A trip to the Middle East set Ken Perkins on the road to a career as a historian and teacher
September 28, 2026, Chris Horn
A trip to the Middle East set Ken Perkins on the road to a career as a historian and teacher
Author: Author Listing Page
Remembering the Days -- Go Bantams! Remembering University High School, 1932-66
September 23, 2026, Chris Horn
The same year USC’s School of Education acquired its own building (1932), it also started a high school, primarily as a place for secondary education students to do their practice teaching. University High School operated on the Carolina campus for nearly 35 years and generated a wealth of fond memories.
Remembering the Days -- Wise Counsel: Remembering Ada B. Thomas
August 25, 2026, Chris Horn
For more than 40 years, Ada B. Thomas helped USC students navigate their way through college with wise counsel and astute academic guidance. Alumni have never forgotten her unwavering desire to listen and help, with an occasional admonishment to do better.
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.
Nursing students learn healthcare communication skills from patients with aphasia
July 20, 2026, Chris Horn
University of South Carolina nursing students are learning to communicate more effectively with patients through a unique simulation that pairs them with standardized patients living with aphasia.
USC bowling club took home national championship in 1976
July 16, 2026, Chris Horn
It was 1976 — 50 years ago — when the USC men’s bowling club posted a perfect 10-0 record in regular season play and went on to win it all at the national tournament held in Oklahoma City.
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 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.
Investment banker found his way at USC and an inside track to a dream career
May 28, 2026, Chris Horn
As a student in the Darla Moore School of Business, Adam Lemp found a community of supportive peers and tapped into a network of business school alumni, which helped open doors into his dream job — investment banking.
Physical education course prepares students for triathlons and life after college
May 08, 2026, Chris Horn
Joe Roof’s students had been preparing for their final test all semester: a modified triathlon super sprint. The students completed 200 meters swimming followed by seven miles pedaling on indoor spin bikes and two miles jogging on the Blatt practice field. It was the perfect ending to an elective physical education class called Triathlon Training.
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.
Doctoral student gains systems engineering perspective through Scout Motors partnership
May 01, 2026, Chris Horn
This past fall, Scout Motor’s chief technology officer Burkhard Huhnke was the lead instructor for Applied Systems Engineering for Complex Systems, a class offered through the Molinaroli College’s new industrial engineering program. Ph.D. student Austin Harper shares how the course taught him about sophisticated technology and design processes, including those Scout will use at the new plant.
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.
VEX Robotics helps launch summer campers into robot competition and beyond
April 24, 2026, Chris Horn
Now in its 20th year at USC, the VEX Robotics camp offers middle and high school students the opportunity to develop skills in programming, mechanical design and teamwork. The summer program also serves as a gateway to competitive robotics teams and, sometimes, enrollment in the Molinaroli College. For alum Nathanael Oliver, it was as pathway to both.
Remembering the Days -- The right stuff: President Donald Russell
April 07, 2026, Chris Horn
The presidency of Donald S. Russell at the University of South Carolina was an intersection of the right time with the right person and the right connections. Russell’s presidency helped to usher USC into the modern age and set the stage for the university's dynamic growth in the 1960s and beyond.
School of Medicine scientist explores new approach to treating blood clot-induced lung tissue damage
April 02, 2026, Chris Horn
Blood clots in the lungs are a leading cause of cardiovascular-related deaths. But what if gene editing, made possible through ultra-small nanoparticles, could effectively treat clot-induced tissue damage? For USC School of Medicine Columbia scientist Colin Evans, the question is no longer hypothetical.
Remembering the Days -- Test tubes and squeegees: a brief history of USC's chemistry department
March 24, 2026, Chris Horn
Carolina's first students in the early 1800s had to take Greek and Latin as part of their classical education, of course, but they also took chemistry. The subject became a baccalaureate degree program in 1912, and the chemistry department has been growing in stature ever since.
Eagle Scout Ashley Chittum came to USC ready for challenges
March 23, 2026, Chris Horn
Since earning her Eagle Scout badge five years ago, Ashley Chittum has been prepared for whatever adventures come her way. That includes being the first in her family to go to college and, in her sophomore year at the University of South Carolina, studying abroad for a semester in Australia.
