Understanding how the brain works and improving outcomes for patients are major priorities for USC researchers. That work gained momentum this year with the opening of the new Brain Health Center, which is just one of the ways the university is concentrating on the brain.
From haiku about water fleas to a class designed for dog lovers, biological sciences professor Jeff Dudycha finds unexpected ways to help students understand genomics, ecology and evolutionary biology.
Ashley Poston, USC alumna and New York Times bestselling author, shares how magic, romance and a relentless work ethic shaped her writing career.
Susan Richardson, Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry at the University of South Carolina, has been named winner of the prestigious 2026 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.
The $630,000 Duke Endowment-funded initiative will create a statewide training network for South Carolina mental health clinicians, expanding autism-competent care through online education, mentorship and community partnerships to improve access for families in underserved areas.
Law enforcement agencies have used drones in policing for more than a decade, but do drones used as first responders actually improve public safety? USC criminology researcher Scott Mourtgos is helping answer this timely question with groundbreaking studies that examine whether the technology delivers measurable benefits.
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.
Donovan Fifield, undergraduate student coordinator for the Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse, wrote for The Conversation about how the earliest defenders of the U.S. Constitution considered the need for checks and balances.
Known for her fluid, label-defying prose, author Julia Elliott found herself in excellent company last month among a literary cadre of distinct, even unconventional voices. She read the work of her fellow finalists with awe, never thinking she would win. But it was her name announced over the sound system as the winner of the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for her critically acclaimed, genre-bending short-story collection "Hellions."
When the lights went down on Charleston’s Dock Street Theatre on June 26, 1970, history was made. It was the first time since its premiere that "Porgy and Bess" had been performed in Charleston. Now, filmmaker and alumna Lauren Waring Douglas is making that production the subject of a new documentary, "When Porgy Came Home."
A corporate merger forming the largest electric utility in the U.S. is underway. What’s driving this deal and others like it is a rising demand for power to data centers for artificial intelligence systems and a desire to increase corporate profits. Conor Harrison explains in this article for The Conversation.
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.
John Pumphrey of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, was just 13-15 years old when he enlisted to fight in the Revolution in 1777. Now his relatives know his name, thanks to researchers at USC and forensic genetic geneaologists.
Combine five incredible artifacts from the USC libraries special collections with four passionate university scholars, and you get 20 minutes of fun facts, lively debate and intellectual inspiration.
A new University 101 course for biology majors will connect first-year students with peers, mentors and opportunities in USC's Department of Biological Sciences.
Writing for The Conversation, Political Science Assistant Professor Robert Kubenic collaborates with Alexis Montambault-Trudelle, Postdoctoral Fellow in International Studies, Université Laval, to explore Saudis' opinions on the U.S.-Iran war.
Renowned neuroscientist Kim Tieu will join USC as the inaugural Peter and Bonnie McCausland Distinguished Chair in Neuroscience. As chair, Tieu will work to advance neuroscience research, education and public impact across the state and beyond.
Andrew Berns will spend the next year at the American Academy in Rome examining how Jewish physicians and scholars in the Renaissance connected medicine, geography and biblical interpretation across the early modern Mediterranean world.
English instructor Rachel Mann, a recipient of this year's McCausland College Professional Track Faculty Teaching Award, fosters lively, collaborative classrooms where students engage with complex ethical questions and learn to think through them together.
Chemistry instructor Alison Luscomb, a winner of this year's McCausland College Professional Track Faculty Teaching Award, is known for transforming challenging material into engaging learning experiences while supporting thousands of students through innovative course design and a student-centered approach.
Learn about USC's 19th Udall Scholar, Kayla Thompson, a first-generation, science-loving, rugby-playing, future environmental policy advocate. Her journey parallels that of her benefactors in many ways, and this honor motivates her to continually do more.
Celebrate the University of South Carolina Class of 2026 from the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences through graduate reflections, student stories and next steps after graduation.
After discovering she could pursue both her interests as majors, Rachel Vanek brought together her work in theatre and psychology to build a future focused on helping others.
Before the crowd sees him, there’s a quiet shift. The suit goes on. The posture changes. And Brayden Hensley becomes Cocky. To fans, Cocky is all energy and antics. But inside the suit is a criminology and criminal justice major balancing school and a role that demands constant performance.
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.