May 25, 2023
South Carolina’s economic future depends on a world-class workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. That’s why assistant professor Hengtao Tang is studying how to make STEM courses more effective, inclusive and accessible to a wider range of people.
May 24, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Army ROTC Gamecock Battalion received the prestigious MacArthur Award, which recognizes the program for excellence in academics, physical training, character, and percentage of commissioned officers.
May 17, 2023
Mani Sockalingam’s research supports the development of advanced composite material systems that could find application in the production of lightweight structures for the aerospace, automotive and defense sectors. He seeks to address fundamental scientific challenges at the intersection of materials-mechanics-manufacturing while mentoring students to conduct meaningful research.
May 16, 2023
Growing up in a poor area of North Georgia, Melissa Nolan saw the negative effects infectious disease could have on a community – and after working in Latin America, she saw how infectious disease interventions could mitigate these kinds of effects. At USC, the assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics is combining her domestic and foreign research interests for maximum impact.
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.
May 10, 2023
Sanjib Sur first became interested in millimeter-wave because of its potential to bring low-cost wireless connectivity to underserved populations. Today, Sur is working on designing next-generation wireless network architectures and ubiquitous sensing techniques that make smart objects truly smart.
May 09, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Teri Browne will assume her role as dean of the College of Social Work on May 15.
May 05, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Rohit Verma will start in his role as dean of the Darla Moore School of Business on July 1.
May 04, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Ann Vail will assume the role at the university’s Graduate School on July 1.
May 02, 2023
In the fall of 2019, newly hired USC Upstate chemistry professor Anita Nag was looking at the virus responsible for a 2002 SARS outbreak in China. Her hope? To understand how virus proteins suppress certain functions in their hosts to make it easier for the virus to reproduce. Within a few short months, her work took on great import as the world battled a slightly different version of the virus that causes COVID-19.
May 01, 2023, Hannah Cambre
For many, reaching the age of 65 means slowing down and enjoying retirement. Aliza Burton, an English major at the University of South Carolina, has chosen a less traditional path.
April 27, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Poet Ray McManus won a 2023 Governor’s Award for the Arts, but the USC Sumter English professor’s impact stretches beyond the page.
April 26, 2023
Chang Liu entered the field of biomedical engineering as an undergraduate with the long-term goal of improving human health care through engineering solutions. Over the past 15 years, his research has touched on multiple life science disciplines, including biomedical engineering, molecular diagnostics, bio-nanotechnology and proteomics.
April 25, 2023
As the Class of 2023 prepares to walk across the commencement stage, graduates leave the University of South Carolina with memories of enduring friendships, newfound passions, supportive mentors and life-changing experiences.
April 24, 2023, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina’s master’s in international business program retained its spot as the best in the country for the 10th consecutive year, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings released Tuesday (April 25).
April 21, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning is celebrating the Graduation with Leadership Distinction Program's tenth anniversary. Take a look at some of the earliest graduates with leadership distinction.
April 20, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Ethena Inez Lighty has left her mark on the Carolina and Columbia communities through her dedication to leadership and service.
April 19, 2023
Ralf Gothe is part of a group of scientists exploring quantum chromodynamics at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia. His work focuses specifically on the strong interaction between quarks and gluons, two elementary particles essential to quantum field theory.
April 19, 2023, Laura Kammerer
William C. Hubbard, dean of the School of Law, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences which is a prestigious fellowship of scholars and leaders. Distinguished members include Benjamin Franklin and Colin Powell, and current members include more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.
April 17, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Honors College senior Charlotte Ann Pollack did not let the pandemic stop her from excelling even when the worldwide shutdown significantly altered her plans. The Fort Mill, South Carolina, native is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor.
April 17, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Honors College senior Robert William Pokora III drew on his family’s experience with organ transplant to restart an organization at the University of South Carolina that advocates for people to sign up to be donors. The Greer, South Carolina, native is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor.
April 14, 2023
Daniela Friedman grew up watching her mother suffer with cancer and struggle to make sense of the complicated information she received about her diagnosis and treatment plan. Today, that experience drives Friedman’s efforts to improve how health information is communicated to older and diverse populations.
April 13, 2023
Jessica Klusek’s work focuses on communication difficulties associated with the FMR1 premutation — the genetic mutation found in women who are carriers of fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism.