From pancakes to South Korea, Breanna Price's collegiate experience has been far ranging
March 20, 2026, Chris Horn
Junior international business major Breanna Price is making the most of her time on campus — and across the world as an exchange student in South Korea. She is also building confidence through student organizations like Pancakes for Parkinson’s.
Major renovation of Memorial Rose Garden beside Lieber College now complete
March 19, 2026, Chris Horn
The University of South Carolina along with the Carolina Garden Club unveiled a new rose garden pavilion in the Memorial Rose Garden, a celebration of the decades-long partnership between the university and the club.
Remembering the Days -- Out on a high note: USC and Greene Street United Methodist Church
March 13, 2026, Chris Horn
Nearly 60 years ago, USC and the Greene Street United Methodist Church were caught up in a legal battle over whether the church's building could remain standing in the path of the university's campus expansion. Decades later, they crafted an elegant solution.
Former MLB player reflects on returning to USC to complete a degree
February 12, 2026, Chris Horn
After winning an Olympic gold medal, enjoying a long MLB playing career and working as a coach, Adam Everett came back to the University of South Carolina in 2017 to finish his degree through Palmetto College.
Pathway to first-year success: Teagan Thomas
February 10, 2026, Chris Horn
Teagan Thomas is enrolled in the 2025-26 cohort of Palmetto Pathway, a bridge program that began in 2019. Like all other students in the program, the Summerville, South Carolina, freshman is enrolled through USC Lancaster but lives in Bates residence hall on the Columbia campus and attends classes exclusively with other Palmetto Pathway students.
Pathway to first-year success: Samantha Hinton
February 09, 2026, Chris Horn
Samantha Hinton is on track to graduate from USC in May with a bachelor’s degree in advertising. Hinton started out at Carolina in Palmetto Pathway, a bridge program for freshmen. Palmetto Pathway students are enrolled through USC Lancaster but live in a residence hall on the Columbia campus before transitioning to USC Columbia after their first year.
Anatomy of a Career: 50 years on, School of Medicine faculty member Jim Augustine continues to lay a foundation of knowledge
February 05, 2026, Chris Horn
With a career quickly approaching the 50-year mark, Jim Augustine has taught the vast majority of physicians who have graduated from USC’s School of Medicine in Columbia. Even after retiring from full-time service a few years ago, he continues to teach.
Teacher balanced full-time work, online courses through USC's Palmetto College
February 04, 2026, Chris Horn
Sophia Comose always dreamed of becoming a teacher. While she wasn’t sure if the on-campus college experience was right for her, she loved the idea of working full time while earning an education degree online from Palmetto College. The flexible program allowed Comose to gain hands-on experience in her field, and she landed a teaching position after graduating in 2025.
Remembering the Days -- Preston: USC's residential college
January 27, 2026, Chris Horn
Preston College at the University of South Carolina was built before WWII, but the residence hall experienced a renaissance 30 years ago when it became the university's first and only residential college.
Palmetto College graduate navigated full-time college, full-time work
January 26, 2026, Chris Horn
Andrew Verma's job at a large bank call center was a great landing spot right after high school but the variable schedule made attending college a challenge. Then he found Palmetto College and a fast road to advancement.
TEDxCongaree Vista set for March 14
January 21, 2026, Chris Horn
A group of University of South Carolina students has planned and organized TEDxCongaree Vista, featuring speakers whose topics are likely to spark conversation and inspire action.
School of Medicine Greenville students put lifestyle medicine values to the test in Ironman event
December 19, 2025, Chris Horn
Seven USC School of Medicine Greenville students demonstrated their commitment to lifestyle medicine by training for and completing an Ironman 70.3 competition in Wilmington, North Carolina.
USC team identifies new class of disinfection byproducts in water treatment systems
December 12, 2025, Chris Horn
An environmental chemistry research lab at USC at the forefront of efforts to find and identify disinfection byproducts in U.S. water treatment systems has discovered a new, highly toxic class of byproducts.
Serving the scientific community
December 12, 2025, Chris Horn
USC chemistry professor Linda Shimizu has a long list of accomplishments, including recently being named a fellow of the American Chemical Society, one of only 36 chemistry professors worldwide to receive the honor in 2025 for scientific and professional accomplishments.
A chemistry professor's quest to make perfectly homogeneous nanocrystals
December 11, 2025, Chris Horn
Millions of times smaller than a grain of salt, nanocrystals have become extraordinarily useful in electronics, drug delivery, biological imaging and beyond.
