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.
February 10, 2026, Chris Horn
Teagan Thomas is enrolled in the 2025-26 cohort of Palmetto Pathway, a bridge program that began in 2019. Like all other students in the program, the Summerville, South Carolina, freshman is enrolled through USC Lancaster but lives in Bates residence hall on the Columbia campus and attends classes exclusively with other Palmetto Pathway students.
February 09, 2026, Chris Horn
Samantha Hinton is on track to graduate from USC in May with a bachelor’s degree in advertising. Hinton started out at Carolina in Palmetto Pathway, a bridge program for freshmen. Palmetto Pathway students are enrolled through USC Lancaster but live in a residence hall on the Columbia campus before transitioning to USC Columbia after their first year.
January 26, 2026, Chris Horn
Andrew Verma's job at a large bank call center was a great landing spot right after high school but the variable schedule made attending college a challenge. Then he found Palmetto College and a fast road to advancement.
December 12, 2025, Thom Harman
Spend any time talking to Robert McCormick, and his love of history and passion for teaching it to others is readily apparent. This year he was recognized for that lifelong passion by being named the 2025 Carolina Trustees Professorship for System Campuses.
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.
October 15, 2025, Téa Smith
Associate professor of sociology Susan Cruise was awarded the John J. Duffy Excellence in Teaching Award for Palmetto College Campuses. Her teaching philosophy focuses on creating an atmosphere where students can broaden their world view and learn from each other.
September 26, 2025, Collyn Taylor
USC’s Board of Trustees met Friday (Sept. 26) on USC Aiken’s campus, approving numerous academic initiatives – including a new research center and a new vice president for system affairs and community engagement.
August 13, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Shapeshifting cryptid creatures lurk in curious places throughout Julia Elliott’s new book, Hellions. Elliott fashions from her imaginative gray matter strong female protagonists who harness their power in unusual ways.
August 08, 2025, Thom Harman / photo by Kim Truett
Susan Elkins, the founding chancellor of USC’s Palmetto College, is being awarded the Order of the Palmetto after a career of service in education. The award is South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. Elkins announced that she was stepping down from her role in May. As chancellor, Elkins oversaw tremendous growth at Palmetto College's four campuses around the state as well as in its online offerings.
August 08, 2025, Page Ivey
At USC Lancaster, art professor Sahar Aghasafari is reshaping what it means to teach art and design in the 21st century. Her classroom serves as a creative laboratory where instruction meets innovation — a space where technology, identity and interdisciplinary exploration converge.
May 20, 2025, Megan Sexton
Susan Elkins, the founding chancellor of Palmetto College, steps down this month after 12 years leading the program which encompasses USC’s two-year system campuses along with online bachelor’s degree completion programs.
May 06, 2025, Communications and Marketing
Longtime USC Lancaster faculty member and interim campus dean will take over as full-time dean beginning May 12.
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.
February 06, 2025, Andy Shain
On Feb. 11, University of South Carolina alumni and advocates will gather at the S.C. State House for Carolina Day to demonstrate how the state flagship university is building momentum in producing a more prosperous and healthier South Carolina.
December 03, 2024, Laura Erskine
Senior Lauren Puttock has won the University of South Carolina’s third holiday card design contest for her acrylic painting of Cocky reading on a snowy day. President Michael Amiridis and First Lady Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis chose the artwork for the cover of their annual greeting card.
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.
October 21, 2024, Téa Smith
Cindy J. Lahar, a professor of psychology and the program coordinator for psychology at the University of South Carolina Beaufort, is this year’s Carolina Trustees Professorship for System Campuses award winner.
April 07, 2024, Erin Newman
We're back again for another year and another round of some of the coolest classes you can take for Fall 2024. For this list, we've brought back fan favorites and added some new classes that are sure to make you say, "I want to take that!" 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.
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 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.
December 08, 2023, Thom Harman
The 2023 holiday card design contest was won by Renee Herzer, a nontraditional student pursuing South Carolina's online information technology degree. The winning design evokes memories of the Horseshoe and Herzer's visits to campus while her husband was an undergraduate student.
November 10, 2023
Living in a rural community brings lots of advantages: close-knit communities, easy access to nature, less noise and pollution, lower home prices. But a lack of population density also brings challenges, and access to health care is one of them. As daunting as the state’s health issues can seem, the University of South Carolina is well positioned to help.
