Alumna's passion for environment leads to career at EPA
October 19, 2021, Savannah Bennett
Alumna Hali Kerr says that environmental law and policy "puts a fire in my belly." Her new job at the Environmental Protection Agency drives that passion.
Recent Stories
UofSC's freshman class brings record GPAs
August 17, 2021, Koby Padgett
This week, the University of South Carolina welcomes one of its largest incoming classes for the 2021-22 academic year, a class that sets a record for academic excellence.
Upstate alumni take roundabout route to owning successful brewery
July 21, 2021, Page Ivey
Brian and Nicole Cendrowski have traveled a circuitous route to owning their own brewery in downtown Greenville, but what started from a “not awful” batch of beer in January 2007 has turned into a brewery, taproom and kitchen.
Class of 2021: Darren Burton
April 28, 2021, Megan Sexton
Darren Burton, who grew up in the tiny town of Estill, South Carolina and attended high school in Irmo, will graduate with leadership distinction in May with a degree in accounting from the Darla Moore School of Business and the South Carolina Honors College.
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.
Sullivan award winner's college career exemplifies service
April 14, 2021, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
Adarsh Shidhaye says he “hit the ground running” thanks to a pre-medical summer camp offered by the Office of Pre-Professional Advising. The program was so valuable to him that he started working as an ambassador during his freshman year, providing that same help to incoming students. Shidhaye’s service to his fellow students while earning a degree in public health as well as minors in business administration and medical humanities and culture has also earned him the university's highest undergraduate honor, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Swanger award winner uses her drive for hard work to help others
April 14, 2021, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
Payton Ramsey of Hammond, Louisiana, has overcome a visual disability from childhood to become the first member of her family to attend college. The biological sciences major is also a member of the South Carolina Honors College who has spent her time at UofSC perfecting her leadership skills and expanding her mind through research. For her efforts over her four years at South Carolina, Ramsey received the 2021 Steven N. Swanger Award, the university’s second-highest undergraduate honor.
Class of 2021: Brianna Lewis
April 13, 2021, Chris Horn
Brianna Lewis was voted “most likely to become a brain surgeon” in the first grade, and the Simpsonville, S.C.-native will soon begin earning the “Dr.” portion of that prediction. She’s headed to medical school this fall after wrapping up four years in the Honors College and two bachelor’s degrees — one in biology and another in experimental psychology.
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.
Concerts honor frontline workers, aim to strengthen community through music
March 23, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward
Celebrating Local Heroes with The Concert Truck, a series of 10 events performed aboard a mobile music venue will honor 10 frontline heroes with video vignettes that highlight personal stories of sacrifice and courage and live music composed and performed by music students and alumni.
3 brothers, 3 Goldwater Scholarships, 1 passion
March 15, 2021, Aïda Rogers and Chris Horn
Reggie, Connor and Ian Bain all double majored in mathematics and a field of science, they’re all alumni of the University of South Carolina’s Honors College (Ian graduates in May) and Carolina Scholars and each was named a Goldwater Scholar, which is considered the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate award for STEM majors.
Honors College graduate on front lines of U.S.-Venezuelan foreign policy
January 26, 2021, Chris Horn
It’s not surprising that Antony Blinken, the newly installed U.S. Secretary of State, fielded questions about Venezuela in his first confirmation hearing. Fortunately for Blinken, the State Department already has a steady hand on the ground — Jimmy Story, a career diplomat and South Carolina Honors College graduate who was confirmed as ambassador to Venezuela this past November.
After tragedy, student finds new beginning at UofSC Honors College
January 04, 2021, Megan Sexton
After losing both of her parents, Antonia Adams has made a new start at the South Carolina Honors College. Her journey shows the importance of perseverance and the belief that education can restore confidence and hope.
Character Counts: 2020 in Review
December 19, 2020
It’s been a year — but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to celebrate, recognize and honor at the University of South Carolina in 2020. UofSC rose to each and every challenge this year and raised the bar for the year to come.
