Recent Stories

Kate Levey headshot

Digital certificate program offers in-demand career skills

September 14, 2023, Hannah Cambre

This fall, the university launched its digital studies certificate program, which helps undergraduate students gain in-demand digital skills. The certificate is the first in a series of anticipated interdisciplinary programs that are set to roll out in the spring of 2024.

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.

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.

a man kneels on a boardwalk in a coastal marsh

From the classroom to the field, USC students carve their own Carolina paths

August 21, 2023

For a lot of University of South Carolina students, the realization that this is a special place comes quickly. One walk around the Horseshoe, one time cheering in the stands at Williams-Brice Stadium, and that’s all it takes. But those signature experiences are only a tiny part of what it means to be a Gamecock. Life-altering experiences can be found all over campus and beyond.

A portrait of Sara Barber with SC Statehouse in the background.

Sara Barber pushes long-term change as executive director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

August 14, 2023, Rebekah Friedman

In South Carolina, 42 percent of women have experienced intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence or stalking. Sara Barber knows the statistics. Since 2014, the University of South Carolina alumna has served as executive director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, a coalition of 22 organizations that connect survivors with emergency shelter, counseling and other services.

A portrait of Audrey Ware.

Curiosity drives consulting career

August 10, 2023, Dan Cook

Curiosity has always been a driving force for Audrey Ware — and it has paid off. She earned three undergraduate degrees at USC: international business, marketing and French. Now, armed with a master’s degree in market research and consumer behavior, Ware continues to explore as a senior business analyst for the global firm McKinsey & Company in Charlotte.

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.

Josh Hughes sits on a horse with mountains in the background in Kyrgyzstan

Change of plans: A canceled study abroad trip leads to new career goals

July 21, 2023, Hannah Cambre

One week before Josh Hughes planned to study abroad in Ukraine, his trip was canceled because of the escalating conflict with Russia. He was disappointed-- until a new opportunity arose in Kyrgyzstan. Now, he's returned to his host country on a Critical Language scholarship.

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.

U.S. passports on a table with paper clips

USC staff sign on for study abroad

July 06, 2023, Rebekah Friedman

Each year, close to 2,000 University of South Carolina undergrads venture overseas for once-in-a-lifetime educational opportunities. And behind the scenes, staff members are there to navigate new terrain, keep schedules running smoothly and provide emotional support when students feel stressed. USC TIMES sat down with five of them to learn more about what they do.

Animals that shared the landscape with humans disappeared as the ice age ended. Mauricio Antón/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

Forensic evidence suggests Paleo-Americans hunted mastodons, mammoths and other megafauna in eastern North America 13,000 years ago

June 14, 2023, Christopher R. Moore

The earliest people who lived in North America shared the landscape with huge animals. On any day these hunter-gatherers might encounter a giant, snarling saber-toothed cat ready to pounce, or a group of elephantlike mammoths stripping tree branches. Maybe a herd of giant bison would stampede past.

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.

Steve Benjamin on the USC Horseshoe

Former Columbia mayor ready for White House gig

June 02, 2023, Page Ivey

Steve Benjamin, former mayor of Columbia and two-time graduate of USC, is director of the Office of Public Engagement and a senior adviser to the president and the White House. Benjamin sat down with USC Today earlier this year to discuss the job and how his experiences as a political science major and law school student prepared him for his 12 years as Columbia mayor and for his new role in the White House.

A linear grey geometric pattern with a linear hexagon as the focal point.

Saskia Coenen Snyder explores the role of Jews in the late 19th century diamond trade.

May 22, 2023, Q&A by Craig Brandhorst

In “A Brilliant Commodity” (Oxford University Press), USC history and Jewish studies professor Saskia Coenen Snyder explores the diamond trade of the late 19th century and the critical role played by Jews at every level of an emerging international commodity market.

Mani Sockalingam stands in front a building.

Breakthrough Star Mani Sockalingam develops composite material systems that could benefit aerospace, automotive, defense sectors

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.

Smokestacks by Thomas Cooper Library

Graduation with Leadership Distinction alumni look back on pathways to success

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.

Portrait of William C. Hubbard, dean of the School of Law.

Law dean William Hubbard elected to prestigious national academy

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.

Blue Sky posed in profile with paint sticks standing in front of his mural, Tunnelvision.

Columbia artist Blue Sky paints through challenges, brings beauty to blank spaces

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.

Honoree Amber Guyton kneels over her brick and smiles

Meet the Black alumnae whose contributions are commemorated on the Horseshoe

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.

Bobby Donalds leans on a large stack of document boxes.

