Biological Sciences professor Timothy Mousseau has made more than 30 trips to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site in Ukraine since 1999. In the past few years, he has traveled a dozen times to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear site in Japan to study the aftereffects of that catastrophe. Mousseau, as a part of UofSC's Chernobyl Research Initiative, is focused on the health and environmental outcomes of radiation effects in wildlife.
As 2014 comes to a close, the university's writers share some of their favorite Carolina stories of the year.
As a geochemistry professor, Michael Bizimis knows plenty about rock, but his first true love? That was heavy metal.
Felipe Thomaz is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and brings a "family tradition" of marketing and sales to his position as an associate professor of marketing at the Darla Moore School of Business.
Health communication researchers from an array of disciplines are teaming up with the Richland County (S.C.) Library to help give people information about the Affordable Care Act. The law, also known as Health Care Reform and Obamacare, has some requirements that people need to know to make health care, insurance and financial decisions.
University of South Carolina assistant professor of Mexican literature Raul Diego Rivera Hernandez volunteers once a week with Freedom University in Atlanta. Started in 2011 by a group of University of Georgia professors, Freedom University provides free college-level courses for undocumented youth in Georgia who have been denied entry at the state’s top five public universities and denied in-state tuition at all public state universities by the Georgia Board of Regents.
Music major Lonnie Russell came to the University of South Carolina to study piano with Charles Fugo, but ever since his senior year at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, his longterm plan has been to go to medical school following his undergraduate education. Next year, he will embark on the next phase of that journey as a first-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush told University of South Carolina graduates to find joy and serve others. Bush and former ambassador to the Bahamas Ned Siegel received honorary degrees during fall commencement.
Sean Rayford's camera is his passport to worlds he might not otherwise visit: from cheerleading championships to punk rock concerts, from the sidelines at NFL games to the aisles of the wedding chapel. While Rayford started photography as a way to get into rock 'n' roll concerts for free, it has become a lifelong passion and career - one that he honed as a University of South Carolina student.
When Salima Al Masrouri walks across the commencement stage with a master's in mass communication degree, she'll join a growing contingent of University of South Carolina graduates who hail from Oman. In fact, Carolina has what might be the largest single group of students from that southwest Asian country who are attending college in the United States.
UofSC's Facilities Landscaping team staffs a tree maintenance crew to keep the campus trees beautiful, sustainable, and most importantly, safe. With more than 7,000 trees from about 80 species on the Columbia campus, the team has their work cut out for them to keep Carolina a Tree Campus USA. We caught up with the team to find out how they keep campus green.
Who are the United Way's most loyal donors, where do they live and how much do they give each year? These are just a few of the questions the United Way of the Midlands wanted answered when it began a partnership more than a year ago with an accounting class at the University of South Carolina.
At one point in Laura Kissel’s newest film a shopping cart rolls through aisles of low-priced blouses, slacks, jackets and sweaters. It’s a critical scene in “Cotton Road,” an award-winning documentary, that follows the journey of American-grown cotton across the Pacific Ocean to textile and clothing manufacturers in China, and the return trip of dresses, pants, socks and underwear that end up in retail outlets across the U.S.
Moore School economists released their economic forecast for South Carolina in 2015 to media Wednesday (Dec. 10). They are calling for the consistent positive growth seen across most industries and regions in 2014 to continue into 2015. They will present their full forecast Dec. 16 at the 34th Annual Economic Outlook Conference, the state's premier business event.
Carolinians care for one another. That's a key tenet in the Carolinan Creed. It's also something Rachel Smith and the students running the Gamecock Pantry practice every day.
Clinical professor Richard Hodinka joined the School of Medicine Greenville's faculty this year from Philadelphia, where he'd spent the majority of his career. At UofSC, Hodinka looks forward to having an impact on future doctors.
As a child growing up in Paris, Carole Oskeritzian nearly died from asthma attacks. Now she's leading an immunology research team that is teasing out the complexities of human inflammation in hopes of finding a way to prevent asthma's occurrence.
Call it cosmic fate or destiny or maybe a matter of good timing — whatever it was, the stars aligned for Irene Au who graduated summa cum laude from the S.C. Honors College with degrees in electrical and computer engineering in 1994 just as the world began to discover the Internet.
Learning English as a second language - especially Southern American English - is no piece of cake, especially when folks say things like "piece of cake." Making sense of these turns of phrase, these clichés and idioms that pepper much of our speech is the role of the conversation partner in the University of South Carolina's English Programs for Internationals.
Gopher tortoises, snakes and a variety of other critters in her backyard helped Jessica Leet develop a fascination for environmental science as a child, but it may have been a Barbie doll that sparked her interest as much as anything else.
When faced with the loss of her vision, Wendy Bryan had to find a new path to continue doing the social work that she loved. After finding a lack of ways to connect with other people with disabilities, she decided to create a statewide network called Disability Connections. With the help of technology, friends and family Bryan is able to run the nonprofit organization herself.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will speak at winter commencement exercises on Dec. 15. Bush will receive an honorary degree of doctor of public service at the commencement ceremony. The university expects to award nearly 2,800 degrees to students from all eight campuses.
Did you know Gamecock athletic teams have led the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll for the past seven years? Meet five Gamecocks who put the student in student athlete.
Dustin Praylow has always wanted to be a pediatrician. The junior biology major is on track to make that happen, but not before he explores his other passion -- dance.
A group-centered program called CenteringPregnancy is now being offered by the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. CenteringPregnancy is gaining popularity, as a way to provide prenatal care and education, especially for first-time mothers, about what to expect during pregnancy and delivery.
Thomas Cooper can become hectic when finals time begins. There are tons of alternatives, both on and off campus, where you can study without fighting the crowds. Need a break? There are also a number of ways that you can take your mind off the stress without spending too much money or time
It's now official: IBM--one of the largest and most respected technology companies in the world--is partnering with the University of South Carolina and will take up residence on the Columbia campus. The partnership will create the Center for Applied Innovation, a place where experts from the university and IBM will work together to better serve higher education institutions nationwide and provide enhanced learning experiences for tomorrow's college students.
Constantine Manos has always been a little ahead of his time, from having a professional photography gig by the time he finished his first year at Carolina to opposing segregation in editorials written in 1953-54 for The Gamecock. Now, as he looks back on a 60-year photography career that includes four books and countless exhibits around the world, Manos talks about growing up in Columbia and his time at Carolina.
J.D. Shaw joined UofSC's School of Music this fall. A longtime touring performer, Shaw plays the French horn and hopes to raise the profile of the School of Music's French horn studio in the years to come.
Beckee Garris grew up on the Catawba Reservation near Rock Hill, S.C. After decades away, she returned to the reservation several years ago and began exploring her own heritage as a student at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, where she also works as the visitors' coordinator at the Native American Studies Center.
Herbarium curator John Nelson knows you don't have to travel to a remote Amazon rainforest to discover a new species of plant. He and alumnus Douglas Rayner uncovered a rare hedge-nettle just 50 miles from Charleston, and they named it Stachys caroliniana, after the only state where it has been found.
Using the power of multiplication, a team from Carolina's Department of Mathematics plans to participate in the making of history this coming spring by building a large, elegant geometrical shape called a Menger sponge. Any spare business cards you might have to donate would be appreciated.
Last year, if you had asked UofSC junior Jasmine Johnson what she would be doing with the rest of her life, she probably would have said she was staying in South Carolina to teach. But after a spontaneous click on the ad, a video application and a week full of interviews, the education student was chosen to be one of four students to take part in College Board and Road Trip Nation's cross-country excursion, and now her possibilities are endless
UofSC Student Government President Lindsay Richardson delivered the State of the Student Body Address Nov. 12. Here's what she had to say about that important speech, the programs students can look forward to in the spring and her own plans for her final semester.
Research shows that relevant humor in the classroom can help students better remember content, lower their anxiety and even help them see their professors as more competent communicators.
Nearly 40,000 alumni and friends gave more than $116 million dollars to the university last year. Now the people who benefit most from that money wants to show their gratitude. The student group Students Promoting the University's Reach for Success (SPURS) is organizing a donor appreciation day.
Students in Annette Hoover's class on fundraising and event planning for non-profits spend the entire semester coordinating an event benefitting a non-profit of their choosing. This fall, the class is putting on a concert, silent auction and pet adoption to benefit the Humane Society of S.C.
