Stories for Parents

Gail V. Barnes stands in the doorway with students playing string instruments behind her

USC String Project marks 50 years of hitting the right notes

April 05, 2024, Megan Sexton

The gold standard in string music education is marking its golden anniversary this year. For the past 50 years, the University of South Carolina String Project has been the national model in a program that combines music lessons with community service and teacher education.

A portrait of Leroy Chapman.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution editor-in-chief Leroy Chapman inspires next generation of journalists

January 22, 2024, Craig Brandhorst

In March 2023, University of South Carolina alumnus Leroy Chapman Jr. made headlines — as the first person of color to be named editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It was a big deal for the 155-year-old paper, for the city of Atlanta and for journalism in general. It was also a big deal for Chapman’s alma mater, which recognized his professional achievements with the 2023 College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Award.

maxcy monument on the usc horseshoe

Social justice awards recognize outstanding staff members

January 09, 2024, Page Ivey

Two staff members have been recognized for their social justice efforts on campus and in the larger community as 2024 Social Justice Award winners. The University of South Carolina created the Social Justice Awards to recognize individuals who have exemplified the philosophies of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. through acts of community service, social justice or racial reconciliation.

Adult male helps girl with book.

Strategies for Parents, Part I: Teaching problem solving to children

January 05, 2024, Gregory Hardy

It’s inevitable that children of all ages will struggle with the social and academic expectations of their years in school. Parents can easily feel overwhelmed with providing answers, especially as children continue to struggle with stress and anxiety from the disruptions of pandemic shutdowns. Cheri Shapiro, a research professor in the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work and the director of USC’s Institute for Families in Society, focuses her research on prevention of social, emotional and behavioral problems in youth and implementation of evidence-based interventions in community settings.

Building with a clock tower

2023: Year in review -- record enrollment, new construction and so much more

December 07, 2023, Marketing and Communications

It’s been a momentous year at the University of South Carolina. We welcomed a record-setting freshman class, renamed our law school, announced new research initiatives, hired new deans, held an investiture ceremony for President Amiridis — and so much more.

a man leans on a railing with a cable-stayed bridge in the background

USC School of Law named the Joseph F. Rice School of Law

November 10, 2023, Peggy Binette

The University of South Carolina’s School of Law has a new name thanks to the generosity and vision of well-known alumnus and longtime benefactor, plaintiffs’ trial lawyer Joe Rice. The official name, the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, was announced Friday (Nov. 10) during a signage unveiling ceremony at the law school building at the corner of Bull and Senate streets.

Photo of student walking on the Horseshoe

First-generation college students bring resilience, perspectives to USC campus

November 03, 2023, Megan Sexton

First-generation college students come from all sorts of backgrounds and bring a variety of perspectives to campus. At USC, about one-fifth of the student population identifies as first-generation college students, meaning their parents did not earn a four-year college degree.

Head and shoulders photo of Danny Morrison

HRSM professor Danny Morrison passes on wisdom gleaned from decades in sports industry

October 16, 2023, Megan Sexton

Danny Morrison, former president of the Carolina Panthers and a sport management professor at USC, draws on his long career in athletics to inspire and educate the next generation of sport professionals

USC Cocky Statue

ICYMI: Ten big things happening at the university

August 30, 2023, Lauryn Jiles

The university never sleeps, but it does slow down a bit during the summer. With the start of the fall semester, here’s a reminder of some recent happenings that you might have missed, plus a heads up about some major upcoming events.

sophomores in 1965 at USC

Black students in the early years of USC's desegregation

August 30, 2023, Chris Horn

The first three Black students enrolled at USC on Sept. 11, 1963, but the university’s desegregation was a process, not a once-and-done event. In the years that followed, more Black students would enroll — a trickle that would eventually become a steady stream. What were their experiences at what had been an all-white university?

Gamecock alumni Casey Fissel dives in the tank at Riverbanks Zoo

USC graduates dive deep and discover dream careers at Riverbanks Zoo

August 23, 2023, Alexis Watts

Seven Gamecocks were on the frontlines of the March opening of the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. With degrees ranging from advertising and public relations to biology and marine science, these University of South Carolina graduates play important roles in powering the No. 1 tourist destination in South Carolina, which attracts more than 1 million visitors annually.

James wolf stands in a restaurant wearing a gamecock club golf shirt

Business graduate heads active alumni group in Queen City

August 16, 2023, Chris Horn

James Wolf has been a Gamecock since he saw his first football game at Williams-Brice at the age of 7. Wolf, a 2005 business school graduate and financial adviser, has been president of the Charlotte, N.C., chapter of the Gamecock Club and USC Alumni Association for 14 years. He brings an energy to the role that is equal parts motivational speaker and loyal alumnus.

Ryan Buell on the USC horseshoe

From chasing ghosts to helping others fight inner demons

August 11, 2023, Alexis Watts

Ryan Buell has been a student, journalist, paranormal researcher, well-known TV personality, addict and now University of South Carolina counselor education graduate. “There's nothing anyone can say that will make me look down on them because I’ve been there,” Buell says. “If you're wanting help, if you're seeking to better yourself and you're seeking redemption, I feel like everyone should have that chance.”

