Recent Stories

Countries with lower-than-expected vaccination rates show unusually negative attitudes to vaccines on Twitter

May 10, 2022, Jungmi Jun

With the tone of social media conversations regarding the COVID-19 vaccine are varying around the world, this research team wanted to understand if these tones matched differing country-level vaccination rates. Journalism and mass communications professor Jungmi Jun writes for The Conversation on the influence emotions toward vaccines may have on whether a person decides to get a COVID-19 vaccination or not.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, College of Information and Communications

Why we can't 'boost' our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic for the long term

April 19, 2022, Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti

As mRNA vaccines used in the U.S. against COVID-19 have been successful at preventing hospitalization and death, the vaccines have failed to provide long-term protective immunity to prevent breakthrough infections. School of Medicine Columbia professors Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation on the COVID-19 booster and retooling existing vaccines to increase the duration of protection.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

What is the new COVID-19 variant BA.2, and will it cause another wave of infections in the US?

March 22, 2022, Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti

The COVID-19 omicron variant has been the predominant source of rising infections around the world. BA.2 is the latest subvariant of omicron and is spreading quickly in many countries. School of Medicine Columbia professors, Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti, write for The Conversation on this new strain, if there will be another surge in the U.S. and how to protect yourself.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

UofSC researchers lead study to help state health officials fight COVID

November 11, 2021, Page Ivey

For the past year, public health researchers at the University of South Carolina and other colleges across the state have worked to provide information about COVID-19’s impact in communities and what people are thinking about the disease, testing and vaccinations.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Arnold School of Public Health

Timeline: Resolve, ingenuity define UofSC pandemic response

November 04, 2021, Chris Horn and Dana Woodward

It’s been a little more than a year and a half since the arrival of COVID-19, and the University of South Carolina has weathered the crisis thus far with resolve, ingenuity and a set of guiding principles for every pandemic-related decision.

Topics: University Leadership, COVID-19, Medicine (Greenville), College of Pharmacy, Arnold School of Public Health

COVID and career

October 14, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

COVID changed the way professors teach, but it has also provided room to grow, according to Darla Moore School of Business professor Sanjay Ahire. Ahire is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Faculty, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Leadership, Darla Moore School of Business

Pandemic shutdown gives music alumna time to get reacquainted with her voice

October 07, 2021, Page Ivey

COVID’s impact on live theater has been well documented, but for performers like alumna Rebecca Krynski Cox, the show must go on. Cox is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Alumni, Academics, COVID-19, Leadership, Careers, School of Music

Civics 101: Community and the pandemic

September 30, 2021, Page Ivey

During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers in the Darla Moore School of Business began to apply context to the exponential growth in reported cases. Wolfgang Messner and Sarah Payson’s findings could help communities across the U.S. confront future pandemics.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, Darla Moore School of Business

Hindsight 2020: The intern

September 23, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

Sport and entertainment management major Shawnese Cleveland’s internship at the Russell House was a crash course in pandemic protocols. Cleveland is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Students, Academics, COVID-19, Student Voices, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

Hindsight 2020: The therapist

September 01, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

Singers, teachers and public speakers can feel the effects of the pandemic, whether or not they contract the virus. Enter clinical professor of communication sciences and disorders and voice therapist Jamy Claire Archer, one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Leadership, Careers, Arnold School of Public Health

How public health partnerships are encouraging COVID-19 vaccination

August 30, 2021, Brooke McKeever

Journalism professor Brooke McKeever is among four public health and communications experts from Michigan, Indiana, Mississippi and South Carolina who explain for The Conversation how they are teaming up with nonprofits and other partners to encourage more people in their states and local communities to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Topics: Faculty, Partnerships, COVID-19, College of Information and Communications

COVID-19 questions answered

August 27, 2021, Nina Jackson

The university has compiled answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and campus mitigation policies.

