2021 News Archive

Fall 2021 Commencement Ceremonies

The University of South Carolina's Fall 2021 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on Monday, December 13.

A Passion for Sports - and Coaching

Mallory Dixon excelled on the volleyball court and in the classroom. She will graduate this month with a master's degree in exercise science from the Arnold School of Public Health.

2021 State of the University

The University of South Carolina released the 2021 State of the University on November 24. This year's video update gains the perspective of our campus community and explores how our drive toward being a model university can strengthen our nation.

Serving the Underserved

This fall, UofSC News interviewed alumni who are currently helping to fill the gap in rural health care, including Tamieka Alston-Gibson who earned her bachelor's and graduate degrees in nursing from UofSC.

New Fellowship Provides Underrepresented South Carolinians a Path to Graduate Education

The University of South Carolina's Rising Star Fellowship will provide funding to HBCU students interested in pursuing graduate studies.

Piloting a Path to a New Career

During her 12 years as a Marine Corps helicopter pilot, Maj. Molly O'Malley flew in a war zone and quickly learned to make split-second decisions up in the air and deal with daily challenges on the ground. But transitioning from full-time military pilot to part-time graduate student at South Carolina hasn't turned out to be the cakewalk you might imagine.

McNair Institute Inspiring Student Entrepreneurs

Columbia native and alumnus Ben Green will speak 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.

First-generation Students Bring Wide Range of Perspectives to Campus

This fall, UofSC News spoke with two undergraduate students, a doctoral student, two alumni and two faculty members to learn about their experiences as first-generation students on campus and beyond.

Boren Scholar Joins NASA Simulation Study

Darla Moore School of Business graduate school alumnus, William Brown, has been selected to be one of two U.S. members of a NASA spaceflight simulation study in Moscow.

Alumna Plays Crucial Role in Media Company's Inclusion Efforts

As an executive vice president and global head of inclusion at ViacomCBS, Marva Smalls plays a crucial role in the company's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. And while her commitment to advocacy predates her time at the University of South Carolina, Smalls' undergraduate and graduate experiences shaped her philosophy in profound ways.

Oktoberbest: A Symposium on Teaching

All UofSC faculty, instructors and graduate teaching assistants are invited to attend the 12th Annual Oktoberbest: A Symposium on Teaching on Oct. 22. The event is free and in-person at the Russell House. Registration is required.

New Aerospace Engineering Program Satisfying Major Need in South Carolina

In 2018 the University of South Carolina launched the state's only aerospace engineering program offering enrollment in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in aerospace. Since the inception of the program, ensuing class sizes have grown dramatically, and in May 2021, the university graduated the state's first ever class of aerospace engineers.

A Summer Along the Sea

The Baruch Marine Field Lab gives graduate students, undergraduate interns and researchers from universities around the country access to a marine ecosystem where they gain firsthand coastal research and fieldwork experience. UofSC News interviewed five students about their experience at the Baruch Institute this summer, including graduate students Gwen Hopper (analytical environmental chemistry, GJMPP Scholar) and Curtis C.J. Szewczyk (marine science).

2022 Breakthrough Awards

The Office of the Vice President for Research is accepting nominations for the 2022 Breakthrough research awards. Nominations for all three signature Breakthrough awards are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 15, 2021.

University Libraries Research and Educational Data Procurement Program

University Libraries is pleased to invite UofSC Columbia-affiliated researchers, instructors, and graduate student and staff researchers to apply to a Research Dataset Procurement program that will provide library-hosted access to data needed for research or teaching.

Building Affordable and Hazard-resistant Houses with Earth Bricks and Recycled Plastic Reinforcement

To help build houses that are more structurally resistant to natural disasters, Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Fabio Matta and doctoral student Erika Rengifo-López are preparing to test new wall specimens made of plastic-reinforced, compressed earth bricks to determine if they can resist the impact of earthquakes.

Are You Applying to Graduate School? Preparing for Graduate School Can Help!

