Stories for Parents

head and shoulders image of a woman

Sullivan Award winner has passion for serving others

April 18, 2024, Communications and Marketing

A passion for helping others has led Shannon DePratter to participate in several service organizations while also completing her degree in biomedical engineering in just three years. The Newberry, South Carolina, native is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor. She also is a member of the South Carolina Honors College.

three people sit on a bench in a garden setting

USC has 3 Goldwater scholars in 2024

March 29, 2024, Communications and Marketing

Three University of South Carolina students were awarded prestigious Goldwater scholarships Friday. They are: Caroline Rucker, a junior biomedical engineering major from Powhatan, Virginia; Jeremiah Tobin, a junior biomedical engineering major from Greenville; and Katelyn Wyandt, a junior computer science major from Summerville, South Carolina. All three are Honors College students studying in the College of Engineering and Computing.

Exterior image of USC's Darla Moore School of Business in Columbia, S.C.

New pathway to MBA for engineering and computing students

March 18, 2024, Laura Morris

USC’s College of Engineering and Computing and the Darla Moore School of Business established a new 4+1 pathway partnership in 2024. This unique collaboration offers students the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree from engineering and computing and a master’s degree from the Moore School in five years.

Students perform during summer conservatory

USC youth summer camps 2024

March 01, 2024, Communications and Marketing

With only a few short months until summer, it’s time for parents to find summer activities for their children. USC offers a wide variety of summer camps for all ages and all interests from music to soccer, dance and engineering.

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.

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.

Two women look at a laptop screen

Boeing offers engineering scholarships, career opportunities

May 18, 2023, Lauryn Jiles

The University of South Carolina is one of only six institutions in the country selected to partner with Boeing on its Accelerated Leadership Program, in which a select group of students will gain hands-on learning experience working with engineering projects and innovative technologies

Orb on the Maxcy monument on the USC Horseshoe

US News rankings: USC tops in International MBA

April 24, 2023, Megan Sexton

The University of South Carolina’s master’s in international business program retained its spot as the best in the country for the 10th consecutive year, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings released Tuesday (April 25).

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.

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.

wrought iron gates

U.S. News rankings: UofSC retains top spot in international business, first-year student experience

September 09, 2022, Megan Sexton

The University of South Carolina has the top first-year student experience of any public college in the country and the best international business program, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings.

Gabriel Nossar Carrilho

Top leadership award winner puts education to use serving others

April 21, 2022, Communications and Marketing

Mechanical engineering major Gabriel Nossar Carrilho is using what he’s learned at the University of South Carolina to serve the campus community, the Latinx community and even people in his native South America in need of clean water. For his efforts, Carrilho has been awarded the university’s top leadership award — the 2022 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.

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.

water-sampling aerial drone

Water-analyzing aerial drone could get bigger and better

February 28, 2022, Chris Horn

A new water sampling aerial drone developed by University of South Carolina professors has six motors, four pumps, two batteries, one six-foot-long collection hose and a zero-carbon footprint. But this proof-of-concept machine could become even more impressive if the team is able to secure NSF funding for a new level of capability.

The Horseshoe at the University of South Carolina

UofSC retains top spots for first-year student experience, international business

September 13, 2021, Megan Sexton

The University of South Carolina has the top first-year student experience of any public college in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings. UofSC also retained its No. 1 ranking in international business for the 23rd straight year.

Lizzie Gandy, 1992 mechanical engineering alumna

From Hilton Head to Thunder Horse

August 31, 2021, Chris Horn

Lizzie Gandy one day will regale her grandchildren with stories about the years she strapped on a hard hat and rode a helicopter to her job on the biggest moored oil platform in the world, anchored deep in the Gulf of Mexico. In her latest position, Gandy doesn’t have to endure the same grind as before when she was supervising hundreds of oil platform workers in the open water. But she continues to find satisfaction in the work that a mechanical engineering degree from South Carolina in 1992 made possible.