Bringing civil rights history to life

February 22, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward

As a respected scholar of Southern history and African American culture, Bobby Donaldson has served as a consultant for museum exhibitions, archival collections, oral history initiatives, documentary films and historic preservation projects. He also has been recognized for his teaching and community outreach. He credits his parents and educators — from his elementary school librarian to a “drill sergeant” professor at Wesleyan University to his mentors and colleagues at USC — for inspiring his career.

Multiple black and white  scans of a brain with red highlights.

USC's neuroscience research offers hope for a range of conditions

February 14, 2023

The University of South Carolina is focused on the brain. From autism and aphasia to Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, university researchers are working across several academic disciplines to better understand how the brain works and to develop solutions that will improve people’s health.

Medics giving medical attention to a patient during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

75 years later, film collection enriches history of WWII

February 13, 2023, 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.

An illustration of hand holding a lightning rod.

USC researchers advancing transition to a new energy landscape

January 12, 2023, Megan Sexton

From policy-making surrounding cleaner energy technologies to researching better ways to make and store electricity to studying advanced nuclear materials for interplanetary space travel, University of South Carolina researchers are advancing the transition to a changing energy landscape.

maxcy monument on the usc horseshoe

Social justice awards recognize outstanding student, faculty members

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.

head and shoulders photo of sarah schneckloth

Art professor uses technology to keep class going during pandemic

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."

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.

portrait of Kirstin Dow

Geography professor maps heat islands as we adapt to climate change

November 16, 2022, Craig Brandhorst

Longtime University of South Carolina geography professor Kirstin Dow has devoted much of her career to understanding climate impact, vulnerability and adaptation. In other words, she recognizes the problems posed by our warming planet and is determined to help mitigate them, most recently by mapping heat islands so that urban planners can make better decisions about where to plant trees, generate more shade or support investment in affordable renewable energy and energy efficiency.

portrait of Nicole Maskiell

History professor's new book looks at cross-cultural ties created by slavery in the U.S. Colonies

November 14, 2022, Laura Erskine

Nicole Maskiell is an associate professor of history and affiliate faculty in African American studies at the University of South Carolina. Her book, “Bound by Bondage: Slavery and the Creation of a Northern Gentry” (2022 Cornell University Press), examines the institution of slavery in the early American Colonies and how it created lasting ties between families of the elite classes, even across cultural lines, as well as ties among the enslaved people.

Photo of Jazmine Lara Guerrero, a first-gen student

First-generation college students add energy, resilience to USC campus

November 04, 2022, Megan Sexton

There is no typical first-generation college student. Some come from immigrant families, some from households where family members didn’t graduate from high school. But all add energy and variety to the University of South Carolina campus.

James Clyburn speaks to the media against a backdrop that says

University establishes Clyburn endowed chair through $1.5 million gift from Boeing

October 20, 2022, Abe Danaher

The Boeing Co. has provided the University of South Carolina with a $1.5 million gift to establish the James E. and Emily E. Clyburn Endowed Chair of Public Service and Civic Engagement Fund. This endowed chair, awarded to associate professor Bobby Donaldson, will allow the university’s Center for Civil Rights History and Research to further its programming and outreach initiatives within the university community and across the state.

A light is shined into the back of a throat

Colonoscopy is still the most recommended screening for colorectal cancer, despite conflicting headlines and flawed interpretations of a new study

October 20, 2022, Franklin G. Berger

A recently published study in a high-profile medical journal appeared to call into question the efficacy of colonoscopy, a proven and widely utilized strategy for the screening and prevention of colorectal cancer. Distinguished professor emeritus of biological sciences Franklin G. Berger writes for The Conversation about the utility and need for colonoscopies.

Booker T. Washington alumni look at display

New agreement with National Park Service advances UofSC's role in telling civil rights history

September 28, 2022, Alexis Watts

Under a five-year agreement with the National Park Service, the center will receive $3.4 million to expand the center’s existing work in civil rights education and scholarly research, including support for exhibits and programming at South Carolina sites in the African American Civil Rights Network. The center will help to grow the network in South Carolina by serving as a resource to property owners, community leaders and organizations interested in joining the network.

Black and white illustration of a midwife bathing a newborn after birth in medieval times

Old age isn't a modern phenomenon - many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too

August 10, 2022, Sharon DeWitte

There is a common misperception that long life spans in humans are very recent, and that no one in the past lived much beyond their 30s before now. This is not true. There is physical evidence that plenty of people in the past lived long lives — just as long as some people do today. Anthropology professor Sharon DeWitte writes for The Conversation on the evidence that proves old age isn't a modern phenomenon.