USC joining Campus Compact network
July 10, 2025, Collyn Taylor
USC is rejoining the Campus Compact network, a coalition of higher education institutions, to enhance its community engagement efforts.
Press Releases
Leaning in
June 05, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Betsy Gray ('77 law) followed the fearless example of childhood neighbor Jean Toal ('68 law) and others in her decades-long legal career. Today, the highly accomplished founding member of Robinson Gray law firm reflects on change, peer support and the opportunity in daily challenges.
Honors College junior named USC's 18th Udall Scholar
May 14, 2025, Brandon Pugh
Rising Honors College senior Ella Michel has been awarded a 2025 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship to continue her work at the intersection of energy, environment and community.
USC's latest Rotary Scholar seeks global engagement
May 06, 2025, Valerie Weingart
Senior NROTC midshipman Ryan Lohr realized early that, to grow as a communicator, he couldn’t just talk about the world in his classes — he needed to engage with the world.
USC MIND club's mental health awareness challenge goes viral
April 21, 2025, Laura Erskine
The Ice Bucket Challenge is back, and a student organization at the University of South Carolina is behind it. In March, USC's Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club launched the #SpeakYourMIND challenge, which went viral and hit the national news. Who doesn’t love to see videos of friends, family and even strangers getting doused in buckets of ice water?
Dean Tayloe Harding to lead national music accreditation organization
March 06, 2025, Carol J.G. Ward
Tayloe Harding brings more than three decades of experience with the National Association of Schools of Music into his new role as its president to advance the cause of music in American life, establish and maintain accreditation standards and provide a national forum for related issues.
The Starbase rocket testing facility is permanently changing the landscape of southern Texas
January 28, 2025, Robert A. Kopack
If there is a leader in the aerospace industry, SpaceX is it. Boca Chica, Texas, is home to SpaceX’s flagship assembly and test installation, Starbase. Since 2021, research has been conducted with environmental groups and community members in south Texas who see space exploration as a landscape-altering industry. Geography professor Robert A. Kopack writes about Starbase for The Conversation.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist's second act connects athletes' minds and bodies
January 15, 2025, Anna Francis
Natasha Hastings came to the University of South Carolina with dreams of excelling as an athlete. Although her talent eventually would propel her to an NCAA championship, multiple world championships and two Olympic gold medals, her initial start on the Gamecock track and field team was less than stellar. Her body was sound, but she had psychological demons to slay.
The good, the bad and the gutsy
January 03, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
The USC Baruch Institute's new director, Jill Stewart, is endlessly fascinated by the natural alchemy of the oft-maligned yet mighty microbe. These tiny living microorganisms are everywhere, from the surface of our skin and the air we breathe to the water we drink and the soil beneath our feet. In fact, microbes are essential to the persistence of life on Earth. So why do they sometimes get a bad rap?
USC alumnus finds his true calling in the kindergarten classroom
November 26, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Charleston native Keith Heyward Jr. was a restless third-grader when he realized his career goal was to teach. He knew that young Black boys craved a teacher they could relate to. Today, the University of South Carolina alumnus teaches kindergarten at James Island Elementary School. He makes sure the youngsters who step into his classroom feel safe and empowered.
Honors College alumna is making her mark at CNN Sports
November 12, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Long before she was traveling the world as senior director of business development and operations at CNN Sports, Amy Jordan was an Honors College student sending news releases around the world as a press intern for the late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings. To date, Jordan has covered four different Olympic games, numerous Super Bowls, the U.S. Open and more.
USC alumnus, Marine Corps veteran leads nonprofit for vets
November 08, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
University of South Carolina alumnus Robert Chambers LeHeup is a Marine Corps infantry veteran with two combat tours under his belt when he left the service in 2004. In 2012, he founded Bullets and Bandaids to heal and support vets through storytelling and artwork.
New research explores the 'thoughts' and abilities of AI chatbots
November 04, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Artificial Intelligence advocates might defensively suggest, in good humor, that chatbots are “only human” and therefore prone to occasional mistakes. New research by a team at the University of South Carolina Department of Psychology basically confirms that notion with some important caveats.
Vatican synod open to wider roles for Catholic women
October 11, 2024, Carol E. Harrison
At the current Vatican synod, whose purpose is to address “communion, participation, and mission” in the church, women’s role is on the agenda. History professor Carol Harrison writes for The Conversation on how Catholic women have historically found ways to speak to and about their church leadership, even when they have been excluded from its proceedings.
