The 2025 Champions of Education
Each year the College of Education honors outstanding and innovative educators in South Carolina.
Best Practices: One student's research creates more informed teacher preparation
Shea Ferguson's journey into the world of educational psychology began with a simple yet profound question: How can we better prepare teachers to understand the science of learning and development?
Keighley George is a 2025 Milken Educator Award Recipient
Keighley George (2018, Master of Education in Teaching) grew up in a family of educators. She always knew she would join the profession to make a difference in the lives of others. She wanted her job to be meaningful and purpose driven. Recently, her work was honored when George was presented with the Milken Educator Award, a prestigious national honor hailed as the "Oscar of Teaching," that recognizes exceptional educators for their dedication to excellence in education and leadership.
Think, Solve, Succeed- Thinking critically with IRED at Family STEM Day in Charleston
The Institute for Rural Education and Development presented critical thinking activities for children and adults at Family STEM Day in Charleston.
2-time Olympic gold medalist's 2nd act connects athletes' minds, bodies
Natasha Hastings came to the University of South Carolina with dreams of excelling as an athlete. Although her talent eventually would propel her to an NCAA championship, multiple world championships and two Olympic gold medals, her initial start on the Gamecock track and field team was less than stellar. Her body was sound, but she had psychological demons to slay.
Chris Burkett is named the recipient of the Dr. Jennifer Wilson Excellence in Teaching Award
Gamecock EdQuarters Executive Director, Chris Burkett, Ed.D., is the 2025 Dr. Jennifer Wilson Excellence in Teaching Award recipient. Award recipients across the state were nominated by their peers for their dedication to middle level education.
Groundbreaking Beginnings: Shaping the Future with SKIP+CODE
Pre-med student Hailey Smith shares her experience working with the Institute for Rural Education and Development on the SKIP+CODE core of the project.
Impacting every era
Norah Dixon graduated in December. Along the way she had a wide and varied educational journey, including research on Richard Greener alongside COE professor Christian Anderson.
Professor inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame
Catherine Compton-Lilly was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame. This elite group of educators and scholars shapes reading education and helps to make reading accessible for learners of all ages. Compton-Lilly shares her research, career experiences and hopes for her position.
COE faculty recognized for social justice work
The University of South Carolina has recognized students, faculty and staff members for their work on campus and in the larger community with 2025 Social Justice Awards.
Life Starts Here!
USC’s CarolinaLIFE is a nondegree, residential, inclusive program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. CarolinaLIFE students explore their career interests and hone their employment skills through individualized coaching and access to University of South Carolina courses. On any given day, staff members might prepare them for job interviews, teach them about budgeting money or introduce them to campus organizations.
USC alumnus finds his true calling in the kindergarten classroom
Charleston native Keith Heyward, Jr. was a restless third-grader when he realized his career goal was to teach. In the years since kindergarten, the inquisitive boy regularly had been disciplined for “talking too much” in the classroom. Now he uses this questionable attribute for good.
College of Education at the Literacy Research Association
The College of Education was well-represented at the Literacy Research Association Conference in Atlanta, Ga, with more than 10 current and former graduate students and seven professors presenting at the conference. In addition to our excellent representation, Professor Catherine Compton Lilly was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame.
New Faculty Spotlight: Cassandra Bosier
After 25 years as a teacher, instructional coach, mentor and principal in Richland School District 2, Cassandra Bosier found herself at the “end of the pathway” for teacher candidates working to earn their undergraduate degrees in education. This fall, she began her first semester as a clinical associate professor in the College of Education teaching undergraduate students preparing to be elementary school teachers.
P.E. educator takes students to new heights
Susan Heid has supported students through physical education for 29 years. You might expect that she's thinking more about retirement than classroom innovations -- but you would be wrong. With the support of her administration, Heid has installed the district's only adaptive climbing wall in Beaufort Elementary School's gymnasium.
Gift of Wardlaw Papers to South Caroliniana Library Offers Unique Perspective on University History
The University Archives at the South Caroliniana Library has recently acquired a treasure trove of materials once belonging to Patterson Wardlaw, the first dean of education.
USC awarded federal grant to boost state's college, career readiness
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the University of South Carolina a $35 million grant to improve college and career readiness among disadvantaged students in South Carolina with the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). It is the largest grant ever awarded to the College of Education and among the largest in university history.
Enabling education: Tjuan Dogan
Tjuan Dogan has a simple request for the endowed scholarship she has funded at the College of Education -- invest in the next generation of educators, like the ones who helped her find her own path and passion.
Alumna, Tracie Swilley, is named National Principal of the Year
Swilley began her career at Richland Northeast High School as a math educator. She had wonderful administrators act as mentors, and Swilley was able to use her data analytics skills to serve her administration. One of her assistant principals encouraged her to continue her education, so she enrolled in the Master's of Education Administration at the University of South Carolina.
Math education comes full-circle for doctoral candidate Kathryn Pedings-Behling
Kathryn Pedings-Behling grew up in the small town of Saint Matthews, S.C. In middle school, she developed a fondness for solving mathematics and logic puzzles -- so much so, that she even stole her older brother's SAT prep workbook for fun!
Unlocking the Brain's Rhythms
Ayan Mitra uses clinical computational neuroscience to understanding early childhood development in reading and literacy.
A mental health lifeline
Project PRISMS trains counseling professionals for high-needs South Carolina schools.
Sean Yee Receives NSF Grant
Congratulations to Sean Yee, Ph.D. for receiving a prestigious NSF grant for his project, "Supporting the Faculty who Provide Teaching-Focused Professional Development to the Next Generation of College Mathematics Instructors." The grant will allow Yee and his team to create new programs that help graduate students and other new instructors become better teachers, which will benefit college students across the country.
SC TEACHER publishes their first report capturing data on principals and assistant principals across South Carolina in the 2022-23 Administrator Workforce Profile
The latest publication from SC TEACHER explores the demographics of administrators in the state, alongside trend data and national comparisons. The report follows a similar format to other workforce reports published by the research consortium, including the Teacher Workforce Profile in South Carolina for 2021-22.
Making a difference in South Carolina: Health and Science Day at Fairfield Middle School
Students at Fairfield Middle School kicked off their 2024-2025 school year with a special health and science event presented by the Institute for Rural Education and Development and the Institute for Infectious Disease Translational Research.