Alumna Pam Brown has been to every Sprint Cup race on the NASCAR schedule over the past four years. She didn't know it at the time, but her degree in athletic training at Carolina was the first step in a journey that led to a full-time career in the world of stock car racing.
Ohio native and new mathematics and education faculty member Sean Yee researches teacher listening and discourse within mathematics education. In his spare time he plays trombone and guitar.
John Wall knows all too well what happens when a country descends into chaos with no faith in established laws to keep citizens safe. A third-year law student at the University of South Carolina, Wall is a former U.S. Army captain and West Point graduate who spent five combat deployments between 2007 and 2012 in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
UofSC student Andrew Mohs spent four years in the Marine Corps and spent four month deployed in Afghanistan as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle mechanic. Now a full-time college student, Mohs has another important role: he serves as the president of UofSC's Student Veteran Association.
At Carolina, Ruby Han, a student from China, has even found a program that helps her share her culture with Americans. Through the university's International Student Services, Han has become involved with Thinking Globally, which takes international students to local schools to discuss their cultures.
In July of 2014 University of South Carolina archeologist Jonathan Leader and a team of volunteers located the remnants of Fort Congaree II, an 18th century earthen fortification in Cayce, S.C., long considered lost to history.
Dan Utter, fourth year marine science major, spent the summer of 2014 conducting research in Woods Hole, Mass. Utter's research drew conclusions about bacteria on the human tongue.
Spencer Moore wants to know how our social connections affect our health, from our family and friends to our acquaintances and neighbors. Learning that, he says, can help public health officials better serve communities.
Alumnus Yohance Omar Whiteside is exactly where he wants to be now, tracking HIV infections and identifying high-risk populations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But when he graduated with an English degree, he needed some time to find himself before he could find his way there.
Alumnus and small business owner Mark Plessinger launched the First Thursday arts event on Columbia's Main Street in 2009. The monthly event has been credited with helping fuel the ongoing resurgence of the Capital City's downtown business district.
Children worldwide who are coping with parents who have cancer can find support in the programs that Sue Heiney has designed. These programs span the globe and have even been translated into Japanese.
For the third year, two opposites will meet together for an all original fashion show. Sustainable Carolina has teamed up with UofSC's Fashion Board and BGLSA to stage Reclaimed Runway, a fashion extravaganza challenging students to make an outfit completely out of recycled goods in hopes to promote a more sustainable lifestyle.
David Wolfer has always known he wanted to make an impact, do something bigger than himself, even if that means living without modern conveniences and forgoing a traditional college experience.
UofSC alumna Sara Barber was recently named executive director the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. A 13-year veteran of the fight against domestic violence and a mother of two daughters, Barber wants to make her community a safer place for this generation and the next.
Assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering joined Carolina this fall after graduate work at the University of Toronto and Drexel.
Millions of plant specimens collected in America over the past several hundred years are making their way to a global stage. The University of South Carolina is playing a leadership role in making botanical data contained in herbarium cabinets scattered across the United States accessible across the world.
Four faculty members have been named to the second class of McCausland Faculty Fellows in the College of Arts and Sciences. This year's recipients, all chosen by the dean of the college, are English professor Federica K. Clementi, biological anthropologist Sharon DeWitte, studio arts professor Sara Schneckloth and history professor Adam M. Schor.
Here's what you won't find at Lauren Truslow's new fitness studio on Rosewood: backbreaking barbells, rows of treadmills or in-your-face personal trainers demanding five more reps.
University of South Carolina research professor Abdel Bayoumi is on the forefront of military safety. His team of engineers and computer scientists conduct advanced diagnostic studies on some of the military's most sophisticated helicopters. Their work reduces costs, ensures top performance, improves moral and, most importantly, saves lives.
Her actions won't save the planet, but Cynthia Swanson has vowed not to join the global supplychain of junk. In 1998 she vowed to quit buying anything new that she could find used. That includes a washing machine, two refurbished TVs, silverware, dishes, five lamps, three chests of drawers, 72 folding chairs and an Oriental rug.
Outdoor Recreation coordinator Blain Foley introduces University of South Carolina students to the great outdoors - many for the first time. He and student leaders are going to take students on a bike-packing trip through the South Carolina Lowcountry during fall break.
Nearly 1,000 middle and high school students will come to the College of Engineering and Computing on Thursday for the Edison Lecture Series. Presentations and interactive demonstrations will focus on human-robot interactions and how gaming and virtual reality can be used to make lives better.
Eric Villeneuve, a junior criminal justice major, is hoping to get more University of South Carolina students, faculty and staff members registered with the national Be The Match bone marrow registry. It's a cause that's important to him personally, having seen what a difference bone marrow donations can make.
Forty faculty, graduate students and OB/BYN residents will present research findings from basic, clinical and social sciences at the Women's Health Research Forum Oct. 24 in the Russell House theater and ballroom.
Devon Sherrell knows he is one of the lucky ones when it comes to his "story." The junior political science student said he knew from a very young age that he was gay, so when he came out his friends and family in high school, he was relieved that no one seemed to have a problem. Knowing that is not the case for everyone, the now president of the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Straight Alliance organization has dedicated his time to supporting the the LGBT community.
Dawn Staley didn't attend the UofSC, but she still considers herself a Gamecock. On the court, the women's basketball coach has filled a trophy case with awards. Off the court, Staley has raised money for a children's charity. The My Carolina Alumni Association named Staley an Honorary Life Member for the way she's represented our university.
Elmore Leonard, the master of American crime fiction, knew exactly where he wanted his papers to go. He decided after a quick trip to the University of South Carolina shortly before his death in 2013, when he was awarded the university's Thomas Cooper Medal. "He went to visit the library and he was blown away," his son Peter Leonard says.
For more than 40 years, Parker Evatt has worked to improve the lives of children and other vulnerable populations. For that dedication to service, the My Carolina Alumni Association has named Evatt the recipient of the 2014 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Jotaka Eaddy followed her cousin to the UofSC. That may have been the last time she followed anyone. Since graduating more ten years ago, Eaddy has been a civil rights and social justice leader. My Carolina Alumni Association named Eaddy its 2014 Outstanding Black Alumna.
Assistant professor of English Language and Literature Hannah Rule joined the faculty at Carolina this fall. She researches how individuals acquire and practice writing as well as how writing is taught in college and K-12 contexts.
Growing up, Brandon Bookstaver wanted to be a doctor or a pharmacist or a teacher. He ended up becoming all three. The alumni association has named Bookstaver its 2014 Outstanding Young Alumnus.
Fred Tollison graduated from Carolina 50 years ago, and he's been a proud Gamecock ever since. But there was one moment when the prospect of attending Carolina was an occasion for joy -- and dismay.
In the last 45 years, Donald Bailey has played football for the Gamecocks, started a successful business, served as president of the alumni association and sat on the board of trustees. But he's most proud of the work he's done creating the Carolina LIFE program. That dedication prompted the My Carolina Alumni Association to name Bailey its 2014 Distinguished Alumnus.
The newest improv troupe on campus is building UofSC's scene one show at a time. Overreactors hopes to get more students involved and keep campus laughing.
Lydia Pappas, a curator at the Moving Image Research Collections (MIRC), wants people to rescue their fragile home movies from hostile storage conditions in the attic or basement. They're even invited to donate the footage to Carolina's film archive -- where cultural artifacts belong.
A cancer diagnosis doesn't always put life on pause. Kathy Mercer, a survivor and professor in the College of Nursing stayed invigorated during her treatment and encourages patients to stay positive through her work with the Pink Posse, a local support group.
It's the smell of elephant ears, mustard and fried everything. It's the uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach as you clickety-clack up the first hill of the roller coaster. It's the South Carolina State Fair, and it's also Midway Physics Day, when thousands of kids from across the state learn that science can be cool.
Alumnus Jay Matheson, '82 media arts, prepares for the Jam Room Music Festival. Now in its third year, the annual event has played a major role in the revitalization of Columbia's Main Street.
The community, students, faculty and staff are invited to the annual Step Show competition between NPHC fraternities and sororities at UofSC. New to the homecoming events this year, Stroll Off will be held in the Russell House where students can watch organizations compete. Meet Jarvia Meggett, the student behind-the-scenes who ensures that these events run smoothly for UofSC to enjoy.
