Board Briefs: Trustees approve new leadership, FY28 budget requests
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
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 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 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.
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 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 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.
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 01, 2026, Delaney Freistuhler
The University of South Carolina appointed Samuel Todd as associate vice president and vice provost. A respected scholar and experienced university leader, Todd brings extensive experience in global engagement, academic leadership and faculty affairs to the role.
May 21, 2026, Delaney Freistuhler
Students from the University of South Carolina this month are headed to Romania, a place USC has yet to explore through a faculty-led Maymester program.
May 08, 2026, Chris Horn
Joe Roof’s students had been preparing for their final test all semester: a modified triathlon super sprint. The students completed 200 meters swimming followed by seven miles pedaling on indoor spin bikes and two miles jogging on the Blatt practice field. It was the perfect ending to an elective physical education class called Triathlon Training.
May 08, 2026, Craig Brandhorst
The University of South Carolina marching band won the 2025 EA Sports Metallica Collegiate Edition Marching Band Competition, a one-time chance to record a new arrangement of an iconic Metallica song for the next iteration of EA Sports popular College Football video game.
May 07, 2026, Laura Erskine, Téa Smith and Craig Brandhorst / photos by Kim Truett
Internships aren’t just for building resumés. When students take that first big step into their chosen career, the hard work of college begins to pay off. We spoke to nine student interns from across the USC system to find out what they've gained beyond the books from their internship experiences.
May 01, 2026, Dan Cook
From an early age, Stephanie Kyle had an appreciation for people from all over the world. She entertained thoughts of traveling far from South Carolina for college, but everything changed when she toured USC. As a student, she traveled widely and got involved in student organizations focused on global business and supply chain. Today, she is pricing director at a major global company.
April 29, 2026, Delaney Freistuhler
Mensch currently serves as director of the athletic training program and clinical associate professor in the Department of Exercise Science. With over more than 25 years at the university, he has advanced healthcare education through mentorship, experiential learning, and collaboration.
April 24, 2026, Chris Horn
Now in its 20th year at USC, the VEX Robotics camp offers middle and high school students the opportunity to develop skills in programming, mechanical design and teamwork. The summer program also serves as a gateway to competitive robotics teams and, sometimes, enrollment in the Molinaroli College. For alum Nathanael Oliver, it was as pathway to both.
April 06, 2026, Téa Smith
Alina Tofiqul always wanted to work in health care, so she initially chose to major in neuroscience but realized early on it wasn’t the right path for her. After joining a pre-health fraternity on campus, she decided to pursue public health.
March 27, 2026, Catherine Pruitt
Hands on Prosthetic Engineering, better known as HOPE, is a student-run non-profit organization at USC that works to build prosthetic limbs at no cost for those in need.
March 27, 2026, Téa Smith
We’re back again for another year and another round of some of the coolest classes you can take for fall 2026. There are a ton of unique learning experiences waiting to be uncovered. Whether you’re into sports, true crime, dancing, cooking or even something a little otherworldly, South Carolina has you covered.
March 23, 2026, Chris Horn
Since earning her Eagle Scout badge five years ago, Ashley Chittum has been prepared for whatever adventures come her way. That includes being the first in her family to go to college and, in her sophomore year at the University of South Carolina, studying abroad for a semester in Australia.
March 04, 2026, Andy Shain
Captain Ray Glenn, a 1999 Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing graduate, assumed command of Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the United States.
February 24, 2026, Marketing and communications
With only a few short months until summer, it’s time for parents to find summer activities for their children. USC offers a wide variety of summer camps for all ages and all interests from music to soccer, dance and engineering.
February 20, 2026, Andy Shain
Sarah Kirby, USC’s associate vice president for clinical affairs, briefed the Board of Trustees on Friday (Feb. 20) on the university’s efforts to develop a comprehensive system of care that could transform health care in the state — a statewide network of brain health clinics, a brain health center and South Carolina’s first stand-alone neurological and rehabilitation hospital.
February 17, 2026, Hadley McCollester
Batteries are part of our everyday lives, but not many of us think about how they work or what they are made of. For researchers at the Lab for Materials Properties and Structures, these questions are a full time job. Golareh Jalilvand and her team at USC's Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing are dedicated to testing alternative battery materials such as lithium iron phosphate that will help make batteries a part of the country's sustainable future. This documentary explains why for batteries, it's what's inside that counts.
February 09, 2026, Nicole Carrico
Students Ansley Martin and Stella Tew have been working with USC Brain Health to launch a program called Vibrant Minds, an expressive arts initiative that combines neuroscience, creativity and social interaction to support older adults living with neurological conditions. The program helps adults facing cognitive challenges connect with their memories and each other through art and creative projects.