How Hurricane Helene became a deadly disaster across 6 states
October 07, 2024, Cary Mock
Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more. Its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast. Geography professor Cary Mock writes about the hurricane for The Conversation.
How Hurricane Helene became a deadly disaster across 6 states
October 07, 2024, Cary Mock
Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more. Its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast. Geography professor Cary Mock writes about the hurricane for The Conversation.
Student leadership experience leads to Disney dream job for 2024 grad
July 17, 2024, Allen Wallace
At 22 years old, just a few weeks after graduating from the University of South Carolina, Caroline Salisbury is leading a team of more than 350 people at the world’s most famous resort.
Let it Reign!
May 14, 2024, Thom Harman
Maybe you were shouting from the stands in Cleveland as Dawn Staley’s remarkable women’s basketball team brought home the third national championship in program history. Maybe you were among the 24 million viewers watching on TV as they turned a so-called rebuilding year into an undefeated season and rings all around. Maybe you were even out there in the Thomas Cooper reflecting pool with several hundred other ecstatic Gamecocks, making a splash all your own.
LaNaé Budden takes helm of First-Generation Center
March 22, 2024, Hannah Cambre
The university's First-Generation Center will launch this fall, providing support and guidance to first-generation students so they can maximize opportunities to succeed. On March 15, the center welcomed its inaugural director, LaNaé Budden.
Journalist and TV personality Leeza Gibbons helps caregivers through Leeza's Care Connection
January 11, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
After losing her mother to Alzheimer’s, journalist and TV personality Leeza Gibbons devoted her second act to helping caregivers through Leeza’s Care Connection.
USC opens doors to Campus Village
August 17, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina hosted a grand opening on Friday (Aug. 18) for its new Campus Village student residential housing development, the largest construction project in the university’s 222-year history.
Gamecocks football head coach Shane Beamer looks back, looks forward and charges full speed ahead
August 15, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
In just two seasons, Head Football Coach Shane Beamer has changed the direction of USC’s football program. Entering his third year, fans are excited, his players are pumped, and his staff is ready to win.
Sara Barber pushes long-term change in handling domestic violence cases
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.
USC Sumter professor Ray McManus wins Governor's Award for the Arts
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.
Dance Marathon raises $788K for children's hospital
March 26, 2023, Allen Wallace
A year of work by the the 2023 University of South Carolina Dance Marathon team culminated in a huge success: $788,645 raised to fund the Child Life program at Columbia's Prisma Health Children's Hospital, part of the Children's Miracle Network.
Timir Datta: Magnetism Reimagined
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.
Former journalism professor lands on front lines of Murdaugh trial
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.
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.
USC's women's basketball coach Dawn Staley wins championships, builds champions
January 05, 2023, Page Ivey
Basketball-wise, Dawn Staley has done it all. As a player, she won MVP trophies and gold medals. As a coach, she has won national titles, coach of the year honors and more gold medals. As a mentor, she has watched Gamecock power forward turned WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson win season MVP and a WNBA championship. But Staley also transcends the sport, raising awareness for issues she cares about and money for causes she believes in. At her core, she is an advocate — for her players, first, but also for people whose voices might not be heard.
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.
Circuit Court Judge J. Michelle Childs is more than a trailblazer
November 16, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
School of Law alumna J. Michelle Childs was appointed circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit this summer. Carolinian sat down with her to discuss her time at USC and her career on the bench.
Pharmacy researcher driven to find weapons in the fight against cancer
October 12, 2022, Margaret Gregory
College of Pharmacy professor Eugenia Broude had personal inspiration to pursue a career in science, and a newly awarded $3 million R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute will allow Broude and her co-investigators to continue their work in a groundbreaking area of breast cancer research.
New vice president for research aims to mentor junior faculty
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.
Stamps of Approval
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.
Pharmacy, medicine alumni team up to find treatments for drug-resistant infections
June 14, 2022, Chris Horn
Bacteriophages are viruses that attack specific bacteria and were discovered a century ago. Phage cocktails, which combine several types of phages, could be administered on a broader scale and diminish the need for antibiotics.
Nursing alumnus, medical grad student honored for work on suicide prevention
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.
Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis is proud to be a Gamecock
May 02, 2022, Chris Horn
President-elect Michael Amiridis isn’t the only Gamecock returning to the roost this summer. His wife, Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis, has just as deep a Carolina connection. In addition to her bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the university’s new first lady holds two advanced degrees from USC — a master’s in art history, ’97, and a Ph.D. in philosophy, ’12.
Michael Amiridis has many reasons to return to UofSC
May 02, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Incoming University of South Carolina President Michael Amiridis is going to miss the University of Illinois Chicago, but he has zero misgivings about the new job. In fact, the former UofSC faculty member-turned-administrator is thrilled to return to the campus where he cut his academic teeth.
Dance Marathon raises $931,016
April 12, 2022, Allen Wallace
On April 9, nearly 2,000 University of South Carolina students spent the day dancing together, closing more than a year of work with a huge success as they raised $931,016 to support the Child Life program at Prisma Health Children's Hospital.
Music professor gets creative in managing change
April 05, 2022, Dan Cook
When you think of change management, you might think of the Harvard Business Review or McKinsey’s global consultants. You probably don’t think about musicians. But in David Cutler’s new book, the distinguished professor of entrepreneurship and innovation in the School of Music takes lessons that began in the arts and translates them into a broad-based way of thinking about change in any other facet of life.
Climate change in our backyard
March 14, 2022, Chris Horn
Three scientists who earned their graduate degrees from South Carolina are studying how climate change — particularly sea level rise, drought and flooding — affect the state’s coastal resources.
Constitutional law scholar discusses his new book on presidential powers
October 18, 2021, Craig Brandhorst
Law professor Thomas Crocker specializes in constitutional law, criminal procedure, free speech and democracy, national security and the Constitution. His new book, "Overcoming Necessity: Emergency, Constraint, and the Meanings of American Constitutionalism" (Yale University Press) is an analysis of how the concept of necessity, in conflict with constitutional commitments, creates dynamic challenges to constitutional governance, especially during times of emergency.
Driving innovation at Michelin
September 21, 2021, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
With an MBA from UofSC, Nathalie Baulain leads the customer innovation lab at Michelin, one of the world’s leading tire companies. The professional MBA program at the Darla Moore School of Business helped Baulain achieve the entrepreneurial and creative problem-solving skills she needed to take on a new role and to be successful in her position.
Alumna plays crucial role in media company's inclusion efforts
September 21, 2021, Craig Brandhorst
As an executive vice president and global head of inclusion at ViacomCBS, Marva Smalls plays a crucial role in the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. And while her commitment to advocacy predates her time at the University of South Carolina, Smalls’ undergraduate and graduate experiences shaped her philosophy in profound ways.
Hindsight 2020: Alumnus talks about how COVID changed the art and business of photography
August 10, 2021, Craig Brandhorst
As a freelance photojournalist, Sean Rayford is used to immersing himself in the crowd. COVID changed the rules. Rayford is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.
Business graduate shares vision for developing historic Greenville location
July 26, 2021, Craig Brandhorst
Greenville developer and business administration graduate Brody Glenn oversees major construction projects for corporate clients nationwide. With Camperdown, a mixed-use, live-work-play development in the heart of downtown Greenville, he is reshaping his hometown.
UofSC civil rights center unveils historical marker commemorating landmark protest
March 02, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward
The Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina unveiled a historical marker on March 2 to commemorate the courage of hundreds of students who marched on the South Carolina State House 60 years ago. Many of the students were arrested, and the appeal of their convictions eventually was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, leading to a legal precedent protecting the rights of protesters.
UofSC No. 1 in U.S. in sport science for fourth time
November 18, 2020, Allen Wallace
The University of South Carolina’s sport science programs are ranked No. 1 in the United States for the fourth consecutive year in the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
ROTC cadet proves himself in combat diving courses
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.
COVID-19: Restaurant Industry Outlook
August 06, 2020, Allen Wallace
COVID-19 has hit the restaurant industry hard as businesses work to find safe and sustainable ways to keep serving. School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management Director Robin DiPietro shares her expertise on the challenges facing owners, employees and customers in South Carolina and beyond.
First class of UofSC physician assistant graduates helping improve healthcare access
July 19, 2019, Alyssa Yancey
Alexandra Vezzetti was in the first class of physician assistant students at the School of Medicine and the first PA student to rotate through the neurology department at Prisma Health. Department Chair Souvik Sen, M.D., was so impressed with Vezzetti that he hired her, and next month, she’ll become the department’s first physician assistant.