Topics: Initiatives, COVID-19

SC Teacher of the Year discusses changes to education brought on by COVID

August 26, 2021, Megan Sexton

Few professions changed as abruptly in response to the pandemic as teaching. Amy Carter is South Carolina’s Teacher of the Year for 2022 and one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Alumni, Academics, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Leadership, Careers, College of Education

Hindsight 2020: The freshman

August 18, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

Capstone scholar Fatou Diedhiou began her college career in the age of COVID but adapted quickly to the “new normal,” despite contracting the virus early in her first semester. Diedhiou is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Students, Academics, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Careers, Student Voices, Arnold School of Public Health

Hindsight 2020: Alumnus talks about how COVID changed the art and business of photography

August 10, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

As a freelance photojournalist, Sean Rayford is used to immersing himself in the crowd. COVID changed the rules. Rayford is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Alumni, COVID-19, Leadership, College of Information and Communications

Hindsight 2020: Tourism professor says pandemic has changed travel forever

August 05, 2021, Megan Sexton

COVID has upended tourism, from the way individuals travel to the way the industry does business. Tourism professor Simon Hudson is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Faculty, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Careers, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

Gamecock alumnus, physician reflects on how COVID-19 changed how he practices medicine

August 03, 2021, Chris Horn

COVID has offered the health care sector some valuable lessons, says University of South Carolina School of Medicine alumnus Rohit Talwani. A Baltimore-based physician and University of Maryland School of Medicine associate professor of infectious diseases, Dr. Talwani is one of 10 Gamecocks Carolinian magazine spoke to about how the pandemic has changed the way we work.

Topics: Alumni, Research, COVID-19, Leadership, Careers, Medicine (Columbia)

Arnold School reaches new level of research support

July 21, 2021, David Lee

The Arnold School of Public Health set a school record for research funding last fiscal year (2020-21), enabling faculty to conduct impactful research and continue to gain national recognition for their work.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Recognition, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Arnold School of Public Health

The coronavirus meets big data

July 15, 2021, Megan Sexton

Researchers at the Arnold School of Public Health are using big data to answer important questions about COVID-19 in South Carolina.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Arnold School of Public Health

COVID-19 Impact: Gender disparities in pandemic's effect

April 14, 2021, Page Ivey

Jaeseung Kim, assistant professor in the College of Social Work since 2018, studies work and caregiving challenges for low-income parents and how work-family policies, both private and public, can help address such challenges. We asked Kim about how the pandemic has affected men and women differently and how to help those suffering the effects.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Social Work

Social Work alumna leads nonprofit through COVID-19 crisis

April 09, 2021, Chris Woodley

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.

Topics: Alumni, COVID-19, College of Social Work

What Alexander Hamilton's deep connections to slavery reveal about the need for reparations today

March 29, 2021, Nicole S. Maskiell

Nicole S. Maskiell writes for The Conversation about how Colonial-era figures like Hamilton fit into America’s long history of enslavement, and how slavery fueled networks of power that have lasted through the ages.

Topics: COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

Why you should get a COVID-19 vaccine - even if you've already had the coronavirus

March 25, 2021, Dr. Jennifer T. Grier

Dr. Jennifer T. Grier writes for the Conversation on whether or not people who have already recovered from a coronavirus infection should get the COVID vaccine.

Topics: COVID-19, Medicine (Greenville)

COVID-19 impact: Navigating communications during the pandemic

March 24, 2021, Megan Sexton

Brooke McKeever, associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, discusses how we have worked through the communications challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, Leadership, College of Information and Communications

COVID-19 impact: Sports and entertainment

March 22, 2021, Allen Wallace

Tom Regan and Nick Watanabe are associate professors of sport and entertainment management in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management. We talked to them last year about the pandemic’s potential economic impact on the sport and entertainment industry. We caught up with them this spring to find out how things are going and what it will take for the industry to bounce back.

