Stories for Parents

Amy Gerald smiles while standing outside on the USC Lancaster campus

Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation: Amy Gerald

August 20, 2026, Thom Harman

Amy Gerald, an assistant professor of English at USC Lancaster, uses community-connected projects and experiential learning to prepare her students for whatever career they choose. Whether it’s partnering with local nonprofits to solve real-world business problems or assigning observational writing assignments at USC Lancaster’s Native American Studies Center, Gerald’s innovative approaches to teaching stand out both in and beyond the classroom.

Topics: Faculty, Experiential Learning, Recognition, University System

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.

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.

Topics: Faculty, Research, History, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

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.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Research, Experiential Learning, Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, South Carolina Honors College, Meant To Be USC

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.

Topics: Students, Darla Moore School of Business

An African American adult male in black t-shirt and ballcap looks into the camera

30 years after 'Reasonable Doubt,' Jay-Z's career embodies hip-hop's biggest contradictions

June 25, 2026, Jabari Evans

The cinematic complexity of Jay-Z’s first rap album “Reasonable Doubt” explains why it still matters 30 years later. Today, hip-hop powers advertising campaigns, luxury branding and streaming platforms. Jay-Z has played an outsized role in that transformation. Writing for The Conversation, USC assistant professor Jabari Evans explores the complicated history of hip-hop’s rise in a capitalist society.

Topics: Research, Entrepreneurship, College of Information and Communications, The Conversation

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.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Faculty, University Leadership, University President, Academics, Research, Undergraduate Admissions, Economic Engagement, Campus Construction, SC Impact, Leadership, Careers, Student Voices, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing

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.

Topics: Alumni, Graduate Studies, Health Sciences, College of Social Work

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.

Topics: Alumni, Academics, Graduate Studies, History, Leadership, Careers, Joseph F. Rice School of Law, South Carolina Honors College

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.

Topics: Faculty, Research, Health Sciences, College of Information and Communications, The Conversation

Walker Weaver and Emma Connelly pose with books.

Reading between the feathers: How two students turned a mascot role into years of service

May 08, 2026, Michaela Taylor

You may know Cocky from game day at Williams-Brice, but some of his biggest fans sit on classroom floors, not stadium seats. Behind the yellow beak are two seniors  who’ve been involved with Cocky's Reading Express for the last four years. Meet Walker Weaver and Emma Connelly.  

Topics: Students, Initiatives, Philanthropy, Partnerships, Service, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Information and Communications

USC alumna Stephanie Kyle smiles warmly while standing in front of a financial data display board showing stock tickers

Connecting the dots: Alumna Stephanie Kyle thrives in global supply chain and beyond

May 01, 2026, Dan Cook

From an early age, Stephanie Kyle had an appreciation for people from all over the world. She entertained thoughts of traveling far from South Carolina for college, but everything changed when she toured USC. As a student, she traveled widely and got involved in student organizations focused on global business and supply chain. Today, she is pricing director at a major global company.

Topics: Alumni, Academics, Experiential Learning, Careers, Darla Moore School of Business, South Carolina Honors College, Meant To Be USC

person in graduation robes wearing a bedazzled graduation cap with a gamecock and a block C on it

USC graduates celebrate spring commencement

April 29, 2026, Jeff Stensland

Thousands of graduates from across the University of South Carolina will celebrate May commencement ceremonies beginning Thursday, May 7. USC President Michael Amiridis will deliver remarks at all four baccalaureate ceremonies taking place at the Colonial Life Arena (schedule below). Separate ceremonies also will be held for the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, the two Schools of Medicine and the doctoral graduates.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Signature Events

Michelle Ayala-Perez smiles while outside on USC's historic Horseshoe

Balancing the books: First-gen student navigates pathway to accounting major

April 28, 2026, Chris Horn

What happens when a first-generation college student seeks advice from an instructor who was also a first-gen student? “Inspiration,” says Michelle Ayala-Perez. A conversation with an accounting instructor emboldened Ayala-Perez to explore changing her academic major. She is now enrolled in the accounting program at the Darla Moore School of Business and has her sights set on a career path that seems to have chosen her.

Topics: Students, Academics, Darla Moore School of Business

Student stands and waves at commencement cermony

Class of 2026

April 27, 2026, Megan Sexton

As the Class of 2026 prepares to walk across the commencement stage, graduates leave the University of South Carolina with memories of enduring friendships, newfound passions, supportive mentors and life-changing experiences.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Recognition, Student Voices, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, The Graduate School, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Information and Communications, school-of-law, School of Music, College of Nursing, Arnold School of Public Health, College of Social Work, South Carolina Honors College

View outside of a window of Benson school facing the USC water tower.

From segregation to preservation: The story of Florence C. Benson Elementary School

April 24, 2026, Hunter Mutherspaw

The University of South Carolina is restoring Florence C. Benson Elementary School, a former segregated school and one of the last remaining landmarks of the historic Black community of Wheeler Hill. The project aims not only to preserve the building’s structure but also to honor its role in the history of segregation and ensure that the community’s legacy is remembered for future generations.

Topics: University Leadership, History, Campus Construction

Dawn Staley coaches her team from the sidelines during a game

Dawn Staley elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

April 22, 2026, Dan Cook

Dawn Staley has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Election to the Academy is a prestigious honor, and Coach Staley joins only three others from USC who are currently part of the academy. Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is both an honorary society that recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its members and an independent research center convening leaders from across disciplines, professions and perspectives to address significant challenges.

Topics: University President, Recognition, Joseph F. Rice School of Law

A presenter talks with an attendee at Discover USC.

Students dig in on research, present findings at Discover USC

April 20, 2026, Marketing and communications

Every year, USC students and scholars from a variety of backgrounds and academic disciplines come together to present at Discover USC. The conference features 1,000-plus research projects. Undergraduates, graduate students, medical scholars and postdocs work with faculty mentors to hone their research skills and learn to present their findings. We talked with a few of the presenters.

Topics: Students, Research, Recognition, Signature Events, Student Voices

A horseback-riding farmer herds sheep across a sparse and hilly, rural landscape.

Mutual aid and self-sufficiency are key to life near USSR's contaminated nuclear test zone in Kazakhstan

April 08, 2026, Magdalena Stawkowski

Writing for The Conversation, associate professor Magdalena Stawkowski describes her field research at a Soviet-era nuclear test site in Kazakhstan. Thousands still live around its cratered perimeter and stay because of their collective refusal to reject systems that had abandoned them and instead create their own terms for survival.

Topics: Faculty, Research, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

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