Recent Stories

a Black man holds signs protesting segregation

UofSC to expand civil rights education with $1.5 million gift from Williams to fund civil rights exhibits, programs and collections

February 15, 2022, Peggy Binette

A $1.5 million gift from Williams, an energy infrastructure company, will enhance the University of South Carolina’s Center for Civil Rights History and Research’s ability to share South Carolina’s important role in the broader national movement.

Celia Dial Saxon in plaid dress, Normal School group photo

The honor and dignity of Celia Dial Saxon

February 07, 2022, Chris Horn

A student residence hall near the Colonial Life Arena has become the first University of South Carolina building named for an African American. Formerly known as 700 Lincoln, the Celia Dial Saxon Building honors an educator and community advocate whose teaching career spanned six decades in segregated schools near the university campus.

Recruiter speaking to student at a career fair

What to expect at a career fair

February 02, 2022, Kelley Barrett

Let's face it, the goal of a college education is to find a career. You’ve spent four years building your skillset, now it’s time to find that first job. Attending a career fair, while it may seem intimidating, lets you practice speaking to potential employers, which can boost your confidence and expand your network.

photo illustration of Black hands playing a piano

Professor Birgitta Johnson connects music with culture, experience and emotion

February 02, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

As a professor of ethnomusicology, Birgitta Johnson studies the interaction of music and culture – why and how people make music and why it's important as a part of their identity or tradition. Much of her research is done in the field talking with and engaging with communities, including public events such as an upcoming music series she is hosting with the Columbia Museum of Art.

Coronavirus molecule on blue background

Is the omicron variant Mother Nature's way of vaccinating the masses?

February 01, 2022, Prakash Nagarkatti, Mitzi Nagarkatti

The characteristics of the COVID-19 omicron variant has many people wondering if it could act as a vaccine of sorts, inoculating enough people to effectively bring about herd immunity. School of Medicine Columbia professors Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation about immune response to COVID-19.

Invisible No More book jacket mockup

Essay collection sheds light on the largely unknown history of Black people at UofSC

January 31, 2022, Chris Horn

The University of South Carolina desegregated in 1963, but the history of Black people on campus extends back to the university’s beginning in the early 19th century. In 10 illuminating essays edited by Robert Greene II and Tyler Parry, Invisible No More (USC Press 2021) tells that story.

Remembering the Days podcast art

Remembering the Days: #UofSCLove

January 31, 2022, Chris Horn

When we think back to our college days, some of us remember old boyfriends and girlfriends or maybe former roommates that we still stay in touch with. And for some, college is where they met that special someone — the person with whom they fell in love and then, quite possibly, lived happily ever after.

Nursing students at UofSC

UofSC ranks No. 1 in online graduate nursing program

January 24, 2022, Megan Sexton

The University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing retained the No. 1 national ranking for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual online program rankings released Tuesday (Jan. 25).

donna walker

Leadership program puts pharmacists on forefront of improving health care

January 11, 2022, Page Ivey

Helping develop and inspire pharmacy leaders is the goal of the Walker Leadership Scholars Program at the University of South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy, says program founder Donna Walker (1979 pharmacy, 1984 MBA). Each year, the competitive program selects two high-capacity students from the first-year pharmacy class to be scholars for three consecutive years.

Remembering the Days podcast art

Remembering the Days: The lecture hall that never was

January 10, 2022, Chris Horn

When it was dedicated in 1855, the building we now know as Longstreet Theater was already a disappointment. The audience gathered could scarcely understand what was being said because of the poor acoustics. So how did this echo chamber eventually become the premier stage for live theater at the university? Sound engineering!

A car on a sales lot with a green price sticker on the windshield with other cars in the background.

Why is inflation so high? Is it bad?

December 17, 2021, William Hauk

Consumer prices jumped 6.8% in November 2021 from a year earlier – the fastest rate of increase since 1982, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data published on Dec. 10, 2021. The biggest jumps during the month were in energy, used cars and clothing. Economics professor William Hauk explains in The Conversation what’s driving the recent increase in inflation and how it affects consumers, companies and the economy.

photo of title page of Shakespeare's third portfolio with a sketch of william shakespeare on one side and the title on the other

Gift of rare Third Folio enhances UofSC's Shakespeare collection

December 14, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward

Third Folio of Shakespeare’s plays printed in 1664 has a permanent home at University of South Carolina Libraries. The book, a gift from Chicago attorney Jeffery Leving, along with the university’s copies of the Second and Fourth folios, will provide a rare opportunity for students, faculty and other researchers.

