
Class of 2021: Jessica Teresi
April 19, 2021, Megan Sexton
The two severe concussions Jessica Teresi suffered affected her mental health, but the challenges also resulted in gained resiliency skills and a commitment to advocacy and service.
April 19, 2021, Megan Sexton
The two severe concussions Jessica Teresi suffered affected her mental health, but the challenges also resulted in gained resiliency skills and a commitment to advocacy and service.
April 15, 2021, Chris Horn
Sydney Womack’s calendar has been booked nearly solid during her four years at South Carolina and little wonder — she majored in biomedical engineering, minored in mathematics, earned a performance certificate in the School of Music, conducted undergraduate research and co-authored a scholarly article and three poster presentations. She also attended football, basketball and baseball games whenever she could, held leadership positions in two engineering student societies and regularly volunteered to pitch STEM career opportunities to high school students.
April 15, 2021, Bryan Gentry
Ann-Chadwell Humphries hardly touched poetry before she became blind in 2012. Today, she is immersed in South Carolina’s poetry community, and recently published a book titled An Eclipse and a Butcher. The collection of nearly 40 poems touches on topics ranging from art to family life, from eclipses to blindness. She wrote and workshopped some of the poems in graduate classes at the University of South Carolina.
April 14, 2021, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
Adarsh Shidhaye says he “hit the ground running” thanks to a pre-medical summer camp offered by the Office of Pre-Professional Advising. The program was so valuable to him that he started working as an ambassador during his freshman year, providing that same help to incoming students. Shidhaye’s service to his fellow students while earning a degree in public health as well as minors in business administration and medical humanities and culture has also earned him the university's highest undergraduate honor, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
April 14, 2021, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
Issy Rushton was installed as president of the student body at the University of South Carolina just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down the world. The native of the Gold Coast in Australia was half a world away when she went to work helping her fellow students and the university navigate the pandemic and focus on returning to campus. For her leadership, Rushton was one of two members of the Class of 2021 to receive the university's highest undergraduate honor, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. The award, named for a 19th-century New York lawyer and philanthropist, is given each year for outstanding achievements, campus leadership, exemplary character and service to the community.
April 13, 2021, Chris Horn
Brianna Lewis was voted “most likely to become a brain surgeon” in the first grade, and the Simpsonville, S.C.-native will soon begin earning the “Dr.” portion of that prediction. She’s headed to medical school this fall after wrapping up four years in the Honors College and two bachelor’s degrees — one in biology and another in experimental psychology.
March 31, 2021, Carol J.G.Ward
Research opportunities, passionate faculty mentors and the chance to explore diverse interests drew the University of South Carolina’s 2021 Goldwater Scholarship recipients to the Columbia campus. The prestigious scholarships are awarded annually to undergraduate STEM majors across the country who are interested in pursuing research careers in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering.
March 15, 2021, Aïda Rogers and Chris Horn
Reggie, Connor and Ian Bain all double majored in mathematics and a field of science, they’re all alumni of the University of South Carolina’s Honors College (Ian graduates in May) and Carolina Scholars and each was named a Goldwater Scholar, which is considered the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate award for STEM majors.
March 02, 2021, Madyn Coakley
Romina Pinto, a proud mother of three and a Peruvian immigrant, is a believer in lifelong learning and personal growth. That motivation led her to the University of South Carolina where she is now a third-year international studies and linguistics student.
February 25, 2021, Audrey Hill
Get your midterm caffeine fix at one of these local coffee shops — all within walking distance.
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.
January 04, 2021, Megan Sexton
After losing both of her parents, Antonia Adams has made a new start at the South Carolina Honors College. Her journey shows the importance of perseverance and the belief that education can restore confidence and hope.
December 15, 2020, Chris Horn
Ninety years ago, the pathways crisscrossing the Horseshoe were dusty when the weather was dry and muddy when it rained. Then a young English professor devised a campaign to convert the paths into proper brick sidewalks without any funding from the state.