Music grad ready to inspire the next generation of vocalists
November 25, 2020, Megan Sexton
Catherine Howland will earn her Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in music education summa cum laude in December. The School of Music and Honors College grad will start her career as a choir teacher at a middle school in South Carolina starting in January.
South Carolina Honors College is the nation's best
November 05, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
For the fifth straight time, the University of South Carolina received the highest rating among public school honors programs. The rating is from the publication, "Inside Honors 2020-2021: Ratings and Reviews of 40 Public University Honors Programs."
First-generation alumnus returns to UofSC to pursue history Ph.D.
November 03, 2020, Megan Sexton
Trey Capps, a first-generation college student from the small town of Aynor, South Carolina, has returned to his alma mater to pursue his doctorate in history.
UofSC enrollment increases
September 08, 2020, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina welcomed almost 7,800 new students to the Columbia campus this fall and the incoming freshman class is more diverse and has more in-state students than any previous class.
Podcast-a-thon elevates Black voices, supports Black programs
August 20, 2020, Megan Sexton
A podcast-a-thon Aug. 28 will highlight Black excellence at UofSC through conversations with students, alumni and faculty. The live-streamed event will raise money for the One Creed, One Carolina campaign.
Early challenges motivate Honors College student's success
July 31, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
Rodrianna Gaddy took her love of learning about different cultures, combined it with her passion to help people and channeled both into her academic path at the University of South Carolina with a double major in international business and human resources management with a minor in Japanese. Gaddy was scheduled to study abroad in Japan this spring. Then COVID-19 hit.
Q&A with author Rachel Beanland
July 29, 2020, Megan Sexton
The first novel by UofSC almuna Rachel Beanland has been called the perfect summer read and is one of Good Morning America's "25 Novels You'll Want to Read This Summer."
UofSC alumna named SC teacher of the year
July 17, 2020, Megan Sexton
Sarah Schumacher Gams, who earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from the University of South Carolina, is the 2021 South Carolina teacher of the year.
Engineering student aims to solve problems, broaden field
July 07, 2020, Annika Dahlgren
A love of tackling problems inspired UofSC senior and Honors College student Christopher Carter's current research and led him to NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship Project.
Fast track to MD
June 08, 2020, Megan Sexton
Ashley Fellers is finishing her first year at the School of Medicine, a program she entered a year early through the South Carolina Honors College's BARSC-MD program.
Class of 2020: Bryce Jerin
May 28, 2020, Chris Horn
Class of 2020 senior Bryce Jerin spent his first eight years in India, an experience that shaped his view of life, education and what matters most.
Psychology major finds his passion through research
May 28, 2020, Page Ivey
Jeremy LaPointe has been interested in learning more about why people behave in certain ways since he was in high school. He has been able to pursue that interest at the University of South Carolina in the classroom and in research labs as an undergraduate majoring in experimental psychology with a minor in neuroscience.
UofSC alumna's research could lead to a better understanding of climate change
May 15, 2020, Amanda Hernandez
At Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, former UofSC Capstone Scholar and NOAA Hollings Scholar Erin McParland studies dissolved organic matter in the ocean using sophisticated equipment originally developed for use in the medical field.
Class of 2020: Finding a home on campus -- and in the labs
May 14, 2020, Megan Sexton
Madhura Pande, who graduated in May from the South Carolina Honors College with degrees in biological sciences and Spanish, has been working on research since she arrived on campus as a freshman.
Class of 2020: Honors senior's thesis project explores history of a former SC mill town
May 07, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
When 89-year-old Richard Mims was just a boy in the 1930s, he remembers playing a game he called “Executive” in the abandoned offices of the Santee River Cypress Lumber Co. in Ferguson near his hometown of Eutawville, South Carolina. The once-thriving mill town now lies underwater, part of the region flooded to create Lake Marion. Mims shared his memories in an oral history recorded by South Carolina Honors College graduate Caldwell Loftis.