February 09, 2026, Megan Sexton
From faculty members inventing new tools to help students learn the intricacies of treating heart defects in infants to opening up pathways to nursing careers for people with disabilities, the University of South Carolina College of Nursing is stepping up every day.
February 06, 2026, Rebekah Friedman
Back from Ukraine, journalism alumna and former war correspondent Isabelle Khurshudyan begins next chapter at CNN.
February 05, 2026, Craig Brandhorst
Students in instructor Renée McManus’ photojournalism course test their skills and capture the thrills at the South Carolina State Fair.
January 30, 2026, Kristine Hartvigsen
In a 9 a.m. Instagram story by Metallica and EA Sports on Jan. 30, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo announced the winners of its 3rd Annual Metallica Marching Band Competition – Collegiate Edition. The Carolina Band was named grand-prize winner in the Division 1 category.
January 27, 2026, Collyn Taylor
The University of South Carolina has earned 2026 Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement and is one of less than 100 public institutions nationally with Carnegie designations in community engagement and as an R1 research institution.
January 21, 2026, Chris Horn
A group of University of South Carolina students has planned and organized TEDxCongaree Vista, featuring speakers whose topics are likely to spark conversation and inspire action.
January 14, 2026, Catherine Pruitt
For 20 years, The Carolina Agency has been the student-run public relations and media agency giving College of Information and Communications students real-world experience in a professional setting. In addition to offering students an internship credit and an authentic work experience in a professional setting, The Carolina Agency also prides itself on its service to community clients.
December 16, 2025, Hadley McCollester
Cocky's Reading Express, the University of South Carolina’s literacy outreach initiative, celebrates 20 years of stories, laughter, and impact on the children of South Carolina.
December 01, 2025, Catherine Pruitt
A campus conversation with Kirstyn Dietrich.
November 18, 2025, Laura Erskine
Heart defects affect about 1 percent of all babies born in the United States each year, making the cardiovascular system an important part of the nursing curriculum. To help students master this material, assistant professor Stephanie Schaller invented a new tool that lets students learn heart defects through hands-on activities.
November 11, 2025, Valerie Weingart
South Carolina Honors College student Michael Pitre has been named a finalist for the 2026 Marshall Scholarships. If selected, he plans to pursue an MPhil in biological sciences to develop novel treatments for Parkinson's disease before returning to USC for medical school.
November 10, 2025, Carol JG Ward
The University of South Carolina’s Rural Occupations Workforce Expansion (ROWE) program trains MSW students to serve in underserved communities, strengthening South Carolina’s rural behavioral health workforce and improving access to mental health care.
November 04, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Wounds may take years to fester before a war-weathered veteran seeks help, and often service-related injuries are not visible. Opened in 2018 the University of South Carolina Veterans Legal Clinic has provided legal services to more than 550 clients and experiential learning to community-minded students.
November 03, 2025, Valerie Weingart
A Rhodes scholar embodies academic excellence, strong collaboration and leadership skills, and dedication to working for the good of humanity — all of which describe South Carolina Honors College student and public health major Hannah Brennen. Her research and involvement in the Columbia community throughout her academic career have her poised to become USC's 11th Rhodes scholar and first since 2016.
October 24, 2025, Catherine Pruitt
Internships are key to helping students get into the workplace in their chosen fields, and the University of South Carolina’s Career Center and Center for Internship Programs help students find the perfect match and offer financial assistance during their internship.
October 14, 2025, Allen Wallace
USC announces the newly named David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management in honor of its visionary partners. A new $5 million investment extends their longstanding support for high-achieving students and adds funding for elite practitioner-educators.
October 13, 2025, Téa Smith
For psychology and criminology junior Caroline Hinkebein, exploring the world meant going to the University of South Carolina — nearly 1,000 miles away from her hometown. But her concept of world travel broadened when she got the opportunity to study abroad in Europe her freshman year. We talked to her about her experiences abroad.
October 06, 2025, Téa Smith
Nursing junior Allison Wiebking talks about her experience living in Patterson Hall, one of USC’s seven faculty-led living and learning communities.
September 19, 2025, Téa Smith
Eduardo Ajuech-Agreda talks about how his experience living in Maxcy Residence Hall, one of USC’s seven faculty-led living and learning communities, helped him as a first-generation student.
September 15, 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 there was an "insane smorgasbord of opportunities" at USC.
September 12, 2025, Thom Harman / photo by Kim Truett
Change is a constant in the field of visual design — and Garnet Apple Award winner Meena Khalili embraces it. It’s what allows her, and her students, to be at the forefront of their field and to be ready for multiple career roles.
September 12, 2025, Catherine Pruitt
USC's chapter of Habitat for Humanity is building homes and futures. Led by president Ria Kothari, the club works in the community almost every weekend to build homes to improve access to affordable housing.
