the first two USC AI Index reports and those to come, he’s helping to evaluate national sentiment on the now-prevalent communications technology.
February 21, 2025, Gregory Hardy
The University of South Carolina broke ground on a facility that will redefine the future of health care education and research during a ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the site of its new School of Medicine Columbia. This cutting-edge, 300,000-square-foot-plus medical education and research facility will be part of USC’s transformative $300 million Health Sciences Campus, amid 16 acres in Columbia’s reimagined BullStreet District.
February 21, 2025, Collyn Taylor
The Board of Trustees heard updates on USC's Brain Health Network, Division of Development and Student Health and Well-Being during its meeting Feb. 21.
February 18, 2025, Thom Harman / photo by Kim Truett
Paulia D. Williams won the 2024 Dennis A. Pruitt Outstanding Advocate for First-Year Students Award, the fourth TRIO staff member to win the award since its inception. Williams knows that most students need some help transitioning to college, especially first-generation college students. She sees it every day in her role with TRIO Programs — and she lived it herself.
February 06, 2025, Andy Shain
On Feb. 11, University of South Carolina alumni and advocates will gather at the S.C. State House for Carolina Day to demonstrate how the state flagship university is building momentum in producing a more prosperous and healthier South Carolina.
January 29, 2025, Gregory Hardy
February is American Heart Month. The University of South Carolina is home to many faculty members who are available to offer their expertise in cardio care and research.
January 28, 2025, Robert A. Kopack
If there is a leader in the aerospace industry, SpaceX is it. Boca Chica, Texas, is home to SpaceX’s flagship assembly and test installation, Starbase. Since 2021, research has been conducted with environmental groups and community members in south Texas who see space exploration as a landscape-altering industry. Geography professor Robert A. Kopack writes about Starbase for The Conversation.
January 27, 2025, Danielle Krobath
Banning junk food from SNAP is something that has divided public health experts for years. However, research shows that adding to the restrictions that already limit access to SNAP benefits do little to make Americans healthier. Danielle Krobath, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, writes for The Conversation with Tufts University Assistant Professor of Community Health Benjamin Chrisinger about their research into safety net programs.
January 23, 2025, Lorne J. Hofseth
Red 3, a synthetic dye linked to cancer, has been banned by the FDA due to growing evidence of its harmful effects on human health. College of Pharmacy professor Lorne Hofseth writes for The Conversation on the health risks of synthetic food dyes and the implications of stricter regulations.
January 21, 2025, Craig Brandhorst
A new exhibit, “‘Something significant, elemental and profound’: Celebrating 100 Years of The Great Gatsby,” opens Jan. 24 at the University of South Carolina’s Hollings Library. Michael Weisenburg, director of USC’s Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, discusses the novel’s enduring appeal.
January 15, 2025, Andy Shain
A new study from USC finds that the University of South Carolina system has a $7.4 billion annual impact on the state's economy.
January 15, 2025, Anna Francis
Natasha Hastings came to the University of South Carolina with dreams of excelling as an athlete. Although her talent eventually would propel her to an NCAA championship, multiple world championships and two Olympic gold medals, her initial start on the Gamecock track and field team was less than stellar. Her body was sound, but she had psychological demons to slay.
January 13, 2025, Rebekah Friedman
Arnold School of Public Health professor Mohammed Baalousha studies how wildfires affect the formation of nanomaterials and how these ultra-tiny particles are seeping into water and soil.
January 03, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
The USC Baruch Institute's new director, Jill Stewart, is endlessly fascinated by the natural alchemy of the oft-maligned yet mighty microbe. These tiny living microorganisms are everywhere, from the surface of our skin and the air we breathe to the water we drink and the soil beneath our feet. In fact, microbes are essential to the persistence of life on Earth. So why do they sometimes get a bad rap?
December 16, 2024, Collyn Taylor
USC's Board of Trustees approved academic initiatives -- including a trio of new programs -- and contracts as well as pushed forward facilities projects during its final meeting in 2024.