April 11, 2023
Peiyin Hung joined USC’s Arnold School of Public Health in 2018 after a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. An assistant professor of health services policy and management, Hung explores maternal health and rural health disparities.
April 10, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
As senior director of policy and research at Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, Chynna A. Phillips is taking on poverty one partnership at a time.
April 06, 2023
Today’s pharmacists are key to fighting the spread of infectious disease, administering vaccines for everything from COVID-19 to shingles. College of Pharmacy assistant professor Tessa Hastings is on a mission to improve how they do that.
April 04, 2023, Abbey Smith
Undergraduate researchers thrive at the University of South Carolina. If you need proof, look no further than the Goldwater Scholarship, a national award recognizing the exceptional work and dedication of STEM undergraduates towards their research careers.
March 31, 2023, Megan Sexton / Photos by Kim Truett
Blue Sky begins a conversation about his six-decade career as an artist this way: “I should have been an engineer.” He swears he’s not joking. But think what Columbia would have lost if Blue Sky had not filled the public arena with color and whimsy and boldness and giant pieces of art that have become Capital City landmarks.
March 28, 2023
Neuroscientist Roozbeh Behroozmand directs the Speech Neuroscience Lab in the Arnold School of Public Health, which examines the neural bases of speech and its disorders in people with neurological conditions.
March 28, 2023, Téa Smith
First-year marketing major Jala Lewis helps key players on the women’s basketball team craft the signature hairstyles they wear on the court.
March 27, 2023, J. Scott Parker
Reigning women’s college basketball player of the year Aliyah Boston dominates on the court and in the classroom. Boston, who is once again in contention for the Naismith award and is pursuing her second NCAA championship is also a three-time Academic All-American.
March 24, 2023, Rose Cisneros
McCausland Fellow Besim Dragovic has a favorite mineral —it’s garnet, of course. Garnet is a mineral that carries a wealth of information about unique locations on Earth and their history as well as element-containing rocks hold several possibilities for sustainability.
March 22, 2023
Cultural anthropologist Monica Barra studies how racial inequalities are shaped by scientific practices, racial histories and climate change in the U.S. South.
March 21, 2023, Page Ivey
DeAndrea Gist Benjamin, ’97 law, is only the second woman of color to serve on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Benjamin sat down with USC Today after her recent confirmation to the federal bench to talk about life choices and how her experiences in law school have guided her career.
March 14, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
As a tribute to the Black alumnae featured in the student-produced documentary The Backbone, USC’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion installed 18 personalized bricks on the Horseshoe. The honorees' stories span seven decades of university history.
February 09, 2023, Nicole Meares
Gayenell Magwood focuses on community research and engagement, cardiometabolic risk and prevention, and cancer control and prevention. She is an endowed professor of nursing and is also passionate about her involvement with the American Heart Association and raising awareness for heart disease and stroke.
February 09, 2023, Chris Horn
Peden McLeod, a 1967 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law believed in public service. Founder, chairman and CEO of the Bank of Walterboro as well as a state legislator, McLeod worked tirelessly to establish and support the USC Salkehatchie campus. It’s fitting, then, that the only building named for an individual on the campus in Walterboro honors McLeod: the Peden McLeod Library, which was dedicated in 1998.
January 30, 2023, Megan Sexton
Hope Rivers, a first-generation college student who earned three degrees from USC, is inspiring a new generation of students as the president of Piedmont Technical College.
January 27, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Physics Professor Timir Datta was recently named a 2022 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow for his research on “high-temperature” superconductors. But it’s the puzzling nature of electromagnetism that has pulled at his imagination for the last half a century.
January 26, 2023, Dan Cook
Achieving a performance career as a professional musician is notoriously difficult. But Mak Grgic, a new assistant professor of guitar at the School of Music, has done just that — playing 80-100 concerts a year, commissioning new pieces and earning two Grammy nominations.
January 26, 2023, Kyndel Lee
Miss USA Morgan Romano knows all too well that only 28% of the STEM workforce is made up of women, and she's using her platform to spark interests in young girls and help create a pipeline for more women to purse careers in the STEM fields.
January 26, 2023, Dan Cook
The Murdaugh saga is the most talked-about case in the country, inspiring sustained national media attention and an entire podcast devoted to the subject. Right at the center of it is Jay Bender, a former University of South Carolina media law professor who retired in 2016. Bender has been appointed by S.C. Circuit Judge Clifton Newman to serve as a liaison between the court and the media for the high-profile case.