Class of 2020: Thomas Palmer
May 07, 2020, Megan Sexton
Thomas Palmer chose UofSC because of the opportunities offered by a large university, along with its top-flight School of Music and impressive Honors College. Playing in the orchestra during the production of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS, he was reminded that he made the right decision
Breakthrough Leader: Ron Benner
April 21, 2020, Page Ivey
Marine science professor Ron Benner took a roundabout route into his field, first majoring in physical education, then traveling for a year on a sailboat. But his efforts to mentor graduate students and younger faculty members in the years since then have been very intentional.
Bringing back the tradition
January 30, 2020, Caleigh McDaniel
Students are putting together a new Carolina yearbook for the first time since 1994. The annual will serve as a coffee table book that captures memories, achievements, traditions and events at UofSC.
UofSC alumnus helps heal children inside and out
January 28, 2020, Aida Rogers
University of South Carolina biology graduate and Honors College alumnus Ed Buchanan used his medical knowledge as a pediatric surgeon to write a children’s book that helps young patients understand what it’s like to go through surgery.
Getting smart about artificial intelligence
January 27, 2020, Aida Rogers
Meet Blakeley Hoffman Payne. Her mission is to educate everyone to be ‘conscientious consumers’ of artificial intelligence; or if you’re an AI designer, to make it ethical.
Shakespeare by the numbers
January 06, 2020, Chris Horn
“We know what we are,” Shakespeare once wrote, “but know not what we may be.” If only the old Bard could have sat in on “Mathematics for Shakespeare,” an Honors College course at the University of South Carolina. He would have learned how to take the full measure for measure of his own literary works, using statistical software and linear algebra to probe and pose questions about everything from his sonnets to soliloquies.
Professor helped students find the light within
December 02, 2019, Chris Horn
Not many professors inspire lofty tribute. Some we forget and others are scarcely remembered. James Cutsinger, a religious studies professor who taught at the university for 37 years, earned the respect and admiration of students for decades while helping them to achieve the most noble of goals: the ability to think.
20 in '19
December 02, 2019, Communications and Public Affairs staff
There was plenty to be proud of at the University of South Carolina in 2019, with accomplishments from the classroom to the research lab to the athletic field.
First-generation students, faculty and alumni reflect on their college experiences
November 05, 2019
Attending college is a transformative experience, offering students the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills and experiences that lead them to a fuller life. We spoke to first-generation college students, faculty and alumni to learn about their experiences on campus and beyond.
Student lands interview with acclaimed crime writer
October 29, 2019, Office of Communications and Public Affairs
In October, crime novelist James Ellroy visited the University of South Carolina for the 2019 Fall Literary Festival, sponsored by University Libraries and the English department. On his last day on campus, Ellroy sat down with junior English and theater major Susan Swavely for an interview at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications’ Kennedy Greenhouse Studio.
Campus, city thrive together through decades of change
October 22, 2019, Communications and Public Affairs staff
From growth and innovation on campus to an increasingly bustling city life, the university and the city are thriving together in a symbiotic relationship. In many cases, it’s South Carolina alumni themselves who are leading change in the city as entrepreneurs and community leaders.
UofSC is No. 1 nationwide for first-year student experience
September 09, 2019, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina has the top first-year student experience among the nation’s public universities, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings.
Student wins national award as part of exchange program
August 28, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel
Hannah Bauer’s time at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo was full of the experiences you’d expect from semester on the big island. However, she went beyond the typical experiences of a study away program by taking advantage of several opportunities to immerse herself into Hawaiian culture.
UofSC welcomes increasingly diverse and talented class of students
August 21, 2019, Jeff Stensland
The approximately 8,700 students arriving in Columbia this week are part of the largest pool of new students ever enrolled at the University of South Carolina’s flagship campus. Preliminary enrollment numbers show the university also is increasing in diversity and serving more students from South Carolina than ever before, surpassing last year’s record and setting a new bar for academic achievement.
