June 23, 2025, Bryan Gentry
Two epic TV shows, 'Sandman' and the 'Foundation,' are streaming again this summer with the help of the writing talents of Greg Goetz, a 2011 graduate of the University of South Carolina.
June 18, 2025, Page Ivey
Tom Gressette, '97 law, led an effort as president of the South Carolina Bar Foundation to increase the impact of grants given to legal resource organizations. Finding ways to help people was a lesson he learned growing up that was reinforced by his law school education.
June 09, 2025, Page Ivey
Luke Hodges says he found the arts community he was looking for when he transferred into USC's English and Honors programs more than 10 years ago. Looking back, the writer and documentary filmmaker says he there was an "insane smorgasbord of opportunities" at USC.
June 05, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Betsy Gray ('77 law) followed the fearless example of childhood neighbor Jean Toal ('68 law) and others in her decades-long legal career. Today, the highly accomplished founding member of Robinson Gray law firm reflects on change, peer support and the opportunity in daily challenges.
May 30, 2025, Megan Sexton
The roots of Adm. Jacob Shuford’s 35-year U.S. Navy career — which took him to top postings all over the world — were planted and nurtured in the honors program at the University of South Carolina.
May 28, 2025, Communications and marketing
From creating social mobility by supporting first-generation students to providing resources for community members who need them most, the University of South Carolina is dedicated to strengthening our state and improving the lives of its residents. It’s work that goes beyond the college campus and extends into every corner of South Carolina.
May 16, 2025, Catherine Pruitt
Serving as student body president can be a transformative role not only for the university, but also for the individual. We spoke with four former student body presidents to discuss their experiences and how their time at USC aided them in their professional lives.
May 12, 2025, Laura Erskine
USC alumnus David Prim has dedicated his career to fighting cardiovascular diseases — first as a researcher and now as a venture capitalist. He works for Broadview Ventures in Boston, helping the organization identify and invest in promising new technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
May 12, 2025, Craig Brandhorst
USC’s impact on health care is improving lives throughout the Palmetto State, but our graduates take their knowledge around the world. For School of Medicine Columbia graduate Katy Close, that has meant treating patients in underserved communities from El Salvador to Haiti to Liberia.
May 07, 2025, Megan Sexton
It’s not hard to understand why Brandi Revels loves her job as a researcher aboard the expedition ship Viking Polaris. The sense of awe — for our world, for our planet — drew her to science. Her love of adventure took her from West Columbia, South Carolina, to the far ends of the Earth. Revels, who earned her master’s in marine chemistry from the University of South Carolina in 2013, now lives in Zurich, Switzerland — when she’s not spending months at sea as the chief scientist aboard the Viking Polaris.
May 02, 2025, Craig Brandhorst / photo by Kim Truett
Rick Layman studied under English professor, publisher and F. Scott Fitzgerald collector Matthew J. Bruccoli and later became Bruccoli’s business partner. Like his mentor, Layman also became a collector — in his case of Dashiell Hammett. And both men’s collections are now housed in USC’s Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.
May 02, 2025, Rebekah Friedman / photos by Kim Truett
From obstetricians and nurses to social workers and psychiatrists, University of South Carolina graduates are especially needed in rural areas, where more than a quarter of the state’s residents live. And the impact isn’t only felt by the patient; it’s also felt by the communities themselves. Carolinian visited several alumni whose small-town efforts are having a big impact. These proud health care workers showed us the meaning of dedication and their commitment to the people and communities they serve.
April 29, 2025, Laura Erskine
For more than 50 years, USC has made an undergraduate education more attainable through TRIO programs. The foundation of these opportunities is the Pell Grant. Here, USC alumni share how the Pell Grant opened the door for them to achieve their dreams of earning their degrees and attaining fulfilling, impactful careers.
April 29, 2025, Craig Brandhorst / photos by Kim Truett
Between her jersey retirement and a Nike shoe hitting stores, three-time WNBA All-Star A’Ja Wilson is enjoying a banner year.
April 28, 2025, Megan Sexton
As the Class of 2025 prepares to walk across the commencement stage, graduates leave the University of South Carolina with memories of enduring friendships, newfound passions, supportive mentors and life-changing experiences.
April 22, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
The University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences has a new name honoring the vision and generosity of a prominent alumnus and his family. The official name, the University of South Carolina McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, was announced on Wednesday (April 23) during a ceremony on USC's Horseshoe.
April 17, 2025, Laura Erskine
USC’s student government has two graduating seniors who have been accepted to Harvard Law School, one of the nation’s top programs. The students credit their time in student government, along with the excellent training they received both in the classroom and beyond, with helping them reach their goals.
April 14, 2025, Craig Brandhorst / photos by Kim Truett
Between her jersey retirement and a Nike shoe hitting stores, three-time WNBA All-Star A’Ja Wilson is enjoying a banner year.