January 20, 2023, Megan Sexton
For the third straight year, the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing is ranked No. 1 nationally for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual online programs rankings released Jan. 24.
January 10, 2023, Chris Horn
Amy Taylor-Perry discovered her knack for teaching while earning a Ph.D. in chemistry at UofSC. The university recognized Taylor-Perry’s teaching prowess and recruited her immediately.
January 09, 2023, Page Ivey
Four faculty members and a student have been recognized for their work on campus and in the larger community with 2023 Social Justice Awards. 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.
January 03, 2023, Page Ivey
Sheryl Wiskur knows how hard organic chemistry is. She has been teaching at the University of South Carolina for 15 years. But more importantly, she struggled with it herself as an undergraduate.
January 03, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Art professor Sara Schneckloth found herself in uncharted territory when COVID-19 abruptly shut down in-person instruction and she faced the challgenge of connecting with students over the internet instead of in a studio classroom. But she put technology to work to help students in her drawing graduate seminar mimic the classroom experience and create "a network of satellite studios."
December 15, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Whenever possible, Andy Schumpert likes to start the workday with a loop around the Horseshoe. Strolling the historic campus grounds gives the biological sciences instructor and lab coordinator time to reflect. What’s he doing right? What could he do better?
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.
December 14, 2022, Rebekah Friedman
Garnet Apple award-winning professor Morgan Stefik uses an advertising trick — the memorable jingle — to help his students remember complex chemistry formulas.
December 13, 2022, Chris Horn
Francis Burns taught chemistry on a Navajo reservation in Arizona and at a Kurdish university in Iraq before bringing his considerable talents to USC Salkehatchie in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
December 08, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
When tenor Johnnie Felder finished the master’s program in vocal performance at USC’s School of Music, he had no intention of staying on for a doctoral degree. Now, he’s got teaching assignments across the state, a calendar filled with upcoming performances and freshly-minted Ph.D.
December 06, 2022, Page Ivey
Cory Schnell has always wanted to be a teacher, but he says his favorite part about teaching is just guiding his students through conversations that help them understand concepts of criminology and the criminal justice system.
December 02, 2022, Megan Sexton
In the years since he arrived at the University of South Carolina, Andy Gillentine has seen the size of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management undergraduate programs triple, while the master’s programs are 10 times as large.
December 01, 2022, Hannah Cambre
Living-learning communities are one of the many opportunities offered by USC to provide students with a meaningful undergraduate experience. Incoming students can apply for or be invited to one of seven faculty-led living learning communities, which create an intentional space for students to engage passions ranging from health science to music to engineering, all within their own living spaces.
December 01, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Pharmacy professor Michaela Almgren thought her career path was in working at pharmaceutical companies and in labs. But the clinical teaching award winner says she found what she was looking for in the classroom.
December 01, 2022, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina hosted a reception on Wednesday (Nov. 30) to thank those who supported the establishment of the Anne Frank Center on the Columbia campus and its ongoing mission to educate visitors about antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. Reception attendees included university President Michael Amiridis, former President Harris Pastides, state Rep. Beth Bernstein, S.C. Ports Authority Chairman Bill Stern and former state Sen. Joel Laurie.
November 16, 2022, Alexis Watts
2015 Broadcast Journalism graduate, Alyssa Lang gives fans an all-access pass to the most storied conference in sports. Lang is a host, anchor and reporter for SEC Network. She is now holding down studio shows, breaking major stories and doing the hard work of bringing fans essential reports about their beloved teams.
November 09, 2022, Chris Horn
Students get more than an education in political geography in Meredith DeBoom’s courses. They become better informed and more articulate citizens of the world.
November 02, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Civil and environmental engineering professor Juan Caicedo teaches his students statistics, physics, calculus and other tools they will need, but most importantly how to think like engineers.
October 27, 2022, Anna Francis
Katey Tyler always knew she wanted to be a teacher. But when it was time to build her career, obstacle after obstacle stood in her way — military family life, motherhood and medical challenges among them. Rather than deter her from goal, her trials have reinforced her passion for the classroom.