How an Honors College student's thesis became a children's book
December 09, 2025, Chris Horn
Paige Canady planned to write a straightforward honors thesis, the kind that might get read once or twice, then put on a shelf. But after collaborating with an art education student, the project became a cleverly illustrated children’s book, one that Canady hopes will be read by families everywhere.
Engineering prof named university's third-ever National Academy of Inventors fellow
December 05, 2025, Chris Horn
Electrical engineering professor Guoan Wang got his first U.S. patent while in graduate school and now has more than 60 patents and more than 50 additional patents pending. He was elected to the National Academy of Inventors’ 2024 Class of Fellows, the highest professional distinction awarded to inventors.
Civil engineering study tests effectiveness of biopolymers in slowing flood-related soil erosion
December 04, 2025, Chris Horn
A common food additive used as a thickener in soups, salad dressings and ice cream has demonstrated high potential for another use — slowing dangerous erosion on overtopped dams and levees.
Remembering the Days -- Full Circle: Jim Bowers returns to USC's Joseph F. Rice School of Law
December 02, 2025, Chris Horn
Jim Bowers was among the second small cohort of Black students to desegregate the University of South Carolina in the early 1960s, and he would later become the first Black professor in the university's law school. More than 50 years later, Bowers has returned to the law school with a substantial gift to improve the institution where he served as a trailblazer.
Remembering the Days -- Better health for all: The history of the Arnold School of Public Health
November 18, 2025, Chris Horn
Fifty years ago, USC established what would become known as the Arnold School of Public Health, the state's only accredited public health school. Its mission, then and now, is to improve population health and well-being, promote healthy environments and prevent disease, disability and environmental degradation.
Jonathan Aun's Honors College experience helped shape his successful career path into medicine
November 18, 2025, Chris Horn
As a first-generation student, Jonathan Aun's path to becoming a doctor wasn't easy. In USC's Honors College he found friendships, memories and an environment of support and exploration in which to lead and help others do the same. Whether called Major Aun or Dr. Aun today, he continues to build compassionate connection with his patients — and is a true Gamecock at heart.
Researchers and former students recall harsh lessons from historic 2015 Midlands flood
September 30, 2025, Chris Horn
It happened a decade ago, but lessons learned from the catastrophic flooding of Oct. 1-5, 2015, in the Midlands of South Carolina are still being reckoned by University of South Carolina researchers and former students who were involved in the flood’s aftermath.
Coffee bean extract for COVID?
September 24, 2025, Chris Horn
When Wenbin Tan pivoted his research a few years ago to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on the cardiovascular system, his efforts led to a hunt for natural compounds that could counteract the virus’ effects. Two natural compounds that show promise were known to be abundant in unroasted green coffee beans.
Sarah Barker shares her wisdom about the mind-body connection
September 23, 2025, Chris Horn
Theater Professor Emeritus Sarah Barker learned a new way of thinking about the mind-body connection early in her career. She has been spreading the word ever since.
Remembering the Days -- Splash! The chlorine-soaked story of USC's swimming and diving team
September 23, 2025, Chris Horn
USC's swimming and diving team jumped into the deep end of collegiate competition in 1922, 17 years before the university even had a pool on campus. Over the years, the team has developed a number of All Americans and even some Olympic competitors.
Chemical engineering faculty member demonstrates breakthrough technology for blue phase liquid crystals
September 10, 2025, Chris Horn
Since they first appeared on wristwatches in the early 1970s, liquid crystal displays have made the leap to TVs, smartphones, household appliances and automobile dashboards. Now an even more responsive type of LCD technology, called blue phase liquid crystals, is getting closer to commercial use, and a USC chemical engineering professor’s research in that field is attracting notice.
New technology under development for real-time monitoring, mapping of mines
July 29, 2025, Chris Horn
A see-in-the-dark monitoring and navigational system intended to improve safety in underground mines is being developed by a University of South Carolina computer science and engineering team in collaboration with researchers in India.
Interdisciplinary initiative teaches medical students how to use AI productively and safely
July 24, 2025, Chris Horn
The University of South Carolina’s School of Medicine has begun preparing its students to understand AI’s potential — and its shortcomings. The medical school in Columbia partnered last year with the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing to launch the AI in Medicine Extracurricular Track.
