2023 News

Alumnus opens the door for tech careers in Charlotte and beyond

A 2013 graduate of the University of South Carolina, Pasha Maher has spent more than half a decade developing the Stiegler EdTech program, which provides training and a clear pathway for people from underrepresented communities to enter technology careers.

Mungo Distinguished Professor the Year: Northrop Davis

Northrop Davis, a media arts professor who teaches TV and screenwriting, along with manga, the Japanese art of cartooning, comics and anime, is the is the winner of USC's top teaching award for 2023.

USC graduates dive deep and discover dream careers at Riverbanks Zoo

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.

Curiosity drives consulting career

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.

Recovery from post-stroke aphasia hampered by diabetes

Most complications from diabetes already are well known and include heart disease, neuropathy and vision loss. A recent study has confirmed one more: diminished recovery from post-stroke aphasia.

Carolina Master Scholars camps spark curiosity, forge connections

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.

New USC center will help communities seeking federal environmental, infrastructure grants

Communities throughout South Carolina can now receive assistance applying for federal grants thanks to a new center at the University of South Carolina.

Organic chemistry instructor found her own creative vibe, helps stressed students find theirs

Organic chemistry instructor Laura Lanni rediscovered her love for writing in the midst of a science career. Now she's helping stressed-out students to make time for the things they love and left behind amid their rigorous studies.

Qiana Whitted on Black representation in comics

There’s no mystery about the disappearance of Ace Harlem. Born in 1947, his story ended just as quickly as it began. Picture this: a Black police detective comes upon the scene of a crime and traces the evidence to robbers holed up in a downtown apartment. A struggle ensues. Only one survives.

Josh Hughes in Kyrgyzstan Change of plans: A canceled study abroad trip leads to a new career goals

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.

Past, present and future: Change makers in women’s and gender studies at USC

In 1972, fewer than a dozen women met behind closed doors on the University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus. What they discussed was not illegal or criminal but felt conspiratorial just the same.

USC researchers study alternatives to plastics

As the fight against plastic pollution continues, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded USC a grant for $2.6 million for a three-year project to find plastic alternatives for coastal applications.

Why people tend to believe UFOs are extraterrestrial

Barry Markovsky, distinguished professor emeritus of sociology, writes for The Conversation about the continuing fascination with UFOs — unidentified flying objects — and the persistent belief that these things are not of our world.

USC geography graduates help guide state, nation through hurricane season

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.

African American high school students get a taste of life as a Gamecock

Each summer, African American high school students from around South Carolina visit USC for Summer Seniors, a four-day residential recruitment program that gives students a feel for what to expect as a college student.

Mission trips are an evangelical rite of passage for US teens - but why?

Short-term mission trips have become a rite of passage in some corners of Protestant Christianity as overseas travel has become more affordable for Americans. Mission trips are an evangelical rite of passage for US teens – but why?

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

USC's feature film "Hero" to premier in theaters and on streaming platforms

The USC-produced feature film "Hero" premiered at independent film festivals on the east coast earlier this year. The film, which was created by USC students and faculty from the Department of Theatre and Dance, is set to be released in theaters and on streaming platforms in the upcoming fall season.

Former Columbia mayor ready for White House gig

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.

Global meeting aims to improve evidence-backed parenting and public policy

A longtime partnership between the University of South Carolina and the University of Queensland, Australia, has contributed to a global effort to improve child and family well-being through parenting advocacy and support.

Birth & Beyond

When it comes to understanding the challenges related to pregnancy, birth and early childhood, USC’s researchers deliver answers.

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

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.

Tracking our aging brains

Researchers work across disciplines to explore line between natural aging, cognitive disease.

USC Alum makes history with appointment as state's Comptroller General

Governor Henry McMaster appointed Brian Gaines, a two-time alumnus of the Department of Political Science, as South Carolina's Comptroller General. With this appointment, Gaines becomes the first Black statewide Constitutional officer in the state since Reconstruction.

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

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.

Bestselling author Ashley Poston explores time travel in new book

Ashley Poston, who earned her English degree from USC, has published nine books across multiple genres. Her first adult novel, "The Dead Romantics," was a Good Morning America Book Club selection and a N.Y. Times bestseller. Her latest book, "The Seven Year Slip," will be published June 27.

Graduate scholar mines genes in gut microbiome

When Ethan Older thinks of bacteria, he envisions tiny chemists at work inside us. A doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Older researches the bacteria that live in the human digestive tract from a genetic standpoint. His work may lead to breakthroughs in treating diseases scientists have yet to fully understand.

Here’s to the class of 2023!

Even amidst the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the graduates of USC displayed remarkable resilience, provided mutual support and attained great accomplishments.