Topics: Faculty, COVID-19, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

COVID-19 impact: Changes in tourism

March 18, 2021, Craig Brandhorst

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked members of the university community to share their expertise about how the coronavirus has affected all facets of life and offer insights on ways to move forward. Simon Hudson, a professor of tourism in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, speaks about COVID-19’s economic impact on the tourism industry.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

Resistance, innovation, improvisation: When governments fell short during COVID-19, long-term care workers stepped up

March 18, 2021, Robert Henry Cox, Daniel Dickson and Patrik Marier

Political science professor Robert Henry Cox and colleagues Daniel Dickson and Patrik Marier write for the Conversation about why long-term care workers are key intermediaries in the implementation of policies designed to both contain the spread of the coronavirus and maintain a sense of normalcy for care recipients.

Topics: COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

VIDEO: Team effort allowed students to return to campus in fall

March 18, 2021, Joshua Burrack

From the classroom to the research lab to the front lines of testing and tracing, the University of South Carolina community has taken extraordinary steps over the past year to safeguard its students, faculty and staff in the face of COVID-19. As we mark the one-year point of the pandemic, here’s the third in a three-part video series documenting the resilience, ingenuity and commitment that have guided us through this period.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Research, Initiatives, Safety, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Service, Leadership, Arnold School of Public Health

COVID video series: Tracking wastewater

March 15, 2021, Joshua Burrack

From the classroom to the research lab to the front lines of testing and tracing, the University of South Carolina community has taken extraordinary steps over the past year to safeguard its students, faculty and staff in the face of COVID-19. As we mark the one-year point of the pandemic, here’s the second in a three-part video series documenting the resilience, ingenuity and commitment that have guided us through this period.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Research, Initiatives, Safety, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Service, Careers, Arnold School of Public Health

Resilience, ingenuity define UofSC's COVID response

March 11, 2021, Joshua Burrack

From the classroom to the research lab to the front lines of testing and tracing, the University of South Carolina community has taken extraordinary steps over the past year to safeguard its students, faculty and staff in the face of COVID-19. As we mark the one-year point of the pandemic, here’s the first in a three-part video series documenting the resilience, ingenuity and commitment that have guided us through this period.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Initiatives, Safety, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Pharmacy

COVID-19 revealed how sick the US health care delivery system really is

March 05, 2021, Elizabeth A. Regan

Health information and technology expert Elizabeth A. Regan writes for The Conversation about the flaws that COVID-19 has revealed about the U.S. health care system. Regan is chair of integrated information technology and an associate professor in the College of Engineering and Computing.

Topics: COVID-19, College of Engineering and Computing

COVID-19 impact: Changes in education

March 03, 2021, Megan Sexton

Beth White, the undergraduate program coordinator and a clinical instructor of elementary education, offers insight into what we've learned about remote and hybrid learning.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Research, COVID-19, Leadership, Careers, College of Education

UofSC alumna works to save lives with Moderna vaccine

February 19, 2021, Abe Danaher

Adjusting on the fly to perform impactful work has become a skill for University of South Carolina alumna Kate Mingle, and has put her on a path to supporting a vaccine process with worldwide implications.

Topics: Alumni, Faculty, COVID-19, Careers, College of Engineering and Computing

COVID-19: Overcoming addiction during a pandemic

February 11, 2021, Tenell Felder

One year after COVID-19's arrival in the United States, it's clear that its effects go beyond the disease itself. Conclusive, long-term data on how the pandemic has impacted substance abuse is not yet available — but the short-term data suggest an overall increase.

Topics: Students, Faculty, COVID-19, College of Pharmacy

Character Counts: 2020 in Review

December 18, 2020

It’s been a year — but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to celebrate, recognize and honor at the University of South Carolina in 2020. UofSC rose to each and every challenge this year and raised the bar for the year to come.

Topics: Students, Faculty, University Leadership, University President, Diversity, Recognition, Partnerships, Health Sciences, Campus Construction, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computing, The Graduate School, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, School of Law, Medicine (Greenville), School of Music, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Arnold School of Public Health, College of Social Work, South Carolina Honors College, University Libraries

'Campus Conversations' reveal student resilience

November 27, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel

Students have have faced many challenges due to COVID-19, and their stories of resilience have become prominent topics in our weekly "Campus Conversations." Check out these students who have adapted to and overcome obstacles brought on by the pandemic.

