
Campus Conversation: Monica Williams
February 26, 2021
February 26, 2021
February 25, 2021, Megan Sexton
Alumnus Regan Freeman is working to help turn a former Ku Klux Klan store in Laurens, South Carolina, into a center for diversity and reconciliation.
January 26, 2021, Caroline O'Looney
Since he took office in July 2019, President Caslen has faced challenges ranging from responding to COVID-19 to turning around a struggling football program. Senior public relations major Caroline O’Looney interviewed the president about his approach to leadership.
January 14, 2021, Carol JG Ward
Misinformation and disinformation circulated, consumed and believed by the public have a powerful influence on public opinion — often in a harmful way. Faculty members in the College of Information and Communications have conducted research to help improve media literacy, to teach people how to evaluate quality sources and to recognize clues for misinformation.
January 11, 2021, Megan Sexton
An endowed chair in the School of Information Science, an associate professor of higher education who directs the university’s Museum of Education, and a Gamecock football player who proclaimed “’Matter’ is the Minimum” during last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests are the university’s 2021 Social Justice Awards winners.
December 03, 2020, Rebekah Friedman
If you’ve ever come across a story or image or video online and thought to yourself, “There’s no way this is real,” there’s a good chance you were right. Fake news is a growing threat, and advances in technology are making it harder to spot. Two researchers in the College of Information and Communications discuss what it is, how it works and what can be done to address it.
November 27, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Students have have faced many challenges due to COVID-19, and their stories of resilience have become prominent topics in our weekly "Campus Conversations." Check out these students who have adapted to and overcome obstacles brought on by the pandemic.
November 17, 2020, Chris Horn
Most school assignments get turned in for a grade and are soon forgotten. But the speech Gweneth Gough wrote for a class at the University of South Carolina became the foundation for new legislation on mental health education recently signed by the governor.
October 02, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Gamecock Guides are newly hired student employees that will soon become familiar faces on UofSC social media channels. The guides are working to create content that will amplify university messages, build virtual relationships that engage fellow students and serve as representatives of UofSC.
August 26, 2020, Rebekah Friedman
COVID-19 has meant putting a hold on in-person programming, but Cocky’s Reading Express hasn’t stopped – it’s gone online. Since April, its Virtual Storytime YouTube playlist has featured a line-up of guest readers, including former mascots, Miss Gamecock 2020, and even famed talk show host and University of South Carolina alumna Leeza Gibbons.
July 29, 2020, Megan Sexton
The first novel by UofSC almuna Rachel Beanland has been called the perfect summer read and is one of Good Morning America's "25 Novels You'll Want to Read This Summer."
June 16, 2020, Megan Sexton
ZVerse, a Columbia company founded by UofSC alumnus John Carrington, has become an important player in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19, producing millions of face shields for health care workers around the country.
June 12, 2020, Karen Gavigan
Because the combination of text and images in graphic novels can communicate issues and emotions that words alone often cannot, more educators and parents are finding them to be effective tools for tackling tough issues with kids. In early March, information science professor Karen Gavin shared a collection of books for The Conversation, including some that can educate children about racism and other forms of bigotry.
June 01, 2020, Megan Sexton
Kevin Hull worked in television news for nearly a decade, most of it as a sportscaster. When he began working on his doctorate at the University of Florida, he wanted to continue his connection to the world of sports.
May 28, 2020, Craig Brandhorst
Since graduating from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications in 2012, former Daily Gamecock reporter and editor-in-chief Josh Dawsey has worked some tough beats. None has been tougher than covering the White House since Donald Trump took office — first for Politico, then for The Washington Post.
May 28, 2020, Chris Horn
This past spring semester, Paige Fallon began a study abroad experience in Europe, then got sick with COVID-19 and ended up in quarantine back home in Ohio. But the rising senior made the most of her experience after recovering from the virus that has killed some 350,000 worldwide — she helped save a life.
