
Alumna Isabelle Khurshudyan runs Washington Post's Ukraine bureau
March 29, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Alumna Isabelle Khurshudyan loved her career as a hockey reporter. She found her calling as a war correspondent.
March 29, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Alumna Isabelle Khurshudyan loved her career as a hockey reporter. She found her calling as a war correspondent.
March 28, 2023, Megan Sexton
April Cone, the dean of the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie, plays a key role in her community — a region where she has lived her entire life.
March 24, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
From editor-in-chief of Garnet and Black magazine to interviewing Martin Scorsese, Erika Ryan has left an impression on every newsroom in her career path. The mass communications alumna has explored almost all forms of news media.
March 23, 2023, Page Ivey
Many of the fans following the South Carolina women's basketball team through the NCAA Tournament have been with the Gamecocks since the beginning — some quite literally since that first women’s team played in 1974 — sitting in mostly empty arenas, cheering on their team in good years and bad. Now South Carolina is No. 1 not just on the court, but also in filling arenas with average attendance at women’s games over 12,000 and frequent sellouts of all 18,000 seats.
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 16, 2023, Reagin von Lehe and Cecilia Dore
Former student body presidents share their accomplishments since graduating and reflect on the notable role.
March 15, 2023, Alexis Watts
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.
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.
March 08, 2023, Michaela Taylor
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.
March 03, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Recent graduates Brett Nilsen and Sean Powers came to the McNair Institute with a dream. They left USC with the opportunity to participate in one of the world’s largest startup investor programs.
February 27, 2023, Dan Cook
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.
February 25, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
Through her marketing major, Jala Lewis is learning how to manage her cosmetology business that she started in high school. Jala’s Extensions became a reality for Lewis when she posted her progress in learning how to braid on social media — her peers in school were impressed. Now, she has braided Zia Cooke’s, Bree Hall’s, and Chico Carter Jr.’s hair in USC athletics.
February 23, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
Chance and Mackenzie Edwards packed a lot of life into a short time period: They got married, went on a honeymoon; he got laid off and they started a business — all during a pandemic. But for the College of Information and Communications graduates, the struggles led to something they’re now thankful for.
February 17, 2023, Megan Sexton
Researchers from the College of Engineering and Computing and the Arnold School of Public Health are studying how a person’s walking speed affects health and well being.
February 17, 2023, Page Ivey
Tourism is the main driver of South Carolina’s economy, accounting for about 10 percent of jobs in the state and an estimated annual impact of $29 billion. The University of South Carolina helps keep this economic engine humming by preparing graduates of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management to take on key roles in a variety of businesses and by helping those businesses adapt and grow.
February 10, 2023, Page Ivey
CarolinaTIP focuses on teachers in their first three years as they transition from learning how to teach to leading their own classrooms. About half of all South Carolina teachers who leave their jobs each year are in their first five years of working in the classroom. The Carolina Teacher Induction Program has reduced the number of new teachers leaving the profession by offering them coaching support from more experienced classroom leaders — most of whom are retired instructors who want to give back to the profession.
February 09, 2023, Dan Cook
The U.S. Senate voted 53-44 to confirm DeAndrea G. Benjamin to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Benjamin is a 1997 alumna of USC’s School of Law.
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.
February 09, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
Growing up, USC alumna Kimberly Elchlepp religiously watched sports TV when she wasn’t playing volleyball or softball. The public relations graduate went on to make her women’s sports enthusiasm into a career at ESPN as a senior publicist on the college sports team.
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 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 17, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Indigo is tightly woven into South Carolina history, but few have worked with the rich natural dye since it fell out of favor nearly 150 years ago. Alumna Caroline Harper is bringing it back.
January 04, 2023, Rose Cisneros
Archaeologists with the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at USC have studied the Camden Battlefield for decades, but their most recent finding is the discovery of a lifetime.
December 21, 2022, Alexis Watts
The Koger Center is well-known for hosting performances from Broadway in Columbia, Columbia Classical Ballet and the School of Music. The destination for theater, dance and music is now also a community venue for visual arts and more unique events.
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 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 02, 2022, Téa Smith
Craft beer is big business but that doesn’t necessarily mean business is booming.In fact, for many of the nation’s smaller brewing operations, competing with established large-scale “macrobreweries” is a David and Goliath story — and the laws are stacked in Goliath’s favor. But Scott Taylor Jr.. and his colleagues at the Wine and Beverage Institute at USC School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management are working on the first of three papers exploring the negative impact of Prohibition-era laws on competition within the alcoholic beverage industry.