At an age when many folks are thinking retirement, Aliza Burton is earning English degree

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.

Celebrating 10 years of Graduation with Leadership Distinction

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.

Breakthrough Leader Ralf Gothe studies interactions between particles essential to quantum field theory

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.

David Beasley visits USC to talk politics of food

David Beasley, former South Carolina governor, head of the United Nations World Food Program and 2020 Nobel Peace Prize winner, visited the University of South Carolina campus on April 18 to speak with a group of students about the challenges and opportunities in combating hunger around the globe.

New minor aims to meet need for SC forensic scientists

In her forensic chemistry lab, Molly Kantor learned techniques to analyze crime scenes and gained skills she hopes to use in a future career with the FBI. Kantor is one of the first students to take the forensics minor, a new program organized by Dr. Way Fountain of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Alumna's journey from student government to Supreme Court

Lawyer Erin Brown just landed a job working as a clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court. Brown says earning her political science degree and participating in student government at USC helped set her on the path to Washington, D.C.

Evolutionary biologist Tim Mousseau studies the ecological effects of radiation at Chernobyl

Evolutionary biologist Tim Mousseau has been studying the ecological effects of radiation at Chernobyl for decades, even during wartime.

Geography graduate scholar aims to improve urban planning using emergent tech

Huan Ning, a Breakthrough Graduate Scholar in geography, is using artificial intelligence to bridge technology with geographic information science research.

It started here: USC professor, students research first Black U.S. Army regiment

A class at USC is making significant contributions to the history of the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Part of a project led by history professor Valinda Littlefield, this research involves multiple institutions nationwide.

Garnet research provides clues about Earth's history and its future

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.

Understanding people and place

Cultural anthropologist Monica Barra studies how racial inequalities are shaped by scientific practices, racial histories and climate change in the U.S. South.

Dueling Demands

Assistant professor of sociology Jaclyn Wong's book "Equal Partners?" dives into relationship inequality within dual-professional couples.

SEOE researcher launches underwater robots to protect endangered right whales

University researcher Erin Meyer-Gutbrod aims to protect endangered right whales from ship strikes using underwater listening robots to track their locations.

Award-winning author, sociologist to speak on education, social change and 'good trouble'

Tressie McMillan Cottom, a renowned author, sociologist, and cultural critic, will give the 2023 Robert Smalls Annual Lecture for the University of South Carolina Department of African American Studies.

Battling blazes with math and maps

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department is now equipped with unexpected tools to battle blazes: maps, graphs and statistics. A University of South Carolina geography graduate lead the way in bringing these tools that calculate and cut off many fire risks before they even occur.

Meet the Black alumnae whose contributions are commemorated on the Horseshoe

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.

AFAM researcher aims to improve math literacy in K-12 students

Kendall Deas, a post-doc fellow in African American Studies, is using his research on racial equity combined with curriculum from The Algebra Project to advance new models for teaching K-12 math skills.

New innovation projects will enhance the student experience

An enhanced internship program for political science students, an online degree in women's and gender studies and a creative writing outreach program are just a few projects receiving new support from the McCausland Foundation Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Graduate scholar maps the brain, uncovering possible paths to aphasia recovery

Nicholas Riccardi is one of the researchers at USC working to understand the brain and what causes aphasia, the loss of language ability. A doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology, Riccardi was named a 2023 Graduate Breakthrough Scholar.

Poet laureate pens verse for USC

Poetry has been ingrained in Jennifer Bartell Boykin’s life since she was young, and it’s followed her through adventures as a student, journalist, teacher, advisor and more. Now, it’s empowering her as Columbia’s new poet laureate.

Student finds his path through internship in Germany

Jahleel Johnson gains confidence and insight as part of a prestigious youth exchange program between the U.S. State Department and the German congress.

Historian to visit USC, meet with South Carolina Council on the Holocaust

Wendy Lower, historian and author of numerous publications on the Holocaust and World War II, is visiting USC to share her expertise with the campus community and to meet with leaders from the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust. On March 16, Lower will present a public talk on her latest book.

USC alumnus, former mayor Steve Benjamin tapped for White House role

Former Columbia mayor Steve Benjamin, a two-time alumnus of the University of South Carolina, has been named as a senior advisor to the White House and director of the Office of Public Engagement.

Campus Conversation: Jala Lewis

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.

Dance and political science alumna gets creative to help marginalized youth

How do you combine a creative calling, a passion for politics and a determination to drive social change? Just ask Vivien Toumey. The Arts and Sciences alumna has turned her background in dance and political science into an impactful career in non-profit work, where she has crafted social media campaigns that have led to real policy changes.