Jared Johnson and Clint Wallace, two of the four owners of All Good Books.

Independent bookstore begins first chapter -- and USC's fingerprints are on every page

August 11, 2023, Megan Sexton

Walk through the doors at All Good Books, a thriving bookstore in the heart of Five Points, and you’ll see neat shelves filled with classics and new releases, a counter for coffee, beer and wine and – perhaps most important of all — a welcoming vibe.

Students wear protective glasses while learning at camp

Carolina Master Scholars camps spark curiosity, forge connections

August 03, 2023, Alexis Watts

Summer camp memories don’t often include crime scene blood spatter analysis or creating culinary masterpieces, but the Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series is not your typical summer camp.

a radar image of hurricane hugo making landfall in SC in 1989

USC geography graduates help guide state, nation through hurricane season

July 13, 2023, Page Ivey

Every summer, the South Carolina coast and the southeastern U.S. faces the threat of hurricanes that range in size from sustained winds of 74 mph to the state’s most catastrophic hurricane, Hugo in 1989 that resulted in $10 billion in damages. Helping minimize the damage from these storms is the job of several graduates of the University of South Carolina’s geography master’s program.

Panoramic view of Segra Park baseball stadium.

USC students gain wide exposure to sports industry through summer baseball internships

July 07, 2023, Allen Wallace

Students from the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management are learning all about minor league baseball this summer at teams throughout the Southeast and beyond. Providing these hands-on opportunities is a priority for USC’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, which emphasizes real-world experience and career development alongside classroom instruction.

Frank Avignone poses in lab with a white lap coat on.

Physicist continues lifelong search for dark matter, 90 years in the making

June 13, 2023, Bryan Gentry

Frank Avignone is looking for dark matter ― the mysterious substance that makes up much of the universe. In a lab at the University of South Carolina, he shows off a spectrometer that he recently repaired with support from the National Science Foundation. Purchased for his lab more than 50 years ago, the device proved to be just what he needs for his newest experiment.

The Owen family of three young boys holding their infant brother

Clay and Grainne Owen lead Gamecocks in support of curing children's cancer

June 07, 2023, Megan Sexton

When Clay and Grainne Owen’s son Killian died of leukemia at age 9, the family’s tragedy became their mission — to find better treatments and make childhood cancer a curable disease. Their charity, Curing Kids Cancer, has raised more than $25 million since 2005.

Terence Weik at the Kinsler cemetery site in Blythewood, S.C.

USC researcher's Black cemeteries project aims to restore lost ancestral connections

June 07, 2023, Rose Cisneros

For Terrance Weik, the gravesite of his great-grandmother was a sacred place: Her headstone memorialized a place where he could remember her and those who came before. Weik is working on research and preservation efforts at three burial grounds across South Carolina: sites in Blythewood, Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head.

Sarah Davis poses with her son, Sam.

Sarah Davis blazes trail for mothers pursuing Ph.D.'s

May 11, 2023, Abbey Smith

Sarah Davis’s endometriosis diagnosis spurred the NIH-funded researcher to pursue motherhood while completing her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences. As she prepares to celebrate her first Mother’s Day, Davis reflects on what it means to have a successful academic career while starting a family.

lines of people presenting and conversing at a convention

Discover USC

April 13, 2023, Reagin von Lehe

The Discover USC event showcases student research at the university, especially the work of seniors, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. These projects represent all disciplines in research, scholarship, leadership and creativity. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the annual, systemwide showcase will be held 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 21 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Woman smiling in white dress

Campus Conversation: Jala Lewis

February 25, 2023, Reagin von Lehe

Through her marketing major, Jala Lewis is learning how to manage her cosmetology business that she started in high school. Jala’s Extensions became a reality for Lewis when she posted her progress in learning how to braid on social media — her peers in school were impressed. Now, she has braided Zia Cooke’s, Bree Hall’s, and Chico Carter Jr.’s hair in USC athletics.

President Amiridis cheers on the Gamecocks as they play against SC State.

Year in review '22: In with the old, in with the new

December 14, 2022, Communications and Marketing

Did campus feel just a little bit livelier this year? A touch more spirited? A tad more optimistic? We thought so, too — and not only because we named a new president back in January. Yeah, that was one heck of a way to ring in the new year, and it set the tone for the months ahead, but in the end, 2022 was about all of us, from the President’s House to Russell House, from Colonial Life to Williams-Brice. It was about respecting tradition, rediscovering our identity, remembering our past and reimagining our future. In 2022, the University of South Carolina reminded us all what it means to be USC.

A bird’s eye view of a dark beer in a pint glass.

Prohibition-era beer laws persist to the present

December 02, 2022, Téa Smith

Craft beer is big business but that doesn’t necessarily mean business is booming.In fact, for many of the nation’s smaller brewing operations, competing with established large-scale “macrobreweries” is a David and Goliath story — and the laws are stacked in Goliath’s favor. But Scott Taylor Jr.. and his colleagues at the Wine and Beverage Institute at USC School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management are working on the first of three papers exploring the negative impact of Prohibition-era laws on competition within the alcoholic beverage industry.