November 30, 2022, Kyndel Lee
USC researcher Melissa Moss has studied Alzheimer's disease for decades, and she's coming closer to finding medicines that will help patients keep their memories longer.
November 29, 2022, Aïda Rogers
The university’s second Black woman student body vice president, Hannah White, is sharing the influential stories from 21 of Carolina’s Black women leaders who broke down barriers in her award-winning documentary.
November 18, 2022, Megan Sexton
A USC alumnus who is an athletic trainer for the University of Tennessee football team donated life-saving blood stem cells, which were used to save the life of a South Carolina Board of Trustees member.
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 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.
November 15, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Langston Moore and Preston Thorne made a big impact on the football field at Williams-Brice. Now the former Gamecock defensive lineman make their impact writing children’s books and visiting schools.
November 10, 2022
It’s no secret that South Carolina faces a litany of health care challenges, and that these challenges hit especially hard in rural areas. With its comprehensive portfolio of health science and health care offerings, the University of South Carolina is well positioned to help. Here are some of the ways in which university researchers and graduates are working to advance the health of South Carolina residents.
November 10, 2022, Téa Smith
Scholarship recipient and graduate student Kayla Lee has seen firsthand the effect lack of access to quality health care can have on a community. She is happy to be furthering her career in nursing and helping to create accessible quality health care throughout the state.
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.
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 27, 2022, Téa Smith
In 1974, Gail Bush Diggs became just the second Black woman to be named Homecoming Queen at the University of South Carolina. The announcement of her selection on the football field 48 years ago was greeted with racial abuse and she never received the traditional scepter that went with title. Students, looking to rectify that slight, will honor Diggs with the scepter at this year's Homecoming.
October 26, 2022, Alexis Watts
This year marks the 200-year anniversary of the massive 1822 storm that hit Horry and Georgetown Counties. Cary Mock, professor of geography and a climatologist, says the storm transformed future development in the lowcountry. It also marked the first sighting of a legendary ghost.
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 14, 2022, Rebekah Friedman
Internationally acclaimed sculptor Basil Watson has been selected to design a statue commemorating Robert Anderson, Henrie Monteith Treadwell and James Solomon Jr., the first Black students admitted to the university since Reconstruction.
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.
October 10, 2022, Megan Sexton
For 50 years, freshmen have walked into University 101 classrooms unsure of what to expect, maybe a little overwhelmed and certainly a bit nervous as they navigate their first semester of college life. In those classrooms, they find a community.
October 03, 2022, Allen Wallace
Cutting-edge academics, deep industry connections and top-tier faculty combine to create a first-class training ground for football industry leaders in HRSM’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, recognized as one of the best and biggest programs of its kind.
September 29, 2022
Myriam Torres, clinical associate professor in epidemiology and biostatistics at the Arnold School of Public Health, talks about what brought her to the university and how her role as evolved over the years to include serving as the director of the Consortium for Latino Health Studies.
August 31, 2022, Alexis Watts
It’s been a long road from journalism to children’s books for Angela McCurry May, an alumna of the College of Information and Communications. She always planned to report the news — and she has. Now, she is also making the news as a New York Times bestselling children’s book co-author.
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, 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, Alexis Watts
Moore School at UofSC puts supply-chain graduates on accelerated career path.
July 26, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
This summer, the James Beard Foundation honored Chai Pani with its Outstanding Restaurant award. Three decades ago, owner Meherwan Irani was just starting to cook — as a grad student at USC.
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.
June 29, 2022, Alexis Watts
Professor and ecotourism expert Tom Mullikin is leading a 30-day trek from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Lowcountry to spotlight South Carolina’s natural marvels, a journey that invites the public to explore the state through hiking, rafting, kayaking and diving.
June 28, 2022, Kyndel Lee
UofSC alumna Taylor Wilson is playing a major role in advancing South Carolina's efforts in advocacy for support of the Alzheimer's cause at both the state and federal levels.
June 21, 2022, Page Ivey
Alumna Molly Peirano is leading the university’s new Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, Peirano discusses plans and goals for the office and the future of the landmark civil rights regulation that prohibits sex discrimination in any education program receiving federal funds.