May 26, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
Having an impact on their students and communities, being more inclusive for underserved populations and encouraging a lifelong love of reading and learning are passions shared by three alumnae of the University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science who have been recognized as 2020 Movers & Shakers by Library Journal.
May 21, 2020, Craig Brandhorst
Advertising graduate Sarah Waldrop says it was a day on Greene Street at the annual Give4Garnet fundraiser that will stand out as one of her favorite memories as a Gamecock.
May 18, 2020, Rebekah Friedman
Ask anyone who knows Sarah Massengale to describe her in a word and they might say she’s brazen. Or fearless. Or even stubborn. What they won’t tell you — at least not at first — is that she’s blind. The public relations major is applying her communications knowledge and personal experience by helping the university with its widescale effort to address its digital accessibility.
May 13, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
The Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1. Top researchers at the University of South Carolina are available to discuss multiple aspects of the 2020 hurricane season, including forecasting, disaster planning and historical perspectives. To coordinate an interview, contact the staff member listed with each expert entry.
May 05, 2020, Megan Sexton
The coronavirus disrupted Hank Johnson's job search plans, but the new visual communications graduate is continuing on his path to a future in video, design or creative direction.
May 04, 2020, Chris Horn
Class of 2020 graduate Zach Sweat didn't get into the university on his first try. But he took to heart the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed..."
April 27, 2020, Craig Brandhorst
A half century ago, against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and seismic shifts in American culture, the campus of the University of South Carolina became a battleground — between students and the administration, between a young generation and the establishment, between radically different worldviews. But the dramatic events of that spring, which came to be known as The Months of May, weren’t strictly destructive. The lessons of that era also changed lives and changed the university itself.
April 24, 2020
Larry Thomas, Head of Texas External Affairs for BP, was selected as the new vice president for communications at the University of South Carolina on Friday, April 24, 2020.
April 17, 2020, Page Ivey and Megan Sexton
Faculty across the university who have more experience with online teaching have worked to help their less tech-savvy colleagues during this time of remote-only classes.
April 09, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
We caught up with three students who have demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness when it comes to navigating their responsibilities during a pandemic.
March 18, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
The University of South Carolina’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs has compiled a list of faculty experts who can discuss topics relevant to the coronavirus pandemic.
March 16, 2020, Page Ivey
The University of South Carolina continues to shine with 54 unique nationally ranked graduate programs — nine in the top 25 — in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools list released Tuesday (March 17).
March 05, 2020, Megan Sexton
While artificial intelligence research and programs are growing around the country, the University of South Carolina’s AI Institute is among the first in the Southeast to include diverse colleges and departments.
March 01, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Tonight at UofSC’s social media insights lab, students are monitoring and listening to the social media buzz and sentiment surrounding the results of the South Carolina Democratic primary.
February 18, 2020
With only a few short months until summer, it’s time for parents to find summer activities to enhance the lives and bolster the minds of their children. Fortunately, UofSC offers a wide variety of summer camps for all interests from music to journalism and softball to science.
January 22, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
In the two years the University of South Carolina has been working with The Conversation, more than 40 faculty members have contributed 72 articles on a variety of topics related to their research and expertise.
December 12, 2019, Megan Sexton
The College of Information and Communications' Social Media Insights Lab is able to analyze sentiment and identify emerging trends that are occurring in real time on sources from Twitter to YouTube to blogs.
December 12, 2019, Megan Sexton
Dara Khaalid earned her degree from the University of South Carolina this month, ready to pursue a career in broadcast journalism. It’s a path she set out on years earlier – when she was just a fifth grader.
December 02, 2019, Communications and Public Affairs staff
There was plenty to be proud of at the University of South Carolina in 2019, with accomplishments from the classroom to the research lab to the athletic field.
