Stories for Alumni

city of columbia

University of South Carolina, Navatek win contract to research Navy power and energy systems

September 28, 2020

The U.S. Office of Naval Research has awarded the partnership of the University of South Carolina and Navatek LLC a $9.2 million contract for the research of power and energy systems and the development of digital twin prototypes. Advanced power control systems will be developed to intelligently manage the power and energy resources on ships that use directed energy weapons, such as railguns, lasers and missile defense radars.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Research, Partnerships, College of Engineering and Computing

exterior photo of the University of South Carolina law school

UofSC law students helped Breonna Taylor's family secure $12 million settlement

September 24, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward

University of South Carolina law students Jasmine Caruthers and Anna Catherine Parham say their research on no-knock warrants to assist the lawyers representing Breonna Taylor’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit was enlightening and emotional.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Faculty, Experiential Learning, Service, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, School of Law

Actor Chadwick Boseman at the GQ Men of the Year party in 2015.

Boseman's death underscores an alarming increase in from colorectal cancer among younger adults

September 02, 2020, Franklin G. Berger

The tragic death of Chadwick Boseman at age 43 following a four-year battle against colorectal cancer reminds us it is a difficult and emotional disease for people at any age. Franklin G. Berger, distinguished professor emeritus of biological sciences, writes for The Conversation that awareness of signs and symptoms, along with screening, will lead to the eventual eradication of the disease as a major form of cancer.

Topics: Faculty, Research, College of Arts and Sciences

UofSC alumna Leeza Gibbons reads a story on video for Cocky's Reading Express

Bird watching: UofSC literacy efforts go virtual during COVID-19

August 26, 2020, Rebekah Friedman

COVID-19 has meant putting a hold on in-person programming, but Cocky’s Reading Express hasn’t stopped – it’s gone online. Since April, its Virtual Storytime YouTube playlist has featured a line-up of guest readers, including former mascots, Miss Gamecock 2020, and even famed talk show host and University of South Carolina alumna Leeza Gibbons.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Faculty, Initiatives, Service, College of Information and Communications

Mary Gordon Ellis portrait

100 years of suffrage: After the vote, comes an era of 'firsts'

August 20, 2020, Page Ivey

South Carolina’s few but dedicated suffragists were no doubt disappointed that the state was not among the first 36 to ratify the 19th amendment, but they almost immediately set about the business of turning their suffrage organizations into education and advocacy groups. In the process, these bold women kicked off the era of “firsts.”

Topics: Alumni, History, Collections, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Law, University Libraries

Unveiling of a statue of Richard T. Greener, the first Black professor at the University of South Carolina, in 2018.

What should replace Confederate statues?

August 18, 2020, Christian Anderson

This is a time when there is an intensified movement – particularly at America’s colleges and universities – to remove statues and names from buildings or organizations that pay homage to Confederate leaders and others with racist views. In The Conversation, education professor Christian Anderson examines the question of what – if anything – should be put up in their place.

Topics: Faculty, Diversity, College of Education

instructor and students perform an experiment at a summer camp

Camp will highlight Gullah/Geechee culture to spark students' interest in science

August 17, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward

A summer camp for fifth- and sixth grade-students in South Carolina’s Gullah/Geechee community will introduce Gullah/Geechee students to STEM content from their own community and provide opportunities to interact with professionals who look like them, working in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

Topics: Alumni, Faculty, Research, Experiential Learning, Diversity, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education, Arnold School of Public Health

woman sits in front of computer screen

New library system makes it easier for users to find, access resources

August 14, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward

University of South Carolina Libraries partnered with more than 50 other academic libraries in South Carolina to launch a new shared library services platform this summer. The transition to the new system is an example of a trend in academic libraries nationwide to leverage technology, work more collaboratively and strategically, improve the user experience, and maximize the benefits of collections and limited resources.

Topics: Faculty, Research, University Libraries

A medieval scene of women and men from Giovanni Boccaccio’s

What literature can tell us about people's struggle with their faith during a pandemic

August 07, 2020, Agnes Mueller

Some might take solace in religion at a time of uncertainty, such as a pandemic, but literary texts suggest that this is not always the case: Faith may deepen for some, while others may reject or abandon it altogether. Agnes Mueller,professor of German and Comparative Literature, examines pandemics in literature in The Conversation.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, College of Arts and Sciences

women with banners stand by a monument in Washington D.C. in 1918 to advocate for women's suffrage

100 years of suffrage

August 06, 2020, Page Ivey

The month of August marks 100 years since the ratification of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote in the United States. South Carolina women were a part of the fight for suffrage that started here in the years after the Civil War. Historians and librarians at the University of South Carolina have played a major role in documenting and preserving their stories.