December 09, 2024, Rebecca Janzen
In film, religion is often a way for audiences to wrestle with ideas about gender and social change. That’s all the more true if the religion is considered conservative, or prone to stereotyping, both of which apply to Latter-day Saints. Female characters’ dilemmas are often depicted as the result of their faith – but their characterization may say more about the rest of America than the church itself.
December 05, 2024, Jeff Stensland
USC President Michael Amiridis announced the hiring of Jeremiah Donati as the Gamecocks' new director of athletics following a Thursday (Dec. 5) Board of Trustees meeting.
November 26, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Charleston native Keith Heyward Jr. was a restless third-grader when he realized his career goal was to teach. He knew that young Black boys craved a teacher they could relate to. Today, the University of South Carolina alumnus teaches kindergarten at James Island Elementary School. He makes sure the youngsters who step into his classroom feel safe and empowered.
November 14, 2024, Communications and Marketing
USC President Michael Amiridis named Dan Dillon, who has over 30 years of marketing experience in the private and public sectors, as the new vice president for marketing.
November 12, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Long before she was traveling the world as senior director of business development and operations at CNN Sports, Amy Jordan was an Honors College student sending news releases around the world as a press intern for the late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings. To date, Jordan has covered four different Olympic games, numerous Super Bowls, the U.S. Open and more.
November 12, 2024, Brandon Pugh
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded USC one of its largest-ever grants — $35 million — for the College of Education's GEAR UP SC program to help disadvantaged students overcome barriers to college and career opportunities.
November 08, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
University of South Carolina alumnus Robert Chambers LeHeup is a Marine Corps infantry veteran with two combat tours under his belt when he left the service in 2004. In 2012, he founded Bullets and Bandaids to heal and support vets through storytelling and artwork.
November 07, 2024, Katherine Progler
Military Times has ranked the University of South Carolina as the nation’s No. 7 “Best for Vets Colleges 2024,” making USC the top-ranked school in the Southeast.
November 04, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Artificial Intelligence advocates might defensively suggest, in good humor, that chatbots are “only human” and therefore prone to occasional mistakes. New research by a team at the University of South Carolina Department of Psychology basically confirms that notion with some important caveats.
October 31, 2024, Laura Morris
More than a quarter of South Carolina residents live in rural areas and must overcome greater health care challenges than their urban counterparts. USC faculty members are available to offer their expertise in rural health services and research. To coordinate an interview, contact the staff member listed with each expert entry.
October 24, 2024, Collyn Taylor
South Carolina's Board of Trustees pushed forward an ambitious project on the new Health Sciences Campus as well as Phase I for Williams-Brice renovations.
October 15, 2024, Collyn Taylor
USC is one of seven early polling sites in Richland County, providing access for registered voters to cast their ballots.
October 11, 2024, Carol E. Harrison
At the current Vatican synod, whose purpose is to address “communion, participation, and mission” in the church, women’s role is on the agenda. History professor Carol Harrison writes for The Conversation on how Catholic women have historically found ways to speak to and about their church leadership, even when they have been excluded from its proceedings.
October 09, 2024
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The University of South Carolina has many faculty members who can offer expertise on this subject.
October 07, 2024, Cary Mock
Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more. Its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast. Geography professor Cary Mock writes about the hurricane for The Conversation.
October 07, 2024, Cary Mock
Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more. Its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast. Geography professor Cary Mock writes about the hurricane for The Conversation.
September 27, 2024, Collyn Taylor
USC's Board of Trustees pushed a trio of projects forward Friday including two from the USC Next master plan.
September 25, 2024, Carol J. G. Ward
As the USC School of Music celebrates its centennial, the revitalized, internationally recognized jazz program Dean Tayloe Harding envisioned more than a decade ago has become a reality.
