Stories for Faculty and Staff

Gail V. Barnes stands in the doorway with students playing string instruments behind her

USC String Project marks 50 years of hitting the right notes

April 05, 2024, Megan Sexton

The gold standard in string music education is marking its golden anniversary this year. For the past 50 years, the University of South Carolina String Project has been the national model in a program that combines music lessons with community service and teacher education.

Gates to Horseshoe of USC campus

2024 Autism Acceptance Month: USC faculty experts list

March 28, 2024, Gregory Hardy

April is Autism Acceptance Month. The CDC estimates that 1 out of every 36 eight-year-olds is affected by autism, a lifelong developmental disorder. As South Carolina’s leader in health sciences, USC has researchers across disciplines who specialize in autism.

Students perform during summer conservatory

USC youth summer camps 2024

March 01, 2024, Communications and Marketing

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.

Matt White conducts an ensemble

Matt White's approach for "Lowcountry" has him headed to Spoleto

January 26, 2024, Thom Harman

From a new program home to new music to continued research, Matt White, Jazz Studies Program chair, is rather busy. His novel approach to a 2023 release, “Lowcountry” — incorporating Gullah histories and stories with contemporary jazz — has earned White and his collaborators a chance to perform the piece during the 2024 Spoleto Festival.

Members of the Carolina Band perform on the field at halftime of a USC football game

Carolina Marching Band selected to perform in the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

September 08, 2023, Thom Harman

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® committee has announced the Carolina Band as one of their premier bands selected to perform in the 2024 parade. The announcement was made at halftime of the South Carolina vs. Furman football game on Saturday (Sept. 9). The band was one of just 10 chosen from more than 100 applicants. This is the first time in the band’s 100+-year history that it’s been given this opportunity.

School of Music senior Madie Willard stands in front of the Koger Center wearing a gray jacket and pink top

Student organizes event to share joy of music with Deaf community

April 18, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

An interactive, multisensory Music Field Day organized by School of Music senior Madie Willard will offer children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families an opportunity to experience music through the senses. Headlining the event will be DEAFinitely Dope, an internationally recognized deaf hip hop (dip hop) artist based in the Atlanta area.

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.

photo illustration of Black hands playing a piano

Professor Birgitta Johnson connects music with culture, experience and emotion

February 02, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

As a professor of ethnomusicology, Birgitta Johnson studies the interaction of music and culture – why and how people make music and why it's important as a part of their identity or tradition. Much of her research is done in the field talking with and engaging with communities, including public events such as an upcoming music series she is hosting with the Columbia Museum of Art.

Colleen Clark headshot

New faculty spotlight: Colleen Clark

October 15, 2021, Dan Cook

When Colleen Clark signed up to play drums as an elementary school student, she was initially told to play flute instead. In 2019, she became the first woman — and first drummer — to earn a doctorate in jazz performance from the University of North Texas. At South Carolina, she wants to ensure that the jazz program is welcoming to all.

A student taking notes in a classroom

New degree programs debut in Fall '21

August 12, 2021, Cam Adams

The University of South Carolina is expanding its degree offerings with 13 new programs set to launch this fall that will better prepare students for careers in cybersecurity, education, nursing, business and music among other fields.

Sydney Womack, graduating senior May 2021

Class of 2021: Sydney Womack

April 15, 2021, Chris Horn

Sydney Womack’s calendar has been booked nearly solid during her four years at South Carolina and little wonder — she majored in biomedical engineering, minored in mathematics, earned a performance certificate in the School of Music, conducted undergraduate research and co-authored a scholarly article and three poster presentations. She also attended football, basketball and baseball games whenever she could, held leadership positions in two engineering student societies and regularly volunteered to pitch STEM career opportunities to high school students.

photo of a bridge over a river with blue sky in the background

Concerts honor frontline workers, aim to strengthen community through music

March 22, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward

Celebrating Local Heroes with The Concert Truck, a series of 10 events performed aboard a mobile music venue will honor 10 frontline heroes with video vignettes that highlight personal stories of sacrifice and courage and live music composed and performed by music students and alumni.

Reggie, Connor and Ian Bain

3 brothers, 3 Goldwater Scholarships, 1 passion

March 15, 2021, Aïda Rogers and Chris Horn

Reggie, Connor and Ian Bain all double majored in mathematics and a field of science, they’re all alumni of the University of South Carolina’s Honors College (Ian graduates in May) and Carolina Scholars and each was named a Goldwater Scholar, which is considered the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate award for STEM majors.

Maxcy Monument on the Historic Horseshoe with sunlight streaming through the trees.
Catherine Howland

Music grad ready to inspire the next generation of vocalists

November 25, 2020, Megan Sexton

Catherine Howland will earn her Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in music education summa cum laude in December. The School of Music and Honors College grad will start her career as a choir teacher at a middle school in South Carolina starting in January.

Thomas Palmer

Class of 2020: Thomas Palmer

May 06, 2020, Megan Sexton

Thomas Palmer chose UofSC because of the opportunities offered by a large university, along with its top-flight School of Music and impressive Honors College. Playing in the orchestra during the production of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS, he was reminded that he made the right decision

piano professor phillip bush

5 questions with Phillip Bush

December 10, 2019, Dan Cook

While many of us were eyeing the end of the semester, University of South Carolina music professor Phillip Bush was eyeing his piano — gearing up for an early December trip to Paris, where he performed with acclaimed American composer Philip Glass.

map of South Carolina with UofSC Alumnni mayor's cities pinned

Keys to the City

August 05, 2019, Craig Brandhorst and Megan Sexton

You don’t need a degree from the University of South Carolina to get elected mayor in the Palmetto State, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. This summer, Carolinian magazine traveled the state, from the Lowcountry to the Upstate, from the Midlands to the Pee Dee, interviewing South Carolina alumni who hold the esteemed office.