Phase 1 construction of Battery Center set to begin
July 09, 2025, Chris Horn
In about 18 months, the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation at the University of South Carolina plans to open the first phase of its Battery Center, a research, manufacturing and teaching facility in partnership with several commercial battery manufacturers.
Chemical engineering research aims to improve lithium-sulfur battery systems
July 07, 2025, Chris Horn
A rechargeable battery system with lower component costs and higher energy density potential than commonly used lithium-ion batteries is the focus of an industry-sponsored study by a chemical engineering research team at the University of South Carolina.
USC chemist leads new NSF center focused on developing sustainable, eco-friendly plastics
June 23, 2025, Chris Horn
By 2050 plastic manufacturing around the world is projected to total 1 billion tons, and more than half of all that plastic is expected to end up in landfills and the ocean. It’s an industry that relies on petroleum as a key ingredient and produces products that can’t easily be recycled without generating additional waste. But USC's Chuanbing Tang has a game-changing idea for the world’s plastic crisis.
Electrical engineering research group poised to advance manufacturing technology for next-gen semiconductors
June 03, 2025, Chris Horn
Twenty-five years ago, electrical engineering professor Asif Khan and his team helped put the University of South Carolina on the map in semiconductor electronics and photonics research, garnering several large grants and gaining widespread scholarly recognition along the way. Now, Khan and several colleagues in the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing are poised to do it again in the field of next-generation extreme semiconductor chips that can function in harsh environments — including outer space.
Arnold School team explores ways to optimize social support for increased physical activity
June 03, 2025, Chris Horn
A team in USC’s Arnold School of Public Health is using a five-year NIH-sponsored study to determine the impact of social support in promoting physical activity.
Nursing faculty member achieves her goals by degrees and with determination
May 21, 2025, Chris Horn
Nursing faculty member Jessica Gonzalez was recently selected to become a Jonas Scholar, an elite cohort of emerging nursing leaders from across the country. And her current Ph.D. research, which focuses on disparities in breast cancer diagnoses, was recognized by the National Institutes for Health with an R25 training grant.
Biomedical engineering faculty member studying the biomechanics of brain injury
April 23, 2025, Chris Horn
Sudden violent impact to the head, the kind that can happen in car crashes, football games and other activities, can shear and stretch brain tissue in ways that are very difficult to see. That’s why USC biomedical engineering assistant professor Ahmed Alshareef is part of a team studying the biomechanics of brain injuries with a goal of understanding exactly what happens dynamically to the brain during concussive events.
Engineering researcher focused on improving manufacturing processes for advanced composite materials
April 09, 2025, Chris Horn
Embedded sensors, edge computing, machine learning and high-fidelity simulations are part of the toolkit for Paul Ziehl and the research team he works with at USC’s McNAIR Center for Aerospace Engineering and Research.
New Economic Policy Center offers data-driven analysis to state agencies, other policymakers
April 07, 2025, Chris Horn
In a perfect world, state agencies and local governments would implement each new policy and program only after rigorous economic analysis that maps out the cost benefits, potential side effects and hidden costs of choosing one option over another. That data-driven approach to policymaking is the focus of S.C. EPiC, the South Carolina Economic Policy Center based in the economics department of the Darla Moore School of Business at USC.
Remembering the Days -- A Touch of Faith Gospel Choir
March 04, 2025, Chris Horn
In the decade after USC desegregated, the small but growing number of Black students wanted to establish a sense of belonging on a big campus that was growing bigger every year. In 1975, the Southern Christian Fellowship student group was established with a gospel choir called A Touch of Faith.
Remembering the Days -- Digging in the dirt with Kelly Goldberg
March 04, 2025, Chris Horn
Kelly Goldberg once spent two summers on an archaeological dig at a Viking settlement in Iceland. Now the Honors College instructor is digging in the dirt right here on USC's Horseshoe, finding artifacts that offer clues to the university's past.
Simple activities could be keys to dementia prevention, says public health researcher
February 25, 2025, Chris Horn
Half a million Americans are diagnosed annually with dementia, so finding ways to prevent its onset is a focus of public health researchers, including a University of South Carolina professor who is testing simple techniques for older adults.