Scholarship allows students to gain experience at NOAA
July 16, 2019, Josh German
Six rising juniors have been chosen as 2019 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholars. The program exposes students to the mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Fulbright Grant allows recipients to continue study, research
June 20, 2019, Josh German
For the 18th consecutive year, the University of South Carolina will be represented abroad by Fulbright U.S. student grantees conducting research, studying and serving as English teaching assistants.
Solid gold
May 02, 2019, Amanda Hernandez
Three juniors in the College of Arts and Sciences join the prestigious list of South Carolina Goldwater Scholars. A total of 56 Goldwater Scholarships have been awarded to UofSC students since 1990. Jeremy LaPointe, Jana Liese and Sarah Beth Pye are this year's recipients.
First-generation student takes on the world
April 29, 2019, Carol J.G. Ward
Honors College junior Adriana Bowman is one of 30 recipients nationwide of the Pickering Fellowship awarded to students interested in a foreign service career. Multiple study abroad experiences have allowed the S.C. native to immerse herself in foreign languages and cultures.
Homegrown doctors to practice in SC
April 26, 2019, Alyssa Yancey
Graduating medical students Laine Way and Parker Edison have done their clinical education in Florence at the UofSC School of Medicine's Florence Regional Campus, and now they'll be completing their residencies in Florence at McLeod Health.
UofSC honors top students at Awards Day
April 19, 2019, Page Ivey
The University of South Carolina presented its top student honors, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Steven N. Swanger awards, to three graduating seniors during the university’s annual Awards Day ceremony Thursday on the historic Horseshoe.
Hollings' legacy lives on at UofSC
April 12, 2019, Chris Horn
As political leaders pay final respects this week to former U.S. Sen. Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, who died April 6 at age 97, the University of South Carolina community has much to reflect on in its myriad connections with one of the state’s most beloved public servants.
UofSC's 10th Truman Scholar named
April 11, 2019, Carol J.G. Ward
Honors College junior Bennett Lunn has been named a 2019 Truman Scholar.
Keeping it classy
April 05, 2019, Mia Grimm
Stuck on what to do with your class schedule for next semester? We've compiled a list of cool, unconventional classes in every college.
UofSC's Excellence Initiative launches eight new high-impact projects
April 02, 2019, Jeff Stensland
Eight new research and outreach projects have been selected for funding as a part of the Excellence Initiative, a competitive grant program launched by the Board of Trustees last year to identify and fund proposals with the potential to be transformative and have a lasting impact on the university.
A future so bright
April 01, 2019, Diane Parham
The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation made a new $18 million commitment that will increase the value of McNair Scholars awards from $15,000 to $22,000 per year and add $12,000 in academic-enrichment funds that each scholar can use over their four years at South Carolina.
For the Kids
February 28, 2019, Allen Wallace
A year ago, University of South Carolina Dance Marathon made history, raising more than a million dollars for the kids at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital (then known as Palmetto Health). Just days after that success, they began working to do it again. That yearlong effort concludes Saturday with the student organization’s annual Main Event.
Empowered by hip-hop
February 18, 2019, Julie Turner
Noella “Binda” Niati has always been fascinated by the collision of hip-hop/rap, engagement and social change. As a doctoral candidate in the Educational Foundations and Inquiry program of the College of Education, she’s turned her attention to harnessing the power of hip-hop in transforming education and citizen engagement.
Spectrum of talent
February 13, 2019, Chris Horn
Beck Chandler recently wrapped up what might have been the most interesting and challenging role thus far in his nascent career in community theater — playing a character on the autism spectrum. For Chandler, it's personal.
Turtle tales
December 20, 2018, Annika Dahlgren
The South Carolina Honors College is known for offering an expansive array of courses. English professor Paula Feldman's nature writing class brought together students and turtles, which resulted in an appreciation for the environmental and interest in advocacy.