November 15, 2019, Chris Horn
Students who successfully complete Laura Smith’s “Power Producing” course often find themselves in high demand when they’re ready to graduate. That’s because, under Smith’s tutelage, they’ve learned the fundamental skills of TV news producing and hone them further in their final capstone semester.
November 11, 2019, Megan Sexton
School librarian Kathy Carroll likes to be in the middle of the action and that’s where she finds herself every day, whether it’s helping students at Westwood High School in Blythewood or advocating for her profession as president-elect of the American Association of School Librarians.
October 30, 2019, Craig Brandhorst
English Programs for Internationals celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and has come a long way since 1979, when it was created in response to a growing international presence on campus.
October 29, 2019, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
In October, crime novelist James Ellroy visited the University of South Carolina for the 2019 Fall Literary Festival, sponsored by University Libraries and the English department. On his last day on campus, Ellroy sat down with junior English and theater major Susan Swavely for an interview at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications’ Kennedy Greenhouse Studio.
October 24, 2019, Megan Sexton
Nicole Cooke is the School of Library and Information Science’s new Augusta Baker Chair in Childhood Literacy, a position named for the pioneering African American librarian who served as the university’s storyteller-in-residence.
September 25, 2019, Annika Dahlgren
Family Weekend is part of the university’s wide-ranging commitment to delivering a superior student experience in a welcoming, inclusive environment. It helps to connect a student’s personal support network to the university experience, so that family members can feel engaged in a student’s journey — and a student can feel a deep level of support both on- and off-campus.
September 16, 2019, Jesse Surette
Two weeks into his job with the athletics department, Justin Stoll crafted some of the most iconic words in Gamecock football history. Nine years later, he plays an even larger role in multimedia productions, but he also is working on his master's degree in library and information science.
September 02, 2019, Megan Sexton
This summer, Hootie & the Blowfish celebrated the 25th anniversary of their smash hit album Cracked Rear View with their first tour in more than a decade. We caught up with the band, all University of South Carolina alumni, to revisit their big break and reflect on becoming one of the most popular bands of their generation.
July 29, 2019, Megan Sexton
From a thousand-year flood to deadly hurricanes, South Carolina is no stranger to disasters. That’s why University of South Carolina researchers are working to better understand why dams fail, how to quickly map disaster areas and ways to improve how people with disabilities navigate natural disasters.
July 29, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel
Jay Pou is the recipient of the 2019 M. Stuart Hunter Award for his exceptional teaching skills as a University 101 instructor. His ability to connect with his students and his multimedia approach to teaching helped him gain this recognition.
June 27, 2019, Sophie Bello, '21 visual communications
As Charleston's first poet laureate, Marcus Amaker, a 1999 alumnus of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, writes poems for and about the city and works in schools to encourage students' interest in writing.
May 29, 2019, Chris Horn
A new Artificial Intelligence Institute at the University of South Carolina will launch this summer, building on and harnessing the collective efforts of dozens of faculty members who already are advancing AI research initiatives in diverse academic disciplines.
May 13, 2019, Craig Brandhorst
Baseball writer Bill Madden has enjoyed a remarkable, 50-year career as a reporter, columnist and sports biographer. This spring, he finally finished college.
April 11, 2019, Megan Sexton
Alumnus Jimmy DeButts, an editor and columnist at The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, returned to campus this month to talk to students about the importance of local news — and about his five colleagues who were killed when a gunman stormed his newsroom.
April 11, 2019, Diane Parham
Another successful Give 4 Garnet closed at midnight Wednesday, with 6,576 donors making $4,028,859 in gifts during the University of South Carolina’s second annual giving day.
April 10, 2019, Chris Horn
If you’ve spent much time on social media, you’ve probably encountered social bots, the software programs that automatically produce content and emulate human behavior. But why was there so much social bot activity following last year’s mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida?
April 05, 2019, Mia Grimm
Stuck on what to do with your class schedule for next semester? We've compiled a list of cool, unconventional classes in every college.