Remembering the Days: 60 years of transformation
January 21, 2025, Chris Horn
Harry Lesesne's A History of the University of South Carolina, 1940-2000 covers the six fascinating decades of history in which USC was transformed into a modern research university. How he organized and wrote the book is a story in itself.
Chemistry professor deploys genome mining techniques in search for medically useful bioagents
January 15, 2025, Chris Horn
Drawing from an enormous collection of genetic material, a University of South Carolina chemistry professor is on a mission to find novel bioactive agents with potential antibiotic, anti-cancer and anti-inflammation applications.
USC-led center spurs scientific improvements to catalyst preparation
December 02, 2024, Chris Horn
One-third of the world’s GDP depends on chemical catalysts, and an industry-university research center led by USC is helping its members better understand how those chemical reaction boosters can be tweaked for peak efficiency.
USC scientists deploy artificial intelligence, digital twin models to build new resources for medical care
November 20, 2024, Chris Horn
A team of USC scientists is using a $3.4 million grant to develop new technology for personalized medical treatment and more accurate medical diagnoses. USC faculty members from medicine, chemistry and mathematics are leading various aspects of the five-year project funded by the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
Former USC classmates team teach cross-Atlantic language course
November 14, 2024, Chris Horn
Students rarely end up later in life teaching the same undergraduate course they took in college, but that’s what Heather Dreano and Lesley Smith are doing now, thanks to an assist from their former University of South Carolina professor.
National estuarine monitoring system keeps watchful eye on coastal research sites, impact from changing climate
November 08, 2024, Chris Horn
Around the clock and every day of the year for the past three decades, an environmental monitoring system has been keeping a finger on the pulse of 30 diverse estuaries across the country, collecting water quality and weather data. The integrated System-Wide Monitoring Program and Centralized Data Management Office is headquartered in Georgetown, S.C., at USC’s Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences.
New MRI scanners to bolster university's Brain Health Center
October 10, 2024, Chris Horn
Two new MRI scanners will help USC researchers differentiate possible causes of cognitive impairment as part of the university's new Brain Health Center.
Project PRISMS trains counseling professionals for high-needs South Carolina schools
October 09, 2024, Chris Horn
School districts in South Carolina that are in high need of more mental health counselors will get a boost from Project PRISMS, a U.S. Department of Education-funded initiative to fill the pipeline with trained professionals.
The princess of Preston College
October 07, 2024, Chris Horn
When she moved into Preston College residence hall as a freshman this semester, Maleah Anderson probably felt more at home than any other freshman on campus. That’s because Anderson had already lived in USC’s only residential college for six years while her mother was faculty principal there.
Anna Hoppmann leads pediatric cancer research effort
September 10, 2024, Chris Horn
Anna Hoppmann is a pediatric oncologist with Prisma Health and a clinical assistant professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia where she graduated nine years ago. She also chairs the S.C. Childhood Cancer Taskforce, which recently released a 25-year trend report on childhood cancer incidence, survival and mortality in South Carolina.
Remembering the Days -- Earth, wind and fire: Natural, manmade disasters on campus
September 04, 2024, Chris Horn
Since it began in the early 19th century, the Carolina campus has had its share of natural and manmade disasters, including earthquakes, windstorms, fires and floods. Those threats persist in the 21st century, but the modern campus has a facilities team that works around the clock to prevent or at least mitigate the effects of those threats.
New endowed chair brings focus in Alzheimer's drug research
July 31, 2024, Chris Horn
Qun Lu’s quest to develop an effective drug treatment for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases has brought him to the University of South Carolina. Lu, who joined USC in January as the new SmartState Endowed Chair in Neurotherapeutics Chemical Biology, has developed, with his research team, novel therapeutic molecules that have demonstrated effectiveness in rodent models that mimic Alzheimer’s disease.
Clean Water Institute partnering with state to do more comprehensive water quality monitoring
July 17, 2024, Chris Horn
In its first year of operation, USC’s Institute for Clean Water has launched a partnership with the state Department of Environmental Services to provide detailed analyses of water samples collected across South Carolina.
Remembering the Days -- Gamecock Jeopardy!
July 12, 2024, Chris Horn
Imagine if all of the clues in the popular TV game show Jeopardy! were related to the University of South Carolina. USC archivist Elizabeth West's new book, The University of South Carolina Trivia Book, provides plenty of material — more than 500 questions and answers — for a "Gamecock" Jeopardy version of the show.