The Graduate School will host a Preparing for Graduate School seminar series throughout the fall 2021 semester. The seminar is aimed at helping our undergraduate students prepare for the graduate school selection and application process.

Putting History to Work in the World

The University of South Carolina’s public history master’s program was established in 1975 and has graduated 300 professionals into the field. Graduates of the program apply their knowledge of history to encourage civic engagement and tell a more inclusive story of our collective past.

Grant Basics Workshop for Graduate Students and Postdocs

The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to offer a basic grant-writing workshop for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. The workshop will be offered via Microsoft Teams on Friday, October 1, at 11:00 a.m.

Ph.D. Graduate Finds Her Path

Ashley Godwin, always had an interest in medicine, but when a hand disability became an issue for her in the Pharm.D. program, she channeled her passion and creativity toward a new path.

Gamecock Football Players Find Success in the Classroom

For Gamecock football players, discipline learned perfecting their game prepares them for the rigors of college academics. Four student athletes share their experiences, including Spencer Eason-Riddle, who will finish his football playing days at South Carolina with his undergraduate and master's degrees in public health and the 2021 SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award.

SHARPGrads Workshop Series

The Fall 2021 SHARPGrads workshop series provides free training in digital scholarship, computing, and library research concepts for UofSC students enrolled in graduate-level courses.

2022 SPARC Graduate Research Grant Program

The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to announce the application period for the 2022 SPARC Graduate Research Grant program. 2022 SPARC grant applications are due by Wednesday, October 13, at 5:00 p.m..

Clinical Teaching Award: Eboni Harris

College of Nursing graduate school alumna and associate professor, Eboni Harris, is a 2021 Clinical Practice Teaching Award winner.

Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Masks

Interim President Pastides reinstates the requirement to wear face coverings indoors while on campus.

New Fall 2021 Testing Requirements and Vaccine Rewards

Read the message from Interim President Pastides outlining the new Fall 2021 COVID-19 testing program, and providing new information about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

Public Health Graduate Co-Founds Cultural, Diversity Group

While earning her Ph.D. in physical therapy, August graduate Emma Mitsui co-founded an on-campus organization "to facilitate discussions on topics such as implicit biases, cultural humility, health inequities and patient/client diversity and how physical therapists can address these issues."

Mungo Graduate Teaching Award: Todd Shaw

Political science and African American Studies professor Todd Shaw weaves analysis and storytelling to create an engaging classroom experience.

UofSC Fall 2021 COVID-19 Guidelines

Read the letter from Interim President Pastides to all Columbia campus students, faculty, and staff about the mitigation plan for Fall 2021.

Breakthrough Leader: Xiaoming Li

Since joining the university in 2015 as director of the South Carolina SmartState Center for Health Care Quality, Xiaoming Li has authored or co-authored 179 scholarly publications and instituted an interdisciplinary campuswide Junior Scholar program that has successfully trained 41 doctoral students from different disciplines.

UofSC Alum Builds Network for Black Women in Social Work

Bodequia Simon, who earned her undergraduate and master's degree in social work at UofSC, founded the Black Girls in Social Work organization. The organization helps more than 20,000 members around the country network and learn about the profession.

Graduate Students: Health Insurance Update

A memo from the Graduate School and the Office of the Provost with an update regarding graduate student health insurance subsidies.

Faculty, Students Expand Infectious Disease Research in Parallel with Providing COVID-19 Support

Ph.D. in Epidemiology graduate students Kyndall Dye-Braumuller and Katie Lynn have held critical roles in leading the Laboratory of Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases founded by assistant professor of epidemiology, Melissa Nolan. The lab offers hands-on research experience in an atmosphere rich with mentorship.

Faculty, Students Expand Infectious Disease Research in Parallel with Providing COVID-19 Support

Epidemiology assistant professor Melissa Nolan and doctoral students Kyndall Dye-Braumuller and Katie Lynn traveled to El Salvador in May to conduct tick surveillance and study the prevalence and transfer of Chagas disease from mother to infant in utero.