November 06, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
South Carolina’s nursing shortage is an ongoing issue, and it is projected to worsen, particularly in the state’s rural areas. From Union to Walterboro, the USC system is on a mission to meet those needs.
November 06, 2023, Téa Smith
Professor of English Ellen Malphrus empowers her students to believe in themselves and their writing. To accomplish that, creating an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts while giving them necessary technical knowledge and exposing them to different writing styles is vital. For her efforts, Malphrus has received a 2023 Carolina Trustees Professorship for System Campuses Teaching Award.
October 16, 2023, Bryan Gentry
In the early 1970s, a USC administrator helped organize a committee to manage funds for humanities-related projects in South Carolina. That small step led to a 50-year relationship between the university and South Carolina Humanities, a statewide nonprofit that works to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of South Carolinians. This month, SC Humanities honors four USC-affiliated faculty and former faculty members.
October 13, 2023, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina announced Friday (Oct. 13) the USC Commitment, a new affordability initiative to cover tuition and academic fees at all system campuses for in-state students graduating in the top 10 percent of their high school class and whose family’s annual household income is below $80,000.
August 22, 2023, Thom Harman
Researchers from USC Lancaster’s Native American Studies Center contributed to a Columbia Museum of Art exhibition that honors Catawba Nation’s artistry and culture. It’s an event that’s been years in the making — at least.
May 02, 2023
In the fall of 2019, newly hired USC Upstate chemistry professor Anita Nag was looking at the virus responsible for a 2002 SARS outbreak in China. Her hope? To understand how virus proteins suppress certain functions in their hosts to make it easier for the virus to reproduce. Within a few short months, her work took on great import as the world battled a slightly different version of the virus that causes COVID-19.
April 14, 2023
For the past decade, Palmetto College has helped students from the Upstate to the Lowcountry attain degrees where they live and work.
April 02, 2023, Erin Newman
To help you prepare for fall registration on the horizon, we have put together a list of 12 off-the-beaten-path classes to consider to fill that last elective gap.
March 28, 2023, Megan Sexton
April Cone, the dean of the University of South Carolina Salkehatchie, plays a key role in her community — a region where she has lived her entire life.
January 20, 2023, Megan Sexton
For the third straight year, the University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing is ranked No. 1 nationally for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual online programs rankings released Jan. 24.
December 13, 2022, Chris Horn
Francis Burns taught chemistry on a Navajo reservation in Arizona and at a Kurdish university in Iraq before bringing his considerable talents to USC Salkehatchie in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
November 22, 2022, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina, in partnership with Apple Inc., is launching a free coding certification course in the Spring 2023 semester to teach Apple’s iOS language to students in the USC system and to community members across South Carolina.
September 09, 2022, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina has the top first-year student experience of any public college in the country and the best international business program, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings.
June 11, 2022, Abe Danaher
Four of the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees’ committees met on Friday (June 10). The committees approved many actions that will be brought to the Board of Trustees’ meeting on June 24 for full Board approval.
May 17, 2022, Craig Brandhorst
As an evolutionary psychologist, University of South Carolina Salkehatchie assistant professor Justin Mogilski probes fundamental questions about how our brains work. As a researcher focused on non-monogamous relationships, he wants to improve outcomes for a population that has traditionally been overlooked.
May 16, 2022, Kyndel Lee
UofSC Beaufort student shares her story as a sex trafficking survivor as part of her healing process and to raise awareness. The human services major hopes to become a counselor to help other survivors.
February 07, 2022, Chris Horn
A student residence hall near the Colonial Life Arena has become the first University of South Carolina building named for an African American. Formerly known as 700 Lincoln, the Celia Dial Saxon Building honors an educator and community advocate whose teaching career spanned six decades in segregated schools near the university campus.
January 24, 2022, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing retained the No. 1 national ranking for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual online program rankings released Tuesday (Jan. 25).
November 19, 2021, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina announced Friday (Nov. 19) its plan to freeze tuition systemwide for the 2022-23 academic year, making it the fourth year in a row the state’s flagship has held tuition at the same rate.