December 15, 2020, Chris Horn
To earn a nursing degree, Thien Nguyen had to overcome a language barrier and financial hardship — a familiar tale for many young immigrants to the United States. But there’s much more to Nguyen’s story, and it began 20 years ago in Vietnam when he was 5 years old.
December 01, 2020, Chris Horn
In the midst of her practice teaching experience, December graduate Akiko Colbert realized she wanted to work alongside students as a guidance counselor. “Middle school is tough ... I want to give them perspective and let them know that everything they learn in middle school will set them up for the rest of their life," she says.
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 25, 2020, Megan Sexton
Catherine Howland will earn her Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in music education summa cum laude in December. The School of Music and Honors College grad will start her career as a choir teacher at a middle school in South Carolina starting in January.
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.
November 06, 2020
It's the last month of programming for the semester, so Gamecock Entertainment did not disappoint with the next couple weeks of events. Mark your calendars and enjoy these free events and activities.
November 05, 2020, Communications and Public Affairs
President Bob Caslen and host Sally McKay talk with Jared Evans, director of military engagement and initiatives, and student-veteran Ashley Johnson.
November 03, 2020, Megan Sexton
Trey Capps, a first-generation college student from the small town of Aynor, South Carolina, has returned to his alma mater to pursue his doctorate in history.
October 28, 2020, Megan Sexton
Military-affiliated students play an important role at the University of South Carolina. Veterans and active duty Gamecocks excel in the classroom and beyond, including alumni like Candace Terry who earned her Master of Social Work degree in May and now is the director of governmental affairs for the S.C. Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
October 22, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Check out these tips for voting and navigating the upcoming election with resilience from now until after election day.
October 12, 2020, Chris Horn
Students in the Carolina Global Scholars Program are drawing attention to the plight of refugees one listener at a time through their "Seeking Refuge" podcast.
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.
September 24, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
University of South Carolina law students Jasmine Caruthers and Anna Catherine Parham say their research on no-knock warrants to assist the lawyers representing Breonna Taylor’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit was enlightening and emotional.
September 11, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Student Health Services’ weekly podcast, “Hear Me Out,” has just begun its third season with new student hosts who are highlighting diverse perspectives on mental health topics.
August 20, 2020, Megan Sexton
A podcast-a-thon Aug. 28 will highlight Black excellence at UofSC through conversations with students, alumni and faculty. The live-streamed event will raise money for the One Creed, One Carolina campaign.
August 17, 2020, Kelsey Hagon
University of South Carolina junior Cole Falkenstine recently completed the U.S. Army’s prestigious Combat Diving Supervisor Course, preparing him to oversee combat dive operations in the Army.
August 13, 2020, Chris Horn
Getting around on campus by bus and bicycle — or both — will be easier this academic year, thanks to ongoing campus infrastructure and transportation improvements and a planned reconfiguration of a portion of South Main Street.
August 08, 2020, Craig Brandhorst
Amelia Wilks describes her high school self as a “follower,” but the University of South Carolina provided the 2020 graduate with a stage, a microphone and the confidence to finish college as a leader.
August 06, 2020
"COVID-19 had such a strong impact on my summer plans as I was not able to go home during the whole summer, increasing the time without seeing my family and friends (almost one year)."
July 31, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
Rodrianna Gaddy took her love of learning about different cultures, combined it with her passion to help people and channeled both into her academic path at the University of South Carolina with a double major in international business and human resources management with a minor in Japanese. Gaddy was scheduled to study abroad in Japan this spring. Then COVID-19 hit.
July 09, 2020, Annika Dahlgren
This fall, the College of Arts and Sciences begins its new themed semester initiative that encourages faculty and students from across the university to explore ideas related to the core subject of justice. The theme is meant to combine work from the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural and mathematical sciences to bear on today's challenging issues and problems.
June 16, 2020, Chris Horn
Very few high school valedictorians can tackle a 200-pound running back. Not many Division 1 college football players can tackle the rigor of a mechanical engineering degree. But this University of South Carolina Class of 2020 graduate did both.