Topics: Alumni, Faculty, Research, History, College of Arts and Sciences, University Libraries

UofSC student Rodriana Gaddy by a brick wall

Early challenges motivate Honors College student's success

July 30, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward

Rodrianna Gaddy took her love of learning about different cultures, combined it with her passion to help people and channeled both into her academic path at the University of South Carolina with a double major in international business and human resources management with a minor in Japanese. Gaddy was scheduled to study abroad in Japan this spring. Then COVID-19 hit.

Topics: Students, Scholarships, Diversity, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, South Carolina Honors College

man wearing a face covering walks in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background

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

David and Nicole Tepper

UofSC announces Nicole and David Tepper Scholarship to support sport and entertainment management education, diversity and COVID-19 relief

July 13, 2020, Allen Wallace

The University of South Carolina has announced the establishment of The Nicole and David Tepper Scholars Program in the university’s acclaimed Department of Sport and Entertainment Management. The program will provide four-year scholarships to a cohort of four incoming freshmen each year. Tepper Scholars will receive $10,000 per year toward their education and will gain access to additional enrichment opportunities.

Topics: Students, Scholarships, Philanthropy, Partnerships, Careers, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management

Breakthrough Leader: Rob Ployhart

Breakthrough Leader: Rob Ployhart

July 13, 2020, Chris Horn

Ask any Fortune 500 company what it takes to get ahead in today’s marketplace, and you’ll probably hear something about workforce training and recruitment — the fundamentals of human resources. Rob Ployhart has made it his business to understand exactly how those factors translate into competitive advantage, and in the process he’s become one of the country’s most-cited scholars on the topic.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Recognition, Darla Moore School of Business

the maxcy monument on the UofSC horseshoe surround by green trees

College of Arts and Sciences offers a semester of justice

July 09, 2020, Annika Dahlgren

This fall, the College of Arts and Sciences begins its new themed semester initiative that encourages faculty and students from across the university to explore ideas related to the core subject of justice. The theme is meant to combine work from the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural and mathematical sciences to bear on today's challenging issues and problems.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Academics, Diversity, History, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences

Overlooking the fountain outside Thomas Cooper Library looking at the smokestack near the Horseshoe

UofSC among top universities granted U.S. utility patents

July 08, 2020, Communications and Public Affairs

For the eighth-consecutive year, the University of South Carolina stands among the top 100 universities in the world, based on the number of U.S. utility patents faculty members received in 2019. South Carolina ranks 90th worldwide, named as the lead on 31 patents last year.

Topics: Faculty, University Leadership, Research, Recognition, Economic Engagement, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Computing, Medicine (Columbia), Arnold School of Public Health

John C. Calhoun statue is removed in Charleston, South Carolina

John C. Calhoun's days as a revered icon are gradually coming to an end

June 30, 2020, Christian Anderson

John C. Calhoun’s legacy until now has been quite prominent in American society – and not just in the South, but Calhoun’s days as a revered icon in the public sphere are gradually coming to an end. Education professor Christian Anderson addresses the issue of Calhoun’s legacy in The Conversation as we are in the midst of a nationwide reappraisal of our past that also affects UofSC.

Topics: Faculty, College of Education

book covers including the graphic novel Maus

Graphic novels help teens learn about racism, social justice and climate change

June 12, 2020, Karen Gavigan

Because the combination of text and images in graphic novels can communicate issues and emotions that words alone often cannot, more educators and parents are finding them to be effective tools for tackling tough issues with kids. In early March, information science professor Karen Gavin shared a collection of books for The Conversation, including some that can educate children about racism and other forms of bigotry.

Topics: Faculty, College of Information and Communications

1960s civil rights protestor carries signs denouncing segregation

Carving a path toward justice: Part 3

June 05, 2020, Chris Horn

Bobby Donaldson is an associate professor of history and African American Studies and director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina. In a three-part question-and-answer series, Donaldson presents both his scholarly insights and his personal perspective as they relate to protests over the death of George Floyd.

Topics: Faculty, Research, History, College of Arts and Sciences, University Libraries

Bobby Donaldson

Carving a path toward justice: Part 2

June 05, 2020, Chris Horn

Bobby Donaldson is an associate professor of history and African American Studies and director of the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina. In a three-part question-and-answer series, Donaldson presents both his scholarly insights and his personal perspective as they relate to protests over the death of George Floyd.

Topics: Faculty, Research, History, College of Arts and Sciences, University Libraries

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