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
Matt McCord, ’95 music, is a onetime marching band trumpet player, a former Carolina drum major and a Gamecock football season ticket holder. He is also a father of three — and he’s determined to pass his outsized Carolina pride to the next generation.
January 06, 2025, Rebekah Friedman
Cathy Knox, ’72, entered the University of South Carolina as an English major in the honors program. When she changed her major to education, she sometimes felt that she missed out on key lessons her peers learned early on. And as she adjusted to her first teaching job at West Columbia’s Saluda River Elementary, she often wished she had someone to talk to.
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.
December 19, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
University of South Carolina graduate Monique Garvin, '19 knows how critically important her work is in combatting various forms of abuse in South Carolina’s communities and acutely recognizes the impact violence has on individuals.
December 18, 2024, Craig Brandhorst/Photo by Kim Truett
Sharita Sims may not live in New York, but as manager of the New York Public Library’s community wellness programs, she couldn’t be more committed to the city and its people.
December 18, 2024, Craig Brandhorst/Photo by Kim Truett
Chris Rosa is high energy. Talks fast, writes faster. As a senior editor at NBC Entertainment whose job is to drive web traffic with a steady diet of pop culture candy, he doesn’t have a choice. As a lifelong pop culture junkie, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
December 16, 2024, Craig Brandhorst / Photos by Kim Truett
At 39, Monica Wyche was a high school drama teacher in Blythewood, South Carolina. At 40, she was newly married, renting a garden apartment on 75th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, ready to take the acting world by storm.
December 11, 2024, Craig Brandhorst/Photos by Kim Truett
This fall, Clay Owen, ‘82, received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, the highest honor awarded by the University of South Carolina Alumni Association, for his work raising money for childhood cancer research. Owen was one of seven USC alumni honored during Homecoming.
December 10, 2024, Alexis Watts
David Foreman, a 1987 College of Pharmacy graduate, has built a career as The Herbal Pharmacist®, educating others on blending natural remedies with traditional medicine. His gratitude for the education that shaped him inspires him to give back and create new pathways for students.
December 06, 2024, Hadley McCollester
In South Carolina, 97 percent of newborn infants are screened for hearing ability — and 3.1 percent do not pass. At the Arnold School of Public Health, there’s a clinic that can help.
December 05, 2024, Collyn Taylor
James L. Solomon Jr., a trailblazer at USC and a distinguished civil servant, passed away at the age 94. He was one of three students who desegregated the university over 60 years ago.
November 26, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Charleston native Keith Heyward Jr. was a restless third-grader when he realized his career goal was to teach. He knew that young Black boys craved a teacher they could relate to. Today, the University of South Carolina alumnus teaches kindergarten at James Island Elementary School. He makes sure the youngsters who step into his classroom feel safe and empowered.
November 21, 2024, Collyn Taylor
Dawn Staley is no stranger to success with three national championships to her name, but one part of her legacy is the number of players now coaching the next generation of players.
November 20, 2024, Megan Sexton
As the December Class of 2024 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.
November 19, 2024, USC Social Team
With over 5,000 alumni in New York State, we celebrate this community in the style of "Humans of New York" — capturing the stories of 10 alumni across fields from technology to the arts, from basketball to pediatric care, each pursuing their dreams in the city that never sleeps.
November 18, 2024, Communications and Marketing
As we celebrate the Mighty Sound of the Southeast’s appearance at the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, let’s also take a moment to celebrate the greater Gamecock spirit. From Times Square Studios to the New York Public Library, from Bryant Park to Broadway, New York is Carolina country, and we’ve got the stories and pictures to prove it.
November 14, 2024, Chris Horn
Students rarely end up later in life teaching the same undergraduate course they took in college, but that’s what Heather Dreano and Lesley Smith are doing now, thanks to an assist from their former University of South Carolina professor.
November 12, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Long before she was traveling the world as senior director of business development and operations at CNN Sports, Amy Jordan was an Honors College student sending news releases around the world as a press intern for the late U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings. To date, Jordan has covered four different Olympic games, numerous Super Bowls, the U.S. Open and more.
November 12, 2024, Brandon Pugh
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded USC one of its largest-ever grants — $35 million — for the College of Education's GEAR UP SC program to help disadvantaged students overcome barriers to college and career opportunities.
November 11, 2024
More than a quarter of South Carolinians call a rural area home, but these populations have a higher incidence of medical emergencies and are at greater risk of death because of barriers to access to timely medical care. USC researchers and alumni are working to change that, both for the state’s communities and at the national level.