June 08, 2020, Megan Sexton
Ashley Fellers is finishing her first year at the School of Medicine, a program she entered a year early through the South Carolina Honors College's BARSC-MD program.
May 28, 2020, Chris Horn
Class of 2020 senior Bryce Jerin spent his first eight years in India, an experience that shaped his view of life, education and what matters most.
May 28, 2020, Page Ivey
Jeremy LaPointe has been interested in learning more about why people behave in certain ways since he was in high school. He has been able to pursue that interest at the University of South Carolina in the classroom and in research labs as an undergraduate majoring in experimental psychology with a minor in neuroscience.
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 21, 2020, Chris Horn
Imagine Santa Claus carrying a big bag — not full of toys but bagels. That’s sort of what Jacob Miller looked like when he volunteered at Student Food Recovery, a student organization that collects unused food from eateries around campus and donates them to homeless shelters in Columbia.
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 14, 2020, Megan Sexton
Madhura Pande, who graduated in May from the South Carolina Honors College with degrees in biological sciences and Spanish, has been working on research since she arrived on campus as a freshman.
May 11, 2020, Chris Horn
Rebekah Cloninger has a lot to tell her future children and grandchildren about her time at the University of South Carolina. Like the night she met A’ja Wilson, the Most Outstanding Player from the 2017 championship team, and got her jersey signed by the former UofSC forward who now plays for the Las Vegas Aces.
May 07, 2020, Megan Sexton
Thomas Palmer chose UofSC because of the opportunities offered by a large university, along with its top-flight School of Music and impressive Honors College. Playing in the orchestra during the production of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS, he was reminded that he made the right decision
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..."
May 01, 2020, Bryan Gentry and Anna Toptchi
Three students exhibit their MFA thesis works online, fostering the opportunity to build empathy and spark the imaginations of viewers around the world.
April 29, 2020, Diane Parham
UofSC senior Brandon Fryson is one of more than 300 students who have found a much-needed helping hand through the new COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund.
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 23, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Due to COVID-19, Australia native Issy Rushton is fulfilling her student body president duties from across the globe. We caught up with her to see what life is like starting her new position remotely during a pandemic.
April 23, 2020
"Conversations aren’t canceled, songs and movies aren’t canceled. Reading and self-care aren’t canceled—focus on the positives.'
April 16, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Prior to campus’s closure, the Student Council on Sustainability, a representative body of all sustainability leaders in several student organizations, were planning a week full of programming for Earth Day on Greene Street called Green on Greene Week. Now, the council has adjusted their plans to create Virtual Green Week.
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 27, 2020, David Lee
A group of University of South Carolina students supported by faculty is coming together to help produce a vital piece of equipment that hospitals are calling for during the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 01, 2020, Allen Wallace
University of South Carolina Dance Marathon completed its 2019-2020 fundraising year with a total of $1,016,822 raised for Prisma Health Children's Hospital.
February 18, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
The University of South Carolina’s Moving Image Research Collections in a partnership with the History Division of the Marine Corps is digitizing films shot by more than 50 Marine combat cameramen during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which began Feb. 19, 1945. The goal is to provide public access to the video and expand historical understanding.
February 14, 2020
"Bystander Intervention can be the difference between life and death sometimes, so noticing signs and choosing it’s important enough to stand up is essential."
February 12, 2020, Megan Sexton
All of the university’s undergraduate chemistry labs moved this semester into the newly renovated building at Greene and Main streets, offering state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
January 30, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Students are putting together a new Carolina yearbook for the first time since 1994. The annual will serve as a coffee table book that captures memories, achievements, traditions and events at UofSC.
January 21, 2020, Annika Dahlgren
Level 4 of Thomas Cooper Library was transformed over winter break into a renovated space for collaboration and study.
January 15, 2020, Rob Schaller
A groundbreaking law course tasks students with crafting an original code of laws for the Catawba Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina.
