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Geography graduate scholar aims to improve urban planning using emergent tech

Huan Ning, a Breakthrough Graduate Scholar in geography, is using artificial intelligence to bridge technology with geographic information science research.

It started here: USC professor, students research first Black U.S. Army regiment

A class at USC is making significant contributions to the history of the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Part of a project led by history professor Valinda Littlefield, this research involves multiple institutions nationwide.

Garnet research provides clues about Earth's history and its future

McCausland Fellow Besim Dragovic has a favorite mineral —it’s garnet, of course. Garnet is a mineral that carries a wealth of information about unique locations on Earth and their history as well as element-containing rocks hold several possibilities for sustainability.

Understanding people and place

Cultural anthropologist Monica Barra studies how racial inequalities are shaped by scientific practices, racial histories and climate change in the U.S. South.

Dueling Demands

Assistant professor of sociology Jaclyn Wong's book "Equal Partners?" dives into relationship inequality within dual-professional couples.

SEOE researcher launches underwater robots to protect endangered right whales

University researcher Erin Meyer-Gutbrod aims to protect endangered right whales from ship strikes using underwater listening robots to track their locations.

Award-winning author, sociologist to speak on education, social change and 'good trouble'

Tressie McMillan Cottom, a renowned author, sociologist, and cultural critic, will give the 2023 Robert Smalls Annual Lecture for the University of South Carolina Department of African American Studies.

Battling blazes with math and maps

The Columbia-Richland Fire Department is now equipped with unexpected tools to battle blazes: maps, graphs and statistics. A University of South Carolina geography graduate lead the way in bringing these tools that calculate and cut off many fire risks before they even occur.

Meet the Black alumnae whose contributions are commemorated on the Horseshoe

As a tribute to the Black alumnae featured in the student-produced documentary The Backbone, USC’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion installed 18 personalized bricks on the Horseshoe. The honorees' stories span seven decades of university history.

AFAM researcher aims to improve math literacy in K-12 students

Kendall Deas, a post-doc fellow in African American Studies, is using his research on racial equity combined with curriculum from The Algebra Project to advance new models for teaching K-12 math skills.

New innovation projects will enhance the student experience

An enhanced internship program for political science students, an online degree in women's and gender studies and a creative writing outreach program are just a few projects receiving new support from the McCausland Foundation Programs in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Graduate scholar maps the brain, uncovering possible paths to aphasia recovery

Nicholas Riccardi is one of the researchers at USC working to understand the brain and what causes aphasia, the loss of language ability. A doctoral candidate in the Department of Psychology, Riccardi was named a 2023 Graduate Breakthrough Scholar.

Poet laureate pens verse for USC

Poetry has been ingrained in Jennifer Bartell Boykin’s life since she was young, and it’s followed her through adventures as a student, journalist, teacher, advisor and more. Now, it’s empowering her as Columbia’s new poet laureate.

Student finds his path through internship in Germany

Jahleel Johnson gains confidence and insight as part of a prestigious youth exchange program between the U.S. State Department and the German congress.

Historian to visit USC, meet with South Carolina Council on the Holocaust

Wendy Lower, historian and author of numerous publications on the Holocaust and World War II, is visiting USC to share her expertise with the campus community and to meet with leaders from the South Carolina Council on the Holocaust. On March 16, Lower will present a public talk on her latest book.

USC alumnus, former mayor Steve Benjamin tapped for White House role

Former Columbia mayor Steve Benjamin, a two-time alumnus of the University of South Carolina, has been named as a senior advisor to the White House and director of the Office of Public Engagement.

Campus Conversation: Jala Lewis

Through her marketing major, Jala Lewis is learning how to manage her cosmetology business that she started in high school. Jala’s Extensions became a reality for Lewis when she posted her progress in learning how to braid on social media — her peers in school were impressed. Now, she has braided Zia Cooke’s, Bree Hall’s, and Chico Carter Jr.’s hair in USC athletics.

Dance and political science alumna gets creative to help marginalized youth

How do you combine a creative calling, a passion for politics and a determination to drive social change? Just ask Vivien Toumey. The Arts and Sciences alumna has turned her background in dance and political science into an impactful career in non-profit work, where she has crafted social media campaigns that have led to real policy changes.

Bringing civil rights history to life

Throughout his life and career, associate professor Bobby Donaldson has carried advice from his great-grandfather to “leave his mark” in whatever he undertakes.

PBS NewsHour features USC's Nikky Finney and Nancy Tolson

Two professors appeared in segments on PBS's nightly news program, highlighting unique contributions to Black history. Nancy Tolson discusses Civil War hero Robert Smalls, and Nikky Finney remembers her father as she opens the Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center.

Unlocking the mysteries of the mind

The University of South Carolina is focused on the brain. From autism and aphasia to Alzheimer’s and other related dementias, university researchers are working across several academic disciplines to better understand how the brain works and to develop solutions that will improve people’s health.

75 years later, film collection enriches history of WWII

The University of South Carolina’s Moving Image Research Collections in a partnership with the History Division of the Marine Corps is digitizing films shot by more than 50 Marine combat cameramen during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which began Feb. 19, 1945. The goal is to provide public access to the video and expand historical understanding.

Mexico made criminal justice reforms in 2008 - they haven't done much to reduce crime

Associate professor of Spanish and comparative literature Rebecca Janzen writes for The Conversation on persistent crime trends in Mexico despite criminal justice reform.

Memphis police numbers dropped by nearly a quarter in recent years

Assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice Ian T. Adams and others write for The Conversation on staffing issues on the Memphis police force.

Dance faculty use movement to bridge gaps in Black history

Wideman Davis Dance received a $1.95 million Mellon Foundation grant to memorialize Black life beyond trauma.

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