October 16, 2026, Rebekah Friedman
Ghostly lore and historic places go hand in hand. And with a history that dates back to 1801, USC has spooky stories aplenty. In search of Halloween hair-raisers, we asked the USC community to share their scariest campus paranormal encounters.
October 15, 2026, Téa Smith
Fostering a comfortable environment for students to participate in discussions and engage with the sensitive topics like hate crimes and sexual violence is paramount to Sarah Rogers’ teaching philosophy. Her student-centered approach was shaped by her experience as a first-generation college student and is informed by the concept of intersectionality and a feminist pedagogy. For her work in the classroom, Rogers has earned a Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation.
October 15, 2026, Thad H. Westbrook
Thad Westbrook, chair of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees, writes a newspaper opinion article on why higher education is essential to America's next 250 years.
October 14, 2026, Megan Sexton
Transfer students find their way to the University of South Carolina in all sorts of ways. But regardless of how they get here, their numbers are steadily growing. Approximately 1,680 transfer students started classes this fall on the Columbia campus, an increase of 28 percent since the fall 2022 cohort. Meet three transfer students who have found their path at USC.
October 13, 2026, Nikki R. Wooten
Students from military families have specific experiences and needs that require support from their schools. Nikki R. Wooten, an associate professor of social work, writes for The Conversation about how some educators may not understand the experiences of military children and the challenges of military life.
October 12, 2026, Kristine Hartvigsen
Billboard Magazine on Oct. 6 named USC’s Music Industry Studies Program among the very best in the world. MIS Program students and alumni reflect on their compelling experiences and the immersive opportunities that helped fine-tune the music careers they ultimately would pursue.
October 12, 2026, Laura Erskine
Each year, the Education Abroad Office coordinates thousands of travel experiences for USC students, from short trips to full-term exchange programs. As peer mentors, seniors Kelcie Pollinger and Isaiah Smalls meet with students to answer their questions. Here, Pollinger and Smalls share some of their key insights — and why studying abroad is a can’t-miss opportunity.
October 09, 2026, Sophya Garashchuk
Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger developed the wave equation that allowed him to calculate the probability that a particle exhibited a certain property from its wave functions. Even though the human eye can’t parse what’s happening at the quantum scale, the way particles behave influences how you experience the world. Sophya Garashchuk, associate chair and professor of chemistry and biochemistry, writes for The Conversation about how scientists are leveraging Schrodinger's theory at the quantum level.
October 09, 2026, Marketing and Communications
Each year, USC celebrates exemplary alumni and friends with awards bestowed by the Alumni Association. Honorees include Walter Edgar, winner of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, and E. Scott Moïse, winner of the biannual Bethea Volunteer Service Award. All seven award winners reflect the values that define the Gamecock community: service, integrity, character and leadership.
October 09, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
To address the healthcare needs of South Carolinians, USC hosted its inaugural Brain Health Symposium, where national experts gathered to discuss research and medical innovations.
October 06, 2026, Evan Faulkenbury
Halloween is just around the corner, so it’s time to dust off the tales of mysterious apparitions and other fantastic phenomena that purportedly have haunted the campus in yesteryear.
October 05, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
For alumnae Laura Ashley Thomas and Aisha Haynes, support they received at USC inspired a commitment to open doors for the next generation of students.
October 02, 2026, Hannah Magner
In a world where political discussion can quickly turn unhealthy, students at USC are working to create a space with healthy, student-centered discourse.
October 02, 2026, Téa Smith
Alden Zerkle turned a childhood love of the ocean into a path toward her dream career as a wildlife documentary filmmaker.
September 29, 2026, Rebekah Friedman and Craig Brandhorst
USC has been home to countless highly successful women since the university opened its doors to them in the 1890s. These seven changed the institution from within.
September 29, 2026, Marketing and Communications
Agreement will explore opportunities to build the nuclear workforce needed to support fleet deployment of AP1000® reactors in the U.S. through USC’s planned Nuclear Innovation Center.
September 28, 2026, Megan Sexton
As the senior talent relations and events manager for the Disney Company, alumna Morgan Epperson introduces television casts from the U.S. to markets in the UK and across Europe.
September 28, 2026, Chris Horn
A trip to the Middle East set Ken Perkins on the road to a career as a historian and teacher
September 25, 2026, Téa Smith
If you ask sophomore marketing major Grant Hunter what the best way to get involved on campus is, he will tell you to just step out of your dorm and be open to whatever opportunity comes your way. That attitude has led the third-generation Gamecock to do things he’d never considered — like cheerleading.
September 24, 2026, Craig Brandhorst
Wormy greens, raw meat and silverware tossed down a well: Students had plenty to complain about at dinner in the early days of South Carolina College.
