2019 Archive

Neema Patel and the Gibbs Family

Scholarship transforms heartbreak into hope

December 11, 2019, Margaret Gregory

In 2002, 8-year-old Wanda Gibbs died after being hit by a car at her bus stop. After her tragic passing, the community came together and launched a fundraising initiative to ensure Wanda’s memory would live on. Their efforts established the Wanda Gibbs Scholarship at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, which was awarded for the first time earlier this year.

A collage of items from the UofSC book store. A garnet South Carolina mug, a santa ornament, a snowman ornament, a black cap, a garnet, black and white striped beanie, a black replica football jersey and a grey t shirt that says

Gamecock gift guide

December 05, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel

There's something for everyone on your list this holiday season at the UofSC bookstore. Check out our selection of gamecock gear for some gift giving inspiration.

women's soccer celebrating with the SEC championship trophy
women's soccer celebrating with the SEC championship trophy
women's soccer celebrating with the SEC championship trophy
women's soccer celebrating with the SEC championship trophy
women's soccer celebrating with the SEC championship trophy
School counselor works with child using play therapy

Play therapy helps students express their experiences and feelings

November 07, 2019, Kathryn McPhail

In the 21 years that she’s been a school counselor, Elizabeth Balthazor has worked with children whose emotional – and sometimes physical – wounds run deep. Two-thirds of children report at least one traumatic event by 16 years old, and one in seven children are abused. Before she can help, Balthazor must figure out what’s wrong and that can be hard with children who don’t fully know how to verbalize their trauma.

brick path near Gibbes Green

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.

James Ellroy

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.

3 students holding a frame that says

Become a Homecoming hero

October 24, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel

Homecoming Week is a campuswide celebration with nightly events, service projects and more for students, faculty, staff and alumni. This year’s theme is “The Power of Garnet,” so grab your cape and mask and get ready for this action-packed week.

physician empathy

Researchers use virtual reality videos to help medical students cultivate compassion

October 07, 2019, Chris Horn

Gaining insight into a patient’s concerns and feelings is essential for positive clinical interactions between patients and physicians and better health outcomes. To help foster empathy in medical students, researchers at the School of Medicine Greenville are testing virtual reality videos.

Image of the winning design for the 2019 room of the year competition.

A home away from home

October 04, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel

When the class of 2023 arrived on campus this fall, many wasted no time transforming the blank walls of their rooms into extravagantly designed spaces that reflect their unique personalities. The 2019 Room of the Year contest gave students a chance to showcase the innovative ways they’ve revamped their on-campus rooms and apartments.

University 101

The nation's top first-year experience program had its roots in campus unrest

October 03, 2019, Megan Sexton

University 101 started as a trial course in 1972, following a student riot on campus in 1970. Forty-seven years later, the course is being taught to 80 percent of incoming freshmen, helping them adjust to college life and learn about all the university has to offer.

Cocky and parents in Williams-Brice

Fun for the whole family

September 26, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel and Catherine Jobe

It’s that time of year again. Time for our families to descend upon Columbia and UofSC in droves, calling before you’ve even gotten out of class to say that they’re here and asking where to park. They’ve been waiting for this day since August, but what are you going to do with them? Don’t stress; impress them with these options.

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.

U.S. News rankings

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.

Brandon Adams, education alumnus

Education alum trades classroom for courtroom

September 09, 2019, Kathryn McPhail

For most students, the path to law school doesn’t include a stop in a fourth grade classroom. Well, at least not as the teacher of the class. But law student Brandon Adams says his experience as a teacher will help him become a better attorney, and he plans to combine his love of teaching and the law.

students tabling at the student org fair on Greene Street

Where do I sign up?

August 22, 2019, Catherine Jobe and Caleigh McDaniel

Joining a student organization is a great way to meet like-minded people and find your home at Carolina. With over 500 clubs that focus on academics, sports, service, careers, interests and more, there is sure to be something for everyone.

A group of students surround the larger-than-life bronze Cocky statue, all of them flashing the spurs up hand sign.

UofSC welcomes increasingly diverse and talented class of students

August 20, 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.

 A portrait of Luke Rankin, our 2019 student body president.

Luke Rankin follows his calling

June 25, 2019, Mia Grimm

Luke Rankin seems like a natural born leader and has the resume to match, but at the beginning of his college career he never saw himself as running for student body president. Now, he's embraced his role as a servant leader, is working to connect different student groups and advocating for underrepresented communities on campus.

Tarak Patel

Patient-centered approach deepens medical students' understanding of addiction

June 18, 2019, Alyssa Yancey

Tarak Patel, a second-year medical student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, had witnessed the devastation of addiction while volunteering at hospitals and free clinics, but he only had a surface-level understanding of the complexities of the issue. That changed earlier this summer when Patel participated in the Summer Institute for Medical Students (SIMS) at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Center City, Minnesota.

Jefferson in class with her students

Education alumna wins SC Teacher of the Year

June 06, 2019, Kathryn McPhail

Education alumna, Chanda Jefferson, was recently named the 2020 South Carolina Teacher of the Year. Her passion for serving others began when she drove the church van as a teenager. Now a decade into her career as an educator, she finds herself teaching much more than biology to her students.

Strom outdoor pool.

Summer in Soda City

May 30, 2019, Caleigh McDaniel

Staying in “famously hot” Columbia during the warmest months of the year leaves many students searching for ways to beat the heat without breaking the bank. If this sounds like you, look no further.