Dr. Jason Stacy is right at home as Student Health Services director for sports medicine and physical therapy. He started working full-time at the Thomson Student Health Center after 10 years as team physician for Gamecock athletes. His stint as team physician also included one day a week at the health center seeing injured students.
Working her way through Wofford and then pharmacy school at the Medical University of South Carolina, Brie Dunn never really pictured herself behind the lectern, but a move into academia has worked out very well — for her as well as her students here at the University of South Carolina.
After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, Robin Estrada vowed she’d never go back to college. “But I I felt I could make a bigger impact on health care outcomes by doing research,” she says, and that led her to apply to the Ph.D. program in the University of South Carolina's College of Nursing.
In 2012 more than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do. But, the stigma associated with mental illness is preventing many of them from seeking help. Senior Margaret Kramer is working to change that.
As deputy director of the Columbia Museum of Art, Joelle Ryan-Cook has had a front row seat for the ongoing revitalization of Columbia's Main Street and the recent growth of the Capital City's art scene. The University of South Carolina alumna has also played a key role in building the partnerships that have made that revitalization and growth possible.
Grace Gardner considers herself an "SVU junkie," one of the many people who binge watch rerun marathons of the popular television show "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," spending nights cuddled up with Detectives Stabler and Benson on Netflix. Fortunately, Annie Boiter-Jolley, a professor and also a fan of the show, wanted to bring Benson and Stabler to campus.
Priyantha Herath came to Carolina from Sri Lanka by way of Stockholm.
Mutated animals, radioactive contamination and buildings deserted for decades might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for postdoc Andrea Bonisoli Alquati, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was an enticing brew.
New law school building will anchor a legal corridor in Columbia and announce to the world that UofSC cares about the 'rule of law.'
Experiential learning is all the rage in higher education, and Karley Vehaun has taken the concept to what might be its highest possible level. The fashion merchandising major has purchased a fashion boutique from her former boss and is set to reopen the story under a new name.
Carolina parents didn't seem to mind that their special weekend was taken over by ESPN's College GameDay.
"Fans that are all-in." That's one of the reasons ESPN picked the UofSC's Horseshoe as the backdrop to broadcast its College GameDay program.
He's the president of Carolina Productions, a University 101 Peer Leader and one of the most dedicated people you will meet at UofSC, but Adam Mayer's talents and attributes don't end there. He may also have a future in competitive eating and aerial acrobatics.
Parents Weekend at the University of South Carolina has grown over the years from a simple tailgate to a full weekend of activities for the whole family. The 2014 event, which coincides with ESPN College GameDay, is expected to draw nearly 10,000 students, parents and other family members.
Taylor Engel is this close to having one of his dreams come true, but talking with the 2009 media arts graduate, you wouldn't know it. Engel is among 20 hopefuls waiting to see if their movie projects get "greenlighted." "Project Greenlight" is an HBO documentary series produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck that offers first-time directors a chance to direct a feature film.
The Daily Gamecock's Sports Editor, Danny Garrison, knows sports. UofSC asked him five questions on football and GameDay to see what he had to say about his favorite team.
Kristen Seay, an assistant professor in the College of Social Work, was a child abuse investigator in Georgia and Alabama before pursuing a career in academia.
Ryan Rykaczewski is part of a team that just found a way to look deep into the ocean's past. They've shown that natural processes can cause dramatic year-to-year drops in fish populations and raised questions about whether human activities might be making those declines more frequent.
Mike Meyers and a team of fellow business school students are creating an online marketplace for UofSC faculty, staff and students that has already attracted more than 300 student users.
UofSC quantitative psychologist Amanda Fairchild took on a feat that most 30-somethings wouldn't consider, taking ballet lessons and dancing en pointe for the first time.
The John and Dodie Knight Study Abroad Award is making it possible for UofSC students to travel the world.
In the nearly 70 years since the end of World War II, German guilt and shame over the Holocaust remains -- though some modern German literature reflects a more casual attitude toward the stereotyping of Jews. That's what UofSC's Agnes Mueller uncovers in her latest book.
Ever wonder what life would be like if you didn't choose to go to University South Carolina? Thanks to the National Student Exchange, students can spend a summer, semester or year at one of nearly 200 institutions in the U.S. Not only does the program expose students to different places, people and courses, but students pay their normal UofSC tuition. With the extensive list of schools that participate, no two students have the same experience.
Harvey Starr is currently working on three or four different book projects -- "depending on how you want to count it," he says. "A colleague and I are waiting to hear back about one proposal." He's also overseeing three active dissertations, having just hooded another new Ph.D. this summer. The catch? He officially retired June 30.
Meet law professor Seth Stoughton, one of UofSC's newest faculty members. Stoughton comes to Carolina from Florida, but not directly. He got into law from the enforcement side and has moved around the country with his family. Stoughton says he his happy to settle down in Columbia.
Studying science at a major research university might involve innumerable hours at a laboratory bench, but the experience doesn't have to be geographically limiting. For undergraduate and graduate students in Mike Angel's chemistry group at the University of South Carolina, for example, the work they do in the lab has interplanetary reach.
It seemed a sure bet that Sharina Haynes was headed for a doctoral degree in physics. But she experienced a gravitational pull in a different direction that led her to the University of South Carolina's history department.
With the ring of a bell, Darla Moore officially opened the new building bearing her name and ushered in a new era for the university's business school. Moore tells the audience at the grand opening event that the building represents her expectations for the school's future: excellence.
The University of South Carolina community prides itself on being a family. For Christopher Gallman, it really is. The USCPD investigator works alongside his father to keep Carolina safe.
Need advice on your resume? Not sure how to prepare for Career Fest or the S.E.T Job Fair? Assistant Director for Career Development Mark Anthony has the answers to five questions that will help you prepare for your future.
This year UofSC welcomes stellar new faculty members to campus. Meet Kevin So who is joining the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management.
After four tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, former United States Air Force pilot Seth Howell is beginning a brand new mission as he enters the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. The decorated captain says his time in the military helped him develop the leadership skills and the perspective to help him succeed as he pursues a career in medicine.
Heidi Rae Cooley recently published a book, Finding Augusta, and accompanying app aim to help smartphone aficionados think more clearly about two sides of plugging into the mobile network. Doing so gives you a voice, but that voice can be recorded, located, indexed, and cataloged for purposes unrelated to the original impulse of self-expression. It might come as a surprise that an essential part of her narrative comes from a unique piece of cinema shot the better part of a century ago.
When she attended a recent workshop on improving vocal presence in the classroom, computer science and engineering professor Csilla Farkas had two goals in mind: improving her own speaking ability and helping her students improve their presentation skills.
Football season to most University of South Carolina students means tailgating, face decals and cheering on their favorite players. Senior Public Relations and Environmental Studies student Haley Rabic has something else on her mind during the games, though, and she hopes more students will start to as well.
While repurposing discarded clothing for fun and blogging about the experience, alumna Jillian Owens found her online following growing.
University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides speaks to students, faculty and staff about initiatives for accelerated degree programs, increasing affordability and accessibility to a college education. Pastides also discussed the university's progress on its aggressive $1 billion fundraising campaign, wrapping up the faculty replenishment program and looking forward to improved economic enterprise opportunities through the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator.
Education professor Kortney Sherbine looks at new ways pop culture can affect young students' learning and encourages her students to live-Tweet her classes. She is among the stellar crop of new faculty members joining the university this year.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration has awarded the UofSC a grant to build a new technology incubator. The center will help entrepreneurs across South Carolina start-up new business ventures.
When Jadeveon Clowney burst through the line and disconnected ball and helmet from Michigan's Vincent Smith on New Year's Day 2013, John Carrington got the inspiration to launch Zverse, a 3D printing company that makes collegiate memorabilia.
Assistant professor of economics Stephen Finger has become the face of ALS and the Ice Bucket Challenge on the university's Columbia campus.
Business students arrived this fall to find a new state-of-the-art place to learn. After two and a half years of construction, the Darla Moore School of Business opened next to the Coliseum on Assembly Street.
For diehard fans, the South Carolina-Texas A&M matchup means the wait is over for the start of college football season. For two geography professors, it means barbecue. John Kupfer and Dave Cairns are department heads at Carolina and Texas A&M, respectively. They have a little friendly wager on the outcome of the opening game.
The UofSC Athletics Department has beefed up its TV production operations to lend support for the new SEC Network. Three full-time employees were added to staff for behind-the-scene coverage of sporting events.
