Stories for Parents

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.

Photo of student walking on the Horseshoe

First-generation college students bring resilience, perspectives to USC campus

November 03, 2023, Megan Sexton

First-generation college students come from all sorts of backgrounds and bring a variety of perspectives to campus. At USC, about one-fifth of the student population identifies as first-generation college students, meaning their parents did not earn a four-year college degree.

USC Cocky Statue

ICYMI: Ten big things happening at the university

August 30, 2023, Lauryn Jiles

The university never sleeps, but it does slow down a bit during the summer. With the start of the fall semester, here’s a reminder of some recent happenings that you might have missed, plus a heads up about some major upcoming events.

Gamecock alumni Casey Fissel dives in the tank at Riverbanks Zoo

USC graduates dive deep and discover dream careers at Riverbanks Zoo

August 23, 2023, Alexis Watts

Seven Gamecocks were on the frontlines of the March opening of the Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium & Reptile Conservation Center at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. With degrees ranging from advertising and public relations to biology and marine science, these University of South Carolina graduates play important roles in powering the No. 1 tourist destination in South Carolina, which attracts more than 1 million visitors annually.

a man kneels on a boardwalk in a coastal marsh

From the classroom to the field, USC students carve their own Carolina paths

August 21, 2023

For a lot of University of South Carolina students, the realization that this is a special place comes quickly. One walk around the Horseshoe, one time cheering in the stands at Williams-Brice Stadium, and that’s all it takes. But those signature experiences are only a tiny part of what it means to be a Gamecock. Life-altering experiences can be found all over campus and beyond.

Jared Johnson and Clint Wallace, two of the four owners of All Good Books.

Independent bookstore begins first chapter -- and USC's fingerprints are on every page

August 11, 2023, Megan Sexton

Walk through the doors at All Good Books, a thriving bookstore in the heart of Five Points, and you’ll see neat shelves filled with classics and new releases, a counter for coffee, beer and wine and – perhaps most important of all — a welcoming vibe.

Students wear protective glasses while learning at camp

Carolina Master Scholars camps spark curiosity, forge connections

August 03, 2023, Alexis Watts

Summer camp memories don’t often include crime scene blood spatter analysis or creating culinary masterpieces, but the Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series is not your typical summer camp.

a radar image of hurricane hugo making landfall in SC in 1989

USC geography graduates help guide state, nation through hurricane season

July 13, 2023, Page Ivey

Every summer, the South Carolina coast and the southeastern U.S. faces the threat of hurricanes that range in size from sustained winds of 74 mph to the state’s most catastrophic hurricane, Hugo in 1989 that resulted in $10 billion in damages. Helping minimize the damage from these storms is the job of several graduates of the University of South Carolina’s geography master’s program.

Animals that shared the landscape with humans disappeared as the ice age ended. Mauricio Antón/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

Forensic evidence suggests Paleo-Americans hunted mastodons, mammoths and other megafauna in eastern North America 13,000 years ago

June 14, 2023, Christopher R. Moore

The earliest people who lived in North America shared the landscape with huge animals. On any day these hunter-gatherers might encounter a giant, snarling saber-toothed cat ready to pounce, or a group of elephantlike mammoths stripping tree branches. Maybe a herd of giant bison would stampede past.

Frank Avignone poses in lab with a white lap coat on.

Physicist continues lifelong search for dark matter, 90 years in the making

June 13, 2023, Bryan Gentry

Frank Avignone is looking for dark matter ― the mysterious substance that makes up much of the universe. In a lab at the University of South Carolina, he shows off a spectrometer that he recently repaired with support from the National Science Foundation. Purchased for his lab more than 50 years ago, the device proved to be just what he needs for his newest experiment.

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.

Terence Weik at the Kinsler cemetery site in Blythewood, S.C.

USC researcher's Black cemeteries project aims to restore lost ancestral connections

June 07, 2023, Rose Cisneros

For Terrance Weik, the gravesite of his great-grandmother was a sacred place: Her headstone memorialized a place where he could remember her and those who came before. Weik is working on research and preservation efforts at three burial grounds across South Carolina: sites in Blythewood, Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head.

Portrait of William C. Hubbard, dean of the School of Law.

Law dean William Hubbard elected to prestigious national academy

April 19, 2023, Laura Kammerer

William C. Hubbard, dean of the School of Law, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences which is a prestigious fellowship of scholars and leaders. Distinguished members include Benjamin Franklin and Colin Powell, and current members include more than 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners.

An illustration of hand holding a lightning rod.

USC researchers advancing transition to a new energy landscape

January 12, 2023, Megan Sexton

From policy-making surrounding cleaner energy technologies to researching better ways to make and store electricity to studying advanced nuclear materials for interplanetary space travel, University of South Carolina researchers are advancing the transition to a changing energy landscape.

maxcy monument on the usc horseshoe

Social justice awards recognize outstanding student, faculty members

January 09, 2023, Page Ivey

Four faculty members and a student have been recognized for their work on campus and in the larger community with 2023 Social Justice Awards. The University of South Carolina created the Social Justice Awards to recognize individuals who have exemplified the philosophies of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. through acts of community service, social justice or racial reconciliation.