November 16, 2021, Megan Sexton
As the country marks Rural Health Day this week, the University of South Carolina works — through its School of Medicine, College of Nursing, Arnold School of Public Health and other areas — to understand and improve the delivery of health care in rural and underserved communities.
October 13, 2021, Page Ivey
Daniel Heimmermann, who was named the fifth chancellor of the University of South Carolina Aiken this summer, says the experience of leading smaller colleges has opened his eyes to the impact these institutions have on their communities.
October 08, 2021
Thanks to generous donors and savvy investment, the University of South Carolina’s endowment reached unprecedented heights in fiscal year 2020-21. This year’s 26 percent increase of $207 million was largely driven by the U.S. economy’s resurgence, fueled by the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine.
August 25, 2021, Megan Sexton
USC Upstate is home to about 6,000 students and graduates about 1,300 each year. Studies estimate it has a half-billion-dollar economic impact on the region. As chancellor, Bennie L. Harris hopes the university can lead the way in increasing the number or residents in Spartanburg and Greenville counties who hold a four-year degree, while attracting more companies to a region that already is home to BMW and Michelin.
August 24, 2021, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
First-generation students from low-income families who arrive at the University of South Carolina find a home and support through the Opportunity Scholars Program, where a combination of smaller classes, mentoring, advising and workshops improves students’ academic performance and graduation rates.
July 29, 2021, Page Ivey
Duffy Excellence in Teaching Award winner Fidele Ngwane strives to make mathematics relatable to his students at USC Salkehatchie.
March 14, 2021, Dana Woodward
The University of South Carolina’s Board of Trustees and several committees met on Friday (March 12). Here’s a roundup of actions they took.
March 05, 2021, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina system’s financial outlook remains bright despite challenges affecting the higher education sector during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report issued by Moody’s Investors Service, the gold standard of credit rating agencies.
January 26, 2021, Tenell Felder
The University of South Carolina’s College of Nursing ranks No. 1 among all U.S. universities for its online graduate nursing program, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual online rankings.
December 22, 2020
Sarah Sellhorst never imagined not going to college, had minimal challenges earning her three degrees and never attended an institution with fewer than 30,000 students. Now she’s a professor at USC Lancaster with its 1,500 students.
June 22, 2020, Page Ivey
Very few professors grow up to become the envy of their teenage selves, but USC Upstate music professor Nolan Stolz could not be a disappointment to the 13-year-old who played the drums and loved the rock band Black Sabbath.
June 05, 2020, Dana Woodward
On Friday, June 5, three committees of the university’s Board of Trustees met: the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee and the Audit and Compliance Committee. Here’s a roundup of the committee approvals that will now be up for full board approval at the meeting on June 19.
September 09, 2019, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina has the top first-year student experience among the nation’s public universities, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings.
June 28, 2019, Craig Brandhorst
Teaching at a primarily undergraduate institution doesn’t mean you can’t do important research. And attending one as a student shouldn’t preclude the formative experience of immersing oneself in a lab. Just ask Joshua Ruppel, associate professor of chemistry at the University of South Carolina Upstate.
January 11, 2019, Chris Horn
When Virginia Shervette hangs a ‘GONE FISHING’ sign on her door, it’s more than an afternoon jaunt. The USC Aiken fisheries biologist investigates the health of commercial and recreational fish populations in the Caribbean basin in hopes that fisheries managers will use the information when developing accurate assessments of which species are being overfished.
October 31, 2018, Page Ivey
When Bob Johnston found himself out of work during the economic downtown of 2008, he hired on with a temp agency. He was sent to a logistics company in his hometown of Laurens where he did such a good job, the company offered him a salaried management position — his first. He knew he was going to need to up his game to succeed. Enter Palmetto College.
October 05, 2018, Page Ivey
English professor Shelley Jones might be the best friend Palmetto College students have, developing extracurricular classes that basically teach those returning students how to be students again — and how to avail themselves to all the digital resources. Her efforts were recognized with the 2018 John J. Duffy Excellence in Teaching Award.
July 19, 2018, Megan Sexton
The new University of Possibilities program helps middle school students around the state understand the importance of preparing for college.
July 11, 2018, Wes Hickman
The University of South Carolina’s Board of Trustees on July 11 approved a system-wide budget for 2018-19 that will slow tuition growth to 2.9 percent or less on most campuses—the lowest increase since 1998.