November 08, 2024, Craig Brandhorst/Photos by Kim Truett
This spring, actor Stan Brown made his Broadway debut at the age of 61. The theatre double alumnus, ’84, ’89 MFA, calls the role as Camel in the musical ‘Water for Elephants’ “a dream deferred,” but it’s not as if he has been waiting in the wings all these years. The Great White Way is just the latest chapter in a long and gratifying career.
November 08, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
University of South Carolina alumnus Robert Chambers LeHeup is a Marine Corps infantry veteran with two combat tours under his belt when he left the service in 2004. In 2012, he founded Bullets and Bandaids to heal and support vets through storytelling and artwork.
November 08, 2024, Craig Brandhorst/Photos by Kim Truett
You’ve seen Eva Pilgrim in the co-host seat on ‘Good Morning America’ and ‘GMA3,’ but the broadcast journalism alumna has a rich life beyond TV. And while she’s been living, working and enjoying her career in New York City for nearly a decade, she remains true to her South Carolina roots. In fact, they’re a big part of her success.
November 08, 2024, Craig Brandhorst/Photos by Kim Truett
As division president for London Times, a subsidiary of dressmaker Maggy London, Sara Bako is living two of her biggest dreams at once: She and her family live in New York City, and she works in the retail industry. But the ’04 retail management graduate is far from finished.
November 04, 2024, Collyn Taylor
Shaq Wilson always dreamed about being in the NFL, so much so he worked in ever department possible before landing a dream job with the New York Jets.
October 23, 2024, Craig Brandhorst
The first in his family to attend college, Bill Bloking’s engineering degree prepared him for careers at Exxon and BHP — and for boardrooms around the globe. His William F. Bloking First-Generation Scholars Fund will support Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing students and programs.
October 23, 2024, Dan Cook
Retired physician Eddie Floyd, the longest-serving member of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, has resigned. A former heart surgeon and chairman of the board from 1992 to 1996, Floyd earned a bachelor’s degree in business from USC in 1956, and he had served on the USC board since 1982.
October 18, 2024, Communications and Marketing
There is also no doubt that nurses — an integral part of the nation's health care system — are in short supply. From opening a new building at Lexington Medical Center to being the home of the top-ranked online graduate program in nursing education, the University of South Carolina College of Nursing is committed to addressing the need.
October 17, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Deflection), a partnership between the West Columbia Police Department and the S.C. Department of Mental Health, is a community-based alternative to prosecution. Developed and staffed by two College of Social Work alumni, the program offers deflection and resources to people accused of nonviolent low-level offenses whose behavior stems from substance use, mental health challenges or poverty.
October 17, 2024, Collyn Taylor
Former South Carolina offensive lineman Lemuel Jeanpierre reflects on the move that changed his career and how it turned him into an NFL coach.
October 11, 2024, Carol E. Harrison
At the current Vatican synod, whose purpose is to address “communion, participation, and mission” in the church, women’s role is on the agenda. History professor Carol Harrison writes for The Conversation on how Catholic women have historically found ways to speak to and about their church leadership, even when they have been excluded from its proceedings.
October 10, 2024, Collyn Taylor
Former Gamecocks offensive lineman falls back on his time at USC to help him as an NFL coach.
October 07, 2024, Cary Mock
Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more. Its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast. Geography professor Cary Mock writes about the hurricane for The Conversation.
September 25, 2024, Carol J. G. Ward
As the USC School of Music celebrates its centennial, the revitalized, internationally recognized jazz program Dean Tayloe Harding envisioned more than a decade ago has become a reality.
September 25, 2024, Communications and Marketing
USC's Alumni Association announced its 2024 award recipients, seven alumni who will be honored during Homecoming Weekend.
September 10, 2024, Craig Brandhorst
Civil engineering graduate Deepal Eliatamby left Sri Lanka to find opportunity and freedom. He found it at USC and is now paying it forward.
September 10, 2024, Chris Horn
Anna Hoppmann is a pediatric oncologist with Prisma Health and a clinical assistant professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia where she graduated nine years ago. She also chairs the S.C. Childhood Cancer Taskforce, which recently released a 25-year trend report on childhood cancer incidence, survival and mortality in South Carolina.
September 04, 2024, Craig Brandhorst / photos by Kim Truett
Attorney Joe Rice capped an illustrious career last fall with a record gift to the law school that bears his name, but the self-styled cowboy is hardly ready to ride into the sunset.