September 25, 2024, Communications and Marketing
USC's Alumni Association announced its 2024 award recipients, seven alumni who will be honored during Homecoming Weekend.
September 10, 2024, Collyn Taylor
USC's Board of Trustees approved the first designs of USC's state-of-the-art center, which will serve as the hub for the university's Brain Health Network.
September 04, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
The Centennial Celebration Concert joins more than 500 student musicians in the first of a series of events showcasing School of Music programs, students and faculty.
September 03, 2024, Dan Cook
The University of South Carolina reached a new research milestone in fiscal year 2024, attracting $309 million in sponsored awards during the one-year period that ended on June 30. This year’s funding level represents a double-digit percentage increase over last year in critical areas such as health research and energy innovation.
August 28, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Soon all of us will experience an arts immersion like no other — autumn. We will marvel at breathtaking color — yellows, russets, reds and browns — brilliantly lighting up the landscape. The University of South Carolina similarly offers a wide spectrum of arts experiences to ignite your imagination this fall. Here is a sampling.
August 27, 2024, Koby Padgett
With total attendance at the University of South Carolina topping 38,000 for the first time, a new class of Gamecocks bring excitement and an energetic buzz back to the Columbia campus and metro area. Here are some numbers about our incoming students that help give a picture of the resources it takes to support them, the activities they take part in and how they’ll impact campus life.
August 26, 2024, Dan Cook
USC enrollment hits 38,000 for the first time ever while underrepresented minority students make up almost 28 percent of the freshman class.
August 23, 2024, Jeff Stensland
USC's Board of Trustees approved USC Columbia's master plan, which will help meet the needs of students, faculty and staff for decades to come.
August 23, 2024, Collyn Taylor
USC's Board of Trustees approved the university's master plan as well as other academic initiatives and infrastructure projects in the first meeting of the academic year.
August 12, 2024, Gregory Hardy
The University of South Carolina and Lexington Medical Center opened a new 52,000 square foot facility to train the next generation of nurses Monday (Aug. 12). Located on Lexington Medical Center’s West Columbia campus, the satellite clinical education building will be used primarily for the clinical training of the College of Nursing's third- and fourth-year nursing bachelor’s students as well as master’s program students.
July 25, 2024, Thom Harman
Recently, the university was honored by both the state of South Carolina and the Midlands nonprofit Historic Columbia for its historic preservation efforts. In June, USC Columbia and USC Union were both recognized by the S.C. Department of Archives and History for their work in preserving, restoring and renovating buildings. Historic Columbia also honored the university’s Columbia campus with two awards: one for preservation, rehabilitation or restoration for Longstreet Theatre and one for revitalization for Campus Village.
July 23, 2024, Dana Woodward
The University of South Carolina has joined the STARS College Network, a coalition of 32 of the nation’s most prominent institutions dedicated to ensuring that students from rural and small-town America have the information and support they need to enroll and graduate from the college or university of their choice.
July 17, 2024, Allen Wallace
At 22 years old, just a few weeks after graduating from the University of South Carolina, Caroline Salisbury is leading a team of more than 350 people at the world’s most famous resort.
July 16, 2024, Communications and Marketing
The Dawn Staley Champions Fund Event is set for Aug. 13 with proceeds going to support scholarships and financial aid.
July 11, 2024, Thom Harman
Amber Fallucca is the inaugural director of the Carolina Experience, which will focus on the undergraduate experience past the first year — for transfer, sophomore, junior and senior students. As a coordinating office, they will collaborate with a variety of campus offices to elevate the entire student experience at USC.
July 02, 2024, Communications and Marketing
In a new round of funding announced by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the University of South Carolina will receive $10.2 million for its efforts to advance battery research. The funding is part of an overall award of $45 million to the SC Nexus consortium, of which USC is a founding member and core partner.
June 26, 2024, Collyn Taylor
USC is the top patent-producing university in the state and among the leaders in the SEC.
