September 26, 2023
Researchers at the University of South Carolina understand both the benefits and the challenges of getting people to exercise — as well as the societal repercussions when they don’t. And they are developing solutions to increase physical activity to the benefit of us all.
September 26, 2023, Megan Sexton
John Grady, a sport management professor and researcher, was selected for the Carolina Trustees Professorship award, presented to faculty members who are committed to teaching excellence in any phase of the university's educational mission.
September 19, 2023, Page Ivey
In May, the University of South Carolina announced that it will invest $10 million over the next four years in five new interdisciplinary research institutes that will address some of the Palmetto State’s biggest challenges, including health, education and water quality. USC Today talked with Vice President for Research Julius Fridriksson about the genesis and goals of the initiative.
September 13, 2023, Laura Morris
For families and organizations that participate in youth sports, it’s important to recognize the risks and harms of concussions and brain injuries. USC clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, Dr. Jeff Holloway, breaks down concussion basics for caregivers, including symptoms, recovery time and when to see a physician.
August 31, 2023, Hannah Cambre
In 2021, a group of 20 students from across majors and class standings journeyed to Peru to explore the modern day capital city of Lima as well as the ancient Incan capital in Cusco and the sacred site of Machu Picchu. This year, another cohort will return for a winter session to explore the rich history and culture of Peru.
August 30, 2023, Lauryn Jiles
The university never sleeps, but it does slow down a bit during the summer. With the start of the fall semester, here’s a reminder of some recent happenings that you might have missed, plus a heads up about some major upcoming events.
August 29, 2023, Chris Horn
A sleep promotion intervention program from the Arnold School of Public Health aims to give parents much-needed tools to help their children get the sleep they need during the busy school year.
August 24, 2023, Toby Jenkins
While hip-hop has created a lot of good memories, good music and good times, the culture has gifted society much more than just entertainment. Toby Jenkins, a higher ed professor who researches hip-hop culture, writes for The Conversation about the genre's greatest gifts — freedom of thought, flexibility and truth-telling.
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.
August 16, 2023, Hannah Cambre
As new students settle into the IDEA community and Galen Health Fellows this academic year, they will meet two of the university’s incoming faculty principals, David Cutler and Alicia Flach, who are eager to make their mark on their respective communities.
August 11, 2023, Rich Harrill
Major wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed dozens of people and caused heavy damage, particularly in the historic town of Lahaina, as of Aug. 10, 2023. Research professor Rich Harrill, an expert on hospitality and tourism, explains how such events affect places like Maui in the short and long terms.
August 07, 2023, Chris Horn
Most complications from diabetes already are well known and include heart disease, neuropathy and vision loss. A recent study has confirmed one more: diminished recovery from post-stroke aphasia.
July 21, 2023, Hannah Cambre
One week before Josh Hughes planned to study abroad in Ukraine, his trip was canceled because of the escalating conflict with Russia. He was disappointed-- until a new opportunity arose in Kyrgyzstan. Now, he's returned to his host country on a Critical Language scholarship.
July 21, 2023, Laura Erskine
There’s no mystery about the disappearance of Ace Harlem. Born in 1947, his story ended just as quickly as it began. Picture this: a Black police detective comes upon the scene of a crime and traces the evidence to robbers holed up in a downtown apartment. A struggle ensues. Only one survives.
July 18, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward
As Baby Boomers age, the number of older adult households is rapidly growing. Many of those planning for their retirement years are deciding there’s no place like home. Researchers from the College of Social Work teamed up with Richland Library to teach life skills that promote independence and allow individuals to age in a familiar space and environment, reducing long-term care costs and maintaining established routines.
July 17, 2023, Alexis Watts
As the fight against plastic pollution continues, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded USC a grant for $2.6 million for a three-year project to find plastic alternatives for coastal applications.
July 13, 2023, Page Ivey
Every summer, the South Carolina coast and the southeastern U.S. faces the threat of hurricanes that range in size from sustained winds of 74 mph to the state’s most catastrophic hurricane, Hugo in 1989 that resulted in $10 billion in damages. Helping minimize the damage from these storms is the job of several graduates of the University of South Carolina’s geography master’s program.