Breakthrough Star: Vanessa Kitzie

College of Information and Communications Researcher, Vanessa Kitzie, is examining how information institutions like libraries can better serve LGBTQIA+ people in communities, particularly in South Carolina. Kitzie uses some of her external funding to support two doctoral students who work with her on her research.

High-flying Photography

Journalism and Mass Communications graduate school alumnus and associate professor Van Kornegay, has created a new visual communications course that will teach students to fly camera-equipped drones that have become a go-to tool in news gathering, infrastructure inspection, and more.

McFadden Professors Program Carries Legacy of Impact Forward

Dr. John McFadden directs the Grace Jordan McFadden Professors Program, which helps prepare underrepresented minority students pursuing their graduate studies at the University of South Carolina to eventually become professors.

Paul's Journey to Nationals Involves a Mother's Love and Sacrifice

Malik Paul's journey to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships is one of hardship, sacrifice, determination, faith and a mother's love. The South Carolina graduate student is headed to Oregon after qualifying at the NCAA Regional last week.

Public Health Researcher Uses Big Data to Improve Well Being

2021 Breakthrough Star, Bankole Olatosi, who completed his doctoral training in the Arnold School of Public Health, is using big data science to improve health care.

Summer 2021 Mask Guidelines

The university Public Health Team has established new guidance for the summer safety and mask guidelines on campus. Read the May 26 message to the community outlining the updates.

Master of Health Administration Alumnus Leads Efforts to Bring Vaccines to Rural Residents

Public health graduate Jacob Evans and an interdisciplinary group of experts from Prisma Health helped establish the state's first rural mass vaccination site in Laurens County. Thanks in part to his efforts -- and desire to work in rural South Carolina -- Prisma has administered more than 10,000 vaccines at that location.

Fulbright Offers UofSC Students Opportunities for Research and Study Abroad

Four UofSC students won Fulbright grants in three separate areas this year. The office of National Fellowships and Scholar Programs announced the first two Fulbright grants for graduate study in the UK.

Ph.D. Student Wins Graduate Student Trustee Fellowship

Agnes Nzomene Kahouo Foda reflected on how her personal immigration experiences influenced her decision to pursue a doctoral degree. These experiences and research goals helped her earn a trustee fellowship from the university.

College of Education Alumnae Recognized as Tops in Their Profession

UofSC College of Education alumnae Amy Carter and Christina Melton have been recognized as the state's best in their profession. Christina Melton has been named the 2022 state Superintendant of the Year and Amy Carter has been selected as the 2022 South Carolina Teacher of the Year.

Spring 2021 Commencement Ceremonies

The University of South Carolina Spring 2021 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8. An in-person recognition ceremony for 2020 graduates will be held on Saturday, May 15. All ceremonies will be in-person except for the School of Medicine, which will be virtual. In addition, all ceremonies will be livestreamed online.

Social Work Alumna Leads Nonprofit Through COVID-19 Crisis

Kimberly Tissot was met with a challenge in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the executive director of Able South Carolina, a Columbia-based organization that provides services to people with disabilities, Tissot had to find a way to continue offering services to those in need.

Graduate Students: Health Insurance Update

A letter from the Graduate School and the Office of the Provost regarding graduate student health insurance subsidies.

Alumnus Transforms Taiwanese Political Party

University of South Carolina graduate Johnny Chiang became chairman of Taiwan's oldest political party, the Kuomintang, in 2020, not long after the party suffered a crushing electoral defeat. His term has been marked by rising tensions with China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory.

Ph.D. Graduate Learns Success Can Come from Failure

It has been quite an adventure for Hossam Tashkandi, who arrived in the U.S. on scholarship from his native Saudi Arabia in 2005. Since then, he has earned both his bachelor's degree and master's degree in biological sciences from UofSC and will graduate with his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the College of Pharmacy this May.