September 10, 2025, Téa Smith
Criminal justice sophomore Navia Vohra talks about her experience living in Capstone, one of USC’s seven faculty-led living and learning communities.
September 04, 2025, Laura Erskine
If Jaelyn Souza could give just one piece of advice to this year’s incoming students at USC, it would be this: “Keep an open mind, because me as a freshman and me as a senior are two very different people.” The neuroscience major says all of her beyond-the-classroom experiences helped her decide on her career path.
September 03, 2025, Hadley McCollester
Remote work has become more common since the COVID19 pandemic, however it might not be the best for every worker. The Family Inequality Research Lab led by sociology professor Jennifer Augustine investigated remote work through collecting data on remote work spaces. What they found may surprise you.
August 28, 2025, Téa Smith
Finance and supply chain sophomore Carson Jones talks about his experience living in the IDEA community, one of USC’s seven faculty-led living and learning communities.
August 27, 2025, Page Ivey
When Mary Ramsey arrived at the University of South Carolina, she was already certain of two things: she wanted to be a Gamecock, and she wanted to be a journalist. After earning her bachelor's degree in journalism, she has made stops at newspapers in Arizona, Kentucky and now at the Charlotte Observer, where one of her stories was part of the paper's Pulitzer Prize finalist package for covering Hurricane Helene.
August 20, 2025, Page Ivey
For Christina Cox, teaching pharmacy isn’t about reciting drug names or memorizing dosage charts. It’s about storytelling, real-world simulations and helping students connect their classroom experience with the clinical decisions they’ll one day make under pressure. For her work in the classroom, Cox has earned a Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation.
August 19, 2025, Megan Sexton
USC students are members of a supportive Gamecock family that will help them succeed — inside the classroom and out. Through study abroad trips and undergraduate research, student organizations and SEC sports, Carolina students have myriad opportunities for finding their life’s passion.
July 22, 2025, Nicole Meares
The University of South Carolina College of Nursing is launching a multi-year, Duke Endowment–backed initiative to expand nursing career pathways for people with disabilities. The program aims to close critical workforce and care gaps through summer immersion experiences, professional development and inclusive training.
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 06, 2025, Valerie Weingart
Senior NROTC midshipman Ryan Lohr realized early that, to grow as a communicator, he couldn’t just talk about the world in his classes — he needed to engage with the world.
April 29, 2025, Carol J.G. Ward
The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia is opening a free mental health clinic to serve rural communities in Bamberg, Calhoun, Fairfield, Orangeburg and Chester counties. Launching this summer, the student-operated, faculty-supervised clinic will offer in-person and telehealth services to those with limited access to care.
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 11, 2025, Téa Smith
We're back again for another year and another round of some of the coolest classes you can take for fall 2025. There are a ton of unique learning experiences waiting to be uncovered. Whether you’re into sports, true crime, dancing, cooking or even something a little otherworldly, South Carolina has you covered.
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, Kristine Hartvigsen
It’s been a whirlwind semester for dancers and musicians at the University of South Carolina. Twenty-four Joffrey Ballet company members arrived on campus March 17 for a three-week residency culminating in an unprecedented collaborative performance April 5 at the Koger Center for the Arts. Students and faculty from USC’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Program and the USC Symphony Orchestra have joined forces with members of the Joffrey entourage to marry movement and music into a spectacular concert for the community.
March 25, 2025, Hadley McCollester
On April 10, 2025, the great American novel "The Great Gatsby" turns 100 years old. Take a behind-the-scenes look at the exhibit “'Something significant, elemental and profound’: Celebrating 100 Years of The Great Gatsby” at the Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library.
March 18, 2025, Alexis Watts
Geology students turn to Give 4 Garnet — the university's annual day of giving — to help fund their essential field camp experience.
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.
March 06, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Dance students in the University of South Carolina’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Program are spending extra time at the barre in anticipation of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they will have collaborating with the world-famous Joffrey Ballet. The company begins a three-week residency at USC on March 17 that will culminate with an unprecedented Koger Center performance on April 5.
March 05, 2025, Catherine Pruitt
Allan Cabanayan was a leader among students interested in health occupations even before he got into upper-level nursing classes at the University of South Carolina. Growing up just down the road from USC in Hopkins, South Carolina, Cabanayan discovered his passion for nursing while attending Lower Richland High School, where he joined his school’s HOSA-Future Health Professionals chapter.
March 03, 2025, Téa Smith
With only a few short months until summer, it’s time for parents to find summer activities for their children. USC offers a wide variety of summer camps for all ages and all interests from music to soccer, dance and engineering.
February 21, 2025, Catherine Pruitt
USC's new record label, Greene Street Records, is giving students a head start on their music careers through hands-on experience.
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.