June 14, 2022, Page Ivey
Brenden Chavis, an informatics Ph.D. student in the College of Engineering and Computing, is able to pay for his own education thanks to programs funded by Fluor Corp.
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.
June 03, 2022, Megan Sexton
Rick Noble has donated his substantial collection of Hootie & the Blowfish memorabilia – including CDs, T-shirts, posters and publications – to the University of South Carolina Libraries.
May 20, 2022, Alexis Watts
Spring break normally means a time for University of South Carolina students to say goodbye to hard work and relax for a week, but for the past 10 years, hundreds of students from the Capstone Scholars program have chosen to challenge themselves culturally.
May 17, 2022, Savannah Bennett
The Baldwin Business and Financial Journalism Initiative is changing the mold, encouraging students to embrace a form of business journalism that goes beyond the numbers. Just in its fourth year, this program has evolved quickly and led two journalism students, Connor Hart and Emma Dooling, to win multiple awards.
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 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, By Carol J.G. Ward
When siblings Nancy and Thomas Scott were growing up, the University of South Carolina was like their second home. After weighing other options, both brother and sister chose South Carolina because of the value and quality of the Honors College experience.
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.
May 05, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Kev Roche has turned his artistic talent and quick wit into a lucrative "hustle" drawing illustrations for ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. The 2005 studio art major also has illustrated a book by two former Gamecock football players as well as given UofSC's beloved mascot Cocky a cartoon makeover.
May 03, 2022, Chris Horn
Pranks and pratfalls are part of life in any college residence hall, but one dormitory complex at the University of South Carolina seemed to have more than its fair share. Stories about life in the Towers, also known as the Honeycombs and the Veilblocks, are now almost the stuff of legend. Here are a few anecdotes from yesteryear about those long-gone dorms.
May 03, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
When computer engineering major Dimitri Amiridis crosses the stage at commencement this spring, the South Carolina Honors College graduate will become the third member of his family with a degree from the University of South Carolina. The only member of his immediate family not to hold a degree from his new alma mater? Dimitri’s father, university President-elect Michael Amiridis.
May 03, 2022, Megan Sexton
From ensuring students know where to sit to making sure the sound system works just right, university staff members work behind the scenes to ensure a memorable commencement day for graduates and their families.
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, Carol J.G. Ward
Alumna Lorri Unumb's journey to becoming an advocate for families affected by autism began when she and her husband Dan noticed their son Ryan wasn’t behaving and developing like other children. Ryan was diagnosed with autism shortly before his second birthday. Today, Unumb is internationally known for her advocacy.
April 21, 2022, Megan Sexton
Darius Rucker, country music superstar, proud University of South Carolina alumnus and Gamecock superfan, will hold a free concert for students to celebrate the women’s basketball team’s national championship.
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 12, 2022, Megan Sexton
Alumna Kelly Adams, managing director of state government and regulatory affairs for the energy infrastructure company Williams, was instrumental in her employer’s gift of $1.5 million to the university's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
April 11, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Romance, historical fiction, sci-fi — for young adult novelist Shanna Miles, it’s all fair game. It’s also rocket fuel for the imagination, whether she’s typing up the next interstellar adventure or turning kids on to reading and writing as a virtual school librarian.
April 11, 2022, Office of Communications
UofSC alumnus Darius Rucker will perform a free concert for students to celebrate the women's basketball team's national championship.
April 06, 2022, Chris Horn
Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that Earth’s rising temperatures and related phenomena — more frequent and severe drought, flooding and wildfires — are a result of human-caused climate change. Scientists who earned their Ph.D.s from South Carolina are applying their expertise to help corporations adopt more eco-friendly approaches to doing business and developing more equitable policies for coastal land use.
March 31, 2022, Rose Cisneros
Film and media studies alumnus Herman Phillips talks about his work on award-winning productions and co-developing a revolutionary production management app.
March 22, 2022, Chris Horn
Scientists who earned their Ph.D.s from South Carolina are looking at how changing weather patterns can help predict alternative energy production and how wildfires spawned by these climate changes are affecting plant ecosystems.
March 17, 2022, Rebekah Friedman
Alumna Lee Satterfield, ’89 journalism, has spent three decades in the political arena, gaining responsibilities with each stop. At the end of 2021, Satterfield was confirmed by the U.S Senate as assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department.
March 17, 2022, Megan Sexton
As a Ph.D. student in the College of Nursing, Chigozie Nkwonta studied cervical cancer prevention, with the goal to increase HPV vaccinations and cervical cancer screenings in her home country of Nigeria.
