2025 Archive

Woman in cap and gown waving towel at graduation ceremony

Class of 2025 December graduates

December 03, 2025, Megan Sexton

As the December Class of 2025 prepares to walk across the commencement stage, graduates leave the University of South Carolina with memories of enduring friendships, newfound passions, supportive mentors and life-changing experiences.

A student works with a model of the heart.

Innovative cardiac teaching tool earns recognition for nursing faculty

November 18, 2025, Laura Erskine

Heart defects affect about 1 percent of all babies born in the United States each year, making the cardiovascular system an important part of the nursing curriculum. To help students master this material, assistant professor Stephanie Schaller invented a new tool that lets students learn heart defects through hands-on activities.

Young woman checks her blood pressure with a monitoring cuff.

Why your late teens and early 20s are crucial times for lifelong heart health

October 24, 2025, Jewel Scott

Emerging adulthood is a life stage where behaviors that diminish heart health—such as spending more time sitting, consuming more fast food and using more tobacco and alcohol—become more common. Jewel Scott, assistant professor of nursing science in USC's College of Nursing, writes for The Conversation about the power of habits on our behavior.

Headshot of Jewel Scott

USC researcher leads listening studies to help address bias in health care

October 21, 2025, Laura Erskine

USC researchers are tackling the issues that underlie the women’s health care gap. Jewel Scott, a board-certified family nurse practitioner and College of Nursing faculty member, says women are more likely to be dismissed in medical settings because their symptoms aren’t as well understood – or health care providers just aren’t listening. Scott is working to change that by helping patients and practitioners become better advocates.

Illustration of nurses' gloved hands piled on top of one another.

A Culture of Caring

October 08, 2025, Rebekah Friedman

From improving outcomes for premature babies to nurturing research advancements in chronic illness to strengthening the next generation of nursing leadership, University of South Carolina faculty members Robin Dail, Cindy Corbett and Jeanne Cavanaugh have had careers worth celebrating. While these three center directors are retiring this year, their legacies will endure through their centers’ continued impact at USC and beyond.

path and building on the USC Horseshoe

US News: USC retains top rankings in international business, first-year student experience

September 23, 2025, Megan Sexton

USC retained its top ranking in international business and is home to the nation’s top first-year student experience among public institutions, while the College of Nursing BSN degree jumped 17 spots to No. 22 nationally, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual undergraduate rankings released Sept. 23.

Female nurse leans over exam table to check on male child.

USC expands nursing pathways for people with disabilities

July 22, 2025, Nicole Meares

The University of South Carolina College of Nursing is launching a multi-year, Duke Endowment–backed initiative to expand nursing career pathways for people with disabilities. The program aims to close critical workforce and care gaps through summer immersion experiences, professional development and inclusive training.

College of Nursing assistant professor Lori Vick

Shaping a smarter, more compassionate sickle cell nursing workforce

June 12, 2025, Gregory Hardy

College of Nursing assistant professor Lori Vick is advancing national efforts to train nurses to better understand and treat patients living with sickle cell disease. At the heart of that effort is the Sickle Cell Nursing Boot Camp, an initiative that promotes specialized knowledge in treating this chronic and often misunderstood condition.

Head and shoulders photo of Jessica Gonzalez

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.

The fountains and reflecting pool in front of Thomas Cooper Library

SC impact: Pell Grant recipients thrive in a wide range of fields

April 29, 2025, Laura Erskine

For more than 50 years, USC has made an undergraduate education more attainable through TRIO programs. The foundation of these opportunities is the Pell Grant. Here, USC alumni share how the Pell Grant opened the door for them to achieve their dreams of earning their degrees and attaining fulfilling, impactful careers.

Jennifer Baumstark stands in a white coat outside the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina.

Jennifer Baumstark leads Nurse-Midwifery program, advancing maternal health in South Carolina

April 29, 2025, Gregory Hardy and Laura Morris

Jennifer Baumstark, a seasoned certified nurse-midwife and newly appointed director of the University of South Carolina’s accredited nurse-midwifery program, is spearheading efforts to improve maternal health across South Carolina. With a focus on mentorship, advocacy and expanding the nursing-midwifery workforce, Baumstark brings over two decades of clinical and academic experience to this pivotal role.

Student in cap and gown stands with fists in the air
Rear view of a student walking on a path on USC campus

US News rankings: USC's International MBA remains top in the country

April 07, 2025, Megan Sexton

For the 12th straight year, the University of South Carolina has earned the No. 1 ranking in the country for its International MBA program, according to the 2025 Best Graduate School rankings released April 8 by U.S. News & World Report.

man holds a booklet while standing against a dark backdrop

Nursing student has a global impact on future health care professionals

March 05, 2025, Catherine Pruitt

Allan Cabanayan was a leader among students interested in health occupations even before he got into upper-level nursing classes at the University of South Carolina.  Growing up just down the road from USC in Hopkins, South Carolina, Cabanayan discovered his passion for nursing while attending Lower Richland High School, where he joined his school’s HOSA-Future Health Professionals chapter.

two women nurses stand at hospital bedside, one using a portable ultrasound on a patient

US News rankings: USC's online nursing master's remains No. 1 in the nation

January 21, 2025, Megan Sexton

For the fifth straight year, USC's College of Nursing is ranked No. 1 in the country for its online master’s in nursing program, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual online program rankings released Tuesday (Jan. 21).