Stories for Faculty and Staff

Chris Rorden smiles for the camera with the MRI machine in the background.

A Sharper Image: At USC, better brain health outcomes begin with cutting-edge neuroimaging equipment

August 10, 2026, Rebekah Friedman

The McCausland Center’s MRI scanner is a 3 Tesla, twice the strength of typical MRIs. Access to equipment of that caliber has enabled the center to bring in tens of millions in grant funding and has led to an explosion in research studies that have advanced our understanding of aphasia, stroke treatment and brain aging.

Headshot of Alison Huppmann

Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation: Alison Huppmann

August 05, 2026, Laura Erskine

As a clinical associate professor at USC’s School of Medicine Greenville, Alison Huppmann teaches medical students in their first two years of the program. Her goal is to equip her students with a broad understanding of medicine. Her efforts have now been recognized with the 2026 Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation.

student in gray shirt pulling gray box of belongings on sidewalk during move-in

What you need to know for move-in 2026

August 05, 2026, Collyn Taylor

Move-in is quickly approaching, and soon the Class of 2030 will be on campus at USC. With a large freshman class coming to Columbia, this is a one-stop shop for the information students, faculty and staff need to know during move-in week.

Aaron Vannucci stands by a staircase and smiles.

Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award: Aaron Vannucci

July 27, 2026, Chris Horn

Aaron Vannucci doesn’t have a sophisticated philosophy to explain his teaching style. He merely points back to his own high school chemistry teacher, who inspired him with his consistent excitement for the topic. Vannucci brings the same enthusiasm to his classrooms, and he is the winner of USC's 2026 Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Author Julia Elliott, brown shoulder-length hair and wearing a brown suit, sits in a chair holding her book surrounded by group of onlookers

USC professor Julia Elliott wins one of fiction's most prestigious prizes

July 23, 2026, Kristine Hartvigsen

Known for her fluid, label-defying prose, author Julia Elliott found herself in excellent company last month among a literary cadre of distinct, even unconventional voices. She read the work of her fellow finalists with awe, never thinking she would win. But it was her name announced over the sound system as the winner of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for her critically acclaimed, genre-bending short-story collection "Hellions."

A thumbnail image depicting a portion of an early version of the American flag.

After 1776, the founders designed a government that accounts for 'a degree of depravity in mankind'

July 20, 2026, Donovan Fifield

The Declaration of Independence was only the first step in making a unified country. A competing set of state and local interests required a defense of the U.S. Constitution (the Federalist Papers), which sought to define the role of government to keep basic human impulses toward political abuse, self-interest and even violence in check.

Jane Roberts smiles in front of foliage

Research center building ecosystem in autism, neurodevelopmental disorders

July 15, 2026, Chris Horn

From helping to establish a popular undergraduate neuroscience major to attracting millions in research grants, the Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center at USC has achieved notable success since its launch seven years ago. And the momentum isn’t slowing. The center’s leadership has ambitious plans to serve more citizens of South Carolina.

Braden Guliano stands next to a rack of computer equipment

Braden Guliano builds technology career with internships, mentors and entrepreneurial spirit

July 10, 2026, Chris Horn

Braden Guliano has been a man on a mission at USC. In just three years, he completed a bachelor’s degree in integrated information technology at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing while completing multiple internships and launching his own tech consulting business on the side.

Michael Carson, an intern for USC Facilities, poses for a portrait.

USC Facilities intern turns capstone project into AI-powered campus innovation

July 06, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw

A University of South Carolina computer science capstone project led by graduate Michael Carson has grown into an AI-powered internship project that helps USC Facilities analyze maintenance data, automate reporting and improve campus operations through smarter, data-driven decision-making.

USC student Aquiles Agreda helps clean up rubble at night after two massive earthquakes struck Venezuela.

Recent graduate rises to the challenge of Venezuelan earthquakes

July 02, 2026, Zoe Nicholson

Like much of the world, Aquiles Agreda was watching the World Cup on June 24 with friends. But two massive earthquakes — a 7.2 magnitude followed by a 7.5 less than a minute later — shook Agreda’s native country that evening. He and his friends were unharmed, but within a day, he was helping with rescue and cleanup operations. Agreda plans to return to USC in August to begin the Master of International Business program. His only plan right now, though, is to help others.