September 24, 2026, Laura Erskine
USC’s Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Science is a natural wonder. It’s also a frontline lab in the fight against environmental plastics.
September 24, 2026, Andy Shain
The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees met Thursday (Sept. 24), and trustees met two new deans and amended the campuswide Open AI contract.
September 24, 2026, Thom Harman
Danny Dorsel stayed in state for college and came back for his career. As president of the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, he helps others chart their own course. And now, a new scholarship at USC offers GSSM students a better opportunity to continue their studies in Columbia.
September 23, 2026, Craig Brandhorst
USC's longest-serving board member, Eddie Floyd, passed in 2026. He and his wife’s posthumous gift to the newly rechristened Kay and C. Edward Floyd M.D. School of Medicine heralds a new chapter at USC.
September 23, 2026, Chris Horn
The same year USC’s School of Education acquired its own building (1932), it also started a high school, primarily as a place for secondary education students to do their practice teaching. University High School operated on the Carolina campus for nearly 35 years and generated a wealth of fond memories.
September 22, 2026, Delaney Freistuhler
The University of South Carolina continues its ranking as one the No. 1 public institution for first-year experience and as one of the best business schools in the nation with a top-ranked international business undergraduate program, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings.
September 22, 2026, Craig Brandhorst
Makeshift infirmaries, dubious remedies and one overwhelmed doctor reveal how much campus medicine has changed since the 1880s.
September 21, 2026, Bryan Gentry
For most people, the exciting part of peering through a telescope is what you see — the Moon’s craters, Saturn’s rings or distant star clusters. Thanks to a telescope that scans the sky with the eyes of a dragonfly, astronomy professor Mehrnoosh Tahani is excited about something less obvious: polarized light.
September 21, 2026, Dan Cook
A one-of-a-kind database and specialized testing are making USC a destination for an emerging nuclear technology.
September 18, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
A middle school experience changed Sam Livoti’s life. Now the Anne Frank Center staff member is helping young people nationwide find their voices.
September 17, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
While campus sleeps, USC employees work behind the scenes to keep it safe, clean, stocked and ready for the day ahead. From police officers and custodial crews to bakers, shuttle staff, postal workers and locksmiths, their overnight and early-morning efforts support thousands of Gamecocks each day.
September 17, 2026, Thom Harman
Professor of mathematics Wei-Kai Lai accepted a teaching position at USC Salkehatchie after completing his Ph.D. in 2008 and has been there ever since. Over the course of those 18 years, he’s helped countless students get excited about math by meeting them where they are. It’s proven to be a winning formula.
September 15, 2026, Craig Brandhorst
On-campus living has been a rite of passage at the University of South Carolina since before it was actually a university. But the campus housing experience has changed pretty dramatically since the first nine students arrived at South Carolina College in 1805.
September 15, 2026, Megan Sexton
Qian Wang, Carolina Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, was chosen as the recipient of the 2026 Michael J. Mungo Graduate Teaching Award.
September 14, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
What if the key to discovery is imperfection? Led by USC chemist Morgan Stefik, a team of researchers has found that flaws in crystal anodes could help lithium-ion batteries charge faster and last longer. The practical uses of the discovery offer enticing applications in energy storage.
September 11, 2026, Téa Smith
McCausland College of Arts and Sciences professor Agnes Mueller aims to develop a deep curiosity and encourages true intellectual diversity in her students. She has found the best way to do that is by sticking to basics and keeping her classroom a tech-free zone.
September 11, 2026, Dan Cook
Arnold School Clinical Professor Angela McLeod prepares future speech-language pathologists through hands-on training with patients of all ages. As director of the Montgomery Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic, she also oversees a far-reaching clinical effort that reflects the university’s broad expertise in communication disorders.
September 10, 2026, Megan Sexton
Alyssa Lang is a familiar face and voice to sports fans. The sideline reporter and broadcaster for the SEC Network and ESPN started her journey on Student Gamecock TV and in broadcast journalism classrooms at the University of South Carolina.
September 09, 2026, Collyn Taylor
Two University of South Carolina faculty were recently awarded significant grants as part of the first wave projects selected for the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission. Designed to bring together a national consortium of researchers and pair them with Department of Energy resources, the Genesis Mission will help build AI-enabled workflows to expedite discoveries in energy, national security and more.
September 08, 2026, Collyn Taylor
Led by Student Government, leaders from across campus came together to honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11 by providing meals to veterans and the homeless communities around Columbia.