January 06, 2020, Chris Horn
“We know what we are,” Shakespeare once wrote, “but know not what we may be.” If only the old Bard could have sat in on “Mathematics for Shakespeare,” an Honors College course at the University of South Carolina. He would have learned how to take the full measure for measure of his own literary works, using statistical software and linear algebra to probe and pose questions about everything from his sonnets to soliloquies.
December 17, 2019, Page Ivey
Jade Battiste is grateful for her parents’ patient support as she has traveled a nontraditional path to her bachelor’s degree. But she is especially grateful to her father, Luther Battiste, who helped create the African American Studies program at the University of South Carolina 50 years ago.
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.
November 25, 2019
"Doing good to others is easy when you are surrounded by a community that encourages and celebrates service."
November 21, 2019, Josh German
The holiday season is one of the most active times of the year for the Carolina Service Council as they participate in multiple projects to spread holiday cheer through Carolina Cares.
November 05, 2019, Allen Wallace
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Sigmon is just a few classes away from finishing his master's degree in sport and entertainment management while he has also been on active duty.
October 24, 2019, Ellen Woodoff
Carlisle Floyd’s "Susannah" is one of the most beloved American operas. Under the direction of Ellen Douglas Schlaefer, the School of Music presents the opera at Drayton Hall Theatre Nov. 1-3.
October 14, 2019, Kathryn McPhail
After winning state championships in high school, Kaden Briggs was excited to earn a spot on the University of South Carolina’s track and field team. But he was shocked when he faced an unexpected hurdle – some skepticism about his chosen career path.
October 03, 2019, Annika Dahlgren
The 10th annual campus ghost tours will take place Oct. 28, led University Ambassadors who have embraced the tradition of guiding students and community members around the most haunted areas of the university.
October 03, 2019, Megan Sexton
University 101 started as a trial course in 1972, following a student riot on campus in 1970. Forty-seven years later, the course is being taught to 80 percent of incoming freshmen, helping them adjust to college life and learn about all the university has to offer.
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 09, 2019, Josh German
When Sarah Jane Ballentine created a mural for the Music Library, she chose to depict the connection she felt between art and music.
September 09, 2019, Kathryn McPhail
For most students, the path to law school doesn’t include a stop in a fourth grade classroom. Well, at least not as the teacher of the class. But law student Brandon Adams says his experience as a teacher will help him become a better attorney, and he plans to combine his love of teaching and the law.
August 08, 2019, Josh German
Adventure Trips Manager Ashley Hamada sees benefits in spending time outdoors doing recreational activities.
July 31, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel
Illustrating a book that espouses optimism by changing your worldview of rich and poor is no easy feat. That was the challenge for senior-level graphic design students, participating in a contest to design a new cover for this year’s First-Year Reading Experience selection.
July 16, 2019, Josh German
Six rising juniors have been chosen as 2019 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholars. The program exposes students to the mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
June 20, 2019, Josh German
For the 18th consecutive year, the University of South Carolina will be represented abroad by Fulbright U.S. student grantees conducting research, studying and serving as English teaching assistants.
June 18, 2019, Alyssa Yancey
Tarak Patel, a second-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, had witnessed the devastation of addiction while volunteering at hospitals and free clinics, but he only had a surface-level understanding of the complexities of the issue. That changed earlier this summer when Patel participated in the Summer Institute for Medical Students (SIMS) at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Center City, Minnesota.
June 06, 2019, Kathryn McPhail
Education alumna, Chanda Jefferson, was recently named the 2020 South Carolina Teacher of the Year. Her passion for serving others began when she drove the church van as a teenager. Now a decade into her career as an educator, she finds herself teaching much more than biology to her students.
June 06, 2019, Ellen Woodoff
The Southeastern Piano Festival, one of the premier piano experiences for performance and young talent, offers South an opportunity to hear some of the world’s top artists.
May 23, 2019, Alyssa Yancey
Second-year Ph.D. candidate Katy Pilarzyk was one of three University of South Carolina students awarded a prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship this year. She will use her funding to continue her work in Michy Kelly’s lab at the School of Medicine Columbia. The lab studies the inner workings of the brain to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying social and cognitive deficits.