Photo of a blister pack of medicine being held an adult man.

Use of HIV prevention treatments is very low among Southern Black gay men

December 09, 2021, Oluwafemi Adeago and Xiaoming Li

Barriers such as stigma, homophobia, poverty, access, distrust of the medical system and misinformation make Southern Black gay men less likely to use antiretroviral treatments to prevent HIV infection use, Oluwafemi Adeago and Xiaoming Li, Arnold School of Public Health, write for The Conversation.

Remembering the Days podcast art

Remembering the Days: The Great Biscuit Rebellion

December 07, 2021, Chris Horn

For much of the first half of the 19th century, students at South Carolina College were not pleased with the quality of food served on campus. In 1852, the wormy biscuits and rancid meat were too much to stomach, so the students issued an ultimatum — that ultimately gave them a case of indigestion.

Glynnis Hagins wearing a black dress and cream and cream jacket stands in a brick courtyard with stone benches and fall trees in the background.

Law student to focus on housing security and stability through prestigious fellowship

December 06, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward

Glynnis Hagins, a third-year law student at UofSC, has received a Skadden Fellowship that will allow her to pursue her passions of law, education and public interest. She is one of 28 Skadden Fellowship recipients for 2022 and the first UofSC law student to receive the prestigious award, one of the more competitive in the country.

The gates on the south side of the historic Horseshoe

UofSC celebrates fall graduates

December 06, 2021, Dana Woodward

Thousands of students will earn their degrees at the University of South Carolina’s annual fall commencement ceremony held Monday, Dec. 13 at the Colonial Life Arena. The ceremony, which begins at 2:30 p.m., will include graduates from associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and professional degree programs across the USC system.

Students walk through the UofSC campus.

MTC and UofSC formalize direct transfer tracks

December 03, 2021, Abe Danaher

It is now easier for students to transfer from Midlands Technical College to the University of South Carolina. The two schools have announced new direct transfer tracks that align MTC courses with the first two years of courses in designated programs at UofSC. This allows students to earn an associate degree and move right into the final two years of their bachelor’s degree program.

Ismael Delgado, graduating senior 2021

Biochemistry major, December graduate parlays lab skills into job

November 29, 2021, Chris Horn

College life has been a quite a ride for Ismael Delgado, who switched campuses, changed majors, flipped his bike, broke his collarbone, fell in love with scuba diving — and studied abroad in South Korea during the pandemic. And if all of that weren’t enough, Delgado managed to turn his passion for laboratory research into a regular job in a COVID-testing lab and developed career plans for after graduation this December.

Students walking down Main Street.

Thanksgiving in Columbia

November 19, 2021, Cam Adams

Not all of us will be heading out of town for our last break before the end of the semester. For those students staying in Columbia, here are a few events to spice up the Thanksgiving weekend.

Adel Nasiri

New faculty spotlight: Adel Nasiri

November 19, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

Adel Nasiri joined the University of South Carolina as a distinguished professor of electrical engineering in August, following a 16-year career at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His research on energy conversion, microgrids and batteries has taken on added import as sustainability, efficiency and resilience efforts ramp up during the age of climate change.

Photo of midsection of a person while they inject insulin

Fewer diabetes patients are picking up their insulin prescriptions

November 18, 2021, Ismaeel Yunusa

Changes in insulin prescription rates because of the pandemic underscore the challenges that people with diabetes face in accessing care, Ismaeel Yunusa assistant professor of clinical pharmacy and outcomes sciences, writes for The Conversation. The effects of the pandemic on diabetes go beyond insulin prescriptions. As COVID-19 overwhelmed health care systems, people with chronic conditions like diabetes have experienced significant disruptions in routine and emergency medical care.

Family nurse practitioner Tamieka Alston-Gibson

UofSC graduates help fill the gaps in rural health care

November 16, 2021, Megan Sexton

As the country marks Rural Health Day this week, the University of South Carolina works — through its School of Medicine, College of Nursing, Arnold School of Public Health and other areas — to understand and improve the delivery of health care in rural and underserved communities.

Remembering the Days podcast art

Remembering the Days: Remembering Havilah Babcock

November 15, 2021, Chris Horn

He loved fly fishing and bird hunting and wrote numerous tales about both of those sporting passions. And when he wasn't doing those things, Havilah Babcock was in the classroom, a favorite English professor for generations of students at the University of South Carolina.

