Stories for Alumni

Gail V. Barnes stands in the doorway with students playing string instruments behind her

USC String Project marks 50 years of hitting the right notes

April 05, 2024, Megan Sexton

The gold standard in string music education is marking its golden anniversary this year. For the past 50 years, the University of South Carolina String Project has been the national model in a program that combines music lessons with community service and teacher education.

MInuette Floyd poses with students and teachers in front of a school library in Ghana.

USC professor wins governor's award for arts in education

March 28, 2024, Thom Harman

Minuette Floyd, a professor of art education in the University of South Carolina’s School of Visual Art and Design, won a governor’s award in the arts in education category. The award, announced by the South Carolina Arts Commission on behalf of the sitting governor, is the state’s highest award for exceptional achievement in practicing or supporting the arts.

Matt White conducts an ensemble

Matt White's approach for "Lowcountry" has him headed to Spoleto

January 26, 2024, Thom Harman

From a new program home to new music to continued research, Matt White, Jazz Studies Program chair, is rather busy. His novel approach to a 2023 release, “Lowcountry” — incorporating Gullah histories and stories with contemporary jazz — has earned White and his collaborators a chance to perform the piece during the 2024 Spoleto Festival.

Joe Rice with his wife at the law school dedication ceremony.

USC's newly named Joseph F. Rice School of Law reflects powerhouse attorney's ambition, philanthropy and commitment to the profession

January 17, 2024, Craig Brandhorst

Attorney Joe Rice is one of the most respected plaintiff’s attorneys in the country. The cofounder of the Charleston-based Motley Rice law firm has secured hundreds of billions of dollars for clients, taking on Goliath-sized opponents like Big Tobacco and the financiers of 9/11.

Seth Rose and his family photographed on the Horseshoe.

Alumnus and tennis standout Seth Rose gives back -- and not just for racket sports.

November 08, 2023, Craig Brandhorst

Seth Rose, ’03, was a first team All-American in men’s tennis, and he paid his alma mater back by helping finance two courts on campus But Rose’s love for the Gamecocks extends beyond tennis. The 2014 Gamecock Athletics Hall of Fame inductee is also a huge Gamecock football fan, and his philanthropy reflects it.

Wendy Lower, author of “The Ravine: A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed”

Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation supports conversation about Jewish history

November 07, 2023, Rebekah Friedman

In the spring, audiences at USC had the chance to learn more about Jewish history from award-winning author and Holocaust expert Wendy Lower. Her weeklong fellowship with the university’s Jewish studies program was made possible by a generous gift from the Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation.

A portrait of Sara Barber with SC Statehouse in the background.

Sara Barber pushes long-term change in handling domestic violence cases

August 14, 2023, Rebekah Friedman

In South Carolina, 42 percent of women have experienced intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence or stalking. Sara Barber knows the statistics. Since 2014, the University of South Carolina alumna has served as executive director of the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, a coalition of 22 organizations that connect survivors with emergency shelter, counseling and other services.

head and shoulders shot of Alysja Carlisle

USC Law alumna keeps learning, giving back

August 10, 2023, Megan Sexton

As vice president and legal counsel at Belk in Charlotte, School of Law alumna Alysja Carlisle reviews and drafts commercial contracts, manages projects and addresses a wide range of general corporate, privacy and intellectual property issues. She also gives her time and talents to organizations around the region and her alma mater.

A man and a woman sit in a library, reading a magazine and newspaper.

Age Ready series teaches life skills to promote independence for older adults

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.

A close up of grass on the USC Horseshoe with Maxcy monument in the background.

USC landscapers work to keep campus pretty, environment healthy, outdoor workspace as happy as can be

June 29, 2023, Craig Brandhorst and Téa Smith

Our campus lawns provide a lush backdrop for making memories, taking photos or contemplating life. But keeping all that gorgeous turf green involves more than just feeding and watering the grass. Landscapers and their managers at USC’s Facility Services do everything they can to keep our campus pretty, our environment healthy and our outdoor workspace as happy as it can be.

Jennifer Asouzu, assistant director for special populations and communication with New Student Orientation, talks partnerships and first impressions.

The Happiest Lunch on Earth

June 26, 2023, Craig Brandhorst

On the last Friday before the end of classes, USC TIMES invited three staff members to lunch at McCutchen House’s Garden Grill to discuss how our work lives change — or don’t change — over the summer. George Hendry, director of the McCutchen House and senior lecturer in the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, shared his thoughts on troubleshooting through teamwork. Jennifer Asouzu, assistant director for special populations and communication with New Student Orientation, talked up partnerships and first impressions. Leroy Sims, a custodial zone manager with Facilities and a member of Staff Senate, discussed employee satisfaction and how to make the USC campus the happiest place on Earth.

The Owen family of three young boys holding their infant brother

Clay and Grainne Owen lead Gamecocks in support of curing children's cancer

June 07, 2023, Megan Sexton

When Clay and Grainne Owen’s son Killian died of leukemia at age 9, the family’s tragedy became their mission — to find better treatments and make childhood cancer a curable disease. Their charity, Curing Kids Cancer, has raised more than $25 million since 2005.

Smokestacks by Thomas Cooper Library

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.

A MIRC image of a Marine doing sit-ups.

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.

A woman with arms outstretched doing yoga.

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.

Doctoral Candidate, Constance Caddell goes through SC NAACP records.

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. 

Teachers in the TIP program (need more precise caption)

Colonial Life offers key support for College of Education's CarolinaTIP

February 10, 2023, Page Ivey

CarolinaTIP focuses on teachers in their first three years as they transition from learning how to teach to leading their own classrooms. About half of all South Carolina teachers who leave their jobs each year are in their first five years of working in the classroom. The Carolina Teacher Induction Program has reduced the number of new teachers leaving the profession by offering them coaching support from more experienced classroom leaders — most of whom are retired instructors who want to give back to the profession.

A scales of justice icon in white with green background.

Boeing supports USC's assistance to veterans through free legal clinic

February 10, 2023, Communications and Marketing

The Veterans Legal Clinic provides free legal services to low-income veterans living in South Carolina who are facing issues with credit and related financial matters, housing, government benefits and family law. It was established in 2018 by a grant from the South Carolina Bar Foundation. Thanks to continued support from Boeing — $450,000 to date — the clinic has been able to serve more than 70 veterans since opening.

 Dr. Gayenell Magwood wears a floral garnet and black scarf and red glasses frames.

Finding joy at USC

February 09, 2023, Nicole Meares

Gayenell Magwood focuses on community research and engagement, cardiometabolic risk and prevention, and cancer control and prevention. She is an endowed professor of nursing and is also passionate about her involvement with the American Heart Association and raising awareness for heart disease and stroke.

Morgan Romano poses in her Miss North Carolina crown.

Engineering alumna uses beauty pageants, philanthropy to inspire STEM interest in young girls

January 26, 2023, Kyndel Lee

Miss USA Morgan Romano knows all too well that only 28% of the STEM workforce is made up of women, and she's using her platform to spark interests in young girls and help create a pipeline for more women to purse careers in the STEM fields.

An image of a time clock.

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.

portrait of Nicole Maskiell

History professor's new book looks at cross-cultural ties created by slavery in the U.S. Colonies

November 14, 2022, Laura Erskine

Nicole Maskiell is an associate professor of history and affiliate faculty in African American studies at the University of South Carolina. Her book, “Bound by Bondage: Slavery and the Creation of a Northern Gentry” (2022 Cornell University Press), examines the institution of slavery in the early American Colonies and how it created lasting ties between families of the elite classes, even across cultural lines, as well as ties among the enslaved people.