Discover UofSC 2021

Discover UofSC, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, will be held on Friday, April 23, 2021. The Discover UofSC event website, built on the iPosterSessions virtual conference platform, will go live at 7 a.m. on April 23.

Give 4 Garnet: A Day of Giving

Give 4 Garnet: A Day of Giving celebrates all that is special about our UofSC home. On April 21, giving day focuses on the programs and learning opportunities that abound across UofSC's colleges, schools, departments and campuses.

UofSC Med School Leads Nation for Grads Practicing in Underserved Areas

The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia is the top medical program in the country for graduates who are practicing in areas where there is a shortage of health care professionals, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate School rankings. The rankings also show that UofSC is now home to more than 60 nationally ranked programs.

Birds Without Borders: UofSC Student Expands Bird-Tracking Technology in Mexico

Julián García Walther, a Ph.D. student in biological sciences and GJMPP scholar is researching how climate change is influencing the development and survival of the canutus roselaari, the rarest of all Red Knot subspecies.

Commencement Ceremonies Planned

UofSC will host in-person commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021 on May 7 and 8. University President Bob Caslen also invited the class of 2020 to an in-person commencement recognition ceremony on May 15.

Graduate Student Wins Leadership Award from Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina

Ph.D. in Health, Promotion, Education, and Behavior candidate, Jennifer Mandelbaum, was among three awardees that the alliance for a Healther South Carolina Recognized at the organization's third Annual Live Healthy SC Meeting.

COVID-19 Phase 1b Announcement

A message to graduate students from President Bob Caslen regarding Phase 1b of the COVID-19 vaccine expansion.

Wellness Days

The University of South Carolina has identified five days as wellness days for the Spring 2021 semester. Students will observe these days as an alternative to the traditional spring break and will not have classes on these days.

UofSC Ph.D. Student Working to Help Tourism Industry Recover

University of South Carolina Ph.D. student Hyunsu (Henry) Kim is leading a study that could provide practical strategies for the tourism industry as it works to recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Dajani's Cave | 1970s Doctoral Graduate's Story Mirrors Complicated History of his Middle East Homeland

In 2014, UofSC alumnus Mohammed Dajani, longtime professor at Jerusalem's al-Quds University, took 27 Palestinian college students to Auschwitz. He wanted them to confront the Holocaust and to consider the complicated history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from multiple perspectives. The backlash would cost him his job and endanger his life. It would also embolden his commitment to reconciliation.

CEC Graduate Students Receive Koerner Family Foundation Fellowships

UofSC College of Engineering graduate students Ben Egelske and Michael Royko have been selected as 2021 Koerner Family Foundation Fellows.

Music Alumni Share the Nation's Stage at the Presidential Inauguration

School of music graduate alumni participated in several events during the presidential inauguration in January 2021.

Discover UofSC to Return as a Virtual Event for 2021

The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to open registration for Discover UofSC 2021. All undergraduate and graduate students, medical and postdoctoral scholars are eligible to present their research, scholarship, leadership and creative projects in a safe, virtual format at Discover UofSC 2021 on Friday, April 23.

Nursing Ranks No. 1 for Online Master's Programs

The 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. The rankings also place the university No. 1 for its online nursing graduate program for veterans.

Office of Research Honors 2021 Breakthrough Award Recipients

The Office of the Vice President for Research has selected its Breakthrough Award winners for 2021, including five Leadership in Research awardees, 12 Breakthrough Stars, and 13 Breakthrough Graduate Scholars. The awards recognize excellent researchers at different career levels.

Forty-three Graduate Students Selected to Receive 2020-2021 SPARC Grants

The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to announce the new slate of 2020-2021 SPARC Graduate Research Grant recipients.

Mungo Teaching Award Winner: Michael Matthews

Teaching graduate students involves mentoring, modeling behavior and helping create tomorrow's thought leaders in their fields. For chemical engineering professor Michael Matthews, it is about creating what he calls "the well-dressed Ph.D."

Graduate School