September 04, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
The Centennial Celebration Concert joins more than 500 student musicians in the first of a series of events showcasing School of Music programs, students and faculty.
September 04, 2024, Rebekah Friedman / photos by Kim Truett
The Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing is named after a family, not a single person. Brothers Alex, Carl and Ray Molinaroli showed us why.
August 28, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Soon all of us will experience an arts immersion like no other — autumn. We will marvel at breathtaking color — yellows, russets, reds and browns — brilliantly lighting up the landscape. The University of South Carolina similarly offers a wide spectrum of arts experiences to ignite your imagination this fall. Here is a sampling.
August 26, 2024
The Columbia Fireflies will be celebrating University of South Carolina Night at their game against the Charleston RiverDogs on Thursday, September 5 at Segra Park.
August 23, 2024, Gregory Hardy
As Betty Wilson begins this fall as an assistant professor at the College of Social Work, she sees it as a return to her community. The research interests of the two-time USC graduate and South Carolina native cover community-police relations, criminal justice reform, historical and racial trauma, and family and community resilience.
August 15, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
Thanks to the Washington Media Scholars Foundation, students pursuing careers in media and policy have a little less to worry about and a lot more within their reach. Founded by University of South Carolina alumnus Robin Roberts in 2009, the foundation supports undergraduates from USC and other institutions around the country through two very specific initiatives.
August 15, 2024, Craig Brandhorst
When Carolinian magazine was looking for a scenic Low Country location for an interview and photo session with University of South Carolina alumnus and donor Alex Molinaroli and his brothers for the fall 2024 issue, Bowens Island was top of the list.
July 24, 2024, Page Ivey
Kitty Sutton began her professional life as an attorney and thinks the lawyerly ability to hear a person’s story without passing judgment is part of what makes her successful as a University 101 instructor. In fact, her students were so impressed with Sutton’s skills that she is the 2024 recipient of the M. Stuart Hunter Award for Outstanding Teaching in University 101.
July 17, 2024, Allen Wallace
At 22 years old, just a few weeks after graduating from the University of South Carolina, Caroline Salisbury is leading a team of more than 350 people at the world’s most famous resort.
July 11, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
A team at the University of South Carolina College of Social Work has developed a series of online training sessions to combat health worker burnout.
June 28, 2024, Valerie Weingart
Emma Jackson, who earned her degree from USC in marine science, is pursuing her passion for elasmobranchs: the family that includes sharks, rays and sawfish.
June 26, 2024, Téa Smith
Tamiko Fletcher, computer engineering ’02, didn’t know when she started interning at NASA in 1999 that she’d still be there nearly 25 years later. Now, she's the chief information security officer at John F. Kennedy Space Center and works to to minimize cybersecurity threats to NASA’s ground systems.
June 06, 2024, Gregory Hardy
The University of South Carolina College of Engineering and Computing has a new name that reflects the vision and generosity of generations of the Molinaroli family. The official name, the University of South Carolina Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, was announced on Thursday (June 6) during a signage unveiling ceremony at the college’s Swearingen Engineering Center on Main Street.
May 31, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
Co-founded by 2014 University of South Carolina graduate Kelsey Sawyer Carter, Camp Cole is named after her brother, Cole Sawyer, who died in 2004 at age 11. The fully accessible facilities offer fun and hope to campers facing challenges.
May 29, 2024, Kathryn McPhail
Honors College alumna Kimberly Rogers recently completed her first year as a college president — an impressive achievement for anyone, especially a first-generation university graduate. She took the first steps on that path in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where she discovered a passion that would lead her far.
May 28, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
Law school alumnus Joe Rice’s work ethic and tenacity sets an example for representing clients, while colleagues and staff say his commitment to inclusion and mentoring is a model for empowering employees.
May 22, 2024, Kathryn McPhail
Honors College alumna Kayla Gardner’s passion for protecting the ocean and teaching others to do the same led her to pursue a career in marine science. Unlike many young people who are drawn to dolphins, turtles or sharks, much smaller creatures sparked Gardner’s interest.
May 22, 2024, Page Ivey
Janine Davidson was impressive when she arrived at the University of South Carolina in 1998, having spent a decade in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft commander and senior pilot. After USC, she became even more impressive.
May 21, 2024, Page Ivey
Historic preservation consultant Janie Campbell, 2016 public history, has made a career of going into opportunities with low expectations and coming out of them realizing they were exactly what she needed at the time.