This year UofSC welcomes stellar new faculty members to campus. Meet Jill Turner, an assistant professor in the South Carolina College of Pharmacy. Turner joins UofSC after earning a doctorate at Georgetown and completing a post-doc at UPenn.
Alexis Doktor, the Carolina Band seamstress keeps the UofSC marching band looking its best. During the two weeks before the first home game, she did alterations, by hand, on 150 pairs of uniform pants.
UofSC's School of Law has launched a Middle School Mentoring Program that gives students an early taste of the legal profession.
Senior computer science majors Andrew Askins and Bill Brower along with recent alumnus Austin Price kick-started Krit this summer, a start-up venture they hope will make graphic designers' work easier and impact Columbia's tech community.
In 17 years as an athletic trainer at South Carolina's Pelion High School, UofSC graduate George Wham has seen his share of sports-related concussions. In fact, last year, student athletes at his school experienced at least 30 of them, 12 just in football. Because of Wham, those students and hundreds just like them across the state will get better assessments and treatment following their injuries.
The last time Joe McElveen was a freshman at the University of South Carolina, Lyndon Johnson was in the White House and the Vietnam War was playing on the nightly news. But after taking two courses this summer as a warm-up, the 64-year-old retired oncologist has a full load scheduled for the fall.
This year UofSC welcomes stellar new faculty members to campus. Meet Taylor Kearns, an instructor in the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies. Kearns left a career in local TV news to return to his alma mater.
All-pro linebackers, high-profile high school recruits and dealing with large shipping orders are all in a days work for Eric Dunton. The junior Global Supply Chain and Operation Management major at the University of South Carolina earned an internship working as a customer service representative for large accounts at Under Armor.
When a river runs through it, there will be opinions aplenty on how to manage that river. And as emeritus geography professor Will Graf knows, science has a lot to offer when competing interests are entrenched in positions that might seem impossible to reconcile.
Patrick Patterson learned the hard way what happens when a dad leaves home. That's why he's devoted his career to keeping families together.
Life has returned to the UofSC campus as 6,709 students moved into the residence halls. The new year is an exciting time for all, but especially for the class of 2018.
University of South Carolina neuroscientist Rose Booze grew up on a sheep farm, working beside her father, who years later would be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Memories of her childhood encourage her today. With support from the National Institutes of Health, Rose and her team are driven to discover the root causes of this devastating illness and remain hopeful that a cure is within reach
Laura Bankert knows what it means to be connected to campus. It's something she felt early as a freshman living on the second floor of Sims in the Women's Quad. This year, Bankert, a junior elementary education major and first-time resident mentor, hopes she can make a new group of Gamecocks feel the same way as she moves back to campus in the newly renovated Women's Quad.
Sims, McClintock and Wade Hampton, the three residence halls which make up the Women's Quad are re-opening this fall after undergoing an extensive renovation. The $29.2M project transformed the buildings to suite style accommodations for 600 female students.
Dan Davis' favorite weekend is when the students come back to campus. This year, it will be a little more special as Davis recalls his first day on the University of South Carolina campus as a student in 1964.
Heart attack, stroke and cancer -- three distinct afflictions. But a discerning eye can see the connections, the commonalities that link the illnesses. The School of Medicine's Daping Fan has that kind of vision.
Faculty, staff and retirees fulfill Carolina's Promise each year by giving to the Family Fund. The annual giving campaign will kick-off with a "Tailgate Before the Tailgate" on August 27.
When Joe Renwick came to the USC Columbia Technology Incubator six years ago, he had a simple business idea that required sophisticated technological and marketing prowess to make it work. Renwick got all of that and more from his partnership with the incubator.
A commonly held belief that global warming will diminish oxygen concentrations in the ocean looks like it may not be entirely true. According to a team of researchers including professor Robert Thunell, just the opposite is likely the case in the eastern tropical northern Pacific, with its anoxic zone expected to shrink in coming decades because of climate change.
Restaurateur and chef William Dissen is a big believer in the farm-to-table philosophy. At his Asheville, N.C., restaurant, The Market Place, the University of South Carolina HRTM alumnus champions fresh flavors, sustainable agricultural practices, community involvement and the constant pursuit of the perfect meal.
Ka'la Drayton got an early start crossing items off her bucket list at the University of South Carolina. The rising senior thought it might be years before she could take a trip to Africa, but a program at the university made her dream come true this summer -- and broadened her career horizons to boot.
Former professor and administrator Jerry Odom spent his entire 43-year career at UofSC. He retired two years ago but returns to campus Aug. 9 to receive an honorary degree.
Carole Sox didn't set out to make history when she started a Ph.D. program three and a half years ago, but she'll accomplish that Aug. 9 when she becomes the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management's first-ever doctoral graduate.
A Gamecock from birth, Paula Harper Bethea is giving back to her alma mater by serving on the board of trustees and raising funds for the new alumni center.
Even though the semester is over, intramural sports continue to be played throughout the summer.
After being selected as an AmeriCorps Summer Service Associate Morgan Lundy found her perspective on helping others has changed through the time she has spent volunteering. Her placement at the Richland Library exposed her to library science and working with fun and educational programming opportunities.
When A.C. "Bubba" Fennell III launched a house-hunting quest 14 years ago, he had no idea it would take so long to find the perfect home. But thanks to the efforts of Fennell and several others, the move-in date for the My Carolina Alumni Association's Alumni Center -- the new campus home for all Gamecock alumni -- is next summer.
South Carolina is in the thick of states with folks that are too thick around the waist, ranking in the top five for obesity rates nationally. But the Palmetto State also has some innovative researchers, such as Sue Lessner in the School of Medicine, working to mitigate the risks of extra pounds and other factors that put the state in the heart of what's called the "stroke belt."
All the things most of us take for granted -- walking, eating, breathing -- Chad Shelton lost the ability to do in the space of a week. The 48-year-old library specialist at the School of Medicine contracted a rare autoimmune disorder, Guillain-Barré syndrome, in January that short-circuited his nervous system and put him in the hospital on a ventilator for months.
If Andrew Rajca is speaking a mile a minute, you know you have found a subject he is passionate about. Typically, it has something to do with Latin America, the languages, the culture and the art. Rajca teaches Spanish and Portuguese at the University of South Carolina and is director of the Portuguese program, reviving it as a minor.
This week when comic book fans take over part of San Diego for the annual ComicCon, one University of South Carolina alumnus will be brining it to the masses. That's because Blake Garris works for Marvel Comics, running parts of the comic company's website, including live streaming and creating videos from the famous comic convention.
Maryah Fram has a book in her office that she invites students to write in before they graduate, saying what they are going to do to make the world a better place. It's just one of the ways she connects with her students. A social work professor, Fram's focus is social policy and teaching the graduate-level class for students to apply what they've learned to real-life situations.
Push and pull have helped move Odell Glenn through a wide-ranging career in engineering. He has pushed to follow his passions, he has been pulled in unexpected directions, and he finds himself at the University of South Carolina as a late-career doctoral candidate. He says he wouldn't have changed the journey in any way.
Elizabeth Scarborough is spending her summer a little differently than most Carolina students. The senior is part of this year's Legends in Concert tour, starring as Taylor Swift.
When Melissa Pilgrim's undergraduate students suit up for research, they don't reach for white lab coats and safety glasses. Instead, they don waders, battery-powered headlamps and lots of bug spray before heading into damp woodlands after dusk.
Julia Witherspoon is a sucker for something new: a new opportunity, a new responsibility, a new center or even a new building. New has oddly been a theme of her nearly 40-year career with the Darla Moore School of Business. This month, she has experienced new once more as the faculty and staff of the business school have begun moving into their new home at Assembly and Greene streets.
UofSC doctoral candidate Brittany Garvin brings science to life for marginalized and low income teenage students through culturally responsive education.
Curing cancer, not just putting a patient in remission. That's what Hexin Chen and other researchers are trying to make possible with the new cancer stem cell approach to oncology.
Basketball has been a part of Shelbretta "Brett" Ball's life since she was 5 years old. Even before she scored any points for the Gamecocks, a medical condition put her on the bench. But she's still on the team and contributing in a new way.
When Philip Mattox walked across Carolina's commencement stage this past May, his dream was to somehow forge a career in Serbia -- a country he's grown to embrace after traveling there as a student, meeting its people and studying Balkan history and culture. A week later, parts of his adopted country were underwater.