Fast track to success
December 15, 2018, Alyssa Yancey
The BARSC-MD program, a joint initiative between the University of South Carolina Honors College and the USC School of Medicine, allows a select group of students to complete an undergraduate degree and their medical degree in just seven years. The students receive conditional acceptance to medical school as freshmen, and then enter medical school after their third year of undergraduate coursework.
USC Creativity
December 03, 2018, Megan Sexton
The university has established several new degree programs that illustrate creative curricula by adding innovation, an entrepreneurial approach or other types of value to traditional degrees.
Rising to the top
October 17, 2018, Chris Horn
Scores of USC students have won highly competitive national scholarships and fellowships with the assistance of the Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs and faculty members who serve on its committees.
Coming home
May 31, 2018, Megan Sexton
Honors College alumnus Nate Terracio is the new director of the Koger Center for the Arts.
Overcoming grief through music
May 25, 2018, John Brunelli
Sarah Louise Faulkner combined her love of music with her studies to become a nurse to study the healing power of music.
A college life well lived
April 24, 2018, Chris Horn
When Nick Santamaria says he got to do some incredible things in his four years at Carolina, he's not kidding. The Honors College student earned the university's second highest student award, was named a Truman Scholar finalist and graduated with a 3.975 GPA. And that's just for starters.
Casey Brayton named Truman Scholar
April 12, 2018, Peggy Binette
Casey Brayton, a junior S.C. Honors College and College of Arts and Sciences student, has been named a 2018 Truman Scholar and the ninth student at the university to win the prestigious national scholarship.
'A happy accident'
March 20, 2018, Megan Sexton
South Carolina Honors College graduate Caroline Parler Potter headed to England as a Rhodes Scholar in 2000. She's still at Oxford, where she earned her master’s and doctorate in anthropology and is now a medical anthropologist. She'll return to Carolina on April 20 to give the keynote address at Discover USC.
Making it new
January 08, 2018, Aïda Rogers
Robert Violette is a visual artist, publisher, musician and more. Studying at the Honors College in the 1980s, he says, he learned that "the only boundaries we face are the ones we create for ourselves."
The big blue ball
December 29, 2017, Aïda Rogers
From Scotland to Singapore and Germany to New Zealand, South Carolina Honors College alumni make their homes abroad.
Fulbright Program opens a world of opportunity for UofSC students
November 30, 2017, Taylor Evans
The Office of Fellowship and Scholar Programs hosted a panel of Fulbright scholars who shared their stories about travel, teaching and research with students. The university caught up with one alumna who offers her tips to help students pursue a Fulbright.
A Smart Start to a nursing career
September 25, 2017, Megan Sexton
Starting this fall, a cohort of nursing majors in the South Carolina Honors College will start on the path to a career that might include research and academia — along with clinical nursing practice. The Smart Start Nursing Program allows Honors College students to be automatically accepted into the upper division of the College of Nursing.
UofSC doubles number of Stamps Scholars, its highest scholarship award
July 14, 2017, Peggy Binette
The University of South Carolina has a long history of attracting the best and brightest students to the university and its top-ranked South Carolina Honors College with significant funded scholarships. Five exemplary out-of-state students will join those ranks with the help of a gift from the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, founded by Penny and E. Roe Stamps IV of Miami.
Senior wisdom
May 23, 2017, Megan Sexton
Freshmen arrive on campus each fall curious, excited and sometimes a little nervous about the road ahead. By graduation, they’re often completely different people. We asked four seniors at the end of their college careers about how the college experience had changed them and what it has meant to have that experience at Carolina
3 students win Goldwater Scholarships
April 14, 2017, Peggy Binette
Three South Carolina Honors College students win Goldwater Scholarships. Carolina students have won Goldwater Scholarships for 25 consecutive years.