New approach to treating heart failure
June 12, 2024, Chris Horn
A multidisciplinary research team at the University of South Carolina is developing a novel technique for injecting a next-generation therapeutic drug onto damaged heart tissue, a potential breakthrough treatment for millions diagnosed with heart failure.
Project underway to train next generation of cyberwarfare professionals
June 10, 2024, Chris Horn
Jorge Crichigno, professor of integrated information technology in the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, is leading a three-year project to prepare a new generation of cyberwarfare professionals.
Remembering the Days -- The British are coming! How the Rugby Club beat the Brits at their own game
June 06, 2024, Chris Horn
The USC Rugby Club has been on the field for more than 50 years, and the squad's success in its early years included a dramatic match and rematch with British naval personnel in 1973.
Remembering the Days -- Jonathan Maxcy and his monument
May 14, 2024, Chris Horn
Jonathan Maxcy was Carolina's first and longest-serving president and the only former president to have his own monument on campus. Maxcy's leadership helped lay the foundation for South Carolina's flagship university.
Remembering the Days -- Left of the dial and right in your ear: the history of WUSC-FM
April 29, 2024, Chris Horn
WUSC-FM got its start in 1947, providing a training ground for generations of DJs, radio engineers and station managers. Students are still eager to be WUSC DJs, but the motivation today is more focused on sharing a personal passion for music.
Remembering the Days -- Collapsing shower stalls and crumbling mortar: The restoration of the Horseshoe
April 12, 2024, Chris Horn
In the early 1970s, USC's historic Horseshoe buildings had fallen into disrepair while new buildings sprouted across the campus. The university began a long renovation and restoration project that systematically rejuvenated each 19th-century building, and the vigilant maintenance process continues to this day.
The neurological underpinnings of social behavior
March 29, 2024, Chris Horn
Scientists at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia are researching important linkages between brain mitochondrial function and social behavior that could lead to a better understanding of autism spectrum disorder and post-partum depression.
Remembering the Days -- Happy birthday, USC: the university's centennial and bicentennial celebrations
March 29, 2024, Chris Horn
The University of South Carolina has been around a long time — long enough to celebrate its 100th and 200th birthdays with the 250th less than 30 years away.
Remembering the Days -- 100 years of making music: The School of Music's centennial
March 15, 2024, Chris Horn
It began as a fledgling music department with only two professors and grew into one of the region's premier music schools. USC's School of Music is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024.
Researcher hopes to improve access to emerging therapies for autism
March 08, 2024, Chris Horn
Prevalence of autism among children is rising, but access to new, evidence-based interventions is often spotty at best, an obstacle that one University of South Carolina clinician hopes to improve through her research.
Ring polymer research points way to new industrial and biomedical applications
March 06, 2024, Chris Horn
Imagine smartphones that bend, twist and stretch like rubber. Or 3D-printed material that mimics the pliable characteristics of human cartilage found in knees, noses and ears. It’s not much of a stretch for Ting Ge, an assistant professor in chemistry and biochemistry who has just begun a five-year CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to delve deeper into the field of ring polymers.
Remembering the Days -- Beat Dook! The first signature win of the Frank McGuire era
March 05, 2024, Chris Horn
When Frank McGuire arrived at USC in 1964, Gamecock fans knew they had a winning basketball coach. But early in McGuire's second season, the team had three starters who had never played against a conference opponent. Their first such matchup on Dec. 6, 1965 — the No. 3-ranked Blue Devils of Duke University.
Engineering team experiments with new method for processing problematic landfill compound
February 29, 2024, Chris Horn
An experimental project led by a team of USC engineering researchers could lead to a more efficient process for converting landfill gases into cleaner fuel — and simultaneously deal with a silicone-based compound called siloxane that has become problematic for landfills.
Remembering the Days -- Motto, seal and mace: the essence of Carolina
February 20, 2024, Chris Horn
The Horseshoe is the oldest part of the University of South Carolina's campus, but there is something older still — the university seal and motto. A little knowledge (or a quick tutorial) in Latin and Roman mythology is a prerequisite for understanding both.