June 19, 2024, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina is advancing a plan to spur development of nearly 900 acres of land near the Congaree River and Williams-Brice Stadium
June 13, 2024, Brandon Pugh
By seeking survey input from both individuals in partnered households, policymakers and economists can get a truer take on consumer sentiment.
June 06, 2024, Gregory Hardy
The University of South Carolina College of Engineering and Computing has a new name that reflects the vision and generosity of generations of the Molinaroli family. The official name, the University of South Carolina Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, was announced on Thursday (June 6) during a signage unveiling ceremony at the college’s Swearingen Engineering Center on Main Street.
May 16, 2024, Thom Harman
The University of South Carolina’s first Staff Appreciation and Awards Day attracted staff members from throughout the Columbia campus to the Russell House University Union for food and fun on Tuesday, May 14.
May 14, 2024, Thom Harman
Maybe you were shouting from the stands in Cleveland as Dawn Staley’s remarkable women’s basketball team brought home the third national championship in program history. Maybe you were among the 24 million viewers watching on TV as they turned a so-called rebuilding year into an undefeated season and rings all around. Maybe you were even out there in the Thomas Cooper reflecting pool with several hundred other ecstatic Gamecocks, making a splash all your own.
May 08, 2024, Donna K. Arnett and J. Rex Tolliver
We must do more to ensure that every student’s college experience is worthy of the investment required of students, their families and the public. That’s why we’re focused on innovating to meet the demands of today’s students and anticipate the needs of tomorrow’s.
May 01, 2024, Laura Morris
The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1. Researchers at the University of South Carolina are available to discuss multiple aspects of the 2024 hurricane season, including preparation and communication, environmental impact and historical perspectives.
April 26, 2024, Dana Woodward
The University of South Carolina will welcome thousands of new alumni from across the system in a series of commencement ceremonies beginning April 26, 2024.
April 25, 2024, Laura Erskine
Carol Harrison is headed to Rome for the upcoming school year thanks to two major fellowships supporting her research on the First Vatican Council (1869-1870). A professor in USC’s Department of History, Harrison recently won both the Guggenheim Fellowship — one of the world’s most prestigious grants for scholars — and the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome.
April 04, 2024, Gregory Hardy
Where is it most difficult to access healthy food in South Carolina? It’s an important question. More than half a million South Carolinians experience food insecurity. National data shows that those impacted the most are Black, Latino or from indigenous, low-income and rural communities.
April 03, 2024, Gregory Hardy
University of South Carolina researchers explore how artificial intelligence can be used for advancements in health care, education, manufacturing, energy, disaster management and transportation. They are also helping shape and inform the ethics and policies surrounding these emergent solutions.
March 28, 2024, Thom Harman
Minuette Floyd, a professor of art education in the University of South Carolina’s School of Visual Art and Design, won a governor’s award in the arts in education category. The award, announced by the South Carolina Arts Commission on behalf of the sitting governor, is the state’s highest award for exceptional achievement in practicing or supporting the arts.
March 28, 2024, Gregory Hardy
April is Autism Acceptance Month. The CDC estimates that 1 out of every 36 eight-year-olds is affected by autism, a lifelong developmental disorder. As South Carolina’s leader in health sciences, USC has researchers across disciplines who specialize in autism.
March 22, 2024, Hannah Cambre
The university's First-Generation Center will launch this fall, providing support and guidance to first-generation students so they can maximize opportunities to succeed. On March 15, the center welcomed its inaugural director, LaNaé Budden.
March 07, 2024, Hannah Cambre
Susan Richardson was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering for her pioneering work in improving water quality by measuring disinfection byproducts.
February 23, 2024, Kathryn McPhail
Shannon Bowen, a professor in the University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Communications, researches ethical decision making and AI within organizations, heads the AI-Ethics Advisory Board and conducts ethics training with leaders of organizations to help them avoid and solve problems and develop strategic communications plans.
