University of South Carolina

Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Travis Knight, chair and professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina and Director of USC’s Nuclear Engineering Graduate Program.

Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Travis Knight, chair and professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing at the University of South Carolina and Director of USC’s Nuclear Engineering Graduate Program.

On August 28, 1963, an estimated 250,000 people made their way to Washington, D.C. to demand civil and economic rights for African Americans. In attendance at the March on Washington was Gloria Dreher Eaddy of Columbia, SC, who later became a friend and mentor to Dr. Bobby Donaldson, a professor at the University of South Carolina.

Ellen Schlaefer, director of Opera Studies at the University of South Carolina School of Music, shares insights into Gian Carlo Menotti's Pulitzer Prize-winning opera ahead of three performances Nov. 7-9.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for September 27, 2025: we look at some governor’s race bickering over an ad; separately Sen. Lindsey Graham drops a new tv ad; we drill down on the economy with our go-to research economist Dr. Joey Von Nessen with the USC Darla Moore School of Business; the state has another confirmed case of the measles; and more!

Another overlooked figure in jazz and blues is singer Bea Foote. Born Beatrice Harrisson in South Carolina on September 3, 1896, she was celebrated for her strong vibrato and straightforward delivery, Foote steered clear of her contemporaries’ melancholic style.

University of South Carolina researchers Jessica Bradshaw and Robin Dail have embarked on a study looking at links between premature birth and risk of autism, tracking 260 premature infants up to age 3.

Oscar Lee Mack, another lesser-known jazz musician from South Carolina, was born in Sumter County around 1936.

Space is vital in jazz, exemplified by the Bill Evans Trio—Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. This group showcased equal contribution, with Evans’ introspective sound, LaFaro’s innovative bass playing, and Motian’s color-focused drumming.

As Director of Jazz Studies at the University of South Carolina, Dr. Matt White is an accomplished trumpeter and educator as well as a gifted arranger and composer whose work bridges tradition and innovation.