September 08, 2026, Evan Faulkenbury and Chris Horn
USC is celebrating its quasquibicentennial in the 2026-27 academic year. We look back briefly on the university’s 100th and 200th birthdays but zoom in especially on what’s been happening on campus in the past 25 years. Spoiler alert: A lot!
September 08, 2026, Margaret Gregory
After Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, College of Pharmacy alumna Allison Serdah Williams led an emergency mobile pharmacy that provided medication refills, vaccines and care to thousands of patients.
September 01, 2026, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus is welcoming thousands of new college students from across South Carolina, the nation and the world. With an increase of overall enrollment, now approaching 42,000, USC is serving more students today than at other time in its 225-year history.
August 28, 2026, Hannah Magner
It’s that time of the year again when Gamecocks flock to Williams-Brice Stadium decked out in their garnet and black. Whether it’s your first for your 50th Gamecock game day, we’ve created a guide to ensure you have a great “Saturday in South Carolina.”
August 26, 2026, Gregory Hardy
Nuclear energy is drawing renewed attention as the nation considers reliable power, advanced reactors, safety and its energy future. This list connects journalists with faculty experts from the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing who study how nuclear reactors work, how to make them safer and how new technologies are shaping the field’s future.
August 26, 2026, Delaney Freistuhler
The University of South Carolina has appointed Aaron C. Marterer as associate vice provost for Graduate Education effective Sept 1.
August 26, 2026, Dan Cook
The Darla Moore school of Business marketing professor meets the moment by integrating AI into the classroom.
August 25, 2026, Chris Horn
For more than 40 years, Ada B. Thomas helped USC students navigate their way through college with wise counsel and astute academic guidance. Alumni have never forgotten her unwavering desire to listen and help, with an occasional admonishment to do better.
August 24, 2026, Gregory Hardy
University of South Carolina researchers explore how artificial intelligence can be used for advancements in health care, education, manufacturing, energy, disaster management and transportation. They are also helping shape and inform the ethics and policies surrounding these emergent solutions.
August 24, 2026, Craig Brandhorst
Professor Betsy Blake scaffolds complex material so, by graduation, students are ready to tackle the complex formula of a pharmacy career.
August 21, 2026, Andy Shain
Rose Buyck Newton, a third-generation banker who chairs the board at the Bank of Clarendon, was elected chairwoman of the USC Board of Trustees
August 21, 2026, Andy Shain
With Newton’s election as chair, USC joins a small but growing number of South Carolina college boards led by women.
August 20, 2026, Thom Harman
Amy Gerald, an assistant professor of English at USC Lancaster, uses community-connected projects and experiential learning to prepare her students for whatever career they choose. Whether it’s partnering with local nonprofits to solve real-world business problems or assigning observational writing assignments at USC Lancaster’s Native American Studies Center, Gerald’s innovative approaches to teaching stand out both in and beyond the classroom.
August 18, 2026, Collyn Taylor
Founded just 25 years after the signing of the Declaration, USC will celebrate its 225th anniversary throughout the 2026-27 academic year — beginning today (Aug. 18) with the start of the fall 2026 semester.
August 17, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
Move-in 2026, by the numbers highlights the incoming Gamecock class and the people, programs and resources that support their transition to USC and campus life.
August 14, 2026, Communications and Marketing
Understanding how the brain works and improving outcomes for patients are major priorities for USC researchers. That work gained momentum this year with the opening of the new Brain Health Center, which is just one of the ways the university is concentrating on the brain.
August 13, 2026, Collyn Taylor
The University of South Carolina has been named one of America’s Best-in-State Employers for South Carolina for 2026.
August 12, 2026, Laura Erskine
Pharmacist and instructor Kathy Quarles Moore is known for finding new ways to engage students. From keeping students on their toes in the lab to welcoming them to a peaceful garden in the College of Pharmacy’s courtyard, Moore’s holistic and student-centered approach to teaching has earned her the 2026 Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award.
August 12, 2026, Rebekah Friedman
Associate professor Stephanie Schaller designed Study Navigator, a custom AI-enhanced study tool that prepares nursing students for the decision-making that happens in clinical practice. The tool is just one way Schaller brings classroom lessons to life.
August 11, 2026, Rebekah Friedman
From haiku about water fleas to a class designed for dog lovers, biological sciences professor Jeff Dudycha finds unexpected ways to help students understand genomics, ecology and evolutionary biology.
August 10, 2026, Gregory Hardy
A successful USC program that prepares future nursing faculty is now a statewide partnership to help address one of South Carolina's biggest healthcare workforce challenges. Expanding Nursing Faculty Pipeline is a College of Nursing initiative to prepare the next generation of nurse educators.