February 09, 2024, Communications and Marketing staff
On Tuesday, Feb. 13, alumni and advocates of the University of South Carolina will come together for Carolina Day. The annual event is a chance for Gamecocks near and far to show their love for the university as well as the importance of USC in improving the lives of every S.C. resident.
February 09, 2024, Gregory Hardy
February is American Heart Month. The University of South Carolina is home to many faculty members who are available to offer their expertise in cardio care and research.
February 07, 2024, Jessica A. Schoenherr
On Feb. 8, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of Trump v. Anderson. Scholars dive into the importance of this case as it could affect the legitimacy of the court and shine light on the legality of his ballot removal.
February 01, 2024, Koby Padgett
Autonomous robot food delivery is now available on the historic Horseshoe and the University of South Carolina’s core campus.
January 26, 2024, Thom Harman
From a new program home to new music to continued research, Matt White, Jazz Studies Program chair, is rather busy. His novel approach to a 2023 release, “Lowcountry” — incorporating Gullah histories and stories with contemporary jazz — has earned White and his collaborators a chance to perform the piece during the 2024 Spoleto Festival.
January 22, 2024, Hannah Cambre
The University of South Carolina is committing to providing more comprehensive support to its first-generation student population, including a First-Generation Center launching in August 2024, a living and learning community for first-gen students, and an expanding partnership with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
January 11, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
After losing her mother to Alzheimer’s, journalist and TV personality Leeza Gibbons devoted her second act to helping caregivers through Leeza’s Care Connection.
January 11, 2024, Laura Morris
FoodShare South Carolina received approval from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to accept SNAP online for purchases of fruits and vegetables sold through its Fresh Food Box program. FoodShare SC is one of only a few community-based organizations in the nation selected to participate in the online purchasing program.
January 11, 2024, Jeff Stensland
The Statewide Transfer Partnership Agreement announced by Gov. Henry McMaster, USC President Michael Amiridis and other higher education leaders on Thursday (Jan. 11) will allow for easier transfer of course credit from the state’s 16 technical colleges to USC and Clemson University.
December 11, 2023, Gregory Hardy
Nearly 70 rising high school seniors from across the Midlands invested part of their summer vacation toward gaining in-depth insights into health science careers thanks to a partnership of the College of Nursing, the School of Medicine Columbia and Lexington Medical Center.
November 15, 2023, Gregory Hardy
Thursday (Nov. 16) is National Rural Health Day. The University of South Carolina has a number of faculty members who are available to offer their expertise in rural health services and research.
October 24, 2023
The Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy received the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s designation as one of 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs. The state Commerce Department sought the designation for a broad consortium of institutions.
October 16, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Institute of Infectious Disease Translational Research will allow public health researcher Melissa Nolan to operate complementary studies at labs based in Columbia, El Salvador and Brazil, putting USC on the map as an international hub for maternal and infant health research.
October 10, 2023
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The University of South Carolina has several faculty members who can offer expertise on the subject.
September 08, 2023, Thom Harman
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® committee has announced the Carolina Band as one of their premier bands selected to perform in the 2024 parade. The announcement was made at halftime of the South Carolina vs. Furman football game on Saturday (Sept. 9). The band was one of just 10 chosen from more than 100 applicants. This is the first time in the band’s 100+-year history that it’s been given this opportunity.
August 24, 2023, Koby Padgett
As a record-breaking first-year class settles into the University of South Carolina this week, here are some numbers about our incoming students that help give a picture of the activities they take part in, how they’ll impact campus life and the resources it takes to support them.
August 17, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina hosted a grand opening on Friday (Aug. 18) for its new Campus Village student residential housing development, the largest construction project in the university’s 222-year history.
August 15, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
In just two seasons, Head Football Coach Shane Beamer has changed the direction of USC’s football program. Entering his third year, fans are excited, his players are pumped, and his staff is ready to win.