Bringing civil rights history to life

Throughout his life and career, associate professor Bobby Donaldson has carried advice from his great-grandfather to “leave his mark” in whatever he undertakes.

PBS NewsHour features USC's Nikky Finney and Nancy Tolson

Two professors appeared in segments on PBS's nightly news program, highlighting unique contributions to Black history. Nancy Tolson discusses Civil War hero Robert Smalls, and Nikky Finney remembers her father as she opens the Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center.

Unlocking the mysteries of the mind

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.

75 years later, film collection enriches history of WWII

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.

Mexico made criminal justice reforms in 2008 - they haven't done much to reduce crime

Associate professor of Spanish and comparative literature Rebecca Janzen writes for The Conversation on persistent crime trends in Mexico despite criminal justice reform.

Memphis police numbers dropped by nearly a quarter in recent years

Assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice Ian T. Adams and others write for The Conversation on staffing issues on the Memphis police force.

Dance faculty use movement to bridge gaps in Black history

Wideman Davis Dance received a $1.95 million Mellon Foundation grant to memorialize Black life beyond trauma.

Tyre Nichols’ death underscores the troubled history of specialized police units

Assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice Ian T. Adams and law professor Seth W. Stoughton write for The Conversation on the issues surrounding specialized police units.

Political science student highlights voters' role in U.S. prosecutor accountability

Ph.D. candidate Yu-Hsien Sung studies the unique discretion prosecutors have in the U.S. and how voting plays a role in holding them accountable. Her work is making a big contribution to the political science field.

Anti-Defamation League CEO to discuss antisemitism and solutions at USC

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, will discuss global, national and local solutions for fighting antisemitism in the 2023 Solomon-Tenenbaum Lecture in Jewish Studies at the University of South Carolina.

First-gen, Next-gen

Hope Rivers could be the poster child for the value of education, the importance of mentorship, the necessity of empathy. The first Black female president of Piedmont Technical College, she also understands the experience of the many first-generation, low-income college students on campus.

Magnetism Reimagined

2022 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow Timir Datta challenges laws of physics

Mellon Foundation grant will strengthen South Carolina's founding documents program

The University of South Carolina will enhance its research and teaching of America's founding documents through a new grant from the Mellon Foundation, the nation's largest funder of the arts, culture and humanities.

Research cruise leads to discovery at awe-inspiring Lost City

Stone chimneys and rock formations stretched high off the Atlantic Ocean floor. The network of vents spewed a constant flow of water warmed by the Earth’s mantle. Newly formed organic compounds, forged underground, floated in the current. Bacteria basked in the warm water.

Art heist in Lartania

Students whisper as they pour over letters, newspaper articles and evidence, searching for clues. Tables are scattered with notes and timelines fill the walls, all searching for one answer — whodunnit?

Pinckney Papers project reaches historic milestone, nears completion

The University of Virginia has released the fourth volume of the Papers of the Revolutionary Era Pinckney Statesmen, led by USC professor emerita Constance B. Schulz and chronicling over fifty years of American and South Carolina history through letters, journals and other records of the Pinckney family.

Senior initiates new resource for students starting out with statistics

Lauren Young never thought her journey with statistics would lead her to the front of a lecture hall full. This fall, Young launched a new supplemental instruction course to serve statistics students, the first offered in the department.

Mood indigo: Alumna brings back SC cash crop

Indigo is tightly woven into South Carolina history, but few have worked with the rich natural dye since it was replaced by synthetic dyes nearly 150 years ago. Caroline Harper is bringing it back.

Yi Sun uses mathematical modeling to advance research goals in biomedical engineering and public health

With Yi Sun’s help over the past decade, medical researchers are moving toward an innovation that could save thousands of lives each year: the development of 3-D printed artificial organs.

Better teaching through chemistry

Amy Taylor-Perry sometimes jokes with her students that they’re learning chemistry from a high school dropout. It’s actually not a joke — Taylor-Perry, a senior instructor in chemistry, really did drop out as a single mom, and was a mother of three before she went back to college.

Social justice awards recognize outstanding student, faculty members

Four faculty members and a student have been recognized for their social justice efforts on campus and in the larger community as 2023 Social Justice Award winners.

Why is 13 considered unlucky?

Distinguished professor emeritus of sociology Barry Markovsky writes for The Conversation about the superstition around the number 13.

Nine faculty honored as new McCausland Fellows for 2023

Clean water access, autism intervention for infants, safer streets. These are only a few of the areas where the new McCausland Faculty Fellows in the College of Arts and Sciences are making major research contributions.

Art professor uses technology to keep class going during pandemic

Sara Schneckloth is a 2022 Mungo Graduate Teaching Award winner

Chemistry professor strives for understanding over memorizing

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.