April 03, 2019, Diane Parham
There’s still plenty of confetti on hand for year two of Give 4 Garnet: A Day of Giving, set for Wednesday, April 10. But this year’s giving day is putting the spotlight on donors instead of dollars, with a goal of 6,500 donors making gifts during the day-long campaign.
March 27, 2019, Rebekah Friedman
Lisa Sisk, senior instructor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, is charting a new course for teaching after being diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder that affects communication.
February 28, 2019, Allen Wallace
A year ago, University of South Carolina Dance Marathon made history, raising more than a million dollars for the kids at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital (then known as Palmetto Health). Just days after that success, they began working to do it again. That yearlong effort concludes Saturday with the student organization’s annual Main Event.
February 22, 2019, Mia Grimm
Walking into Messie’s Closet, a recently opened contemporary consignment store in West Columbia, is like entering a whole new world covered in brightly colored fabrics. Its curator is Hawa Lukulay, a 23-year-old alumna of the University of South Carolina, who has an eye for detail and a gift for memorizing brands.
February 14, 2019, Dana Woodward
From 1985 to 2000, while innovators in Silicon Valley were focused on changing the world as we know it, Doug Menuez was focused on documenting it. With unprecedented access to Steve Jobs and other visionaries of the time, Menuez was able to photograph the people who created more jobs and wealth than any other time in human history. And on Wednesday, Feb. 20, faculty, staff, students and the public will be able to hear about that time from the award-winning photographer and documentarian himself.
February 13, 2019, Craig Brandhorst
In the age of social media, it can be hard to tell truth from fiction. And when it comes to news — particularly if it’s related to a hot button political issue — fake news increasingly gets peddled as real news while real news gets maligned as fake. Enter Mo Jang, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and mass communication Ph.D. student Jo-Yun “Queenie” Li. Jang and Li were part of a research team that looked at the origins and spread of fake news on Twitter.
February 12, 2019, Lee Goble
With only a few short months until summer, it’s time for parents to find summer activities to enhance the lives and bolster the minds of their children. Fortunately, UofSC offers a wide variety of summer camps for all interests from music to journalism and softball to science.
December 11, 2018, Chris Horn
Things have been falling neatly into place for Charles Rodriquez in the past 18 months — he started working on a bachelor’s degree in information studies at the University of South Carolina and completed an internship earlier this fall that has paved the way for a new job he’ll begin after graduation in December.
October 27, 2018
Before then-College of Information and Communications Dean Charles Bierbauer recruited her as an adjunct in 2001, Lisa Sisk had a successful career in nonprofit, agency and corporate public relations. By 2004, she was a fulltime University of South Carolina instructor.
October 09, 2018, Megan Sexton
Alumnus David Robinson and his 15-year-old son used more than 5,000 Legos to construct the field, stands, ramps, press box, coaches’ offices, scoreboard and the rest of Williams-Brice Stadium.
September 19, 2018
Pete Souza, the former chief official White House photographer for President Obama and an official White House photographer for President Reagan, will deliver the Buchheit Family Lecture on Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. We caught up with him to ask a few questions about his work and the future of journalism.
August 28, 2018, Chris Horn
David Lankes, Riley’s dad, is director of the university’s School of Library and Information Science, and this past fall was diagnosed with lymphoma, his third bout with the cancer of the immune system. Help is on the way in the form of a bone marrow transplant from his son, an incoming freshman at Carolina.
May 09, 2018, USC Times
When Janelys Villalta entered UofSC, she was focused on entertainment news. But after taking an interest in sociology the journalism student found her passion in social advocacy.
May 02, 2018, Megan Sexton
Allisha Gray, who played in the WNBA last year after helping the Carolina women’s basketball team win the 2017 national championship, has returned to earn her degree in broadcast journalism.
February 27, 2018, Taylor Evans
Summer is quickly approaching, meaning that children will soon need activities to enrich their lives and expand their minds. Luckily for parents, Carolina has a variety of summer camp options for every interest from singing to softball to science.