Topics: Students, Initiatives, Recognition, Healthy Carolina, COVID-19, Leadership, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Engineering and Computing, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Information and Communications, Arnold School of Public Health

A new data-driven model shows that wearing masks saves lives - and the earlier you start, the better

November 13, 2020, Biplav Srivastava

Professor of computer science Biplav Srivastava and his team have developed a data-driven tool that helps demonstrate the effect of wearing masks on COVID-19 cases and deaths. In this interview with The Conversation, he explains how the model works, its limitations and what conclusions we can draw from it.

Topics: COVID-19, College of Engineering and Computing

University Libraries researchers developing archive of UofSC's response to pandemic

November 12, 2020, Megan Sexton

As the spread of COVID-19 closed campus and changed life in Columbia, a team of researchers from University Libraries has stepped up to document the official actions and personal stories at the university.

Topics: Faculty, Research, graduate-studies, Initiatives, History, Collections, COVID-19, Careers, University Libraries

Education professor helps correct COVID-19 misconceptions

November 05, 2020, Craig Brandhorst

In a Q&A originally published in Breakthrough magazine, Greg Trevors, an assistant professor of educational psychology and research at the College of Education, discusses his research on belief correction as it relates to COVID-19. Trevors helped develop an online game to help people correct misconceptions about COVID-19.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, College of Education

UofSC to expand saliva-based COVID-19 testing statewide

October 21, 2020, Jeff Stensland

The University of South Carolina will expand rapid saliva-based COVID-19 testing to other colleges and universities across the state.

Topics: University Leadership, Initiatives, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Pharmacy

How do pandemics end? History suggests diseases fade but are almost never truly gone

October 14, 2020, Nükhet Varlik

Since the beginning of the pandemic, epidemiologists and public health specialists have been using mathematical models to forecast the future in an effort to curb the coronvirus’s spread. History professor Nükhet Varlik writes for the The Conversation to give historical insight into how and when pandemics end.

Topics: History, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

Behind the scenes of SAFE Testing

October 09, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel

By now most students have heard about the university’s free Saliva Assay Free Expedited (SAFE) testing program, but we wondered what happens behind the scenes. We spoke with Carolyn Bannister, who serves as the manager for the College of Pharmacy’s Diagnostic Genomics Lab, to gather insights on what happens to your saliva sample between getting tested for COVID-19 on campus and receiving your results.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Research, Initiatives, Safety, Healthy Carolina, COVID-19, College of Pharmacy

University seeks ongoing input on mental, emotional health

September 25, 2020, Dan Cook

As the university develops plans during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is seeking ongoing input from faculty, staff and students about mental and emotional health. Below, members of the Mental and Emotional Well-Being Committee answer questions about the university’s efforts in this area.

Topics: University Leadership, Safety, Healthy Carolina, COVID-19

Contact tracing and the classroom

September 03, 2020

As the number of COVID-19 cases has increased among the student body, questions have arisen about the contact tracing process as it pertains to faculty members. Rebecca Caldwell, director of Strategic Health Initiatives, discusses the university’s efforts in this area and what faculty members can expect to see as it relates to their students.

Topics: Faculty, University Leadership, Safety, COVID-19

Planning for a safe return

August 12, 2020

University leaders have been preparing all summer for a safe return to campus. Student Health Services director Deborah Beck gives an overview of the university's efforts and addresses the responsibility of each member of our community to do their part.

Topics: University Leadership, Safety, COVID-19

Back to campus to-do list

August 06, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel

With the on-going pandemic, your return to campus is going to look a little different this semester. Make sure you've completed these tasks prior to arriving on campus to ensure a smooth and safe transition back to school.

Topics: Students, Initiatives, Safety, Healthy Carolina, COVID-19

Campus Conversation: Silvia Chinellato

August 06, 2020

"COVID-19 had such a strong impact on my summer plans as I was not able to go home during the whole summer, increasing the time without seeing my family and friends (almost one year)."

Topics: Students, graduate-studies, COVID-19, Student Voices, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

'This is my community'

July 29, 2020, Page Ivey

Lydia Carnesale knew just where to start to help members of her tight-knit Latino community in northeast Columbia when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The education Ph.D. candidate had worked five years earlier to help the same community during Columbia’s thousand-year flood event.

