2026 Archive

Entrance sign reading University of South Carolina with palmetto tree logo set against landscaped campus background

Learn how to amplify your expertise by writing for The Conversation

March 03, 2026, Gregory Hardy

University of South Carolina researchers can share their scholarship with national and global audiences through The Conversation, a nonprofit news outlet that pairs scholars with professional editors and syndicates stories worldwide. Learn how to get involved when their representatives visit campus March 25–26.

Scientist examines cylindrical battery

Video: What is inside a battery?

February 17, 2026, Hadley McCollester

Batteries are part of our everyday lives, but not many of us think about how they work or what they are made of. For researchers at the Lab for Materials Properties and Structures, these questions are a full time job. Golareh Jalilvand and her team at USC's Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing are dedicated to testing alternative battery materials such as lithium iron phosphate that will help make batteries a part of the country's sustainable future. This documentary explains why for batteries, it's what's inside that counts.

Headshot of Cassie Lewis Odahowski

Public health researcher uses ArcGIS to map rural health disparities

February 16, 2026, Laura Erskine

On average, rural residents live farther away from hospitals compared to urban residents. Cassie Lewis Odahowski, assistant professor of public health, says those longer distances can lead to worse health outcomes. As a researcher for the Arnold School’s Rural Health Research Center, Odahowski studies access-to-care issues for rural communities using an advanced mapping tool available at USC.

Nursing student with instructor at bedside

Gamecock nurses lead the way in health care delivery

February 09, 2026, Megan Sexton

From faculty members inventing new tools to help students learn the intricacies of treating heart defects in infants to opening up pathways to nursing careers for people with disabilities, the University of South Carolina College of Nursing is stepping up every day.

A close up of a curled Strongyloides under a microscope

Researchers find rare intestinal parasite could affect 1 in 20 South Carolinians

February 06, 2026, Rebekah Friedman

Strongyloides stercoralis is an intestinal parasite rarely seen in the U.S. University of South Carolina researchers Dr. Melissa Nolan and Dr. Matthew Haldeman wondered if these worms might still be lingering under the radar in South Carolina. What they found surprised them.

Residential street after an ice storm, with tree branches coated in ice and sagging over the road while ice-covered power lines stretch between utility poles in bright winter sunlight.

Data centers told to pitch in as storms and cold weather boost power demand

February 04, 2026, Conor Harrison

The government directed data centers to turn on backup generation in parts of the U.S. Conor Harrison, an associate professor of geography in the School of Earth, Ocean and Environment, co-authors this story for The Conversation on how expanding distributed generation could improve grid resilience.

Group in formal wear on a red carpet

USC School of Music professor wins 2026 Grammy

February 03, 2026, Marlena Crovatt-Bagwell and Brandon Pugh

Bassoon professor Michael Harley and his new-music ensemble Alarm Will Sound snared top honors in Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance for Land of Winter, a collaborative piece that was also nominated for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. Harley's nomination and another for fellow professor Mak Grgic were the latest of several Grammy nominations for musicians with USC connections.

Civil rights protesters stand with signs reading

Video: Center for Civil Rights History and Research Celebrates 10 Years of Impact

January 26, 2026, Hadley McCollester

The Civil Rights movement in South Carolina has long been overlooked and overshadowed. The Center for Civil Rights History and Research has spent the last decade working to document and bring awareness and scholarship to South Carolina's role in the movement. In this documentary, Bobby Donaldson, executive director of the center, takes us through the amazing work done over the past 10 years and what is on the horizon.

Fabio Matta smiles for the camera as he holds his next-generation building materials

Engineering researchers are studying next-generation materials to improve SC infrastructure

January 22, 2026, Rebekah Friedman

Fabio Matta’s next-generation building materials include fiber-reinforced plastic bars — essentially, glass fibers immersed in a strong polymeric resin. They are stronger than steel, don’t corrode and are lighter than traditional materials — all qualities that make them ideal for bridge and infrastructure rehabilitation.

Two women work together on laptops.

The Carolina Agency: 20 years of student development, community impact

January 14, 2026, Catherine Pruitt

For 20 years, The Carolina Agency has been the student-run public relations and media agency giving College of Information and Communications students real-world experience in a professional setting. In addition to offering students an internship credit and an authentic work experience in a professional setting, The Carolina Agency also prides itself on its service to community clients.

head shots of the five 2026 winners

5 recognized for social justice work

January 13, 2026, Kristine Hartvigsen

The University of South Carolina has recognized students, faculty and staff members for their work on campus and in the larger community with 2026 Martin Luther King Social Justice Awards. The awards recognize individuals who have exemplified the philosophies of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. through acts of community service, social justice or racial reconciliation.