Stories for Faculty and Staff

A photo of a group of colorful rubberbands isolated on a white background.

Ring polymer research points way to new industrial and biomedical applications

March 06, 2024, Chris Horn

Imagine smartphones that bend, twist and stretch like rubber. Or 3D-printed material that mimics the pliable characteristics of human cartilage found in knees, noses and ears. It’s not much of a stretch for Ting Ge, an assistant professor in chemistry and biochemistry who has just begun a five-year CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to delve deeper into the field of ring polymers.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Entrepreneurship, Careers, College of Arts and Sciences, Breakthrough Research

two people stand in front of beer vats

Alumni couple use 'complementary skillset' to create thriving taproom

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.

Topics: Alumni, Entrepreneurship, Careers, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, South Carolina Honors College

Jennifer Asouzu, assistant director for special populations and communication with New Student Orientation, talks partnerships and first impressions.

The Happiest Lunch on Earth

June 26, 2023, Craig Brandhorst

On the last Friday before the end of classes, USC TIMES invited three staff members to lunch at McCutchen House’s Garden Grill to discuss how our work lives change — or don’t change — over the summer. George Hendry, director of the McCutchen House and senior lecturer in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, shared his thoughts on troubleshooting through teamwork. Jennifer Asouzu, assistant director for special populations and communication with New Student Orientation, talked up partnerships and first impressions. Leroy Sims, a custodial zone manager with Facilities and a member of Staff Senate, discussed employee satisfaction and how to make the USC campus the happiest place on Earth.

Topics: Alumni, Faculty, Recognition, Service, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

An image of the QR code for this story with a bright green background.

COVID gave QR codes new life

June 14, 2023, Page Ivey

After the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the hospitality and tourism industries in March 2020, businesses, particularly restaurants, encouraged customers to return, in part, by offering contactless menus. One key piece of that was the QR code — a technology created by a subsidiary of Toyota as a means of tracking its manufacturing processes.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Research, Breakthrough Research, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

A photo of a border collie with its tongue out, panting.

Research looks at pet-based marketing strategies

May 25, 2023, Megan Sexton

Darla Moore School of Business marketing associate professor Xiaojing Yang along with researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, examined the effects of pet exposure on consumers’ subsequent judgments and decisions, even in ads that are not focused on pet products. 

Topics: Faculty, Research, Breakthrough Research, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, Darla Moore School of Business

A linear grey geometric pattern with a linear hexagon as the focal point.

Saskia Coenen Snyder explores the role of Jews in the late 19th century diamond trade.

May 22, 2023, Q&A by Craig Brandhorst

In “A Brilliant Commodity” (Oxford University Press), USC history and Jewish studies professor Saskia Coenen Snyder explores the diamond trade of the late 19th century and the critical role played by Jews at every level of an emerging international commodity market.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Breakthrough Research, Entrepreneurship, Careers, College of Arts and Sciences

Smokestacks by Thomas Cooper Library

Graduation with Leadership Distinction alumni look back on pathways to success

April 21, 2023, Hannah Cambre

The Center for Integrative and Experiential Learning is celebrating the Graduation with Leadership Distinction Program's tenth anniversary. Take a look at some of the earliest graduates with leadership distinction.

Topics: Alumni, Academics, Research, Experiential Learning, Recognition, Service, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Engineering and Computing, The Graduate School, South Carolina Honors College

A very close shot of a USC nursing student with her hand on her stethescope.

Prisma Health makes key investment in SC nurses

April 20, 2023, Page Ivey

To combat South Carolina’s nursing shortage in the next few years will take a team effort, involving health care companies as well as universities who train the essential health care workers. Prisma Health is providing $5 million to five South Carolina schools, including USC Columbia and USC Upstate, which will receive $1.3 million each. The program also helps the next generation of South Carolina nurses understand their roles within a larger health care system.

Topics: Initiatives, Entrepreneurship, Careers, College of Nursing

A portrait of Sheila Johnson standing on the Horseshoe.

