McNair scholar Kylie Mudie has been passionate about the science of skincare and beauty products since she was in middle school. This summer, the junior chemistry major connected with students and industry professionals at Spelman College's Black Beauty STEMinist Lab Intensive.
South Carolina Honors College sophomore Jacob Boutin spent the summer in New Mexico exploring the technological capabilities of nanosatellites: small satellites that are making a big impact in the field of aerospace engineering.
Shapeshifting cryptid creatures lurk in curious places throughout Julia Elliott’s new book, Hellions. Elliott fashions from her imaginative gray matter strong female protagonists who harness their power in unusual ways.
For nearly 14 years, Amy Taylor-Perry has taught general chemistry classes and labs at USC. Hundreds of students take these courses each semester, and Taylor-Perry has designed them to provide a solid foundation. She has now received the Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching Award, with her nomination endorsed by the entire Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Courtney Tkacs has lived all over the world, the product of growing up in a military family. She moved to Lexington her sophomore year of high school and found her home in South Carolina. Today, Tkacs is working to make her University of South Carolina home a better place by serving as the student body president for the 2025-26 term.
English professor Ed Madden wants to use the written word to help people connect to each other and to amplify voices often overlooked or ignored. For his achievements in teaching, research and service, Madden was awarded the 2025 Carolina Trustees Professorship in Humanities, Social Sciences, Business and Law.
South Carolina Honors College assistant dean Chappell Wilson reflects on her Honors education and career -- and the importance of interdisciplinary education. She's just as motivated by current students' ideas and energy as she was when she was a student herself.
Josh Dawsey works at the forefront of U.S. politics. He has covered the White House extensively and has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting with teams from The Washington Post. His new book "2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America" tells the story of the tumultuous election season.
Chemistry and computer science senior Christian Ruff talks about how his experiences at the University of South Carolina have helped shape him.
Do non-prosecution policies related to drugs and drug-related crimes achieve their goal of reducing drug-related overdoses? South Carolina Honors College graduate and McNair Scholar Samuel Maloney spent over a year collecting and analyzing the data needed to answer this important question, focusing on opioid use disorder. His thesis presents unprecedented contributions to the field of public health.
Luke Hodges says he found the arts community he was looking for when he transferred into USC's English and Honors programs more than 10 years ago. Looking back, the writer and documentary filmmaker says he there was an "insane smorgasbord of opportunities" at USC.
Honors alumna and graduate student Morgan Grace Steele decided to change paths after participating in the South Carolina Washington Semester program. After reflecting on her experience in the course University 101, she decided to pursue a master’s in higher education and student affairs.
Honors student Zach McClure graduates from USC with a deep passion for big questions, complex answers, and a Yale Law School acceptance. From studying abroad to analyzing judicial credibility, his journey blends critical thinking with purpose-driven advocacy.
Dean Steven Lynn shares an update on the state of the South Carolina Honors College and the many exciting things ahead.
The roots of Adm. Jacob Shuford’s 35-year U.S. Navy career –– which took him to top postings all over the world –– were planted and nurtured in the honors program at the University of South Carolina.
Meet 2012 South Carolina Honors College graduate and McNair scholar Bryarly Bishop, the voice behind some of America's best-known brands. Her vocal talents span from commercials and video games to vocal albums and short films, showcasing the versatility of the human voice.
Alex Thompson is a leader in both choral and community settings. As co-founder and the first president of the Black Honors Caucus, she was determined to create a welcoming space for Black students in the South Carolina Honors College. As a choral conductor, she encourages her students to use their harmonized voices as a form of self-expression.
It's a long way from South Carolina to France. For Buck Jones, who is now a Parisian author and restauranteur, the first steps of his journey from Aiken, South Carolina, to Paris, France, began in the South Carolina Honors College. He's never forgotten the university, the mentors and the state that gave him his start.
Through her writing and her teaching, professor Julia Elliott encourages readers and students to investigate fear and develop their own theories about horror. Behind the grotesque and the jump scares lie insights into humanity's deepest anxieties and concerns.
To know the University of South Carolina's most recent Goldwater scholars, Linden McGregor and Michael Pitre, is to know about the mentors who support them, the scientific challenges that motivate them and the students they hope to impact outside of the lab.
See what our Honors College alumni have been doing lately.
Rising Honors College senior Ella Michel has been awarded a 2025 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship to continue her work at the intersection of energy, environment and community.
David Prim, Honors biomedical engineering alumnus, stays on mission with work in venture capital.
South Carolina Honors College graduate Carter DiSantis knows a thing or two about balance. Throughout his undergraduate career, he's explored his love of dance and neuroscience, blending the arts and sciences. He's also interested in researching the neural effort required to keep a ballet dancer upright.
South Carolina Honors College course allows students to explore a developing niche in the hospitality industry by creating unique nonalcoholic beverages.
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