Sydney Womack, graduating senior May 2021

Class of 2021: Sydney Womack

April 15, 2021, Chris Horn

Sydney Womack’s calendar has been booked nearly solid during her four years at South Carolina and little wonder — she majored in biomedical engineering, minored in mathematics, earned a performance certificate in the School of Music, conducted undergraduate research and co-authored a scholarly article and three poster presentations. She also attended football, basketball and baseball games whenever she could, held leadership positions in two engineering student societies and regularly volunteered to pitch STEM career opportunities to high school students.

two female and one male student wearing masks

Curiosity, scientific research lead to prestigious award for UofSC students

March 31, 2021, Carol J.G.Ward

Research opportunities, passionate faculty mentors and the chance to explore diverse interests drew the University of South Carolina’s 2021 Goldwater Scholarship recipients to the Columbia campus. The prestigious scholarships are awarded annually to undergraduate STEM majors across the country who are interested in pursuing research careers in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering.

UofSC home to 60 ranked programs

UofSC med school leads nation for grads practicing in underserved areas

March 29, 2021, Megan Sexton

The School of Medicine Columbia is the top medical program in the country for graduates who are practicing in areas where there is a shortage of health care professionals, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Graduate School rankings. The rankings also show that UofSC is now home to more than 60 nationally ranked programs.

Technicians in a lab wearing gloves and safety goggles.

University of South Carolina to help lead Savannah River National Laboratory research innovation and workforce development

February 10, 2021

The University of South Carolina and the Battelle Savannah River Alliance are partnering to conduct critical research at one of the country’s premier national laboratories – the Savannah River National Laboratory. The partnership will contribute to workforce development and provide cutting-edge advancements in national security, energy and environmental research.

COVID Masks

A new data-driven model shows that wearing masks saves lives - and the earlier you start, the better

November 13, 2020, Biplav Srivastava

Professor of computer science Biplav Srivastava and his team have developed a data-driven tool that helps demonstrate the effect of wearing masks on COVID-19 cases and deaths. In this interview with The Conversation, he explains how the model works, its limitations and what conclusions we can draw from it.

woman sneezing

UofSC scientists model how the COVID-19 virus might travel, settle in indoor environments

October 15, 2020, Chris Horn

In this age of COVID-19 concerns, what’s the safest indoor environment? One without humans, of course. In a practical world the answer lies partly in understanding how the virus moves and where it lands in indoor spaces because air ow and surfaces are important routes for transmission of COVID-19.

Elizabeth Thompson leads a group exercise class

Class of 2020: Elizabeth Thompson

May 12, 2020, Craig Brandhorst

Elizabeth Thompson wanted to be at the head of the class — and she made sure she got there. No, we’re not talking about the computer engineering major’s classroom success, which landed her a job in her field straight out of college. We’re talking about Thompson’s other driving passion: group fitness instruction.

depressed young lady

COVID-19 impact: social and mental health issues

April 27, 2020, Amit Sheth

Social media posts and news reports are rich sources of data about people’s attitudes and behaviors. Performing this analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing the damage the pandemic is doing to the social and psychological well-being of the U.S. Amit Sheth, Founding Director, Artificial Intelligence Institute and Computer Science & Engineering professor writes for The Conversation on examining online conversation about COVID-19.

3D printer

COVID-19 response: Prisma Health collaborates with UofSC on ventilator device

March 25, 2020, David Lee

A collaborative effort involving Prisma Health and the University of South Carolina has resulted in emergency use authorization for a ventilator expansion device to support multiple patients during times of acute equipment shortages such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

women's soccer celebrating with the SEC championship trophy
A large Gamecock family smiles at the photographer while standing against the background of Williams-Brice Stadium in the distance

Family Weekend plays important role in student support

September 25, 2019, Annika Dahlgren

Family Weekend is part of the university’s wide-ranging commitment to delivering a superior student experience in a welcoming, inclusive environment. It helps to connect a student’s personal support network to the university experience, so that family members can feel engaged in a student’s journey — and a student can feel a deep level of support both on- and off-campus.

artificial intellingence illustration

Turning big data into smart data

May 29, 2019, Chris Horn

A new Artificial Intelligence Institute at the University of South Carolina will launch this summer, building on and harnessing the collective efforts of dozens of faculty members who already are advancing AI research initiatives in diverse academic disciplines.