Topics: Students, Experiential Learning, graduate-studies, Philanthropy, COVID-19, Service, Leadership, College of Education

Covid-19: Tourism update

July 16, 2020, Craig Brandhorst

As the coronavirus threatens health and upends daily life throughout the world, UofSC Today is turning to our faculty to help us make sense of it all. While no one can predict exactly what will happen in the coming months, our faculty can help us ask the right questions and put important context around emerging events. Simon Hudson, a professor of tourism in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management and author of the new book "COVID-19 and Travel: Impacts, Responses and Outcomes," keeps us up-to date on the pandemic’s travel sector impact.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

How to make your own Gamecock face covering

July 09, 2020, Catherine Jobe and Caleigh McDaniel

Wearing a face covering can help protect yourself and others from COVID-19. Learn how to easily transform an old T-shirt into a DIY face covering.

Topics: Safety, Healthy Carolina, COVID-19

COVID-19 highlights underlying racial health disparities

June 08, 2020, Chris Horn

When Monique Brown looks at population health, the epidemiologist considers conditions that can make it better — and worse — for different groups of people. When it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown says, there are myriad pre-existing conditions that make the virus far worse for African Americans.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, Arnold School of Public Health

COVID-19 research: Stopping a virus in its tracks

June 05, 2020, Chris Horn

While the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine continues, scientists around the world are also searching for possible new treatments for the disease, including inhibitors that will shut down the virus’ ability to reproduce.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

South Carolina's COVID-19 contact tracing praised as exemplary model

May 28, 2020, Dr. Jennifer Meredith

States are working hard to take the necessary steps to reopen safely. When Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, explained that task to the U.S. Senate recently, he pointed to South Carolina as a model for the country, one that he would “almost like to clone.” So, what is South Carolina getting right?

Topics: Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Greenville)

The study abroad experience that, ultimately, helped save a life

May 28, 2020, Chris Horn

This past spring semester, Paige Fallon began a study abroad experience in Europe, then got sick with COVID-19 and ended up in quarantine back home in Ohio. But the rising senior made the most of her experience after recovering from the virus that has killed some 350,000 worldwide — she helped save a life.

Topics: Students, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Information and Communications

COVID-19 impact: Pandemic alters health care landscape in SC

May 27, 2020, Tenell Felder

UofSC Today reached out to University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia alumni Dr. David Ford and Dr. Cedric Rivers for insight into how COVID-19 has impacted health care in South Carolina, as well as how the state might move forward in upcoming months. Both Ford and Rivers work at hospitals in Columbia, treating patients with COVID-19.

Topics: Alumni, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

Alumna takes helm as mayor of hometown during pandemic

May 18, 2020, Page Ivey

Kassandra Gove, ’09 higher education administration, was elected the fifth mayor of her hometown of Amesbury — population 17,000 — about 40 miles north of Boston on the coast of Massachusetts. Her tenure during the COVID-19 pandemic has been anything but typical.

Topics: Alumni, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Leadership, College of Education

COVID-19 response: UofSC partners with The Blood Connection to collect plasma donations from recovered patients

May 11, 2020

A national study sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Mayo Clinic is examining the use of plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients, known as convalescent plasma, to treat patients who are currently suffering from the virus. Physicians hope the antibodies in the donor plasma will neutralize the virus in these ill patients and improve outcomes.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

Class of 2020: Hank Johnson

May 05, 2020, Megan Sexton

The coronavirus disrupted Hank Johnson's job search plans, but the new visual communications graduate is continuing on his path to a future in video, design or creative direction.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Academics, Experiential Learning, Recognition, COVID-19, Careers, Student Voices, College of Information and Communications

COVID-19 response: UofSC nurses battle pandemic on front lines

May 05, 2020, Tenell Felder

It’s a challenging time to be a nurse. Serving on the front lines of a pandemic, nurses are not only tasked with helping COVID-19 patients — they’re also tasked with doing it in full protective gear and while simultaneously managing non-COVID patients.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Careers, College of Nursing

Nurses need support for the trauma and pain they experience

May 04, 2020, Cheedy Jaja

Since the beginning of the profession, nurses have played pivotal roles during outbreaks of disease, delivering care throughout even the bleakest of public health emergencies. College of Nursing professor Cheedy Jaja recalls for The Conversation his experience being on the front lines of Ebola.