Aisha Haynes overcame a stuttering affliction on her way to a doctorate in curriculum instruction and a position at UofSC's Center for Teaching Excellence as an instructional designer.
For the last few weeks, Brazil has been at the center of the world's attention as the best soccer players from across the globe compete for the ultimate trophy. Amidst the fans and excitement, the cheers and the tears, two University of South Carolina students reached the pinnacle of their college experience at this year's World Cup.
Hearing a child's first draw of a bow across the strings of a violin can make your ears bleed, but for University of South Carolina graduate student Katie Holaway, it is music to her ears.
After his great-grandmother death, Wilyem Cain was angry and negative. But that all changed after he started volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club. The University of South Carolina political science major found his calling and is serving as a role model to area kids. Now Cain is planning a future committed to children's advocacy and public service so that he can catch them if they fall.
Food allergies in children are becoming more common, and antibiotics might be part of the problem. Pharmacy researcher Bryan Love led a team that showed antibiotic exposure in infants is associated with increased likelihood of later diagnosis of food allergy.
Less than a month into her job as assistant principal for the Capstone Scholars program, Erin Wilson was asked to take a group of students to Peru. The trip was inspiring, rewarding and a little scary at times, but well worth it, she says.
U.S. Secret Service agent Pat Keegan has set foot on nearly every continent, chasing counterfeiters, investigating fraud and protecting major U.S. political leaders. But he calls his latest assignment as assistant special agent in charge of the Columbia, S.C., field office one of the best of his 25-year federal career.
Welcome week is an unique experience that allows new students to meet new people and discover campus. Chaunsia White makes it her mission to make everyone feel at home on campus.
Iron is an essential element in all living creatures, and its availability in seawater can have a profound effect on phytoplankton growth and, consequently, the Earth's carbon cycle. In the journal Nature, Seth John and Tim Conway have just published an assessment of the various sources of dissolved iron in the north Atlantic Ocean.
Mount Vernon has captured the American imagination for centuries. Now University of South Carolina professor Lydia Brandt is researching how and why.
Just a year and a half after arriving at the University of South Carolina, Jan Eberth has already found success in bringing attention to places where health care disparities are the greatest.
An estimated 100,000 children, mostly from Central American countries, will pour over the border between the U.S. and Mexico this year. They will be alone, frightened, hungry and exhausted from their journey that exposed them to dangers unimaginable to most American children. But for them and their families, the risk of making the trip alone or in small groups is less than remaining in their home countries.
Sheimaliz Glover's dream just came true and the recent graduate credits her time at the University of South Carolina to setting her on her way to becoming an ambassador and working in the foreign service.
University of South Carolina Beaufort professor Kasia Pawelek uses mathematical models to predict mosquito population growth and measure the effectiveness of Beaufort County's mosquito control program.
You could define Steven Gantt with "firsts" and "lasts" -- first in his family to graduate college, first to travel extensively outside of South Carolina, last of nine children. But here is the word Gantt uses to define himself -- family.
Cutting an experiment's time from 3 months to 3 days is every researcher's dream. Phil Moore and his team in Research Cyberinfrastructure did just that for a Carolina scientist running a computer simulation, and they're looking for opportunities to achieve similar success all over campus.
For Cameron Mitchell Bell, the sun will come out in September. That's when the musical theater performer hits the road with the 2014-15 national Broadway tour of "Annie."
After a few years of following a career path, Karissa Lindsay reached back to her high school dreams of fashion design. She's leaping with both feet towards full-time ownership of her company and line, based in Houston, Texas.
Jochen Lauterbach and Jason Hattrick-Simpers are integrating experimental and theoretical approaches with big-data management in materials science, helping spur even quicker commercialization of the stuff that makes just about everything useful work.
Laura Griner's never been to Afghanistan. She doesn't speak Dari or Pashto but the University of South Carolina graduate is hoping to bring a little peace to the country, one children's book at a time.
There's just one drawback to the Nature Classroom nestled behind the University of South Carolina's Children's Center. The Eden-like space is open only to kids and teachers from the Children's Center -- oldsters have to admire the picturesque preserve from behind a fence
Putting together an international conference that draws the world's foremost authorities on children's literature is a daunting task, but no more so than creating in just a few years an interdisciplinary program at the University of South Carolina that is recognized by those same authorities as "legit."
Susan Zhang, a UofSC School of Music graduate, performs as part of the 12th Annual Southeastern Piano Festival that starts this Sunday, June 15, and continues next week at various locations in Columbia.
University of South Carolina Aiken associate professor of biology and geology Virginia Shervette traveled to Puerto Rico in May to research coral reef fish populations through a collaboration with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Her efforts will help the federal government set fishing guidelines that promote sustainable populations of grouper, snapper, porgy and triggerfish.
James Armstrong III will look back on his undergraduate experience a little different than most. His view, in and out of costume, is what propels him forward towards his goals. He was Cocky for a reason. Literally.
Engineering professor Mike Matthews' career is ranging far beyond the confines of academia, and asthma sufferers everywhere can be thankful for that.
When she was very young, Monica Bowman would pore over the pages of her dad's history textbooks from college, intrigued at first by the pictures and, later, by the accompanying stories. It's no surprise, then, that she's majoring in history as an undergraduate at Carolina -- and delving into the story of an historical figure from the Palmetto State's past.
Advising has changed much in the past 25 years and Becky Mayo has seen it all. This year she was awarded the university's top honor for advisers, who are essential to keeping students on track to graduation.
Taverious Davis' earned a prized internship with Coca-Cola in Atlanta. A senior in the Darla Moore School of Business, Davis credits his participation in the school's Emerging Leaders Circle with helping him get the plum assignment with a Fortune 500 company.
Scott Smith's HRSM Maymester class on theme park management featured a week in Florida where students visited a range of parks and got the inside scoop from park managers about what it takes to succeed in the multibillion dollar industry.
Families huddled together in Lincoln High School in McClellanville, S.C., nearly 25 years ago as Hurricane Hugo lashed the small fishing town. About an hour into the storm, folks noticed water coming into the building -- not rainwater but tidal surge that accompanied the Category 4 storm.
Telemedicine technology is helping more stroke patients get quick and effective treatment. Souvik Sen, endowed chair of the SmartState Stroke Center of Economic Excellence, has led the collaboration between the School of Medicine and Palmetto Health Richland in implementing a neurological assessment system with a wide geographic reach.
Tiye Gordon, a Ph.D. student in Carolina's history department, has found coaching youth league basketball to be the perfect counterweight to the stress of pursuing a doctoral degree.
Dozens of former students and co-workers honored longtime engineering professor Mike Meadows recently with the establishment of the Mike Meadows Civil Engineering Endowment Fund. The fund, supported by former students and colleagues, will provide undergraduate scholarships for students majoring in civil engineering at Carolina.
Carolina's rugby team won the 2014 Southeastern Collegiate Conference Rugby Championship in April, but for the players and coaching staff, the camaraderie of the sport is as important as the competition.
Hundreds of novels, short stories and a long list of movies have been produced, which depict some aspect of college life, real or imagined. That trove of literature and celluloid gets a closer look this June in "Higher Education in Fiction and Film," a summer session course taught by University of South Carolina education professor Christian Anderson.
Freshman Carl Garris, junior Aaron Sanders and professor Scott Gwara are using synchrotron data they collected this spring to help piece together a research puzzle involving the university's 13th-century Breslauer pocket Bible, English monasteries, Henry VIII and a medieval individual bent on obscuring the Bible's origins.
Gerald Davis Jr. works with some of the most vulnerable people in Columbia and does it all on top of taking classes at the University of South Carolina. But his real passion lies with opening doors at the university to connect the community to campus.
Ray Tanner enjoyed unprecedented success as the Gamecock head baseball coach and this past year -- his second as athletic director -- saw even more success. The football team has won 11 games three years in a row, the women's basketball team made the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament and the equestrian team won its second-straight Southeastern Conference title and came in second in the national championship. We caught up with Tanner to ask about the year that was 2013-14.
When Margaret Kramer was a sophomore in high school, she developed an eating disorder that took over her life. Her own experience has led her to study marketing and health promotion at the University of South Carolina, where she will be a senior in the fall, and to become an advocate for mental health awareness and alleviating the struggle of millions of Americans who suffer from eating disorders.
