2022 Archive

President Amiridis cheers on the Gamecocks as they play against SC State.

Year in review '22: In with the old, in with the new

December 14, 2022, Communications and Marketing

Did campus feel just a little bit livelier this year? A touch more spirited? A tad more optimistic? We thought so, too — and not only because we named a new president back in January. Yeah, that was one heck of a way to ring in the new year, and it set the tone for the months ahead, but in the end, 2022 was about all of us, from the President’s House to Russell House, from Colonial Life to Williams-Brice. It was about respecting tradition, rediscovering our identity, remembering our past and reimagining our future. In 2022, the University of South Carolina reminded us all what it means to be USC.

portrait of Louie

Some university staff work like dogs

December 05, 2022, Rebekah Friedman

“Arf woof bark, bark bark bark woof,” says George, who works at the University of South Carolina Honors College. “Woof woof, woof woof, woof woof woof woof.” George is referring, of course, to the impact he has had on students as a registered therapy dog. And across campus, other canines are logging long hours, too. Their goal? To do what dogs do best: spread paw-sitivity. (Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves.) These good boys and girls work like dogs. We met with four of them — and their people — to get a ruff idea of how they’re improving life on campus.

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.

portrait of Kirstin Dow

Geography professor maps heat islands as we adapt to climate change

November 16, 2022, Craig Brandhorst

Longtime University of South Carolina geography professor Kirstin Dow has devoted much of her career to understanding climate impact, vulnerability and adaptation. In other words, she recognizes the problems posed by our warming planet and is determined to help mitigate them, most recently by mapping heat islands so that urban planners can make better decisions about where to plant trees, generate more shade or support investment in affordable renewable energy and energy efficiency.

portrait of Nicole Maskiell

History professor's new book looks at cross-cultural ties created by slavery in the U.S. Colonies

November 14, 2022, Laura Erskine

Nicole Maskiell is an associate professor of history and affiliate faculty in African American studies at the University of South Carolina. Her book, “Bound by Bondage: Slavery and the Creation of a Northern Gentry” (2022 Cornell University Press), examines the institution of slavery in the early American Colonies and how it created lasting ties between families of the elite classes, even across cultural lines, as well as ties among the enslaved people.

Photo of Jazmine Lara Guerrero, a first-gen student

First-generation college students add energy, resilience to USC campus

November 04, 2022, Megan Sexton

There is no typical first-generation college student. Some come from immigrant families, some from households where family members didn’t graduate from high school. But all add energy and variety to the University of South Carolina campus.

Eugenia Broude smiles while meeting with other faculty members.

Pharmacy researcher driven to find weapons in the fight against cancer

October 12, 2022, Margaret Gregory

College of Pharmacy professor Eugenia Broude had personal inspiration to pursue a career in science, and a newly awarded $3 million R01 grant from the National Cancer Institute will allow Broude and her co-investigators to continue their work in a groundbreaking area of breast cancer research.

VPR Julius Fridriksson

New vice president for research aims to mentor junior faculty

October 03, 2022, Craig Brandhorst

Julius Fridriksson loves a challenge. After climbing to the top of his field — and building out a research team of more than 40 faculty, post docs and graduate students at the Arnold School of Public Health — the onetime first-generation college student from a small village in Iceland agreed to become USC’s interim vice president for research in 2021.

A nursing student practices on a mannekin while a professor observes.

Columbia, Upstate campuses to receive Prisma Health funding for nursing programs

October 03, 2022, Kyndel Lee

The University of South Carolina’s Columbia and Upstate campuses are recipients of an investment in scholarships by Prisma Health to help counter the state’s critical nursing shortage.

Students and alumni working at hotel, people dining in background

UofSC hospitality and tourism management program leads SEC, makes national top 10

July 26, 2022, Allen Wallace

For the fourth consecutive year, the University of South Carolina is among the top 10 in the country in hospitality and tourism management and No. 18 worldwide, according to the ShanghaiRanking’s 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.

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.

Students in black Pillars for Carolina T-shirts cheer during a field game

First-year Gamecocks find their new home through Pillars for Carolina

May 24, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

Katie Slick and Cody Markow, student co-directors of Pillars for Carolina, say the program builds community and confidence among incoming first-year Gamecocks. The student-led program offers extended orientation sessions focused on leadership, self-discovery, service and engagement on campus.

A young woman in hospital scrubs treats a patient

Students, alumni work to transform health care in rural Guatemala

May 20, 2022, Alexis Watts

Spring break normally means a time for University of South Carolina students to say goodbye to hard work and relax for a week, but for the past 10 years, hundreds of students from the Capstone Scholars program have chosen to challenge themselves culturally.

electric car plugged into power source

Incentivizing purchase of green vehicles is not always a straightforward proposition

May 13, 2022, Chris Horn

In an ideal world, perhaps everyone would drive electric cars or use public transportation powered by renewable energy — and that world would have cleaner air and far less greenhouse gas emissions. But in the real world many consumers remain skeptical of plug-in electric and hybrid cars or shy away from those vehicle’s higher price tags. Government-sponsored incentives have helped to some degree, but research by two faculty members in the Moore School of Business reveals those incentives sometimes come with unintended consequences.

A man in a blue shirt and khaki pants stands outdoors surrounded by trees

4th Udall Scholar named in 10 years at UofSC

May 12, 2022, Amanda Hernandez

In high school, Harrison Bench helped co-found Students for Climate Action, a youth-centered environmental organization. His continued passion for environmental advocacy led to Bench being awarded a Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, one of the most prestigious national scholarships in the United States.