Katy Pilarzyk in the lab

Brain Power

May 23, 2019, Alyssa Yancey

Second-year Ph.D. candidate Katy Pilarzyk was one of three University of South Carolina students awarded a prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship this year. She will use her funding to continue her work in Michy Kelly’s lab at the School of Medicine Columbia. The lab studies the inner workings of the brain to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying social and cognitive deficits.

Mr. Gibson's fifth grade class

Culturally relevant teaching changes the game for students

May 13, 2019, Kathryn McPhail

Jackson Creek Elementary School, in Columbia, is committed to improving the way its teachers are educating students — both academically and socially. The school is collaborating with College of Education professors to offer all teachers and support staff ongoing professional development in culturally relevant teaching.

commencement

Here today, gown tomorrow

May 07, 2019, Megan Sexton

It happens every semester, but it never gets old. Seniors finish their final exams, turn in their last papers, pull on the cap and gown and walk across the stage as proud graduates of the University of South Carolina. TIMES spoke with eight May graduates about their decision to come to Carolina, the memories they have made here and their plans for the future. We also asked them to send us a picture to mark the occasion.

Andrew Super

Graduating senior leaves legacy of HOPE for people with disabilities

May 06, 2019, Allen Wallace

Andrew Super will graduate from the University of South Carolina May 11, but earning his diploma might be the second most impressive thing he has accomplished during his college career. In the past two and a half years, he has helped provide numerous free prosthetic devices for children and veterans in need, through a company he co-founded.

Azaelas outside of Thomas Cooper Library

Take a chill pill

May 03, 2019, Mia Grimm

Halfway through finals and feeling the heat? To help you do your best this week, we’ve compiled a list of brain-break activities so you can finish strong.

adriana bowman camel

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.

three award winners

UofSC honors top students at Awards Day

April 18, 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.

Obelisk in the center of the Horseshoe

Picture perfect

April 12, 2019, Mia Grimm and Catherine Jobe

Our campus is filled with beautiful landscapes and scenes waiting for an impromptu photoshoot. With spring finally in full swing, we decided to highlight some of our favorite spots.

LeAnn Haga, education alumna

From passion to practice

April 05, 2019, Kathryn McPhail

Efforts to recruit and retain teachers in South Carolina go beyond the four years students spend on campus. For College of Education alumna LeAnn Haga, a high school outreach program inspired her to pursue a teaching career, a scholarship allowed her to earn a degree debt-free and now, her alma mater continues to support her in her first year as a teacher.

yearly planner with a pen
New music explores Confederate monuments

'Red Hot Sun Turning Over'

March 26, 2019, Megan Sexton

A new composition, "Red Hot Sun Turning Over," by School of Music assistant professor David Garner uses music, sounds and images from the Civil War era and the early 20th century to explore the story of Confederate monuments. It will be premiered Sunday (March 31) at the Koger Center.

global footprint map

Global footprint

March 04, 2019, Craig Brandhorst

The University of South Carolina has been a global player for a long time. But since 2011, when the Focus Carolina strategic plan was announced, the university has significantly increased its internationalization efforts, transforming a healthy overseas presence into a clearly defined global footprint.

Students working at Colonial Life Arena during a South Carolina basketball game

March Madness in Columbia

March 01, 2019, Allen Wallace

This month, for the first time in almost 50 years, March Madness returns to Columbia, South Carolina, with the city chosen as a host site for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. As fan excitement builds, faculty in the University of South Carolina’s sport and entertainment management department share their expertise on what the event will mean for the city and the campus community.

Springtime at Thomas Cooper Library

There's no place like home

March 01, 2019, Mia Grimm and Catherine Jobe

Spring Break, the blessed one week off we get this semester to sit back, relax and enjoy the warm weather is almost here. We know that many of you will be staying in Columbia so we have compiled the perfect staycation to keep you entertained in Soda City.

Miracle Kid Ellington Hewitt at Dance Marathon 2018

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.

Messie's Closet storefront in West Columbia

Popping tags

February 21, 2019, Mia Grimm

Walking into Messie’s Closet, a recently opened contemporary consignment store in West Columbia, is like entering a whole new world covered in brightly colored fabrics. Its curator is Hawa Lukulay, a 23-year-old alumna of the University of South Carolina, who has an eye for detail and a gift for memorizing brands.

fighting fake news

All the news that isn't

February 13, 2019, Craig Brandhorst

In the age of social media, it can be hard to tell truth from fiction. And when it comes to news — particularly if it’s related to a hot button political issue — fake news increasingly gets peddled as real news while real news gets maligned as fake. Enter Mo Jang, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, and mass communication Ph.D. student Jo-Yun “Queenie” Li. Jang and Li were part of a research team that looked at the origins and spread of fake news on Twitter.

Preston Thorne, former athlete

Life after the 4th quarter

February 08, 2019, Kathryn McPhail

Former Gamecocks football player Preston Thorne is back on campus, but now he’s tackling the teacher shortage instead of opponents. Since graduating 15 year ago, Thorne has taught history, coached high school football and even co-authored a children's book. Now, he's helping the College of Education recruit more students to the teaching profession.

Susan O'Malley with female sport and entertainment management students

New internship supports women in sport management

February 01, 2019, Allen Wallace

The University of South Carolina and Monumental Sports & Entertainment are proud to announce a new internship program for female students majoring in sport and entertainment management. The partnership will provide four paid internships per year to advance students’ career experience and develop the industry’s future leaders.

Teacher in clasroom with student

A teacher's path home

January 14, 2019, Kathryn McPhail

When Michelle Taylor walked across the stage at December’s commencement ceremony to accept her master’s degree, she culminated a journey of more than 7,300 miles and three countries. And though she didn’t step foot on campus during her two years in the Master of Education in Teaching program, she felt strongly about attending graduation.