Topics: Faculty, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Nursing

MFA exhibitions go online to build empathy, spark imagination

May 01, 2020, Bryan Gentry and Anna Toptchi

Three students exhibit their MFA thesis works online, fostering the opportunity to build empathy and spark the imaginations of viewers around the world.

Topics: Students, Academics, graduate-studies, Collections, COVID-19, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, The Graduate School

COVID-19 impact: The growth of esports

April 30, 2020, Megan Sexton

Professor Mark Nagel explains the popularity of competitive video games and how esports is helping fill the void left by the absence of mainstream sporting events.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Research, COVID-19, Careers, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

COVID-19 impact: What does 'survival of the fittest' mean in the coronavirus pandemic?

April 30, 2020, Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti

In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, who is the “fittest”? This is a challenging question. But as immunology researchers at the University of South Carolina, we can say one thing is clear: With no effective treatment options, survival against the coronavirus infection depends completely on the patient’s immune response. School of Medicine Columbia professors Prakash Nagarkatti and Mitzi Nagarkatti write for The Conversation about immune response to COVID-19.

Topics: Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

COVID-19 impact: Social service providers have to work around social distancing

April 28, 2020, Page Ivey

Melissa C. Reitmeier is an associate clinical professor and director of field education in the College of Social Work. She addresses how COVID-19 is impacting both the need for and the delivery of social services.

Topics: Faculty, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Careers, College of Social Work

COVID-19 impact: Coronavirus genome allows epidemiologists to track where it's been

April 27, 2020, Bert Ely and Taylor Carter

Following the coronavirus’s spread through the population – and anticipating its next move – is an important part of the public health response to the new disease. Biological sciences professor Bert Ely and doctoral student Taylor Carter write for The Conversation on how the virus's genetic sequence provides insight into where the virus has been.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Research, graduate-studies, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 impact: social and mental health issues

April 27, 2020, Amit Sheth

Social media posts and news reports are rich sources of data about people’s attitudes and behaviors. Performing this analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing the damage the pandemic is doing to the social and psychological well-being of the U.S. Amit Sheth, Founding Director, Artificial Intelligence Institute and Computer Science & Engineering professor writes for The Conversation on examining online conversation about COVID-19.

Topics: Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Engineering and Computing

COVID-19 impact: Cancer patients and their families

April 21, 2020, Tenell Felder

Swann Arp Adams researches disparities in cancer prevention and screening. She has practiced in diabetes care, bone marrow transplant, mammography and oncology. Adams provides insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic might affect current or recovering cancer patients and their families.

Topics: Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Nursing

COVID-19 response: Experienced journalism, retailing faculty help others make transition to online teaching

April 17, 2020, Page Ivey and Megan Sexton

Faculty across the university who have more experience with online teaching have worked to help their less tech-savvy colleagues during this time of remote-only classes.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, COVID-19, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Information and Communications

COVID-19 impact: Coronavirus may hit rural residents hard

April 14, 2020, Kevin Bennett

Director of Research & Evaluation for the Center for Rural & Primary Healthcare Kevin Bennett, School of Medicine Columbia, writes for The Conversation on how COVID-19 could impact rural health care.

Topics: Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

COVID-19 impact: How the pandemic is affecting politics

April 14, 2020, Communications and Public Affairs

Political scientist Katherine Barbieri considers the effects of COVID-19 on the U.S. political scene and on authoritarian governments around the world.

Topics: Faculty, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 impact: Co-parenting during a pandemic

April 14, 2020, Marcia Zug

As millions of people around the world practice social distancing and self-quarantine, they are separating themselves from everyone but their immediate family members. However, for divorced or separated parents who share custody of their children, the definition of “immediate family” isn’t obvious. Law professor Marcia Zug writes for The Conversation on family law in the age of the coronavirus.