May 13, 2019, Kathryn McPhail
Jackson Creek Elementary School, in Columbia, is committed to improving the way its teachers are educating students — both academically and socially. The school is collaborating with College of Education professors to offer all teachers and support staff ongoing professional development in culturally relevant teaching.
May 13, 2019
“My experience here in Equatorial Guinea has hugely impacted my view of international development work and has shown me the type of impact I want to have on others through the work I do.”
May 13, 2019
"As someone who tends to stress out a good bit about school, yoga was a great way for me to quiet my mind and take an hour of the day away to relax."
May 07, 2019, Megan Sexton
It happens every semester, but it never gets old. Seniors finish their final exams, turn in their last papers, pull on the cap and gown and walk across the stage as proud graduates of the University of South Carolina. TIMES spoke with eight May graduates about their decision to come to Carolina, the memories they have made here and their plans for the future. We also asked them to send us a picture to mark the occasion.
May 02, 2019, Chris Horn
“Introduction to Drones for Airborne Spatial Data,” a new geography course offered for the first time this semester, gives University of South Carolina students an overview of aerial mapping with drones — and a leg up on using a technology that’s finding myriad commercial applications.
April 29, 2019, Carol J.G. Ward
Honors College junior Adriana Bowman is one of 30 recipients nationwide of the Pickering Fellowship awarded to students interested in a foreign service career. Multiple study abroad experiences have allowed the S.C. native to immerse herself in foreign languages and cultures.
April 19, 2019, Page Ivey
The University of South Carolina presented its top student honors, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Steven N. Swanger awards, to three graduating seniors during the university’s annual Awards Day ceremony Thursday on the historic Horseshoe.
April 11, 2019, Carol J.G. Ward
Honors College junior Bennett Lunn has been named a 2019 Truman Scholar.
April 05, 2019, Kathryn McPhail
Efforts to recruit and retain teachers in South Carolina go beyond the four years students spend on campus. For College of Education alumna LeAnn Haga, a high school outreach program inspired her to pursue a teaching career, a scholarship allowed her to earn a degree debt-free and now, her alma mater continues to support her in her first year as a teacher.
April 01, 2019, Diane Parham
The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation made a new $18 million commitment that will increase the value of McNair Scholars awards from $15,000 to $22,000 per year and add $12,000 in academic-enrichment funds that each scholar can use over their four years at South Carolina.
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.
March 26, 2019, Megan Sexton
A new composition, "Red Hot Sun Turning Over," by School of Music assistant professor David Garner uses music, sounds and images from the Civil War era and the early 20th century to explore the story of Confederate monuments. It will be premiered Sunday (March 31) at the Koger Center.
March 13, 2019, John Brunelli
Fourth-year School of Medicine Columbia student Ashley McCaskill hopes confidence will be key when it comes to her Match Day fate. She is one of 30,000 med students in the United States who will find out March 15 which residency program selected them.
March 03, 2019, Allen Wallace
University of South Carolina student organization Dance Marathon raised $1,038,156 for Prisma Health Children's Hospital, breaking the record set last year.
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 13, 2019, Chris Horn
Beck Chandler recently wrapped up what might have been the most interesting and challenging role thus far in his nascent career in community theater — playing a character on the autism spectrum. For Chandler, it's personal.
January 14, 2019, Kathryn McPhail
When Michelle Taylor walked across the stage at December’s commencement ceremony to accept her master’s degree, she culminated a journey of more than 7,300 miles and three countries. And though she didn’t step foot on campus during her two years in the Master of Education in Teaching program, she felt strongly about attending graduation.
January 10, 2019, Amanda Hernandez
For electrical engineering senior and first-generation college student Sam Wilson, a solid support system has been integral to his college success. As he enters his final semester at UofSC, Wilson is "paying it forward" to help shape the future of students following in his footsteps.