February 24, 2018, Taylor Evans
Young patients at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital will receive care packages, thanks to a group of students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
February 19, 2018, Mary-Kathryn Craft
Global studies, one of the University of South Carolina’s newest and fastest growing majors, equips students to lead in our increasingly connected world. An interdisciplinary program housed in the College of Arts and Science, global studies is home to 125 undergraduates who focus on humanities paired with intensive language study and courses in professional schools.
February 19, 2018, Kathryn McPhail
A collaborative effort between the College of Education and the South Carolina Center for Children’s Books and Literacy, housed in the College of Information and Communications, is helping one community unify its literacy efforts.
February 02, 2018, Taylor Evans
Professor Bonnie Drewniany's Super Bowl Commercial class graded Super Bowl advertisements on their likability, brand identity and persuasiveness to chose this year's Cocky Award winner.
January 08, 2018, Page Ivey
Michele Braddock-Beagle and Paul Mefferd weren't at Carolina at the same time, but the two share a love for the university and have established an estate gift to show their gratitude for the opportunities UofSC gave them.
December 18, 2017, Chris Horn
Two professors, a student and a staff member have been selected as 2018 recipients of Social Justice Awards by the University of South Carolina’s MLK Day planning committee.
November 02, 2017, Mary-Kathryn Craft
UofSC alumnus Sid Bedingfield will discuss his book “Newspaper Wars” and the role journalists play in South Carolina’s civil rights struggle during a Nov. 8 public lecture sponsored by the College of Arts and Science’s History Center.
November 02, 2017, Taylor Evans
Despite their different backgrounds and intended career paths, LeAnne Davison and Tavashia Berry are among the growing number of undergraduate students drawn to the information science major offered by the School of Library and Information Science.
October 16, 2017, Allen Wallace
For the second year in a row, UofSC is taking students to one of the rarest classrooms in the world: the Galapagos Islands. The cross-disciplinary study abroad program offers diverse lessons, but the overarching theme is sustainability.
August 17, 2017, Megan Sexton
Tom Reichert is the new dean of the College of Information and Communications. The college includes the School of Library and Information Science and the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Reichert comes to Carolina from the University of Georgia, where he was head of the advertising and public relations department in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
June 05, 2017, Megan Sexton
Tom Reichert, professor and head of the department of advertising and public relations at the University of Georgia, has been named dean of the College of Information and Communications at the University of South Carolina. As dean, Reichert will oversee both the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the School of Library and Information Science.
May 23, 2017, Megan Sexton
Freshmen arrive on campus each fall curious, excited and sometimes a little nervous about the road ahead. By graduation, they’re often completely different people. We asked four seniors at the end of their college careers about how the college experience had changed them and what it has meant to have that experience at Carolina
May 03, 2017, Abigayle Morrison
The Kennedy Greenhouse Studio at the School of Journalism has won the award for New Construction in Historic Context from the Historic Columbia Foundation.
April 13, 2017, Juliette LaFerlita
Hundreds of University of South Carolina students sign up each year to work the Masters Tournament. A public relations senior, Juilette LaFerlita, describes her second experience working the Masters.
March 23, 2017, Peggy Binette
Award-winning civil rights documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson Jr. will visit the University of South Carolina March 29-31 to preview his latest documentary and give a series of public talks. We caught up with Nelson to discuss some of the topics he'll explore with university faculty, staff and students.
March 13, 2017, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business once again claimed the No. 1 ranking for its International MBA program in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate Schools publication.
March 09, 2017, Dana D'Haeseleer
We caught up with David Leonhardt, New York Times columnist and this year's Baldwin Business and Financial Journalism lecturer, to discuss politics, economics and the future of business journalism. Leonhardt's public talk takes place March 14.