July 10, 2023, Christopher Woodley
Civil and environmental engineering researchers examine soil behavior for best practices in building earthquake-resistant structures in South Carolina.
June 30, 2023, Chris Horn
Many children are not only minimally participating in physical activity but also have fallen behind in acquiring basic motor development skills that dramatically hinders their capability to play.
June 28, 2023, Jabari M. Evans
Amen and Ausar Thompson, the identical twin brothers who were just selected as the fourth and fifth picks, respectively, in the 2023 NBA draft. The duo symbolizes the transformative potential of Overtime Elite, which offers young athletes a new path to maximize their earning potential. Jabari M. Evans, assistant professor of race and media, writes about Overtime Elite for The Conversation.
June 23, 2023, Scott Smith
The tragic news of the destruction of the Titan submersible has brought attention to the thrilling, dangerous and expensive world of extreme tourism. Researcher and professor Scott Smith who studies hospitality and tourism management, writes for The Conversation about adventure tourism and why more people are drawn to the experience.
June 21, 2023, Caroline R. Nagel
Short-term mission trips have become a rite of passage in some corners of Protestant Christianity as overseas travel has become more affordable for Americans. Mission trips are an evangelical rite of passage for US teens – but why?
June 15, 2023, Téa Smith
The Center for Teaching Excellence’s Innovative Pedagogy Grant supports innovative teaching methods across different disciplines. The goal is to invest in the improvement of courses taught by faculty members who provide students with exemplary, highly engaging learning experiences, offered in an online, blended or traditional format.
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.
June 14, 2023, Christopher R. Moore
The earliest people who lived in North America shared the landscape with huge animals. On any day these hunter-gatherers might encounter a giant, snarling saber-toothed cat ready to pounce, or a group of elephantlike mammoths stripping tree branches. Maybe a herd of giant bison would stampede past.
June 13, 2023, Bryan Gentry
Frank Avignone is looking for dark matter ― the mysterious substance that makes up much of the universe. In a lab at the University of South Carolina, he shows off a spectrometer that he recently repaired with support from the National Science Foundation. Purchased for his lab more than 50 years ago, the device proved to be just what he needs for his newest experiment.
June 09, 2023, Chris Horn
In a first-ever analysis of deaths in South Carolina prisons, jails and youth detention centers, USC School of Law assistant professor Madalyn Wasilczuk and her students have compiled a report that aims to increase transparency in corrections facilities across the Palmetto State.
June 08, 2023, Megan Sexton
Robert Best, a medical geneticist and professor at the USC School of Medicine Greenville, has been a major contributor to the fields of cytogenetics and bioethics. Last fall, Best was tapped to serve as interim CEO of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics.
June 07, 2023, Rose Cisneros
For Terrance Weik, the gravesite of his great-grandmother was a sacred place: Her headstone memorialized a place where he could remember her and those who came before. Weik is working on research and preservation efforts at three burial grounds across South Carolina: sites in Blythewood, Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head.
May 26, 2023, Hannah Cambre
The Office of the Provost has named Shannon Means as the new vice provost for strategy and innovation. She will begin in her role on June 1.
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.
May 25, 2023
South Carolina’s economic future depends on a world-class workforce in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. That’s why assistant professor Hengtao Tang is studying how to make STEM courses more effective, inclusive and accessible to a wider range of people.
May 24, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Education professor Catherine Compton-Lilly traveled to Taiwan to help two indigenous communities reclaim their language through children’s books.
May 24, 2023, Téa Smith
Tarlan Chahardovali, an assistant professor in the University of South Carolina’s Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, and Christopher McLeod, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, have developed the concept of inspirational labor as part of a study exploring the extra work that professional female athletes do for the future of their sports.
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.
May 22, 2023, Megan Sexton
At the University of South Carolina’s Aging Brain Cohort, researchers from across the university are exploring how people’s brain health changes as they get older.
