College of Education

News

The Office of Communications collects and shares news about student, faculty, staff, alumni and college achievement and impact. Please let us know about your successes!

American Institutes for Research and the U.S. National Science Foundation Launch a New Center Supporting STEM Education Research and Practice

The American Institutes for Research has launched the Center for STEM Education Research and Translation, a national resource designed to support the development and use of research funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation among PreK-12 STEM education communities. Led by AIR, the Center also partners with the Southern Regional Education Board and the University of South Carolina.

Congratulations to this year's recipients of the Coaching Teacher Award of Excellence

The Coaching Teacher Award of Excellence recognizes individuals who excel in their leadership of future educators. They serve as a guide and mentor while exemplifying the characteristics and qualities of exceptional educators.

Faculty and students played a pivotal role in hosting this year's NCTEAR conference

More than 170 attendees met in the Pastides Alumni Center for the annual National Council of Teachers of English Assembly for Research (NCTEAR) conference. The theme, "we are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond," was inspired by the work of Pulizter Prize for Poetry winner, Gwendolyn Brooks.

College of Education alumni recognized by South Carolina Association of Middle Level Education

Two recent alumni of the College of Education were recognized by the South Carolina Association of Middle Level Education (SCAMLE) for outstanding contributions to the classroom.

Once banned from school, education graduate reflects on completing her Ph.D.

This spring, doctoral graduate Zo Sediqi will walk across the stage to receive her diploma from the University of South Carolina’s College of Education. Sediqi is one of only a handful of Afghan women anywhere in the world to earn a Ph.D. — a distinction that has taken on new weight since 2021, when the Taliban returned to power and imposed an education ban.

New major offers perfect blend

For Bailey Berquist, choosing the University of South Carolina was easy -- it was love at first sight on her campus visit. After attending a smaller high school in Maryland, she knew she wanted a place where she could make a larger impact. When the College of Education launched the new major in Applied Sport Psychology and Counseling, a different path emerged.

The South Carolina Teacher Workforce Profile for 2024-25

The South Carolina Teacher Workforce Profile examines critical information about teachers in the workforce each year.

Autism Acceptance Month: College of Education faculty contributing to improving autism services in South Carolina

In conjunction with Autism Acceptance Month, the College of Education is highlighting several initiatives that are expanding and improving autism services in South Carolina with faculty-led contributions.

2026 US News Rankings

Our rank among Best Education Schools has jumped more than 60 spots over the past three years, landing at No. 17 among public institutions.

Meet the 2026 Champions of Education

The College of Education holds an annual "Champions of Education" gala to recognize our outstanding alumni and other supporters of education throughout our state.

Is teasing playful or harmful? It depends on a number of factors

Molly Dawes, associate professor in the Department of Educational and Developmental Science at USC, writes for The Conversation about the complexities of teasing.

2026 Anne Frank Awards Gala

The Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina celebrated its second gala, the Anne Frank Awards at the South Carolina State Museum on Monday, February 9, 2026. The event honors those who have advanced the legacy of Anne Frank and exemplified courage, compassion and commitment as well as expanding Holocaust education.

USC creates leadership pipeline for school administrators

SC TEACHER, a research consortium housed in the USC College of Education, recently found a positive association between educators receiving appropriate administrative support and teacher retention.

Research confirms bilingual children benefit from language support at home

An estimated 22 percent of the U.S. population speak a language other than English in the home. About 7.5 percent of SC residents speak a language other than English at home. It is critical that educators collaborate with parents in supporting their bilingual children's literacy development.

Local educator's farmers market gives students new perspectives

Ashley Bennett teaches geography at Woodruff Middle School. She is a participant in the College of Education's AWAKE-STEM programming and is earning her project-based learning endorsement. Her students are using the unit to propose solutions to the problem of food production and accessibility in their community and school.

USC Board of Trustees approves key renovation projects, new center

The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees gave final approval Tuesday (Dec. 16) to projects designed to reinvigorate several iconic buildings in the heart of the Columbia campus.The Board also approved the establishment of the Bullying Prevention Center at the College of Education.

USC researchers seek to improve K-12 mental health with new center

The University of South Carolina is helping the state improve youth mental health through education, consulting and more. Now a new effort will help faculty conduct more research to enhance these efforts in South Carolina and beyond. The USC Center for School Behavioral Health involves nearly two dozen faculty members who will collaborate to advance their research on school behavioral health, prepare staff in schools on promoting student mental health and grow the next generation of researchers. Collaborating faculty work in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Social Work, the College of Education and the Arnold School of Public Health.

SC TEACHER to pilot survey studying school administrator experiences

The SC Administrator Working Conditions Survey will open for school administrators in participating districts throughout South Carolina in January 2026. Building upon the success of the SC Teacher Working Conditions Survey (conducted by SC TEACHER every other year), this complementary study will study the experiences of school administrators.

Congratulations to this year's scholarship recipients!

We are proud of our students' achievements and grateful for our many donors who support the mission of the College of Education in our state and beyond.

College of Education Alumni: 12 Under 40

Meet twelve College of Education alumni who are advancing the profession and exemplifying leadership qualities in their local communities.

USC awarded grant to support special education administration

The University of South Carolina special education program, Rutgers University, and Northern Arizona University were awarded a five year, $3.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education. The purpose of the grant is to provide funding for a Ph.D. in special education administration.

SC TEACHER proposes leveraging large language models (LLMs) to drive teacher retention policies in SC

At this year's Artificial Intelligence in Measurement and Education Conference (AIME-Con), researchers from SC TEACHER presented on the potential for large language models (LLMs) to offer scalable support in analyzing open-ended responses from the SC Teacher Working Conditions Survey.

New Faculty Q&A: Chad Rose, Ph.D.

Chad Rose is a new Professor of Special Education with nearly 20 years' experience studying bullying and bullying prevention. One of his priorities is developing the Bullying Prevention Center at USC. The Center will support schools and communities across South Carolina.

Get to know Staff Senate President Chris Burkett

Chris Burkett, the assistant dean for student services in the College of Education, spent over 30 years in the field of education, including 11 as a social studies teacher in middle and high schools. He has been a member of Staff Senate since its inception five years ago, representing his colleagues in education before moving to the executive committee. He became president in August.

New Faculty Q&A: Mary Hansen, Ph.D.

Mary Hansen, Ph.D. is a new Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Developmental Science. She's joining USC after two decades as a faculty member at Robert Morris University near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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