Land of a million dances
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.
UofSC tops U.S. in sport science for third straight year
October 19, 2018, Allen Wallace
The University of South Carolina’s sport science programs are making an impact around the world, and the success has earned global recognition. The programs are ranked No. 1 in the United States for the third consecutive year in the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
UofSC opens Richard W. Riley Collection as part of S.C. Political Collections
July 11, 2018, Peggy Binette
The South Carolina Political Collections — one of the largest political collections in the nation — will expand Monday, Aug. 6 when the University of South Carolina opens the Richard W. Riley Collection. The collection details the life and public career of Richard Wilson “Dick” Riley, a former South Carolina state representative, senator and governor and U.S. Secretary of Education.
UofSC faculty experts list on the Winter Olympics
January 25, 2018, Allen Wallace
South Korea will host the XXIII Winter Olympic Games Feb. 9-25. To help journalists to report on the Pyeongchang games, the University of South Carolina has compiled a list of faculty experts. To arrange an interview, contact the staff member listed with the entry.
No. 1! UofSC sport science programs top national rankings
December 20, 2017, Allen Wallace
The University of South Carolina’s sport science programs are ranked No. 1 in the United States for the second year in a row, and No. 4 in the world by ShanghaiRanking's 2017 Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
UofSC economists say SC economy to remain strong in 2018
December 08, 2017, Peggy Binette
Palmetto State residents can expect the stability of the state's economy to continue in 2018, according to University of South Carolina economists at the Darla Moore School of Business. Their forecast was presented at the Annual Economic Outlook Conference.
It's about to get personal
November 27, 2017, Allen Wallace
Imagine going shopping and having your phone or fitness tracker make product recommendations for you based on your breath or the current physical state of your body. It is not science fiction. It’s the future of retailing and health care digitization according to researchers at University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management.
David Shields named 2017 SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner
March 31, 2017, Peggy Binette
David Shields, a Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina, has been named one of 14 SEC professors who have been honored with 2017 SEC Faculty Achievement Awards.
Kimberly Medina named UofSC Outstanding Woman of the Year
March 29, 2017, Abigayle Morrison
Kimberly Medina, a University of South Carolina senior from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina who has spent her college years working to improve the lives of Hispanics, was named the university’s Outstanding Woman of the Year 2017. University officials honored Medina and four finalists during a ceremony Wednesday (March 29).
UofSC names Galen Health Fellows faculty principal
March 15, 2017, Peggy Binette
As part of a bold health sciences initiative, the University of South Carolina has named David Simmons as faculty principal of the Galen Health Fellows, a new living and learning community for undergraduates studying in the health sciences.
UofSC Richland/Lexington County alumni club to host networking breakfast April 11
March 10, 2017, Peggy Binette
The University of South Carolina’s Richland/Lexington County alumni club will host a networking breakfast for university alumni from 7:30-9 a.m. April 11 at the university’s Alumni Center, located at 900 Senate St.
Former Michelin executive tapped to lead Moore School Business Partnership Foundation
January 23, 2017, Peggy Binette
Michael Ian Fanning, who recently retired as Michelin North America’s director of sustainable development, has been elected president of the Business Partnership Foundation for the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.
Fitzpatrick named interim chancellor of USC Upstate
June 15, 2016, Peggy Binette
Mary Anne Fitzpatrick, University of South Carolina’s vice president for system planning, has been named interim chancellor of USC Upstate as the university continues the search for its next leader.
2016 Compleat Lawyer Award recipients
March 22, 2016, Peggy Binette
Nine alumni from the School of Law at the University of South Carolina have been named recipients of the 2016 Compleat Lawyer Awards. Established in 1992, the Compleat Lawyer Award is the School of Law’s highest recognition of professional achievement and civic leadership by the school’s alumni.
Air Force ROTC can take students to new heights
March 10, 2016, Patrick Ingraham
Air Force ROTC detachment 775 at UofSC is a way for students to earn an education, find a career and serve their country
Carolina Day at the Statehouse
January 26, 2016, Peggy Binette
A stronger University of South Carolina system means a stronger South Carolina.That’s the message alumni, students and supporters from the university’s eight campuses will take to the Statehouse Wednesday, Feb. 3 when they meet with elected officials from their respective districts.