May 17, 2024, Megan Sexton
Gamecock history is rich with standout student-athletes. A select few have taken it to the next level.
May 16, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
Van Robotics founder Laura Boccanfuso has a vision for improving education, one dancing, smiling, fist-bumping robot at a time.
May 15, 2024, story by Craig Brandhorst | photos by Kim Truett
Study abroad can change a student’s life. For Bierkeller founder Scott Burgess, it led to a dream come true.
May 15, 2024, Megan Sexton
Dawn Pilotti, a long-time mathematics teacher and online doctoral student in USC’s College of Education, brought her sixth-grade students with learning differences from Tennessee to Columbia this spring to demonstrate their improved math skills.
May 15, 2024, Craig Brandhorst | photos by Kim Truett
The University of South Carolina is consistently recognized for having one of the top first-year experiences in the country. Carolinian asked nine random freshmen to share their perspectives on life at USC.
May 14, 2024, Thom Harman
Maybe you were shouting from the stands in Cleveland as Dawn Staley’s remarkable women’s basketball team brought home the third national championship in program history. Maybe you were among the 24 million viewers watching on TV as they turned a so-called rebuilding year into an undefeated season and rings all around. Maybe you were even out there in the Thomas Cooper reflecting pool with several hundred other ecstatic Gamecocks, making a splash all your own.
May 09, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Josh Dawsey, a 2012 University of South Carolina journalism graduate, added a second quill to his Pulitzer cap when he and his Washington Post colleagues received the 2024 national reporting prize for a series of articles exploring America’s gun history and culture.
May 08, 2024, Téa Smith
Kellie Martin thought once she completed her international studies degree, she’d become a foreign service officer, but that never happened. During her studies, she developed an interest in wine and that changed the trajectory of her career. Now, she teaches people the ins and outs of wine as the owner and chief sommelier of the Colorado-based SommSchool.
April 25, 2024, Megan Sexton
As the Class of 2024 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 25, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
In a nation fragmented by racial, ethnic, political and socioeconomic divides, libraries are among the few institutions Americans still have confidence in. Graduates of USC’s master’s of information and library science program are serving libraries across the nation.
April 19, 2024, Page Ivey
USC alumnus Stephen Panus has written an inspirational book about surviving the loss of his teenage son Jake. Panus, who also established a scholarship for football walk-ons to honor the memory of his son, will be in town to talk about his book "Walk On."
April 19, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
The University of South Carolina unveiled a monument honoring the first Black students admitted since Reconstruction — Robert Anderson, Henrie Monteith Treadwell and James Solomon Jr. — whose enrollment six decades ago changed the course of university history.
April 05, 2024, Megan Sexton
The gold standard in string music education is marking its golden anniversary this year. For the past 50 years, the University of South Carolina String Project has been the national model in a program that combines music lessons with community service and teacher education.
March 25, 2024, Communications and Marketing
The early technological and social connections Aaron LaBerge made at USC as an electrical and computer engineering student helped drive a tech career that ultimately led him to a sports Emmy and the C-suite at The Walt Disney Company.
March 22, 2024, Alexis Watts and Michaela Taylor
Alumni, students and supporters united to make a difference during Give 4 Garnet for 1 day, 8 hours, and 01 minute. Thanks to the generosity of the USC community, Give 4 Garnet broke records reporting a preliminary $1.5 Million raised.
March 11, 2024, Communications and Marketing
If you studied at the University of South Carolina and are now living and working in the Upstate, you might sometimes feel like you’re alone as a Gamecock. But the truth is that the Greenville area is home to more than 28,000 USC alumni — making it the top destination for graduates after Columbia. We spoke with several alumni who are making an impact in Greenville.
March 06, 2024, Page Ivey
Growing up in the foster care system in Florida, Naida Rutherford found herself homeless with few prospects just two days after graduating from high school. But the faith of a classmate’s parents and her own determination to get a degree ultimately led her to a career in nursing. In 2020, Rutherford became the first woman, the first person of color and the first person with a medical background to be elected Richland County coroner.
March 01, 2024, Tisha Felder
Public health and nursing researchers Tisha Felder and Joynelle Jackson write for The Conversation about the benefits of breastfeeding.
February 28, 2024, Téa Smith
Nicole Neely, music education ’05, turned her passion for music into a successful career in the music industry working with some of the biggest names in music — like Ms. Lauryn Hill, with whom she recently toured.