In the early 1970s, Pat Conroy took a poetry class with James Dickey at the University of South Carolina. "I thought he was the greatest poet that ever lived," Conroy says. "He changed my life." The notebook the budding author used for that class is now back at the university as part of Conroy's archive that will be housed alongside collections of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
On a sunny afternoon this past January, Sandy Tanner was a master's student with one semester to go, packing for a trip to the beach with her family. Three minutes later, she was packed into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital.
Sabra Smith found her calling doing research while working on her master's degree in public health at the University of South Carolina. She was studying symptom control among patients infected with HIV.
University of South Carolina alumnus and current Tampa Bay Times reporter Michael LaForgia and fellow reporter Will Hobson won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting in April. Their series of articles about Tampa-area slumlords who took advantage of a dysfunctional public agency while providing the homeless with substandard housing led to the agency's closure.
Life can be hard in Columbia's poorest neighborhoods. But Toriah Caldwell and her colleagues at the USC's Children and Family Healthcare Center, a nurse-run medical practice, haven't left. The center serves as an important alternative to emergency room care and is the medical home for many in the surrounding neighborhood.
Brian Hann, the university's risk and loss control manager, has joined an elite group of professionals across the country. Hann has completed coursework and certification as a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter, a designation obtained by only a small percentage of executives in the insurance and risk management industry.
Americans' lack of physical activity is saddling the country with a heavy public health burden. Russ Pate's research is aimed at getting America moving again, and he focuses on the problem where it starts -- in children.
Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden received an honorary degree and delivered the address at May commencement.
Allison, Joe and Katy Harden are triplets who have chosen different paths to graduation.
Senior Sara Burns is a "Girl On the Run." That describes the accounting major so well that it's the title of her first country music album.
Whenever Yan Tong has a conversation with someone or watches a movie, she finds herself making mental note of everyone's facial expressions. That's because her research on affective computing involves cataloging facial expressions with the goal of programming computers to recognize certain emotions.
Desktop-sized versions of a full-sized Cocky statue slated for later installation on campus are now available.
For years, University of South Carolina students have dedicated hundreds of hours to community service, worked as peer leaders, studied abroad and completed research as undergraduates. Now, 93 of these students will make up the first class to graduate with leadership distinction.
For students who are looking to give back to the community while gaining valuable on-the-job experience, there are programs like Teach for America that exist. Two very different students will soon find themselves in similar situations, teaching in underserved schools in Charlotte.
Senior Lenny Swinton is preparing to say Aloha to Carolina. He leaves soon after graduation for Hawaii where he will start his career in hospitality management.
Kathleen Robbins, professor of photography, is documenting changes taking place in the Mississippi Delta. Once the Land of Cotton, the fluffy boils are being replaced by corn and soybean and the lifestyle associated with the former "king" crop.
David DeWeil is the associate principal of Capstone Scholars. Along with speaking to prospective students and working to improve the Capstone program, DeWeil teaches University 101 - a first-year experience class that helps students transition into college. He is this year's recipient of the University 101 teaching award.
Studying the effects of antibiotic resistant microbes is more than just research to Sean Norman. Hospitalized as a child from exposure at his family's farm, he is dedicated to educating the public how to reduce superbugs from forming and spreading.
Guoan Wang is developing new components for the next generation of bio-implants, nanodevices that wirelessly monitor and transmit vital signs and also recharge.
A native of St. George, S.C., Chase Mizzell has been a high-profile fixture on the University of South Carolina campus since he arrived as a bow-tied freshman. He has served as student body president and vice president, the Mic Man at Carolina football games and was most recently one of three graduating seniors to receive the university's highest undergraduate honor, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Earlier diagnosis means earlier treatment, and Jane Roberts is using her expertise with fragile X syndrome to try to help clinicians recognize autism as soon as is possible in children.
If you've ever worked on a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, you know the frustration of putting it together, one piece at a time, as the big picture slowly takes shape. Rekha Patel likens her teaching style to coaching those who are assembling a puzzle -- in this case, the big picture of biochemistry.
In this digital age, it's very simple to shoot a movie on your cell phone and with two clicks--post it to the web. In fact, every minute of the day, a hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. It's a little more labor intensive for archivists at USC's Moving Images Research Collection who spend hours documenting and converting old film into a digital format, all in the name of preserving history.
Anna Hawkins thinks she will be terrified the first time she straps into the cockpit of a Navy plane, but she has a well documented history of not letting fear slow her down. A member of the University of South Carolina's Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, Hawkins has climbed Mount Fuji, parachuted out of an airplane and spent two months backpacking through Europe with her best friend. Hawkins is one of three graduating seniors to receive the university's highest undergraduate honor, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Reflecting on how experiences have enhanced her academic and leadership abilities have helped guide Caroline Hendricks on her undergraduate path. The senior will move on to medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina with the prestigious Steven N. Swanger award in hand.
The severe headache, the numbness in his side and the loss of balance were the start of Mark Cox's toughest battle. But the former military officer faced the challenge with the support of loved ones and the expertise of Julius Fridriksson, a leading stroke rehabilitation researcher.
Cassandra Staton credits her work with Dance Marathon and the University 101 peer mentoring program with her decision to pursue a career in educational psychology.
A few years ago Thomas Landzert decided to step up and become a leader, something he wasn't preparing to do as a sophomore. In May, he will be among the first crop of students to graduate with leadership distinction.
UofSC physics researcher was named S.C. Professor of the Year at a special State House ceremony April 23. He became the 10th professor at the Columbia campus to win the award.
Kristmar Muldrow grew up in an artistic household but here at the University of South Carolina, she's been able to discover what being an artist really means. Growing up with a graphic designer mother and an architect dad meant Muldrow, a junior studio art major, never had a shortage of art supplies. These days, though, she's using more digital skills to create her works.
Michelle Knight's 18-year journey to a college degree has redefined the life of this University of South Carolina employee and forever changed those she loved. Michelle admits that she didn't take her first attempt at college seriously. But after her children started school, she realized that education was the pathway to success. And she needed to set an example.
Geography professors contributed to the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Their participation gave the department the highest percentage of representation of any university department in the world.
When Skye Klink studies abroad in Prague this fall, she wants to be prepared. Having studied abroad in Spain last summer, she knows the ups and downs of settling into another culture. This semester Klink decided to prepare for her upcoming trip by enrolling in a for-credit self-defense class taught by professors Ed Carney and Shannon Henry from Surviving Assault and Standing Strong (SASS), a local self-defense organization for women.
It might seem like a flight of fantasy -- a car that could actually drive you to work (or your child to soccer practice) all by itself -- but the technology is being tested and its advent on roadways is all but inevitable. The question now is determining who will be blamed when a self-driving car causes an accident.
The university's new chief financial officer says her liberal arts degree taught her how to think, but her PMBA gave her the business skills that got her where she is today. Leslie Brunelli is one of thousands of graduates of the 40-year-old program designed to train professionals for the executive suite without interrupting their careers.
New student body President Lindsay Richardson wants to help the University of South Carolina grow and to create more services that can improve students' daily lives, such as an umbrella checkout program for those caught unprepared on a rainy day.
Researcher Robert Hock helps families cope with the stresses of raising a child with autism. Hock says treatment begins and ends with the family who will take care of the child long after therapy ends.
A chemistry show is a great way to reach K-12 students about science. Chemistry professor Linda Shimizu and University of South Carolina students put on a show that makes learning fun for kids of all ages.
A garden adjacent the Osborne Administration Building was dedicated in honor of the three students who integrated the university in 1963. The ceremony was part of the yearlong events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of desegregation.
Justin Dunham is always moving. A former high school athlete, he's conditioned to make quick turns, think on his feet and motivate. One minute he's in the front of the classroom, the next he's in the back. A few seconds later, he's tossing a football to a kid anxious to give an answer. Justin's Earth Science classes spin with energy, and the kids don't miss a beat.
Hundreds of University of South Carolina students volunteer to make our community a better place. They hope faculty and staff will also contribute financially to the United Way of the Midlands.
The glare from fluorescent lights and the squeak from chalk on a board are the sights and sounds most students experience, but some biology students are finding a classroom experience filled with bright sunlight and chirping birds.
Maranda Rosier fights to bring awareness to the issue of suicide. Her goal is to erase the negative stigma that comes along with it. This year's Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk is her first step.