March 15, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
Alumni Kenneth Moton, Eva Pilgrim and Sara Messer launched their broadcast careers at the University of South Carolina. Two decades later, they came back — as part of the "Good Morning America" takeover over Colonial Life Arena.
March 09, 2022, Chris Horn
Global warming is increasing the saltiness and temperature of the oceans, which adversely affect coral reefs and could worsen other aspects of marine ecosystems. Two scientists who earned their Ph.D.s from the University of South Carolina are gathering data on marine problems linked to climate change.
March 08, 2022, Rose Cisneros
As a forensic scientist and president of an international science academy, Carl McClary uses creativity in the way he approaches his scientific work.
February 24, 2022, Craig Brandhorst; Photos by Kim Truett
In the age of digital overload and the COVID-19 pandemic, we need our public parks and gardens more than ever. Alumni Robin Salmon, Tracy Swartout and Karen Kustafik are here to help us escape.
February 24, 2022, William Hauk
As President Biden warns Americans of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many are unaware of how defending Ukraine can impact the U.S. Economics professor William Hauk writes for The Conversation on the price of supporting Ukraine and the increased risk of recession.
February 23, 2022, Megan Sexton
The African American Studies program celebrates 50 years of commitment to sharing a deeper understanding of the Black experience.
February 17, 2022, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina will honor the three Black students who desegregated the school in 1963 with statues on the Columbia campus commemorating the historic day when they enrolled and became the first Black USC students since the Reconstruction era, paving the way for generations of future scholars.
February 15, 2022, Peggy Binette
A $1.5 million gift from Williams, an energy infrastructure company, will enhance the University of South Carolina’s Center for Civil Rights History and Research’s ability to share South Carolina’s important role in the broader national movement.
February 15, 2022, Bryan Gentry
South Carolina graduate students have played instrumental roles in developing the technology used on Mars. Whether in research labs on campus or in NASA offices, they’ve made their mark on the Red Planet.
February 07, 2022, Chris Horn
A student residence hall near the Colonial Life Arena has become the first University of South Carolina building named for an African American. Formerly known as 700 Lincoln, the Celia Dial Saxon Building honors an educator and community advocate whose teaching career spanned six decades in segregated schools near the university campus.
February 07, 2022, Chris Horn
Born to sharecroppers in 1944 in Yemassee, S.C., Edna Smith Primus was among the first Black graduates from the University of South Carolina in 1966. She became the first Black woman enrolled at the School of Law.
January 31, 2022, Chris Horn
The University of South Carolina desegregated in 1963, but the history of Black people on campus extends back to the university’s beginning in the early 19th century. In 10 illuminating essays edited by Robert Greene II and Tyler Parry, Invisible No More (USC Press 2021) tells that story.
January 26, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward
The professional experience and expertise of two University of South Carolina alumnae and a law professor have led to their selection for roles in federal agencies and courts.
January 26, 2022, Abe Danaher
The university’s interprofessional education program allows future social workers, pharmacists, nurses, doctors and others to step outside their educational siloes and engage their future colleagues in meaningful conversation.
January 19, 2022, Communications and Public Affairs staff
On Jan. 26, University of South Carolina alumni and advocates will come together in support of the university’s efforts to build a stronger, healthier state — and to thank state legislators who have helped the university fulfill its mission to provide an affordable, accessible education.
January 18, 2022, Bryan Gentry
As president of the American Medical Association, Gerald Harmon, a University of South Carolina physics graduate, sees a path to progress as he leads America’s medical community through a pandemic.
January 11, 2022, Page Ivey
Helping develop and inspire pharmacy leaders is the goal of the Walker Leadership Scholars Program at the University of South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy, says program founder Donna Walker (1979 pharmacy, 1984 MBA). Each year, the competitive program selects two high-capacity students from the first-year pharmacy class to be scholars for three consecutive years.
January 07, 2022, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees voted unanimously Friday (Jan. 7) to name a campus residence hall for University of South Carolina graduate and revered African American educator Celia Dial Saxon, one of the best-known and respected educators in the state’s history.
December 16, 2021, Parker Blackburn
School of Journalism and Mass Communications sparked a passion for storytelling for Taylor Jennings-Brown, a 2021 mass communications graduate, who has landed a coveted Kroc Fellowship to work at NPR.