February 27, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
Since graduating from medical school, former student body president turned OB-GYN Ross Lordo has been making meaningful connections with patients in Greenville.
February 26, 2024, Page Ivey
Brian and Nicole Cendrowski spent more than a decade dreaming of opening their own brewery before settling on a plan and a location. Their Fireforge Brewery & Taproom in downtown Greenville weathered the pandemic and is now a thriving member of the Upstate community they call home.
February 23, 2024, Megan Sexton
Working as the director of philanthropy with the United Way of Greenville County and founder of the nonprofit organization LatinosUnited, Elvia M. Pacheco has come full circle — giving back to the community that helped mold her.
February 22, 2024, Emily Prillaman
After leaving her mark as a student reporter and editor at The Daily Gamecock, Jackie Alexander, 2009 journalism, has carved an impressive career, first at newspapers and now as director of University of Alabama at Birmingham Student Media. Alexander is currently serving as president of the College Media Association — the first woman of color elected to that role.
February 21, 2024, Page Ivey
As a Gamecock, Michael Roth made some significant pitches from the mound and helped lead South Carolina to three World Series title games. Today, the 34-year-old graduate of the Darla Moore School of Business is making pitches of a different sort — finding and closing real estate deals for himself and his clients while at NAI Earle Furman in Greenville.
February 21, 2024, Victoria Nelson
Having been first-generation college students themselves, Dr. Malcolm and Sandra Edwards understand the struggle firsthand. Now, they've established a full-ride student scholarship at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, the institution that helped them land the opportunities that have enabled them to give back.
February 21, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
Building and understanding community has motivated Jackie Whitmore since he was captivated by his grandmother’s family stories during his childhood in Columbia, South Carolina. It led him to a career in social work and fueled a passion for African American history in his home state.
February 20, 2024, Téa Smith
Edward Anderson’s lifelong love for education lead him to working within the school system, but now he works to improve the school system from the outside as the executive director of OnTrack Greenville at United Way of Greenville County.
February 15, 2024, Victoria Nelson
After earning an undergraduate degree in business administration from the College of Charleston, Columbia native Jeff Kososki took advantage of his proximity to USC by enrolling in several accounting classes needed to earn his CPA designation. His love for the Gamecocks, and the community, never stopped. Now his family is honoring his legacy with the Jeff Kososki Endowed Scholarship Fund, which provides financial aid to accounting majors in the Darla Moore School of Business who are working toward their CPA certifications.
February 09, 2024, Téa Smith
After earning her advertising degree in 2008, Amber Guyton never imagined she would be using it to help her run an interior design business, but she’s done just that. Now she owns and operates the Atlanta-based, Blessed Little Bungalow.
February 09, 2024, Communications and Marketing staff
On Tuesday, Feb. 13, alumni and advocates of the University of South Carolina will come together for Carolina Day. The annual event is a chance for Gamecocks near and far to show their love for the university as well as the importance of USC in improving the lives of every S.C. resident.
February 02, 2024, Maddie Lee and Emily Prillaman
We’re counting down the minutes until the big game when the San Francisco 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 11. Football fan or not, here’s everything you need to know.
January 25, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
Former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley will join the faculty of the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law on March 1.
January 22, 2024, Craig Brandhorst
In March 2023, University of South Carolina alumnus Leroy Chapman Jr. made headlines — as the first person of color to be named editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It was a big deal for the 155-year-old paper, for the city of Atlanta and for journalism in general. It was also a big deal for Chapman’s alma mater, which recognized his professional achievements with the 2023 College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Award.
January 17, 2024, Craig Brandhorst
Attorney Joe Rice is one of the most respected plaintiff’s attorneys in the country. The cofounder of the Charleston-based Motley Rice law firm has secured hundreds of billions of dollars for clients, taking on Goliath-sized opponents like Big Tobacco and the financiers of 9/11.
January 17, 2024, Craig Brandhorst
MapQuest co-founder Chris Heivly has a history of helping early stage entrepreneurs. Now, he’s lending his expertise to a Columbia nonprofit aiming to boost the city’s tech sector.
January 12, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
Since being named Miss South Carolina last June, School of Journalism and Mass Communications alumna Jada Samuel has been on a mission to promote high self-esteem and positive body image for girls across the Palmetto State.
January 11, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
After losing her mother to Alzheimer’s, journalist and TV personality Leeza Gibbons devoted her second act to helping caregivers through Leeza’s Care Connection.