June 19, 2018, Page Ivey
Heather Coleman wins the inaugural scholarship for nontraditional students that is named in memory of adult student administrator Harriett Hurt.
June 07, 2018, Kathryn McPhail
In May, David Dutka earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education through Palmetto College, the University of South Carolina’s online degree completion program. In August, he will begin his first year as a teacher at Midway Elementary School – the same school where he repaired pipes and buffed floors as a custodian for several years.
May 18, 2018, Karla Turner
Trained as an aerospace engineer, Yiming Ji worked in the aerospace industry for several years before returning to school to study computer science. Inspired by the idea to train others to integrate computer science and engineering as he had done, Ji founded the computational science program at USC Beaufort, the only one of its kind in South Carolina.
January 25, 2018, Jeff Stensland
Carolina Day at the Statehouse is an annual one-day event designed to let legislators know that state support is vital for the University of South Carolina to ensure quality, access and affordability. This year, USC is taking a new approach that will allow more supporters than ever to participate — whether they're in Columbia or anywhere around the globe.
October 13, 2017, Page Ivey
Shelley Jones says teaching is not only in her blood — both parents were educators — but has been a part of her life since childhood.
September 08, 2017, Craig Brandhorst
A University of South Carolina Lancaster chemistry instructor and the Lancaster chemistry department’s lab manager, Jill Castiglia teaches the full complement of introductory chemistry courses at the campus, which sometimes means blowing things up.
July 25, 2017, Megan Sexton
With his newly earned degree from the University of South Carolina Upstate, D.J. Bron traded in his S.C. Highway Patrol uniform for a magistrate’s robe this summer. It's a position he couldn't have imagined without Palmetto College, part of the university system that offers online bachelor’s degree completion programs.
May 12, 2017, Craig Brandhorst
Nathan Hancock, assistant professor of biochemistry at USC Aiken, studies the biochemical and genetic mechanisms of transposable elements, known “jumping genes.”
April 25, 2017, Melinda Waldrop
Melonee Hayes realized after a series of post-high school jobs that she was meant to do more in life. On Friday, she'll take a huge step toward a more defined future when she graduates from USC Beaufort with a degree in human services.
March 17, 2017, Chris Horn
Li Cai is often teaching and conducting experiments — his expertise is in synthesizing rare sugars. When he’s not busy with those activities, he’s reviewing manuscripts for 31 scholarly journals and mentoring undergraduate students at USC Salkehatchie.
March 10, 2017, Page Ivey
Virginia Shervette gets some groans from her biology students at USC Aiken when she introduces a new fish species to her class with the phrase, “Oh, that’s a tasty one.” But she makes it very clear that a big part of her research is to focus on managing commercial fish populations.
December 15, 2016, USC Times
A is for alphabet, at least according to USC Times. To help close out 2016, the University of South Carolina’s monthly magazine for faculty and staff devoted its entire December issue to the ABCs of 2016 — with each letter representing a different accomplishment, announcement or notable arrival from the past year.
July 20, 2016, Craig Brandhorst
Slavery, the Civil War, abolition, Reconstruction — University of South Carolina Beaufort history professor J. Brent Morris spends a lot of time contemplating the 19th century. That doesn’t mean, however, that the 2016 Breakthrough Star recipient is living in the past.
June 29, 2016, Steven Powell
Mathematics involves a lot of abstract thinking, but its potential can be quite solid. The research of USC Beaufort’s Kasia Pawelek on the modeling of infectious diseases caused by influenza and West Nile viruses is a manifestation of that potential.
May 13, 2016, Steven Powell
Students in Kajal Ghoshroy’s Biology 101 classes might arrive at USC Sumter a little rough around the scholarly edges, but their academic skills evolve quickly under her tutelage.
May 04, 2016
All UofSC campuses are celebrating commencements this spring and we have captured images from each of them. Whether you're a Gamecock or a Fire Ant, commencement always ends with "Forever to Thee."
April 28, 2016, Megan Sexton
Rosa and Winton Eugene married in 1968 and moved from South Carolina to Chicago and back home again, with careers in carpentry, nursing, carpet installation and farming along the way. But it’s the work they are doing now – making elegant, functional pottery in their Upstate studio – that has brought them attention. Each will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at commencement.