Topics: Faculty, COVID-19, School of Law

COVID-19 impact: Clinician trauma and other lessons from the Ebola epidemic

April 14, 2020, Laura Kammerer

Cheedy Jaja, associate professor of nursing, in 2014 and 2015 treated patients during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. He says health care workers caring for coronavirus patients are at risk for psychological trauma.

Topics: Faculty, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Service, College of Nursing

COVID-19 impact: Understanding the importance of supply chains

April 09, 2020, Megan Sexton

Mark Ferguson, a professor in the Darla Moore School of Business, explains how supply chains may be affected during the pandemic.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Research, COVID-19, Entrepreneurship, Careers, Darla Moore School of Business

Q&A: Students exemplifying resilience during COVID-19 pandemic

April 09, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel

We caught up with three students who have demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness when it comes to navigating their responsibilities during a pandemic.

Topics: Students, Academics, Experiential Learning, COVID-19, Student Voices, College of Engineering and Computing, College of Information and Communications, College of Nursing

Podcast Bonus Episode: The Carolina Quarantine of 1918

April 07, 2020, Chris Horn

Today's COVID-19 landscape of quarantines and sickness bring to mind another pandemic — the 1918 influenza outbreak that hit hard on the University of South Carolina campus. One young student, Gadsden Shand, answered the call of duty and helped keep many of his classmates alive.

Topics: History, COVID-19, University Libraries

COVID-19 research: Geographer tracks movement during pandemic with Twitter data

April 07, 2020, Chris Horn

Twitter data could be a useful tool in tracking human movement in this and future disease outbreaks, says a UofSC geography scientist who used Twitter data to track historic flooding in 2015 in South Carolina.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 response: Virtual simulation keeps nursing students on track for graduation

April 06, 2020, Chris Horn

Some aspects of nursing education involve face-to-face interaction with patients, but virtual simulation is the next best thing during COVID-19 restrictions.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Experiential Learning, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Nursing

COVID-19 impact: Nurses work on front lines of pandemic

April 03, 2020, Tenell Felder

Alicia Ribar, clinical associate professor at the College of Nursing, provides insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has and will affect the field of nursing. Ribar has practiced nursing for 26 years and has had active clinical practices in acute and primary care pediatric and family practice.

Topics: Faculty, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Nursing

COVID-19 response: Arnold School faculty rise to challenge of online teaching

April 01, 2020, Craig Brandhorst

In the new world of distance learning, faculty are getting a crash course in online education — and the learning curve can be steep. But it’s not insurmountable, says Lucy Ingram, assistant dean for academic affairs and online education at the university’s Arnold School of Public Health.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Arnold School of Public Health

COVID-19 response: School of Medicine Greenville, College of Engineering step up to coronavirus challenge

March 27, 2020, Chris Horn

Faculty members from the School of Medicine Greenville and the College of Engineering and Computing worked quickly to get FDA approval for a device that could help address the potential shortage of ventilators at COVID-19 hotspots.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Entrepreneurship, College of Engineering and Computing, Medicine (Greenville)

COVID-19 response: Faculty use technology prowess to connect virtually with students

March 27, 2020, Chris Horn

When the University of South Carolina announced plans to switch to online learning only beginning March 23, the nearly 20 sections of U401 were quickly ready to roll, thanks in large part to the efforts of two technology-savvy language professors.

Topics: Faculty, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 response: Engineering students lead effort to create protective face shields

March 26, 2020, David Lee

A group of University of South Carolina students supported by faculty is coming together to help produce a vital piece of equipment that hospitals are calling for during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Topics: Students, Faculty, COVID-19, Service, Student Voices, College of Engineering and Computing

COVID-19: Staying social while social distancing

March 26, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel

Being away from friends, class and normal everyday life can feel isolating at times. Luckily, now more than ever, there are ways to stay connected while keeping some distance.