April 01, 2025, Brandon Pugh
The Koger Center, USC School of Music professor Gail Barnes and USC School of Visual Arts and Design alumnus Wade Sellers have been named winners of the 2025 Governor’s Awards for the Arts by the South Carolina Arts Commission, recognizing exceptional practice or support of contemporary and traditional art forms.
March 27, 2025, Alexis Watts and Michaela Taylor
Thanks to the generosity of the USC community, Give 4 Garnet reports a preliminary total of nearly $1.5 million and counting raised from 7,942 donors, showcasing the collective power of giving back.
March 18, 2025, Megan Sexton
For USC alumna Caroline Fermin, the decision to join the Marines at a time when only 2 percent of the officer corps were women led to a successful 25 years in the military with high-level global postings and numerous medals for meritorious service. She followed her military service with a thriving second career in public service, now as the director of Veterans Affairs for Beaufort County.
March 11, 2025, Alexis Watts
First-generation, low-income students frequently face the difficult choice between earning a paycheck and advancing their careers. The University of South Carolina Press Internship Program is changing this narrative through a paid stipend initiative so that no student misses out on a valuable internship experience because of financial constraints.
February 26, 2025, Carol J.G. Ward
Renee Shaw’s journey is a testament to courage and perseverance. Now a social worker, she draws from her own experiences with homelessness and hardship to uplift others and to make a meaningful impact in her community.
February 21, 2025, Gregory Hardy
The University of South Carolina broke ground on a facility that will redefine the future of health care education and research during a ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the site of its new School of Medicine Columbia. This cutting-edge, 300,000-square-foot-plus medical education and research facility will be part of USC’s transformative $300 million Health Sciences Campus, amid 16 acres in Columbia’s reimagined BullStreet District.
February 17, 2025, Lawson Estridge
A 12-foot bronze statue in front of McKissick Museum on the historic Horseshoe was inspired by a photo taken Sept. 11, 1963, when three African American students exited the Osborne Administration Building after enrolling at the University of South Carolina. We take a look behind the scenes of the creation of the monument dedicated to those brave pioneers who led the desegregation of USC.
February 12, 2025, Megan Sexton
The Future Leaders in Medicine, a student organization at the USC School of Medicine Columbia, has teamed with Curing Kids Cancer to raise awareness – and funds— for the fight against childhood cancer.
February 07, 2025, Page Ivey
Sumner Bender credits a movie with inspiring her first true career choice. It seems only fitting, then, that the 2007 public relations graduate now leads Columbia’s art house cinema, The Nickelodeon Theatre. Her journey from PR to nonprofit executive has woven through Columbia’s arts scene for most of her adult life.
January 21, 2025, Megan Sexton
For the fifth straight year, USC's College of Nursing is ranked No. 1 in the country for its online master’s in nursing program, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual online program rankings released Tuesday (Jan. 21).
January 16, 2025, Megan Sexton
University of South Carolina alumnus and Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corporal (retired) Kyle Carpenter will be recognized during Monday’s national championship college football game.
January 16, 2025, Video by Hadley McCollester. Intro text by Laura Erskine.
From communities in the Southeast submerged by floodwaters to neighborhoods on the California coast battling raging wildfires, natural disasters are on the rise. Hear from geographer Susan Cutter, Carolina Distinguished Professor, and alumni working in emergency management across the state and nation about how tools like the Social Vulnerability Index can lead to better outcomes for the future.
January 15, 2025, Anna Francis
Natasha Hastings came to the University of South Carolina with dreams of excelling as an athlete. Although her talent eventually would propel her to an NCAA championship, multiple world championships and two Olympic gold medals, her initial start on the Gamecock track and field team was less than stellar. Her body was sound, but she had psychological demons to slay.
January 14, 2025, Rebekah Friedman
The University of South Carolina wasn’t on Dave Bollinger’s radar until his daughter, Ruth, enrolled in CarolinaLIFE. Now both Bollingers are giving back to support the next generation of USC students with intellectual disabilities.
January 13, 2025, Page Ivey
The University of South Carolina has recognized students, faculty and staff members for their work on campus and in the larger community with 2025 Social Justice Awards.
January 10, 2025, Megan Sexton/Photo by Kim Truett
A first-generation college student at USC, James Bennett now strengthens community engagement as executive director of external affairs at First Citizens Bank.
January 06, 2025, Craig Brandhorst
Onetime marching band trumpet player, former drum major and Gamecock football season ticket holder Matt McCord, ’95, is committed to supporting the Carolina Band and future music majors. He’s also a father of three — and he’s determined to pass along his outsized Carolina pride.
January 06, 2025, Rebekah Friedman
When Cathy Knox, ’72, started her career as an elementary school teacher, her principal played a critical role as a mentor. Now retired, she is helping the next generation of educators get the coaching and support they need by supporting the Carolina Teacher Induction Program.
January 03, 2025, Thom Harman / photos by Kim Truett
Garrison Gist played fullback for the Gamecocks. Now the School of Visual Art and Design graduate is scoring big as a muralist and painter.