Etienne Toussaint

New faculty spotlight: Etienne Toussaint

November 15, 2021, Page Ivey

New law professor Etienne Toussaint came to the legal profession after starting out as an engineer, building bridges. After working internationally with Engineers Without Borders, he saw how a legal career would let him help lift those living in extreme poverty in the U.S. and around the world.

UofSC campus in the autumn sunshine

New fellowship provides underrepresented South Carolinians a path to graduate education

November 12, 2021, Abe Danaher

The University of South Carolina has started a fellowship aimed at increasing diversity in its graduate school ranks. Through partnerships with historically black colleges and universities across the state, the Rising Star Fellowship will remove financial barriers for underrepresented students interested in continuing their education.

A student taking notes in class.

Intriguing class offerings for spring 2022

November 10, 2021, Cam Adams

While the fall semester is far from over, it is time to start thinking about registering for spring 2022 classes. In addition to the essentials all students need to satisfy graduation requirements, we found a few classes open to all majors that you might want to look into.

Molly O'Malley beside helicopter

Former Marine Corps pilot awarded scholarship as she pursues speech-language pathology degree

November 08, 2021, Chris Horn

During her 12 years as a Marine Corps helicopter pilot, Maj. Molly O’Malley flew in a war zone and quickly learned to make split-second decisions up in the air and deal with daily challenges on the ground. But transitioning from full-time military pilot to part-time graduate student at South Carolina hasn’t turned out to be the cakewalk you might imagine.

Nick Peng studio headshot

New faculty spotlight: Nick Peng

November 08, 2021, Chris Horn

Nick Peng is an assistant professor in the School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment in the College of Arts and Sciences who joined the university this past spring. His research focus is on the interactions of marine microorganisms, and he’s hoping to develop a new course that will enable students to learn the techniques for deciphering the identity and function of microorganisms present in any particular environment.

Ben Green

UofSC's McNair Institute inspiring student entrepreneurs

November 04, 2021, Laura Kammerer

Columbia native Ben Green will speak live at the McNair Entrepreneurship Showcase on Friday (Nov. 12) at the Russell House Underground. The event, sponsored by the university’s McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise, will also feature speakers such as MapQuest founder Chris Heivly, ’84 master’s geography, and Mixtroz co-founder Ashlee Ammons.

Remembering the Days podcast art

Remembering the Days: A natural history stroll across campus

November 02, 2021, Chris Horn

Were there always so many squirrels on the Horseshoe? And how else has campus changed in the past 200 years in regards to insects, birds, snakes and such? Take a stroll with naturalist-in-residence Rudy Mancke to learn what's changed and still changing in the natural world of campus. 

Ebony Toussaint

New faculty spotlight: Ebony Toussaint

November 02, 2021, Page Ivey

University of South Carolina alumna Ebony Toussaint joined the university as a faculty member this fall, working with the Rural and Minority Health Research Center in the Arnold School of Public Health. One of her first research projects will be a study of how evictions impact mental health, on which she will work with her husband, Etienne Toussaint, who is a new law professor.

Students reconstruct geologic histories on a geology field camp.

Beyond the classroom learning opportunities grow for UofSC's students

November 01, 2021, Abe Danaher

The Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning is rolling out four grants focused on increasing experiential learning opportunities for South Carolina students. These grants will work to tie what students are learning in class to what’s happening in the larger world around them, and strengthen their connection to the larger campus community.

Man in red cap wearing gloves gives another man a packet of face masks

Having COVID-19 may make you more charitable

October 22, 2021, Nancy Buchan and Orgul Ozturk

A 2020 online study found that people in the United States who were more directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic were 9 percent more likely to donate to charity than others, and they donated 9.2% more money. The study replicated in Italy found similar results, Moore School professors Nancy Buchan and Orgul Ozturk write in The Conversation with co-author Gianluca Grimalda, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Thomas Crocker smiling

Constitutional law scholar discusses his new book on presidential powers

October 18, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

Law professor Thomas Crocker specializes in constitutional law, criminal procedure, free speech and democracy, national security and the Constitution. His new book, "Overcoming Necessity: Emergency, Constraint, and the Meanings of American Constitutionalism" (Yale University Press) is an analysis of how the concept of necessity, in conflict with constitutional commitments, creates dynamic challenges to constitutional governance, especially during times of emergency.