Renowned entrepreneur Sheila Johnson returns for second semester as executive-in-residence

February 24, 2023, Allen Wallace

As a partner and vice chairman of Monumental Sports and Entertainment, Sheila Johnson is the only African American woman with ownership in three professional sports teams. Students in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management are gaining unique insights from Johnson as she returns for a second semester to co-teach a class on leadership.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Experiential Learning, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

A bird’s eye view of a dark beer in a pint glass.

Prohibition-era beer laws persist to the present

December 02, 2022, Téa Smith

Craft beer is big business but that doesn’t necessarily mean business is booming.In fact, for many of the nation’s smaller brewing operations, competing with established large-scale “macrobreweries” is a David and Goliath story — and the laws are stacked in Goliath’s favor. But Scott Taylor Jr.. and his colleagues at the Wine and Beverage Institute at USC School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management are working on the first of three papers exploring the negative impact of Prohibition-era laws on competition within the alcoholic beverage industry.

Topics: Alumni, Faculty, Research, Economic Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

image of brick block with 2x4

UofSC engineers develop disaster-resistant building materials

June 01, 2022, Chris Horn

For the past 10 years, Fabio Matta, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been engineering earthen building blocks made from local soil. Up close, the blocks don’t look like anything special, but their simplicity is the appeal — the blocks don’t require firing in energy-intensive kiln furnaces and can stand up to the worst Mother Nature can throw at them.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Experiential Learning, Initiatives, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, College of Engineering and Computing

David Cutler in steampunk style

Music professor gets creative in managing change

April 05, 2022, Dan Cook

When you think of change management, you might think of the Harvard Business Review or McKinsey’s global consultants. You probably don’t think about musicians. But in David Cutler’s new book, the distinguished professor of entrepreneurship and innovation in the School of Music takes lessons that began in the arts and translates them into a broad-based way of thinking about change in any other facet of life.

Topics: Faculty, University Leadership, Research, Experiential Learning, Initiatives, Recognition, Economic Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, School of Music

Susan O'Malley

UofSC instructor inspires the next generation of leaders in sports

March 23, 2022, Megan Sexton

Susan O'Malley, the first woman to run a professional sports franchise, has brought her knowledge, insight and enthusiasm to the University of South Carolina, focusing on giving students a taste of the fast-paced field of sports and event management.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Experiential Learning, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

Ben Green

UofSC's McNair Institute inspiring student entrepreneurs

November 04, 2021, Laura Kammerer

Columbia native Ben Green will speak live at the McNair Entrepreneurship Showcase on Friday (Nov. 12) at the Russell House Underground. The event, sponsored by the university’s McNair Institute for Entrepreneurism and Free Enterprise, will also feature speakers such as MapQuest founder Chris Heivly, ’84 master’s geography, and Mixtroz co-founder Ashlee Ammons.

Topics: Alumni, speakers, Experiential Learning, Diversity, Entrepreneurship, Darla Moore School of Business

AI Institute

Intelligence, all over campus

March 05, 2020, Megan Sexton

While artificial intelligence research and programs are growing around the country, the University of South Carolina’s AI Institute is among the first in the Southeast to include diverse colleges and departments.

Topics: Faculty, University Leadership, Academics, Research, Graduate Studies, Initiatives, Economic Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Careers, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computing, College of Information and Communications, College of Social Work

Andrew Super

Graduating senior leaves legacy of HOPE for people with disabilities

May 06, 2019, Allen Wallace

Andrew Super will graduate from the University of South Carolina May 11, but earning his diploma might be the second most impressive thing he has accomplished during his college career. In the past two and a half years, he has helped provide numerous free prosthetic devices for children and veterans in need, through a company he co-founded.

Topics: Students, Research, Experiential Learning, Philanthropy, Service, Entrepreneurship, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

Creative degree programs

USC Creativity

December 03, 2018, Megan Sexton

The university has established several new degree programs that illustrate creative curricula by adding innovation, an entrepreneurial approach or other types of value to traditional degrees.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Academics, Research, Experiential Learning, Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Studies, Initiatives, Entrepreneurship, Careers, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Engineering and Computing, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

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