October 26, 2022, Rebekah Friedman
Mathematics professor Matthew Ballard has developed a teaching style that promotes student effort over innate abilities. His goal is to usher more students through the funnel of introductory STEM classes.
October 19, 2022, Aïda Rogers
Honors college and Marine Sciences alumna Ana Bishop’s senior thesis and passion for protecting marine ecosystems grew into a two-year project and a mission to save endangered whales.
October 04, 2022, Megan Sexton
Tammi Richardson, a marine biologist who studies phytoplankton, received the university’s top teaching award the Michael J. Mungo Distinguished Professor of the Year for 2022.
October 03, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Julius Fridriksson loves a challenge. After climbing to the top of his field — and building out a research team of more than 40 faculty, post docs and graduate students at the Arnold School of Public Health — the onetime first-generation college student from a small village in Iceland agreed to become USC’s interim vice president for research in 2021.
September 12, 2022, Grace Salter
The University of South Carolina has been ranked the No. 1 “Best for Vets Colleges 2022” by the Military Times. The ranking, which covers 311 public and private institutions, serves as the gold standard among the veteran and military community in terms of higher education.
September 09, 2022, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina has the top first-year student experience of any public college in the country and the best international business program, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings.
September 08, 2022, Jeff Stensland
University of South Carolina faculty members in the liberal arts, humanities and social sciences can now apply for a new grants program that will provide up to $25,000 for scholarship and creative work in the arts.
August 22, 2022, Dana Woodward
University 101 began in 1972 as a class to help students adjust to college life and learn more about campus resources. Fifty years later, Gov. Henry McMaster will proclaim Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, as “University 101’s 50th Anniversary Day” in recognition of U101’s international impact.
August 09, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
New Provost Donna Arnett has a background in epidemiology and biostatistics. Her leadership will build on her skills as a scientist, her ability to formulate questions and her willingness to listen.
August 05, 2022, Chris Horn
Reedy Newton is the university’s new student government president. Her mom, Rose Buyck Newton, is on the Board of Trustees. Gamecock leadership is a family tradition.
July 29, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Associate professor of social work Kristen Seay and her collaborators take on adverse childhood experiences among foster children.
July 29, 2022, Alexis Watts
School of Journalism and Mass Communications graduate and former Miss Gamecock, Meera Bhonslé will compete for the title of Miss USA on Oct. 3.
July 28, 2022, Megan Sexton
In a field where careers can change in an instant and big money is always on the line, sports agent and HRSM grad Aaron Henderson understands the importance of doing the hard work. He expects the same professionalism and commitment from his clients.
July 27, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Michael Amiridis is a proven leader with the resume to match. But if you want to know what makes the university’s 30th president so successful, ask the people who have worked alongside him.
July 27, 2022, Alexis Watts
Moore School at UofSC puts supply-chain graduates on accelerated career path.
July 26, 2022, Allen Wallace
For the fourth consecutive year, the University of South Carolina is among the top 10 in the country in hospitality and tourism management and No. 18 worldwide, according to the ShanghaiRanking’s 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.
July 26, 2022, Page Ivey
In an era when facts are discounted while highly improbable information is accepted as gospel, Taylor Wen is looking at how our emotions affect the way we process communication. Her work looks particularly at health and risk communication, as well as general advertising.
July 21, 2022, Megan Sexton
Katelyn Stauffer, an assistant professor of political science, studies how gender shapes American political behavior and what it means to have women in positions of power. It’s a topic of particular interest in today’s political climate. And it’s a field she came to almost by accident.
June 29, 2022, Jeff Stensland
Michael Amiridis, who becomes 30th president of the University of South Carolina on July 1, has been named to the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s annual list of Great Immigrants. This year’s list, announced today, honors 34 naturalized citizens whose contributions and actions have enriched and strengthened our society and our democracy.
June 22, 2022, Sophie Karapatakis
The Gamecocks and the Tigers will compete over just about anything — not just football, basketball and the many other intercollegiate athletics — but also who donates the most blood and now, who does the best job of recycling and waste reduction.
June 20, 2022, Abe Danaher
This is Michael Sutton’s lifetime achievement award. His Major League Baseball Hall of Fame induction. His Heisman Trophy; maybe even his Nobel Prize. When Sutton receives the 2022 Timoshenko Medal on Nov. 2, he will officially be recognized as one of the greatest scientists the field of applied mechanics has ever seen.