August 10, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
The popularity of sorority life — including the recruitment process — on social media has sparked a surge of interest in Greek life at the University of South Carolina, which had the largest Potential New Member class in the nation this fall.
August 10, 2026, Kayla Jeffers
As the home to the nation’s best first-year student experience among public universities, you better believe that we pull out all the stops when we welcome Gamecocks back to campus each fall. This year is no exception. Get out your calendars, and make plans to make the most of your Carolina Welcome experience.
August 10, 2026, Rebekah Friedman
The McCausland Center’s MRI scanner is a 3 Tesla, twice the strength of typical MRIs. Access to equipment of that caliber has enabled the center to bring in tens of millions in grant funding and has led to an explosion in research studies that have advanced our understanding of aphasia, stroke treatment and brain aging.
August 10, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
Discover the essential mobile apps that help University of South Carolina students stay safe, navigate campus, manage academics, find parking, order food and access key university services.
August 07, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
Ashley Poston, USC alumna and New York Times bestselling author, shares how magic, romance and a relentless work ethic shaped her writing career.
August 05, 2026, Laura Erskine
As a clinical associate professor at USC’s School of Medicine Greenville, Alison Huppmann teaches medical students in their first two years of the program. Her goal is to equip her students with a broad understanding of medicine. Her efforts have now been recognized with the 2026 Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation.
August 05, 2026, Laura Erskine
Cole Rotondo got involved with Student Government as a freshman and went on to serve in the administration of two former presidents. Now, as USC’s student body president for the 2026-27 school year, the business and pre-law senior is looking forward to making the most of his time in office.
August 05, 2026, Kristine Hartvigsen
Susan Richardson, Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry at the University of South Carolina, has been named winner of the prestigious 2026 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.
August 05, 2026, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina system raised a record $357.6 million in private support during fiscal year 2026 — the most in its history, shattering the previous fundraising record of $259.7 million, set just one year earlier, by nearly $100 million.
August 05, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
The University of South Carolina has introduced several transportation updates for Fall 2026, including a new low-cost Founders Park parking permit, the Campus Connector shuttle and the upgraded ParkUSC+ app with real-time shuttle tracking, trip planning and parking updates.
August 05, 2026, Collyn Taylor
Move-in is quickly approaching, and soon the Class of 2030 will be on campus at USC. With a large freshman class coming to Columbia, this is a one-stop shop for the information students, faculty and staff need to know during move-in week.
August 05, 2026, Gregory Hardy
Melissa Nolan, associate professor of epidemiology in the Arnold School of Public Health, has received the 2026 South Carolina Governor's Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research. It honors her nationally recognized work to understand and prevent infectious diseases.
July 27, 2026, Chris Horn
Aaron Vannucci doesn’t have a sophisticated philosophy to explain his teaching style. He merely points back to his own high school chemistry teacher, who inspired him with his consistent excitement for the topic. Vannucci brings the same enthusiasm to his classrooms, and he is the winner of USC's 2026 Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award.
July 24, 2026, Megan Sexton
As a full-time professional track faculty member in the College of Pharmacy and a staff pharmacist at Prisma Health Richland, Caroline Asbill has combined her love of teaching with the practice of pharmacy.
July 23, 2026, Kristine Hartvigsen
Known for her fluid, label-defying prose, author Julia Elliott found herself in excellent company last month among a literary cadre of distinct, even unconventional voices. She read the work of her fellow finalists with awe, never thinking she would win. But it was her name announced over the sound system as the winner of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for her critically acclaimed, genre-bending short-story collection "Hellions."
July 22, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
The University of South Carolina made significant progress on major campus construction and renovation projects this summer, including plans for an expanded Russell House, a new Civil Rights Center, The Commons at Carolina residence hall and upgrades to academic, research and campus facilities.
July 21, 2026, Andy Shain
USC's latest financial outlook from Moody’s Investors Service reflects the ongoing quality of the university’s disciplined stewardship.
July 20, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
The University of South Carolina introduced several campus enhancements for Fall 2026, including the new Mobile CarolinaCard, officially licensed Nike Gamecock merchandise, expanded dining options and additional campus services like updated robot food delivery.
July 20, 2026, Chris Horn
University of South Carolina nursing students are learning to communicate more effectively with patients through a unique simulation that pairs them with standardized patients living with aphasia.
July 20, 2026, Donovan Fifield
The Declaration of Independence was only the first step in making a unified country. A competing set of state and local interests required a defense of the U.S. Constitution (the Federalist Papers), which sought to define the role of government to keep basic human impulses toward political abuse, self-interest and even violence in check.
