Shannon Means appointed vice provost for strategy and innovation
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.
2023 Archive
Breakthrough Star Hengtao Tang studies how to make STEM courses more effective for SC schoolchildren
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.
Double jeopardy: food insecurity and diabetes
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.
Breakthrough Star Mani Sockalingam develops composite material systems that could benefit aerospace, automotive, defense sectors
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.
Breakthrough Star Melissa Nolan searches for innovative ways to curb impact of viral and insect-borne illness
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.
Center for the Study of Aphasia Recovery improves communication, quality of life
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.
USC invests in SC's future with 5 new research institutes
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.
Sarah Davis blazes trail for mothers pursuing Ph.D.'s
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.
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence
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.
Breakthrough Star Sanjib Sur is working on next-generation 'smart' technology
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.
Rohit Verma selected as new Moore School dean
May 05, 2023, Hannah Cambre
Rohit Verma will start in his role as dean of the Darla Moore School of Business on July 1.
Breakthrough Star Anita Nag works to improve treatment of viruses like COVID-19
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.
Cannabis-derived products like delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC have flooded the US market
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.
Public health researcher plays key role in project aimed at addressing K-12 fitness
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.
Breakthrough Star Chang Liu works in multidisciplinary teams to improve health care
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.
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.
Breakthrough Leader Ralf Gothe studies interactions between particles essential to quantum field theory
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.
Donors help USC bring Marine Corps history to life
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.
Exercise is Medicine Greenville (EIMG) provides model for health care providers
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.
How hip-hop has enhanced American education over the past 50 years, from rec rooms to classrooms
April 18, 2023, Toby Jenkins
Associate professor of higher education Toby Jenkins writes for The Conversation on the widespread educational impacts of hip-hop.
Sullivan Award winner excelled despite pandemic limitations
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.
Sullivan Award winner leaves legacy of giving back
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.
Breakthrough Leadership Award winner Daniela Friedman shepherds researchers in Office for the Study of Aging
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.
Discover USC
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.
Breakthrough Star Jessica Klusek looks at communication difficulties among carriers of genetic mutation
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.
Breakthrough star Peiyin Hung studies maternal health disparities
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.
Professor probes intersection of law, technology, transportation
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.
Improving vaccination processes
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.
Mentoring program offers big assist to parents of children on autism spectrum
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.
Understanding the mechanics of speech
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.
Arnold School researchers study health, financial and security costs of military readiness
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.
Garnet research provides clues about Earth's history and its future
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.
Understanding people and place
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.
Sociologist explores inequality in dual-professional relationships
March 21, 2023, Grace Farrar
Assistant professor of sociology Jaclyn Wong's book "Equal Partners?" dives into relationship inequality within dual-professional couples.
Amit Sheth: Artificial intelligence, real growth
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.
AI-powered experimentation fuels energy research
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 speed up and improve the process of finding novel combinations of catalyst materials.
David Banush looks to take University Libraries through digital transformation
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.
Remember Columbia's Irish history and its influence on the city today
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.
Bringing civil rights history to life
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.
People produce endocannabinoids -- similar to compounds found in marijuana - that are critical to many bodily functions
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.
Is there a management professor in the house?
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).
USC researchers study how walking speed affects health
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.
Fueling SC's top industry
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.
USC's neuroscience research offers hope for a range of conditions
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.
Interim BSW program coordinator Bree Alexander returns to USC to train the next generation of social workers
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.
New age treasure hunters reveal lost stories of Black life in South Carolina
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.
New nursing research chair has big aspirations for health care technology
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.
Timir Datta: Magnetism Reimagined
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.
Social work researcher explores impact on those who want more work hours but don't get them
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.
Alumna Caroline Harper works to bring back indigo
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.
USC researchers advancing transition to a new energy landscape
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.
Priority: Wellness
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.
Education professor's new book examines the chronic shortage of public school teachers
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.