Topics: Students, Safety, COVID-19

COVID-19 response: Prisma Health collaborates with UofSC on ventilator device

March 25, 2020, David Lee

A collaborative effort involving Prisma Health and the University of South Carolina has resulted in emergency use authorization for a ventilator expansion device to support multiple patients during times of acute equipment shortages such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Topics: Faculty, University Leadership, Economic Engagement, Partnerships, Health Sciences, COVID-19, College of Engineering and Computing, Medicine (Greenville)

COVID-19 response: Faculty members mobilize network to obtain medical supplies

March 25, 2020, Craig Brandhorst

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to separate communities, families, co-workers and friends — but it is also bringing us together like never before. And it is inspiring University of South Carolina faculty and staff to step up their efforts in a time of need.

Topics: Faculty, Philanthropy, COVID-19, Service, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 response Teachers, students and parents explore a new type of learning

March 25, 2020, Megan Sexton

Beth White, the undergraduate program coordinator and a clinical instructor of elementary education, offers advice for students, parents and teachers in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Experiential Learning, Initiatives, COVID-19, Leadership, Careers, College of Education

COVID-19 impact: Unique challenges for rural communities

March 24, 2020, Tenell Felder

Kevin Bennett, School of Medicine Columbia faculty member and director of research and evaluation at the Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare, discusses issues rural communities will face during the coronavirus pandemic as well as future steps that can be taken to strengthen rural health care systems.

Topics: Faculty, Health Sciences, COVID-19, Medicine (Columbia)

COVID-19 impact: Insights from ancient 'plague lit'

March 23, 2020, Chris Horn

Classics professor Hunter Gardner studies plague narratives in Western literature, particularly those of the Roman epic poets.

Topics: Faculty, History, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 impact: Building resiliency in the time of a pandemic

March 20, 2020, Megan Sexton

Psychology professor Sayward Harrison offers advice on ways individuals, families and communities can nurture resilience in the time of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, Leadership, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 impact: Travel and tourism

March 20, 2020, Craig Brandhorst

Simon Hudson, tourism professor and researcher in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, discusses COVID-19’s economic impact on the tourism industry.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Safety, COVID-19, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

COVID-19 impact: Communicating through social networks

March 20, 2020, Megan Sexton

Matthew Brashears, an associate professor of sociology at the University of South Carolina, discusses how the coronavirus might affect social networks, both in-person and online.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Research, COVID-19, Service, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 impact: Sports and entertainment

March 20, 2020, Craig Brandhorst

Sport and entertainment management professors Tom Regan and Nick Watanabe from the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management answer questions about COVID-19’s economic impact on the sport and entertainment industries.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

COVID-19 impact: Changes in the workplace

March 19, 2020, Megan Sexton

Joseph Seiner, a law professor who specializes in labor and employment law, explains how the coronavirus is affecting workplaces and employees.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Research, Safety, COVID-19, Leadership, School of Law

COVID-19 impact: The history of plague and contagion

March 19, 2020, Chris Horn

Nükhet Varlik, an associate professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences at UofSC, studies disease, medicine and public health, particularly in era of the Ottoman Empire. She has written a book and edited another on plague and contagion in the Mediterranean world.

Topics: Faculty, Research, History, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences

COVID-19 impact: online resources for at-home learning

March 18, 2020, Chris Horn

Stacy Winchester is a research data librarian in University Libraries’ digital research services department at the University of South Carolina. We asked her about resources for parents during this period of at-home learning.

Topics: COVID-19, University Libraries

UofSC faculty experts on coronavirus

March 17, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward

The University of South Carolina’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs has compiled a list of faculty experts who can discuss topics relevant to the coronavirus pandemic.

Topics: COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Information and Communications, School of Law, Medicine (Columbia), College of Pharmacy

COVID-19 impact: Life and health insurance

March 17, 2020, Chris Horn

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are widespread and still emerging. Moore School professor and insurance expert Robert Hartwig discusses how the virus could affect the life and health insurance industry.

Topics: Faculty, Research, COVID-19, Darla Moore School of Business