July 20, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
When the lights went down on Charleston’s Dock Street Theatre on June 26, 1970, history was made. It was the first time since its premiere that "Porgy and Bess" had been performed in Charleston. Now, filmmaker and alumna Lauren Waring Douglas is making that production the subject of a new documentary, "When Porgy Came Home."
July 16, 2026, Chris Horn
It was 1976 — 50 years ago — when the USC men’s bowling club posted a perfect 10-0 record in regular season play and went on to win it all at the national tournament held in Oklahoma City.
July 15, 2026, Chris Horn
From helping to establish a popular undergraduate neuroscience major to attracting millions in research grants, the Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center at USC has achieved notable success since its launch seven years ago. And the momentum isn’t slowing. The center’s leadership has ambitious plans to serve more citizens of South Carolina.
July 13, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
As USC prepares for the 2026–27 academic year, the university is introducing new technologies, including mobile IDs, smart parking, autonomous food delivery and occupancy tracking and cashier-less stores.
July 10, 2026, Chris Horn
Braden Guliano has been a man on a mission at USC. In just three years, he completed a bachelor’s degree in integrated information technology at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing while completing multiple internships and launching his own tech consulting business on the side.
July 08, 2026, Carol J.G. Ward
University of South Carolina School of Law alumni are leading state agencies and advancing public service across South Carolina, using the skills they developed in law school to improve the lives of South Carolinians.
July 06, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
A University of South Carolina computer science capstone project led by graduate Michael Carson has grown into an AI-powered internship project that helps USC Facilities analyze maintenance data, automate reporting and improve campus operations through smarter, data-driven decision-making.
July 02, 2026, Zoe Nicholson
Like much of the world, Aquiles Agreda was watching the World Cup on June 24 with friends. But two massive earthquakes — a 7.2 magnitude followed by a 7.5 less than a minute later — shook Agreda’s native country that evening. He and his friends were unharmed, but within a day, he was helping with rescue and cleanup operations. Agreda plans to return to USC in August to begin the Master of International Business program. His only plan right now, though, is to help others.
June 26, 2026, Kevin J. Bennett
An influx of cash would help stabilize rural health systems. Kevin J. Bennett, director of the Center for Rural & Primary Healthcare, writes for The Conversation on how the program’s focus on technology might leave other major issues unaddressed.
June 26, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
Beginning in Fall 2026, University of South Carolina students, faculty and staff will be able to use their smartphones or compatible smartwatches as their official CarolinaCard, allowing them to access campus buildings, make purchases, borrow library materials and use other campus services with a simple tap.
June 25, 2026, Jabari Evans
The cinematic complexity of Jay-Z’s first rap album “Reasonable Doubt” explains why it still matters 30 years later. Today, hip-hop powers advertising campaigns, luxury branding and streaming platforms. Jay-Z has played an outsized role in that transformation. Writing for The Conversation, USC assistant professor Jabari Evans explores the complicated history of hip-hop’s rise in a capitalist society.
June 22, 2026, Hadley McCollester
Combine five incredible artifacts from the USC libraries special collections with four passionate university scholars, and you get 20 minutes of fun facts, lively debate and intellectual inspiration.
June 19, 2026, Andy Shain
University of South Carolina trustees approved a 2026-27 fiscal year budget and advanced key projects tied to the Columbia campus’s USC Next master plan.
June 19, 2026, Téa Smith
For her dissertation at Carlton University in Canada, assistant professor Margaret Janse van Rensburg collaborated with the Ottawa Adult Autism Initiative to better understand how human service workers can help autistic adults overcome barriers to accessing mental health support. Now, at USC, she is expanding on her research and working toward her goal to enhance outcomes for autistic people.
June 18, 2026, Andy Shain
University of South Carolina trustees approved a 2026-27 fiscal year budget that freezes in-state tuition systemwide and advanced key projects tied to the Columbia campus’s USC Next master plan.
June 17, 2026, Anna Francis
Play is the language of children. Through a Duke Endowment-funded partnership with USC, Aiken County school counselors are learning play therapy and family engagement strategies that help students build resilience and feel heard.
June 16, 2026, Conor Harrison
A corporate merger forming the largest electric utility in the U.S. is underway. What’s driving this deal and others like it is a rising demand for power to data centers for artificial intelligence systems and a desire to increase corporate profits. Conor Harrison explains in this article for The Conversation.
June 16, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw
The National Advocacy Center at the University of South Carolina provides an all-in-one training, lodging and learning hub for U.S. Department of Justice professionals, supported behind the scenes by USC Business Affairs and the Justice Television Network.
June 11, 2026, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina announced Thursday (June 11) the appointment of Anne Peters as its new vice president for marketing following a national search. She will begin at USC on Sept. 1.