December 19, 2024, Craig Brandhorst/Photos by Lawson Estridge and Anna Surette
When the Carolina Band marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, they carried more than 100 years of tradition through the streets of Manhattan. “It was palpable,” says drum major Maggie Boyd. “You could feel the electricity.”
November 15, 2024, Sydnie Taylor
Each fall as the crisp November air sets in, the University of South Carolina comes alive with the spirit of rivalry. While the Carolina-Clemson football game may take center stage, another cherished tradition lights up the campus — literally. This is the annual Tiger Burn, an event nearly as old as the football game itself, fueling the Gamecocks’ spirit and the century-long rivalry between USC and Clemson.
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.
October 31, 2024, Hannah Cambre
At USC, where one in five students identify as first-generation, the university is doing more than ever to help this important and growing population flourish with resources and support. We sat down with five first-gen students to learn more about their stories and the people and resources that have helped them thrive at USC.
October 22, 2024, Hannah Cambre
Jarett Mayfield, a senior sport and entertainment management student, has built a solid foundation for his future career in sports, thanks to opportunities at the University of South Carolina.
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 08, 2024, Hannah Cambre
The College of Information and Communications offers the university's largest faculty-led program, teaching summer classes on multimedia and international communications each year in Barcelona.
October 07, 2024, Téa Smith
Before going abroad to Italy, senior global studies major Ella Tocci wasn’t sure what her future post-grad would look like. Her eye-opening experience studying abroad helped her realize she wants to help college students get a similar experience as a study abroad coordinator.
October 02, 2024, Hannah Cambre
Sanjay Ahire, an operations and supply chain professor teaching in the Darla Moore School of Business, is the recipient of the Carolina Trustees Professorship in Humanities, Social Sciences, Business and Law teaching award.
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 24, 2024, Hannah Cambre
The Opportunity Scholars Program boasted its largest-ever enrollment of 33 students in a recent Maymester trip to Paris to explore African American history.
September 24, 2024, Nicole Meares
In a world of budding technology and virtual reality, there is an opportunity to view different perspectives on health disparities in new ways. That’s what the USC College of Nursing is aiming to do.
September 23, 2024, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina is home to the nation’s top first-year student experience among public institutions, and its living-learning communities are ranked 10th best in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings released Sept. 24.
September 17, 2024, Megan Sexton
Kelly Goldberg, a clinical assistant professor of anthropology teaching in the South Carolina Honors College, is the winner of the university’s Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award.
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.
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 12, 2024, Gregory Hardy
The University of South Carolina and Lexington Medical Center opened a new 52,000 square foot facility to train the next generation of nurses Monday (Aug. 12). Located on Lexington Medical Center’s West Columbia campus, the satellite clinical education building will be used primarily for the clinical training of the College of Nursing's third- and fourth-year nursing bachelor’s students as well as master’s program students.
August 05, 2024, Rebekah Friedman
Many students enter the University of South Carolina with entrepreneurial dreams. But the entrepreneurial mindset is as much about how you think about solving problems as it is about launching a new business or bringing an invention to market — and acquiring that mindset requires a very particular kind of educational environment. Since 2017, USC’s McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise has provided exactly that.
August 01, 2024
For a lot of University of South Carolina students, the realization that this is a special place comes quickly. One walk around the Horseshoe, one time cheering in the stands at Williams-Brice Stadium, and that’s all it takes. But those signature experiences are only a tiny part of what it means to be a Gamecock. Life-altering experiences can be found all over campus and beyond.
July 24, 2024, Grace Wilson
A lifelong nature enthusiast, senior Eric Young has been leading outdoor adventure trips for five years and spent this summer as a trip leader for campus-run tours that are open to all University of South Carolina students. Young credits a childhood gift with getting him started on the rivers that flow through and around his native Columbia and ultimately why he chose to major in environmental science.
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.
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 13, 2024, Gregory Hardy
College of Social Work professor Ann Gowdy sees it as her goal to equip her students with the knowledge that people with lived experience should be invited to the table to talk about housing issues and solutions. One of the most effective ways she’s found to demonstrate to graduate students the need for rural social work is by hosting guest speakers from community organizations who can further their understanding by making deeper connections.
June 12, 2024, Hannah Cambre
On May 16, Stephen Thompson began his role as inaugural director of the First-Generation Living and Learning Community.
June 10, 2024, Chris Horn
Jorge Crichigno, professor of integrated information technology in the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, is leading a three-year project to prepare a new generation of cyberwarfare professionals.
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 23, 2024, Megan Sexton
This fall will mark the 25th year of the Carolina LifeSong Initiative, a program started by Carolina Distinguished Professor of Music Scott Price that provides piano lessons and creative music-making experiences for students with autism and other disabilities.
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.