New Brain Health Network, Brain Health Center address need for better dementia assessment
February 06, 2024, Chris Horn
When it comes to risk factors for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, the Palmetto State checks every box, from high incidence of stroke and diabetes to heart disease and obesity.
Motion Analysis and Performance Lab brings high-tech perspective and science-based solutions to athletes and non-athletes alike.
February 05, 2024, Chris Horn
Puggy Blackmon wants to improve more than your swing. As part of the team at PRISMA Health’s Motion Analysis and Performance Lab, the former USC golf coach is also improving lives.
Remembering the Days -- USC during Reconstruction
February 05, 2024, Chris Horn
USC's modern desegregation took place in 1963 when three African American students enrolled at the historically white university — but they actually weren't the first black students in the university's history. For a brief window in the 1870s, USC became the only state-supported public university in the South to open its doors to white and black students alike.
Engineering teams notch progress in first year of alternative fuel research for Navy
January 24, 2024, Chris Horn
Engineering research teams at USC have progressed in several key areas in the first year of a project to design a non-carbon fuel supply chain for the U.S. Navy. The three-year project aims to reduce the Navy’s carbon dioxide emissions with practical alternative fuels for the next-generation fleet.
Remembering the Days -- 3 in 1: The Women's Quad
January 22, 2024, Chris Horn
A century ago, USC built its first dormitory for women, whose presence on campus had not been warmly welcomed when they first arrived in the 1890s. While other women's dorms have come and gone on campus, the Women's Quad retains its status as the original location for and the only present location of women's-only residence halls at the university.
AI and data science: The new frontier of autism research
January 16, 2024, Chris Horn
Analyzing large datasets of heart rhythms and brain wave activity with AI and machine learning, a team of University of South Carolina professors is making progress toward better understanding of autism spectrum disorder and identification of ASD diagnostic biomarkers.
Small and mobile -- new watchwords for nuclear power
December 11, 2023, Chris Horn
There’s plenty of activity afoot on the design front for next-generation nuclear power, says Travis Knight, a mechanical engineering professor and program director of nuclear engineering at the University of South Carolina. The key to understanding the new frontier of nuclear power is simple, he says — think small.
Remembering the Days -- Flying high: aviation at USC
November 29, 2023, Chris Horn
USC's connections to aviation go higher than you might think. From civilian and military aviator training to the state's only aeronautical engineering degree program, the university has been spreading its wings for decades. One chapter in the story includes a farm boy who flew a plane by himself at age 12.
Remembering the Days -- Hoops venues, 1908 to the present
November 21, 2023, Chris Horn
In the years since USC's first basketball season tipped off in 1908, the Gamecocks have played in no less than seven different venues on campus — including an outdoor court in their first season. For many years, games were played in a now-demolished field house that once occupied a spot in the middle of campus.
USC clinicians bring new tactics to challenge of stroke, neurological disorders in SC
November 21, 2023, Chris Horn
South Carolina has a big shortage of neurologists for its population. While there are efforts in place to address that problem, the University of South Carolina’s School of Medicine in Columbia already has taken major steps to provide better comprehensive stroke care across the state.
USC researchers energize new SC Nexus initiative
November 14, 2023, Chris Horn
In the past two years, companies focused on battery development and electric vehicles have invested around $11 billion in the Palmetto State.Many of those firms have research ties with the University of South Carolina, which has more than a dozen faculty members and scores of graduate and undergraduate students engaged in battery and battery-related research.
Remembering the Days -- Visible and Invisible: students with disabilities
November 14, 2023, Chris Horn
As a blind student, John Eldred Swearingen had to make a case for admission to Carolina in 1895. The university went on to become a pioneer in accommodating students with major physical disabilities and continues to provide opportunities for students with disabilities both visible and invisible.
Prevention Research Center partners with communities, churches to promote physical activity, healthy eating
October 26, 2023, Chris Horn
Since 1993, the USC's Prevention Research Center has collaborated with communities and partners across South Carolina to promote physical activity and better nutrition to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, weight gain, mental health issues and more.
Reaching the most vulnerable
October 23, 2023, Chris Horn
Fifteen years ago, Julie Smithwick was a community health worker focused solely on new Latino mothers and families in South Carolina. Today, she directs a new center at the University of South Carolina that’s training hundreds of community health workers who assist vulnerable populations with health and social needs ranging from children with disabilities to adults with chronic diseases and more.