President Amiridis cheers on the Gamecocks as they play against SC State.

Year in review '22: In with the old, in with the new

December 14, 2022, Communications and Marketing

Did campus feel just a little bit livelier this year? A touch more spirited? A tad more optimistic? We thought so, too — and not only because we named a new president back in January. Yeah, that was one heck of a way to ring in the new year, and it set the tone for the months ahead, but in the end, 2022 was about all of us, from the President’s House to Russell House, from Colonial Life to Williams-Brice. It was about respecting tradition, rediscovering our identity, remembering our past and reimagining our future. In 2022, the University of South Carolina reminded us all what it means to be USC.

Photo of Jazmine Lara Guerrero, a first-gen student

First-generation college students add energy, resilience to USC campus

November 04, 2022, Megan Sexton

There is no typical first-generation college student. Some come from immigrant families, some from households where family members didn’t graduate from high school. But all add energy and variety to the University of South Carolina campus.

Booker T. Washington alumni look at display

New agreement with National Park Service advances UofSC's role in telling civil rights history

September 28, 2022, Alexis Watts

Under a five-year agreement with the National Park Service, the center will receive $3.4 million to expand the center’s existing work in civil rights education and scholarly research, including support for exhibits and programming at South Carolina sites in the African American Civil Rights Network. The center will help to grow the network in South Carolina by serving as a resource to property owners, community leaders and organizations interested in joining the network.

Black and white illustration of a midwife bathing a newborn after birth in medieval times

Old age isn't a modern phenomenon - many people lived long enough to grow old in the olden days, too

August 10, 2022, Sharon DeWitte

There is a common misperception that long life spans in humans are very recent, and that no one in the past lived much beyond their 30s before now. This is not true. There is physical evidence that plenty of people in the past lived long lives — just as long as some people do today. Anthropology professor Sharon DeWitte writes for The Conversation on the evidence that proves old age isn't a modern phenomenon.

Author Octavia E. Butler in a multicolor jacket with poses with chin on hand in a Seattle bookstore.

Octavia E. Butler mined her curiosity to forge a new vision for humanity

June 22, 2022, Alyssa Collins

In an interview for The Conversation, Alyssa Collins, assistant professor of English Language and Literature, explains how science fiction author Octavia Butler’s boundless curiosity inspired her work and how Butler’s experiences as a Black woman drew her to “humans who must deal with the edges or ends of humanity.”

Sign in lobby of a building that says ticket holders

Conflicts over language stretch far beyond Russia and Ukraine

May 24, 2022, Stanley Dubinsky, Anyssa Murphy, Harvey Starr, Michael Gavin

There are many instances around the world of people who speak different languages living alongside each other, or those living near an international border to speak the language of the neighboring country. College of Arts and Science faculty write for The Conversation on conflicts over language and how it is used as a tool of politics and power.

Gilbert Gottfried speaking into a microphone

Gilbert Gottfried and the mechanics of crafting one of the most memorable voices of all time

May 03, 2022, Erica Tobolski

As Gilbert Gottfried developed his comic persona, his distinctive voice made its way into his performances in stand-up comedy, advertising, television and film. However, his voice did not naturally sound this way. He figured out how to create a character that perfectly synched a personality with a voice. Theatre and dance professor Erica Tobolski writes for The Conversation on developing a character voice.

Lorri Unumb

After son's diagnosis, alumna becomes leading advocate for families affected by autism

April 25, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

Alumna Lorri Unumb's journey to becoming an advocate for families affected by autism began when she and her husband Dan noticed their son Ryan wasn’t behaving and developing like other children. Ryan was diagnosed with autism shortly before his second birthday. Today, Unumb is internationally known for her advocacy.

Claire Windsor poses with her framed Algernon Sydney Sullivan award

Sullivan Award winner focuses research, leadership efforts on sustainability

April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing

Geography major Claire Windsor has turned a passion for creating a sustainable world into action throughout her four-year career at South Carolina. The Travelers Rest, South Carolina, native and Honors College student received the university's top leadership award, the 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.

Kelly Adams on the UofSC Horseshoe

UofSC alumna guides employer's gift to Center for Civil Rights History and Research

April 12, 2022, Megan Sexton

Alumna Kelly Adams, managing director of state government and regulatory affairs for the energy infrastructure company Williams, was instrumental in her employer’s gift of $1.5 million to the university's Center for Civil Rights History and Research.

Dance Marathon students with Cocky

Dance Marathon raises $931,016

April 12, 2022, Allen Wallace

On April 9, nearly 2,000 University of South Carolina students spent the day dancing together, closing more than a year of work with a huge success as they raised $931,016 to support the Child Life program at Prisma Health Children's Hospital.