May 22, 2023, Chris Horn
Nearly 50 years ago, exercise science professor Russ Pate began research on encouraging children to be more physically active. The data that he and other researchers were seeing back then turned out to be a harbinger of today’s crisis of obesity and physical inactivity among children and adolescents.
May 22, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
When it comes to understanding the challenges related to pregnancy, birth and early childhood, USC’s researchers deliver answers.
May 19, 2023, Chris Horn
One in five youth and young adults with diabetes in the U.S. lives in a household with limited or uncertain availability of nutritional food, a precarious situation that makes coping with diabetes difficult. Arnold School of Public Health researchers are learning more about this special population and are planning an intervention study to help.
May 17, 2023
Mani Sockalingam’s research supports the development of advanced composite material systems that could find application in the production of lightweight structures for the aerospace, automotive and defense sectors. He seeks to address fundamental scientific challenges at the intersection of materials-mechanics-manufacturing while mentoring students to conduct meaningful research.
May 16, 2023
Growing up in a poor area of North Georgia, Melissa Nolan saw the negative effects infectious disease could have on a community – and after working in Latin America, she saw how infectious disease interventions could mitigate these kinds of effects. At USC, the assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics is combining her domestic and foreign research interests for maximum impact.
May 16, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Aphasia is a language disorder that can occur after a stroke. It is especially prevalent in South Carolina, which has one of the highest stroke rates in the nation. Researchers at C-STAR — USC’s Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery — are working to better understand it.
May 12, 2023, Communications and Marketing
The University of South Carolina will invest $10 million over the next four years in five new interdisciplinary research institutes that will address some of the Palmetto State’s biggest challenges, including health, education and water quality.
May 11, 2023, Abbey Smith
Sarah Davis’s endometriosis diagnosis spurred the NIH-funded researcher to pursue motherhood while completing her Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences. As she prepares to celebrate her first Mother’s Day, Davis reflects on what it means to have a successful academic career while starting a family.
May 10, 2023
Since establishing an Artificial Intelligence Institute in 2019, the university has seen growing interest in the subject across campus. There are now dozens of researchers throughout the university exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to advance fields from health care to manufacturing.
May 10, 2023
Sanjib Sur first became interested in millimeter-wave because of its potential to bring low-cost wireless connectivity to underserved populations. Today, Sur is working on designing next-generation wireless network architectures and ubiquitous sensing techniques that make smart objects truly smart.
May 05, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Rohit Verma will start in his role as dean of the Darla Moore School of Business on July 1.
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 28, 2023, Prakash Nagarkatti, Mitzi Nagarkatti
There are signs advertising delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC and CBD, or cannabidiol, everywhere. Professors of pathology Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on whether it is safe to consume them and which claimed medicinal benefits hold up to scientific scrutiny.
April 27, 2023
Russell Pate, a public health professor and director of the Children's Physical Activity Research Group, played a key role in SC FitnessGram, a project led by the state Department of Health and Environmental Control that aims to evaluate and improve health-related fitness among public school students.
April 26, 2023
Chang Liu entered the field of biomedical engineering as an undergraduate with the long-term goal of improving human health care through engineering solutions. Over the past 15 years, his research has touched on multiple life science disciplines, including biomedical engineering, molecular diagnostics, bio-nanotechnology and proteomics.
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.
April 19, 2023
Ralf Gothe is part of a group of scientists exploring quantum chromodynamics at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Virginia. His work focuses specifically on the strong interaction between quarks and gluons, two elementary particles essential to quantum field theory.
April 19, 2023, Megan Sexton
University of South Carolina Libraries took something of a leap of faith when it partnered with the Marine Corps on a massive project to digitize 19,000 cans of film, documenting the operational history of the Corps throughout the 20th century. Thanks to donors Richard and Novelle Smith of Columbia, the effort to catalogue, store and digitize more than 2,000 hours of film received a significant boost.
April 18, 2023, Téa Smith
The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville has been awarded a $400,000 grant by The Duke Endowment to evaluate the implementation of Exercise is Medicine Greenville (EIMG), a physical health promotion model for health care providers. Exercise is Medicine Greenville is a patient-referral program through which highly qualified professionals work to improve the health and well-being of the community through physical activity, lifestyle changes and education.