Board Briefs: Trustees approve budget, key USC Next projects

June 19, 2026, Andy Shain

University of South Carolina trustees approved a 2026-27 fiscal year budget and advanced key projects tied to the Columbia campus’s USC Next master plan.

A headshot of Margaret Janse van Rensburg

Social work researcher aims to improve mental health outcomes for autistic adults

June 19, 2026, Téa Smith

For her dissertation at Carlton University in Canada, assistant professor Margaret Janse van Rensburg collaborated with the Ottawa Adult Autism Initiative to better understand how human service workers can help autistic adults overcome barriers to accessing mental health support. Now, at USC, she is expanding on her research and working toward her goal to enhance outcomes for autistic people.

view of Russell House with pink flowers blooming in the foreground

USC board approves freezing tuition, expanding Russell House, building Civil Rights Center

June 18, 2026, Andy Shain

University of South Carolina trustees approved a 2026-27 fiscal year budget that freezes in-state tuition systemwide and advanced key projects tied to the Columbia campus’s USC Next master plan.

Israel softball players celebrate on the field, holding a national flag during an international competition.

Graduate's journey from softball to social work leads to selection as U.S. team therapist at Jewish Olympics

June 10, 2026, Carol J.G. Ward

After navigating the challenges of life beyond Division I softball, licensed clinical social worker Olivia Gott, now supports athletes facing similar transitions. She will serve as the U.S. team therapist at the 2026 Maccabiah Games, bringing both personal experience and professional care to the world stage.

Pages of a thesis document amid stacked books

From thesis to courtroom: Honors College honed skills, discipline for successful alumni

June 03, 2026, Carol J.G. Ward

Alumni Kathy Carlsten and Peter Siachos, who both graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College in 1997 and the Joseph F. Rice School of Law in 2000, say they draw on the critical thinking and collaborative skills, the debate-oriented approach and intellectual ambition required in honors courses in their legal practices.

Boston Red Sox player in green Nike-branded uniform with the No. 16 appears wearing batting helmet

As more athletes speak openly about depression, anxiety and suicide, a minority of fans are weaponizing it

May 27, 2026, Scott Parrott

Because elite athletes are seen as admired role models, many enjoy lucrative contracts as spokespeople for a variety of products. When Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran recently was harassed after revealing a mental illness, his expression of regret could potentially discourage others from talking publicly about their struggles for fear it could be weaponized against them. USC professor Scott Parrott explores this in a recent article for The Conversation.

Lauren Greenfield smiles for the camera with a football.

Alumna builds community as Washington Commanders executive

May 13, 2026, Megan Sexton

After earning her degree in sport and entertainment management, Lauren Greenfield went directly into Georgetown University’s sports industry management master’s program. Then she found her passion with the Washington Commanders. Greenfield focuses on innovative ways to create value for both new and existing sponsors — developing go-to-market strategy, examining industry-wide best practices, building sponsorable platforms across the business and working with internal and external constituents across the NFL.  

Photo of McKissick, a building at the University of South Carolina

USC inks licensing agreement for prostate cancer screening tool

May 12, 2026, Andy Shain

The University of South Carolina has agreed to license an algorithm developed by a renowned cancer and nutritional epidemiologist to 20/20 BioLabs, a health sciences company that offers home cancer screening tests.

Intern Olivia Branson with Alexandra Woodlief, ’13, owner and lead creative director of Alexandra Madison Weddings.

Internships help USC students explore their potential

May 07, 2026, Laura Erskine, Téa Smith and Craig Brandhorst / photos by Kim Truett

Internships aren’t just for building resumés. When students take that first big step into their chosen career, the hard work of college begins to pay off. We spoke to nine student interns from across the USC system to find out what they've gained beyond the books from their internship experiences.

Frank Avignone in his campus laboratory with the Thomas F. Jones Memorial Electron Spectrometer.

Physicist Frank Avignone has fed his scientific curiosity with a steady pursuit of new ideas

May 07, 2026, Chris Horn

Frank Avignone has been fascinated by physics longer than most people have been alive, an intense curiosity that began in the waning days of World War II. Now, more than six decades after being recruited to the faculty of USC’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, Avignone continues to conduct particle physics research with renowned scholars, some of them at international laboratories he helped build decades ago.