Ero Amiridis smiles for the camera with colorful painting in background

Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis is proud to be a Gamecock

May 02, 2022, Chris Horn

President-elect Michael Amiridis isn’t the only Gamecock returning to the roost this summer. His wife, Ero Aggelopoulou-Amiridis, has just as deep a Carolina connection. In addition to her bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the university’s new first lady holds two advanced degrees from USC — a master’s in art history, ’97, and a Ph.D. in philosophy, ’12.

Michael Amiridis smiles for the camera with Chicago skyline in background

Michael Amiridis has many reasons to return to UofSC

May 02, 2022, Craig Brandhorst

Incoming University of South Carolina President Michael Amiridis is going to miss the University of Illinois Chicago, but he has zero misgivings about the new job. In fact, the former UofSC faculty member-turned-administrator is thrilled to return to the campus where he cut his academic teeth.

QR code abstract

The Best of Times?

April 25, 2022, Craig Brandhorst

A lot happens over the course of an academic year, and there’s absolutely no way to highlight everything. So, no, don’t think of this as a Best Of list. This is merely a smattering of the achievements and memorable moments that defined 2021-22, a small taste of the year that was. Trust us, there’s plenty more where this came from — and plenty more to come.

Lorri Unumb

After son's diagnosis, alumna becomes leading advocate for families affected by autism

April 25, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

Alumna Lorri Unumb's journey to becoming an advocate for families affected by autism began when she and her husband Dan noticed their son Ryan wasn’t behaving and developing like other children. Ryan was diagnosed with autism shortly before his second birthday. Today, Unumb is internationally known for her advocacy.

Laura-Louise Rice holds a framed copy of the Steven N. Swanger award

Swanger Award winner serves fellow students, community in variety of roles

April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing

An Honors College student from Lexington, South Carolina, Laura-Louise Rice is earning her Bachelor of Arts and Science (BARSC) in medical humanities and public policy. She has served in many capacities in Student Government, been an orientation and peer leader as well as taken on leadership roles in her business fraternity and social sorority. For her efforts over four years at the University of South Carolina, Rice received the 2022 Steven N. Swanger Award, the university’s second-highest undergraduate honor

Gabriel Nossar Carrilho

Top leadership award winner puts education to use serving others

April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing

Mechanical engineering major Gabriel Nossar Carrilho is using what he’s learned at the University of South Carolina to serve the campus community, the Latinx community and even people in his native South America in need of clean water. For his efforts, Carrilho has been awarded the university’s top leadership award — the 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.

Claire Windsor poses with her framed Algernon Sydney Sullivan award

Sullivan Award winner focuses research, leadership efforts on sustainability

April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing

Geography major Claire Windsor has turned a passion for creating a sustainable world into action throughout her four-year career at South Carolina. The Travelers Rest, South Carolina, native and Honors College student received the university's top leadership award, the 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.

Kelly Adams on the UofSC Horseshoe

UofSC alumna guides employer's gift to Center for Civil Rights History and Research

April 12, 2022, Megan Sexton

Alumna Kelly Adams, managing director of state government and regulatory affairs for the energy infrastructure company Williams, was instrumental in her employer’s gift of $1.5 million to the university's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.

Dance Marathon students with Cocky

Dance Marathon raises $931,016

April 12, 2022, Allen Wallace

On April 9, nearly 2,000 University of South Carolina students spent the day dancing together, closing more than a year of work with a huge success as they raised $931,016 to support the Child Life program at Prisma Health Children's Hospital.

Big Sur California coastline

UofSC-trained climate experts map a path forward for business and government

April 06, 2022, Chris Horn

Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that Earth’s rising temperatures and related phenomena — more frequent and severe drought, flooding and wildfires — are a result of human-caused climate change. Scientists who earned their Ph.D.s from South Carolina are applying their expertise to help corporations adopt more eco-friendly approaches to doing business and developing more equitable policies for coastal land use.

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.

Headshot of student body president Reedy Newton

Q&A with student body President Reedy Newton

March 29, 2022, Kelley Barrett

New executive officers were chosen in Student Government elections and took office this month. We asked new student body president Reedy Newton, a marketing major/mass communications minor, about why she got involved in student government and her priorities for the coming year.

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.

Lee Satterfield at podium/close-up

Diplomat Lee Satterfield has navigated the world of politics to get just where she wants to be

March 17, 2022, Rebekah Friedman

Alumna Lee Satterfield, ’89 journalism, has spent three decades in the political arena, gaining responsibilities with each stop. At the end of 2021, Satterfield was confirmed by the U.S Senate as assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the State Department.

Celia Dial Saxon in plaid dress, Normal School group photo

The honor and dignity of Celia Dial Saxon

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.

Invisible No More book jacket mockup

Essay collection sheds light on the largely unknown history of Black people at UofSC

January 31, 2022, Chris Horn

The University of South Carolina desegregated in 1963, but the history of Black people on campus extends back to the university’s beginning in the early 19th century. In 10 illuminating essays edited by Robert Greene II and Tyler Parry, Invisible No More (USC Press 2021) tells that story.

donna walker

Leadership program puts pharmacists on forefront of improving health care

January 11, 2022, Page Ivey

Helping develop and inspire pharmacy leaders is the goal of the Walker Leadership Scholars Program at the University of South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy, says program founder Donna Walker (1979 pharmacy, 1984 MBA). Each year, the competitive program selects two high-capacity students from the first-year pharmacy class to be scholars for three consecutive years.