April 18, 2023, Toby Jenkins
Associate professor of higher education Toby Jenkins writes for The Conversation on the widespread educational impacts of hip-hop.
April 17, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Honors College senior Robert William Pokora III drew on his family’s experience with organ transplant to restart an organization at the University of South Carolina that advocates for people to sign up to be donors. The Greer, South Carolina, native is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor.
April 17, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Honors College senior Charlotte Ann Pollack did not let the pandemic stop her from excelling even when the worldwide shutdown significantly altered her plans. The Fort Mill, South Carolina, native is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor.
April 14, 2023
Daniela Friedman grew up watching her mother suffer with cancer and struggle to make sense of the complicated information she received about her diagnosis and treatment plan. Today, that experience drives Friedman’s efforts to improve how health information is communicated to older and diverse populations.
April 13, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
The Discover USC event showcases student research at the university, especially the work of seniors, graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. These projects represent all disciplines in research, scholarship, leadership and creativity. Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the annual, systemwide showcase will be held 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 21 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
April 13, 2023
Jessica Klusek’s work focuses on communication difficulties associated with the FMR1 premutation — the genetic mutation found in women who are carriers of fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism.
April 11, 2023
Peiyin Hung joined USC’s Arnold School of Public Health in 2018 after a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. An assistant professor of health services policy and management, Hung explores maternal health and rural health disparities.
April 10, 2023, Andersen Cook
From a young age, University of South Carolina law professor Bryant Walker Smith tested the limits around him; now, he’s one of the world’s leading experts in autonomous vehicle law, an emerging field where the boundaries are being set.
April 06, 2023
Today’s pharmacists are key to fighting the spread of infectious disease, administering vaccines for everything from COVID-19 to shingles. College of Pharmacy assistant professor Tessa Hastings is on a mission to improve how they do that.
April 05, 2023, Chris Horn
Robert Hock, a USC's College of Social Work professor, is heading an NIH-funded study to assist parents of children recently diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The project deploys autism parent navigators experienced in finding and using resources for children on the autism spectrum to serve as guides for uninitiated parents.
March 28, 2023
Neuroscientist Roozbeh Behroozmand directs the Speech Neuroscience Lab in the Arnold School of Public Health, which examines the neural bases of speech and its disorders in people with neurological conditions.
March 24, 2023, Megan Sexton
The struggle to find recruits who can meet physical fitness and weight requirements to begin military training is a costly dilemma – in terms of national security, military readiness and dollars needed to treat injured trainees.
March 24, 2023, Rose Cisneros
McCausland Fellow Besim Dragovic has a favorite mineral —it’s garnet, of course. Garnet is a mineral that carries a wealth of information about unique locations on Earth and their history as well as element-containing rocks hold several possibilities for sustainability.
March 22, 2023
Cultural anthropologist Monica Barra studies how racial inequalities are shaped by scientific practices, racial histories and climate change in the U.S. South.
March 21, 2023, Grace Farrar
Assistant professor of sociology Jaclyn Wong's book "Equal Partners?" dives into relationship inequality within dual-professional couples.
March 08, 2023, Téa Smith
Since its inception, the Artificial Intelligence Institute of South Carolina has fostered multiple partnerships to infuse artificial intelligence expertise into the framework of research at USC. Founding director Amit Sheth and the five new faculty he helped recruit have secured funding for a growing team of over 40 researchers.
March 07, 2023, Chris Horn
In their drive to develop new catalysts for energy production, Jochen Lauterbach's research team is using artificial intelligence to improve the process of finding novel combinations of catalyst materials.
March 01, 2023, Alexis Watts
David Banush took the helm as dean of University of South Carolina Libraries in November. He has seen his career come full circle from shelving books as a 17-year-old to leading the libraries into a new era.