It was hardly on her mind when Julian Greer arrived at South Carolina. But it has helped her polish her public speaking skills, expand her social circle, get to know professors outside of the classroom and chart her future. It has even put some spending money in her pocket.
Topiary artist Pearl Fryar has cultivated three young junipers to represent the three students who desegregated the University of South Carolina 50 years ago. The son of a North Carolina sharecropper, Fryar knows what it means to seek a better life. "If you had told me 50 years ago that one day I would be asked to do this sculpture, I would have thought I'd lost my mind. This is huge and shows how far we've come."
Call it the Best. Classroom. Ever. Basic Keelboat Sailing teaches students to safely skipper or crew a 25-foot boat on sheltered water in moderate weather. But they also learn how to captain a boat with a crew of their peers and that leadership experience goes with them into the real world.
Two professors - one a scientist, the other a social worker - help a small island community in Uganda find solutions to water quality issues.
The internal auditing department at the University of South Carolina has a new name, a new approach to how it does business and a new executive director to make it happen.
You could say Anthony Nyberg is a people person. He wants to know what makes them work and, maybe more importantly, what makes them quit. An associate professor of management in the Darla Moore School of Business, Nyberg earned his doctorate degree after working a decade in financial services, including starting and growing his own firm. During his time in the business world, he found his biggest issues had little to do with finance.
The architect for the new Darla Moore School of Business, Rafael Vinoly, was in town recently to tour the building as it nears completion. We caught up with Vinoly and talked about his vision for the building and how that is coming together.
Through her involvement with the UofSC Fashion Board, president Brittany Terry is devoted to celebrating and promoting the fashion industry. Fashion Week 2014 successfully began Monday, March 31, with a doggie fashion show and will end Thursday, April 3, with a finale fashion show.
Adam Glenn is a freshman chemical engineering major working with some of South Carolina's most valuable humanities artifacts, illuminated manuscripts from the 15th century. His Magellan Scholar research project combines scientific lab work with historical scholarship.
Jennifer Pournelle is using online crowdfunding to raise money to study polluted marshes in Iraq. With a new program offering a financial match from the Office of Research, attaining her goal will be quicker than going through traditional grant proposal methods.
Senior Andrea Eggleston wants to be a dentist, but not just one for the well-heeled. Working for three years with people who often can't afford dental care has opened her eyes to often-overlooked populations in the community, and public service is now the focus of her career.
Michael Gibbs Hill didn't get involved with community service as a college student. Mentoring local children was something he discovered when he came to the University of South Carolina in 2007 as a faculty member. Now, as a Big Brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Columbia, he thinks more Gamecocks should get involved.
Andrew Kovtun is spending his second semester abroad in Paris and has two international gigs lined up for this summer. He also is hoping to spend next year in Europe learning Czech, which may postpone his graduation from the University of South Carolina, where he is triple-majoring in international business, economics and marketing with minors in French and Russian.
Emily Learner wants to improve people's lives, whether it is helping children understand the importance of physical activity, helping discover a possible treatment for muscular dystrophy or helping society discard gender stereotypes. For all her work and commitment to service, Lerner has been named 2014's Outstanding Woman of the Year at the University of South Carolina.
The University of South Carolina has long been at the forefront in educating S.C.'s K-12 teachers and principals, so it's no surprise that some of the Palmetto State's best have a garnet-and-black lineage.
Ben Muldrow got his first taste of marketing and branding at Carolina when he was president of Carolina Productions, the student group that recruits speakers and entertainers to campus. He's now a marketing executive who has coached hundreds of towns across the country on how to put their best foot forward.
If you had known him several years ago, it might have been all too easy to picture Davontae Singleton becoming a high school dropout. But Singleton, an English and secondary education major and now an Honors College student, has thrived, not merely survived, in the college environment.
Few of us will ever scuba dive in the Dutch Caribbean, but there's almost no need to if you can spend a few moments gazing at Katie Boatman's paintings.
Corrin La Bella refuses to miss out on the diversity the University of South Carolina has to offer.. The sophomore is involved in all facets of Gamecock life. With a double major in global supply chain management and finance, and a minor in wellness studies, the aspiring lawyer insists of being active in her community.
Ronald Bradley thought his background in school counseling might be useful in wartorn Afghanistan and Iraq. He was right.
University of South Carolina alumnus and successful actor Mike Colter says he thinks people are born actors, but he admits, that doesn't guarantee success. "You study to free the talents you have," Colter says "But there's no one-plus-one-equals-two formula that creates a successful actor."
If you're under stress and need more exercise, Outdoor Recreation's bike shop has the cure. And it just might help address parking and air pollution problems, too. Whether you become a full-fledged bike commuter or opt to simply start riding a bike from one place on campus to another, the bike shop has your back. A team of student technicians there can provide free labor and advice to keep a bike tuned up.
Gearing up to run any distance with no support can be a daunting experience. Campus Wellness has the answer with a program that incorporates a goal, social media support and plans for runners of any level. So there's no reason not to go from zero to 5k.
Rubeyes is the brainchild of Joshua and Paul Norris, who have been working nonstop on their smart phone app in hopes that it will become a game-changer by improving the way people connect through social media.
Hayley Geis wants to make you smile. If she had her way, the freshman would have everyone on campus smiling. Something she wants to go viral on campus as she starts a Random Acts of Kindness organization.
Got your 1099? Your W-2? How about railroad benefits? Do you know on which line you report your scholarships or retirement income or how to determine your earned income eligibility? Luckily, we've got some pretty smart students for that. The University of South Carolina School of Law has provided free basic assistance with federal and state tax returns to folks through the Internal Revenue Service's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program for 23 years.
The concept of the American dream has changed over the years and poverty in America is more pervasive than many of us think. Social work professor Kirk Foster co-authored the new book "Chasing the American Dream," which explores the subject in the hope of sparking a new conversation about economic opportunity.
Standing up to stress helps prevent both depression and cardiovascular disease, ailments that face new lines of attack from the laboratory of Susan Wood, an assistant professor in the School of Medicine. Her research might engender ways to promote resilience to stress - in part by controlling signs of inflammation in the brain - and avoid the ailments that mismanaged stress can bring about.
For Anna Battiata, long-distance running is more than a passion. It's a sport that took her on a two-year journey of nonstop training and inspired the focus of her current graduate studies.
This spring break, while many students take a breather from classes, some Gamecocks will be getting hands-on health care experience, helping rural villagers and getting a taste for world travel. The service-learning trip to Belize promises to be a life-changing experience for the 24 students.
After participating in band clinic, Mann felt like "USC was a better fit." The School of Music staff helped him apply and get auditions in order, to make sure he called Columbia his new home come fall.
Courtney Wheeler rattles off the ingredients of a lightweight concrete mixture like someone reciting a treasured family recipe. She knows the amounts, what each ingredient does and why it works to create a structure light enough to float with four people in it, but sturdy enough to hold those people. An Air Force Reservist, Wheeler's know-how and leadership skills made her a natural captain for the College of Engineering and Computing's entry in this year's Concrete Canoe Competition.
The University of South Carolina's College of Education has launched a campaign to recruit more math and science teachers. Using a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation, the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education will use the funds to recruit, place and train teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics--commonly called "STEM" education. Keenan High School math teacher Anthony Myers is a graduate of the program, and gets an "A" from his students on how he runs his class.
Science fairs in the United States have a long and storied history, one that reflects trends and attitudes in the larger American culture. They also embody the spirit of childhood imagination and ingenuity. Graduate student Sarah Scripps' dissertation-in-progress, "Science Fairs before Sputnik," puts that history under the microscope.
What's a ceramics professor got to do with a TV show about pharaohs and sorcerers? OK, she's not actually in the show, but Virginia Scotchie and her former student, Bri Kinard, can take credit for some of the props when the TV drama "Hieroglyph" that premiers this fall.
For two hours every Tuesday, Gabriel Crawford is a jazz master, sharing his love of the genre with listeners on WUSC. He prepares for his weekly show - "Swing Swang Swung" - the way a professor prepares for class.
Nursing student Ben Thomas knew only that he wanted a degree from the University of South Carolina. What he charted out in his four years here is a unique path to becoming a physician that starts first with a nursing degree and includes a few years working as a critical care nurse.
Five public relations seniors take on the unique opportunity of researching, creating and implementing a corporate public relations campaign for a national client as part of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication's Bateman Team.