June 20, 2022, Megan Sexton
Health problems associated with eating too much or moving too little are nothing new. But researcher Christine Pellegrini is using updated techniques and technology to track and try to help change behaviors and improve outcomes.
June 16, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Associate professor of integrated information technology Jorge Chrichigno builds a virtual “playground” for IT education.
June 07, 2022, Page Ivey
Neuroscience professor Ana Pocivavsek studies the impact of sleep disruptions on cognitive dysfunction — particularly during pregnancy, an important period for early brain development.
June 06, 2022, Megan Sexton
Pooyan Jamshidi first became interested in robotics when he was about 10 years old, his imagination captured by the single book about the topic available in the small library in his elementary school in Iran. He now is an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at UofSC and a visiting researcher at Google.
May 24, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Ed Madden is well known on the University of South Carolina campus as the director of the Women’s and Gender Studies program and as a dynamic classroom instructor. He is just as well-known as a creative writer and arts advocate in Columbia, South Carolina, where he is wrapping up his term as the capital city’s inaugural poet laureate.
May 17, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
As an evolutionary psychologist, University of South Carolina Salkehatchie assistant professor Justin Mogilski probes fundamental questions about how our brains work. As a researcher focused on non-monogamous relationships, he wants to improve outcomes for a population that has traditionally been overlooked.
May 12, 2022, Mollie Roe and Emily Miles
During his sophomore year, nursing student Bradley Quarles lost a family member to suicide. That experience, combined with the medical knowledge he learned in his studies, spurred Quarles to look for ways to prevent suicide and promote mental health on campus.
May 12, 2022, Amanda Hernandez
In high school, Harrison Bench helped co-found Students for Climate Action, a youth-centered environmental organization. His continued passion for environmental advocacy led to Bench being awarded a Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, one of the most prestigious national scholarships in the United States.
May 10, 2022, Dan Cook
University of South Carolina alumni Win McNamee of Getty Images and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post are both part of teams that were awarded Pulitzer Prizes in journalism on May 9.
May 09, 2022, Chris Horn
In his nearly 40-year career as a photojournalist, Win McNamee has documented world history and national calamity — and periodically found himself in the thick of the action.
May 09, 2022, Rebekah Friedman
A portrait of I.S. Leevy Johnson, ’68 law, was unveiled Monday at the School of Law in recognition of the trailblazing alumnus’ legal, business and political achievements.
April 25, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
A lot happens over the course of an academic year, and there’s absolutely no way to highlight everything. So, no, don’t think of this as a Best Of list. This is merely a smattering of the achievements and memorable moments that defined 2021-22, a small taste of the year that was. Trust us, there’s plenty more where this came from — and plenty more to come.
April 25, 2022, Abe Danaher
Since the early 1990s, Twiss has been at the forefront of the molecular neurobiology field. His excellence across research, teaching and mentorship has now led to him being named the 2022 SEC Faculty Achievement Award recipient for the University of South Carolina.
April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing
An Honors College student from Lexington, South Carolina, Laura-Louise Rice is earning her Bachelor of Arts and Science (BARSC) in medical humanities and public policy. She has served in many capacities in Student Government, been an orientation and peer leader as well as taken on leadership roles in her business fraternity and social sorority. For her efforts over four years at the University of South Carolina, Rice received the 2022 Steven N. Swanger Award, the university’s second-highest undergraduate honor
April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing
Mechanical engineering major Gabriel Nossar Carrilho is using what he’s learned at the University of South Carolina to serve the campus community, the Latinx community and even people in his native South America in need of clean water. For his efforts, Carrilho has been awarded the university’s top leadership award — the 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing
Geography major Claire Windsor has turned a passion for creating a sustainable world into action throughout her four-year career at South Carolina. The Travelers Rest, South Carolina, native and Honors College student received the university's top leadership award, the 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
April 15, 2022
As the Class of 2022 looks back, the themes are clear: enduring friendships, newfound passions, life-changing experiences, new avenues of opportunity. And while the themes are consistent, each individual has a story.
April 14, 2022, Communications and Marketing
The Gamecocks got Columbia's version of a ticker-tape parade to celebrate winning the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. South Carolina was ranked No. 1 all season and defeated perennial powerhouse UConn 64-49 to take the national title game on April 3.