March 01, 2023, Reagin von Lehe
From building the city’s canal to founding St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Irish immigrants and their descendants have a rich history in Columbia dating back to the 19th century. Eric Friendly, research coordinator for Historic Columbia, the community from the first wave of immigrants that arrived in the 1820s.
February 22, 2023, Carol J.G. Ward
As a respected scholar of Southern history and African American culture, Bobby Donaldson has served as a consultant for museum exhibitions, archival collections, oral history initiatives, documentary films and historic preservation projects. He also has been recognized for his teaching and community outreach. He credits his parents and educators — from his elementary school librarian to a “drill sergeant” professor at Wesleyan University to his mentors and colleagues at USC — for inspiring his career.
February 22, 2023, Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti
Professors of pathology, microbiology and immunology Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on endocannabinoids, compounds found in humans that are similar to those found in marijuana.
February 20, 2023, Page Ivey
Business professor Luv Sharma’s research focus on process management and improvement may sound like an unlikely match for helping kidney transplant patients, but his experience and expertise were the perfect combination for creating an intervention for a major U.S. hospital over three years (2013-16).
February 17, 2023, Megan Sexton
Researchers from the College of Engineering and Computing and the Arnold School of Public Health are studying how a person’s walking speed affects health and well being.
February 17, 2023, Page Ivey
Tourism is the main driver of South Carolina’s economy, accounting for about 10 percent of jobs in the state and an estimated annual impact of $29 billion. The University of South Carolina helps keep this economic engine humming by preparing graduates of the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management to take on key roles in a variety of businesses and by helping those businesses adapt and grow.
February 14, 2023
The University of South Carolina is focused on the brain. From autism and aphasia to Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, university researchers are working across several academic disciplines to better understand how the brain works and to develop solutions that will improve people’s health.
February 14, 2023, Téa Smith
New interim bachelor of social work program coordinator Bree Alexander is eager to give students more opportunities to pursue their research interests — on their own or working with a faulty member.
February 14, 2023, Alexis Watts
New age treasure hunters, part of the South Carolina Digital Newspaper Program, are saving crucial historical information buried in old publications that are being preserved and presented online. The newspapers reveal stories from the state’s Black residents and rural communities, often overlooked by larger news outlets.
February 07, 2023, Communications and Marketing
Virtual care is playing a bigger and bigger role in health care. Lorie Donelle, Emily Myrtle Smith Endowed Professor of Nursing, wants to make sure it’s not just efficient but also effective and ethical. The goal? To help people avoid misinformation and disinformation that can have negative impacts on their health care decisions.
January 27, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
Physics Professor Timir Datta was recently named a 2022 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow for his research on “high-temperature” superconductors. But it’s the puzzling nature of electromagnetism that has pulled at his imagination for the last half a century.
January 18, 2023, Page Ivey
As many as 10 percent of U.S. workers want more work hours than their companies are offering — a condition known as underemployment. College of Social Work professor Jaeseung Kim is investigating the economic and personal fallout of underemployment, including the consequences of erratic weekends, shift cancellations or lack of control over hours.
January 17, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Indigo is tightly woven into South Carolina history, but few have worked with the rich natural dye since it fell out of favor nearly 150 years ago. Alumna Caroline Harper is bringing it back.
January 12, 2023, Megan Sexton
From policy-making surrounding cleaner energy technologies to researching better ways to make and store electricity to studying advanced nuclear materials for interplanetary space travel, University of South Carolina researchers are advancing the transition to a changing energy landscape.
January 10, 2023, Rebekah Friedman
Health care workers are in the midst of a burnout crisis. As director of field education for the College of Social Work, Melissa Reitmeier has seen it first-hand when placing students in clinical sites across the state. She and her colleagues hope their new online training series will help.
January 04, 2023, Craig Brandhorst
It’s no secret: public school teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate. “How Did We Get Here? The Decay of the Teaching Profession” (Information Age Publishing, 2022), edited by University of South Carolina associate professor of education Henry Tran and Iowa State University associate professor Douglas A. Smith, explores the causes and consequences of teacher attrition in South Carolina as a way to shed light on the larger crisis affecting America’s schools.