Taylor Dietrich discovered her love for Dance Marathon as a freshman. At first, it was just a booth during the annual Student Organization Fair, but an illness and hospital visit led Dietrich to see firsthand how important the University of South Carolina's student-run philanthropy event is to Palmetto Health Children's Hospital.
University of South Carolina history professors and students worked with members of Historic Columbia to shape the vision for the newly reopened Woodrow Wilson Family Home. Displays in the Columbia museum shine light on the 28th president's adolescence and offer insights into the pivotal era of Reconstruction.
Google, nitrogen dioxide, the Navajo Nation and graphene: For senior electrical engineering major Hani Gomez, they're all part of harnessing the laboratory to make the world a better place.
The title of psychology professor Steven Harrod's undergraduate course, Drug Use and Effects, tends to pique students' interest. What they encounter is a course that deals with complex neurochemistry and the ethical complexities of drug laws, treatment and enforcement.
Priyanka Juneja has always had a passion for women empowerment issues, and early this summer, she decided to channel that passion into something bigger -- a way to help people face-to-face. Her student organization, Girls for Tomorrow, hosts workshops for middle school girls.
During the week of Feb. 10, 2014, snow and ice closed the University of South Carolina. But employees from across the campus made personal sacrifices to ensure that our students were taken care of.
Looking for something new this year? Try group exercise classes at the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center. Ali Herlong, a junior advertising major with a minor in hotel, restaurant and tourism management, teaches Zumba at 8:30 a.m., Monday and Wednesday, and Bodypump at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday.
The President's Leadership Dialogue is in its third year and welcomes civil rights-era Freedom Rider Diane Nash for a conversation with USC President Harris Pastides. The president answered a few questions for us about the dialogue and what he hopes to see come from the event and the university's Leadership Initiative.
Alumnus George Kessler traveled to Urbino, Italy, on a study abroad program as an undergraduate and fell in love with all things Italian, from the language to the culture to the food. After a career in the restaurant and travel industries, Kessler and his wife, Monica, returned to Columbia two years ago to open Il Giorgione, an intimate restaurant specializing in the types of authentic Italian fare Kessler fell in love with 35 years ago as a student.
Senior Narong Phal has witnessed the same problem in two very different parts of the globe: buildings that can't stand up to rare but powerful natural events. He hopes his undergraduate research at USC can help bring safer structures to his native Cambodia, the U.S. and many nations in between.
Not just anyone can tend to hogs, chickens and goats in the morning and incorporate that experience into a classroom lecture later the same day. But Joe Jones, the new faculty principal of the Green Quad residence Hall, does it all the time.
At USC, the historic Horseshoe has been witness to the beginnings of many love stories. It's no surprise that some choose this special spot as the perfect place to get down on one knee.
Students in the College of HRSM often land cool jobs and internships across the country. But 20 students in the college are getting a closer look this semester at opportunities close to home: nonprofit performing arts and entertainment organizations in Columbia.
To commemorate 50 years since the desegregation of the University of South Carolina, the university has invited a panel of successful African-American alumni to discuss their experiences on campus and inspire the next generation.
When the American athletes parade through the Olympic village in Sochi, Russia, this week, you won't find any Gamecocks on the teams. Stephen Garbett hopes that won't be the case in 2018 in South Korea. The 2010 sport and entertainment management alumnus and skeleton competitor has been training day and night for the games since 2012.
More than 200 University of South Carolina alumni, staff, students and supporters met one-on-one with state lawmakers, asking them to support a tuition timeout.
Alumni Sam and John Drew have bonded over a mutual interest in astronomy their whole lives. Now, they are taking their hobby to the next level.
For many students, college is a time to make new friends, find a career path and discover interests and passions. It also can be a difficult time for managing money and staying financially stable. One out of three college students experience financial stress each year. But the University of South Carolina's Student Success Center helps Gamecocks keep that financial stress in check with its Financial Literacy Program.
Julie Morris had a difficult time when she pursued research as an undergraduate at Michigan State. But the lessons learned from the experience have added to her effectiveness as the director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, which is poised to award its 1,000th Magellan Scholar grant this semester.
As a life coach and psychologist, Lisabeth Saunders Medlock knows exactly what to say to people who have experienced life-changing trauma. Nearly four years ago, she began repeating those words to herself after a freak accident.
Henry Price has seen a lot of changes at the University of South Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communications. He has been a student, a graduate student, an alumnus, a faculty member and even an interim dean. This week, the school will celebrate a big milestone as it begins construction on its new, 21st century home. But Price, who retired in 2002 as a distinguished professor emeritus, has a lot to say about where the school has been.
USC ceramics students turn a class project into a work of art for all to enjoy. A collection of spherical sculptures in varying sizes has been erected on the McMaster Art College's front lawn, calling attention to the creative minds at work behind the brick walls.
Erin Derrick's seismology research in geologist Jim Knapp's laboratory is providing essential information for planning the emergency response to an earthquake near Charleston. If anything like the magnitude-7 temblor of 1886 strikes again, public safety officials need to take into account a fault line she has identified under Interstate 26, the major transportation artery in the area.
Peter Brews, the Darla Moore School of Business' new dean, plans to be 'all ears' in his first few weeks on the job, listening and assessing before announcing any new initiatives for the university's internationally ranked business school.
Alumnus and Free Times editor Dan Cook, media historian Kathy Roberts Forde and student journalist Austin Price discussed the future of print media for the debut installment of USC Times' new roundtable discussion, Meet & Three.
John Knox first set out to write his dissertation on British romantic literature. He didn't expect rare books and manuscripts in the University Libraries' collections to influence his studies. Then he came across USC Libraries' G. Ross Roy Collection of Scottish Literature, considered the largest collection outside the United Kingdom, while conducting research on narrative poems.
After-school programs have been tasked with providing children healthier snacks, but budgetary concerns can make that hard to do. Arnold School of Public health professor Michael Beets has stepped up with a plan that pairs such programs with local grocery stores to make healthier snacks more affordable.
Sophomore Charlotte Eckmann's summer of marine fieldwork is just one step along the way toward a career in marine science. From the bay scallop to marine bacteria, her research experiences are giving her what she needs to pursue a doctoral degree and establish a laboratory of her own.
Of all the threats afflicting children in South Carolina, one is more prevalent than diabetes, autism, sickle cell and even pediatric cancer. It is child abuse and neglect, and Olga Rosa has made it her mission to better identify and treat the thousands of little ones in South Carolina who become victims every year.
International Student Services director Jody Pritt helps students from around the world feel at home at South Carolina. She hopes their good experiences will bring even more international students here to study and learn more about the university, the state and the U.S. She calls it "person-to-person diplomacy."
Mike Vinson joined South Carolina this summer as the employee relations manager for the entire university system. His office handles many employee issues including monitoring the Employee Performance Management System, coordinating Employee Assistance Program services and mediating workplace disputes.
Brianna Cassidy enjoys taking on challenges in two fields that many see as worlds apart: science and art. And as a graduate student at South Carolina, she has found a way to contribute to both.
For 40 years, there's been one place on the University of South Carolina campus to get the big picture -- the Electron Microscopy Center.
Celebrating its 25th year of publication, USC Times is featuring in its January edition 25 faculty and staff members who joined the university in the past 25 years. USC Times writers asked the faculty and staff featured in "25 Arrive" about their impressions of the campus when they arrived, their accomplishments in the years since and any advice they might proffer to future faculty and staff.
Allan Bolin's first goal when he's on duty is to keep Carolina students, faculty and staff safe and secure. It's a goal he has been working toward since before he graduated from USC in 2010. As a patrol sergeant with the USC Police Department, Bolin and his team handle all incidents on campus - fire alarms, burglaries, auto break-ins.
A geography professor and a team of volunteers are taking the most comprehensive survey of champion trees in the Congaree National Park in nearly 20 years.
Heart failure affects more people than all cancers combined. Now a research program on cardiovascular biomarkers led by Francis Spinale is paving the way for personalized treatment of heart disease.
Starting Jan. 1, the Columbia campus is tobacco-free. That means all tobacco use is banned on all university property. Campus Wellness is offering students, faculty and staff a range of resources to quit smoking or manage tobacco cravings while on campus.
Health Sciences South Carolina, a consortium in which USC plays an integral role, is pioneering the use of S.C. health data to define best practices for a range of health conditions.