February 15, 2017, Page Ivey
Fake news. You’ve heard about it, consumed it, probably even believed it — at least on occasion. But what is it? Why does it exist? How do we combat it and why can’t it just go away? USC Times invited two faculty members and an alumnus who serves as the attorney for the South Carolina Press Association to discuss one of the most vexing of 21st century media problems — the rampant spread of fake news, clickbait profiteering and outright propaganda.
February 14, 2017, Melinda Waldrop
Kara Durrette, ’10 journalism, showcases the Atlanta Falcons and uses all aspects of her Carolina education as the team’s digital media producer.
February 07, 2017, Melinda Waldrop
After more than 16 years as Carolina’s chief information officer and vice president for information technology, Bill Hogue is starting a new gig as a faculty member in the School of Library and Information Science.
February 05, 2017, Megan Sexton
About 100 students in Bonnie Drewniany’s Super Bowl of Advertising class gathered Sunday evening at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, rating the best commercials to decide the winner of the coveted Cocky Award.
January 18, 2017, Megan Sexton
As a senior broadcast journalism major, Danielle Barilla says each of her internships has offered her new experiences and different challenges. This week, she starts a new job, helping to put together a weekly public affairs program produced by South Carolina ETV.
December 15, 2016, USC Times
A is for alphabet, at least according to USC Times. To help close out 2016, the University of South Carolina’s monthly magazine for faculty and staff devoted its entire December issue to the ABCs of 2016 — with each letter representing a different accomplishment, announcement or notable arrival from the past year.
December 05, 2016, Craig Brandhorst
The Washington Semester Program celebrates its 25th anniversary of providing full-time, semester-long internships at congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofits and other D.C.-based organizations. In the third of our series of stories talking to alumni and current participants in the program, we talk to program alumna Meghan Hickman, executive director of Engenuity SC.
November 18, 2016, Jo Jo Winkelmann
Graduate business student Brittany VanderBeek was put on a project of epic proportions during her internship at Michelin: Bring Carolina and Clemson students together to help reduce waste at a tire manufacturer. Next semester, the first joint class of students will begin working on solutions thanks to VanderBeek's hard work.
October 11, 2016, Adena Rice
Fashion lovers everywhere dream of being able to go to New York Fashion Week, but being a student intern working it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Courtney Sterns, senior public relations student, got to spend Sept. 6-14 working for PR Consulting’s fashion department during New York Fashion Week.
October 10, 2016, Dan Cook
David Lankes went to college to become an illustrator; he ended up working on websites in the early days of the Internet instead. Now director of the School of Library and Information Science and associate dean in the College of Information and Communications, Lankes has been at the forefront of his field ever since.
May 05, 2016, John Brunelli
From Amazon to the NFL to China, see what's #UofSCNext for these May 2016 graduates.
April 24, 2016, Ore Oluwole
Reading Day is known as the day students do last-minute preparation for final exams. But what do faculty do? From end-of-semester meetings to preparing the final exam, this is no day off for professors.
March 29, 2016, Chris Horn
From the Civil War to current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Carolina students have been part of the nation's military. Three alumni veterans recently shared lunch and perspectives on their war experiences and time at Carolina.
March 10, 2016, Megan Sexton
“Spotlight,” the Oscar-winning movie that tells the story of The Boston Globe’s investigation of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, has been praised by journalists for its authentic portrayal of the work it takes to do in-depth reporting. “Everyone should see the movie and should be cheering for good journalism,” said Charles Bierbauer, dean of the College of Information and Communications.
February 28, 2016
Jill Goodtree, Olivia Currey and Richard Lipkin are interns for the university’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs. The three public relations majors in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications had the opportunity to work for CNN during the television network’s two “town hall” events at the UofSC law school, leading up to the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries held in South Carolina in February.
February 09, 2016, Chris Horn
If Derrec Becker looks familiar, perhaps it’s because you saw a lot of it during news coverage of the flooding that inundated the Palmetto State in October.