Two UofSC students awarded Mount Vernon Leadership Fellowships
April 06, 2017, Maddy Thorn
University of South Carolina students Rebekah Parris and Olivia Reszczynski have been named Mount Vernon Leadership Fellows and will take part in a six-week summer leadership program for rising college juniors in Washington, D.C.
UofSC senior wins short fiction prize from SC Academy of Authors
March 03, 2017, Megan Sexton
Julia Hogan, a senior in the South Carolina Honors College, is the winner of this year’s Elizabeth Boatwright Coker Student Prize in Short Fiction from the South Carolina Academy of Authors.
Student carves worldwide audience for designs
February 21, 2017, Melinda Waldrop
Kendall Hansen, a senior in the South Carolina Honors College, and his parents make hand-crafted jewelry that has been featured for the past four seasons on the popular History Channel show “Vikings.”
Marshall Winn on making good choices
January 13, 2017, Aïda Rogers
Marshall Winn doesn’t like speculating about what might have happened if he’d taken that full ride to Harvard instead of accepting the one to the South Carolina Honors College.
Twenty-Sixteen: By the Letters
December 15, 2016, USC Times
A is for alphabet, at least according to USC Times. To help close out 2016, the University of South Carolina’s monthly magazine for faculty and staff devoted its entire December issue to the ABCs of 2016 — with each letter representing a different accomplishment, announcement or notable arrival from the past year.
Building a world-class city
November 15, 2016
Teresa Wilson was never one of those kids itching to leave town. She liked growing up in Irmo, S.C. She chose the Honors College for undergraduate studies and the USC School of Law afterward. Now, as she watches Columbia literally rising all around her, she knows her decision to stay home was right for her.
City of Cayce's first female mayor teaches course on civic engagement
November 08, 2016, Dan Cook
Elise Partin is not only an an adjunct professor in the Arnold School of Public Health — she’s also the first female mayor of Cayce. This fall, she’s teaching an Honors College course called “Demystifying Elected Office.” The goal is to teach students exactly what’s involved in the process of running for and holding an elected position.
Students perform world premiere in New York City
September 12, 2016, Dan Cook
Imagine the stakes when you enroll in an experimental music class and it turns out that you’ll not only be listening to challenging sounds, but actually performing such pieces yourself. Not only that, but performing them in New York City just one month into the semester as part of a world premiere.
Welcome home Gamecocks
August 11, 2016, Megan Sexton
Summer’s over. The Class of 2020 has arrived. Coming from 45 states and 35 countries, freshmen will move into their new homes on the University of South Carolina campus Sunday and Monday.
Lessons from Paris
June 13, 2016, Dan Cook
In the Maymester course Delicious France, students learned not only about the regional cuisines of France, but also about the cultural significance that food has in French life.
UofSC honors top students at Awards Day
April 22, 2016, Megan Sexton
The University of South Carolina presented its top honors, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Steven N. Swanger awards, to four graduating seniors during the university’s annual Awards Day ceremony Thursday on the historic Horseshoe.
Discovery for all disciplines
April 19, 2016, Chris Horn
It's called Discovery Day for good reason: Undergraduates from across the university system present their research findings, creative accomplishments and leadership achievements to the university community.
From horseback to heavy lifting
April 19, 2016, Dan Cook
Exercise science junior Madeleine Giess didn’t always know the connection between horseback riding and heavy lifting. But today, the 5-foot-2 Giess holds four International Powerlifting Association records.
Honors College student awarded Gates Cambridge Scholarship
February 14, 2016, Megan Sexton
Eric Bringley believes the best way he can change the world is through science. The senior in the South Carolina Honors College will take another step toward that goal next fall in the U.K. after being awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship –one of the world’s most prestigious international scholarships. Bringley will pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering focused in theoretical chemistry and stochastic modeling at the University of Cambridge.
Life as we now know it was
November 06, 2015, Steven Powell
Beth Ann Bell really knows how to turn back time. The University of South Carolina alumna, now a UCLA post-doc, may have rolled the starting point for life back by 300 million years.