The acquisition of dozens of new parking spaces and updates on a stretch of property near the Horseshoe bought by the university were two announcements made at the USC board of trustees meeting on Friday.
The South Carolina Alumni Association also recognized five university alumni and two honorary alumni in a ceremony after the board meeting.
Board actions
University Foundation President and CEO Jason Caskey announced that Gateway 737, which is fully owned and operated by the Development Foundation, had leased 95% of its 938 beds for fall 2026. He also said the Development Foundation purchased a parking lot between Blossom Street and Thirsty Fellow Pizzeria and Pub, which will add 75 to 80 new university-owned parking spaces.
Caskey also updated the board on several strategic property acquisitions on College Street that were completed in the last year. He named 900 Main St., Cool Beans Coffee Company and a parking lot as key acquisitions that will allow the university to develop almost two acres of land.
After the Development Foundation acquired 900 Main St., the former location of the Hunter-Gatherer Brewery, the building was demolished in June 2025, according to The State. In January 2025, Caskey confirmed that neither the foundation nor the university had plans for the Cool Beans property, located at 1217 College St., “for the foreseeable future” in an email to The State.
USC Athletics Director Jeremiah Donati said that donations and gifts to the Williams-Brice Stadium renovation projects had reached $121 million. Construction will commence at the end of the 2025 football season and aims to improve fan and student-athlete experience and increase premium seat offerings, according to ColaDaily.
“(We’ve) made tremendous progress from a design and planning perspective, but also from a fundraising perspective,” Donati said.
Caskey reviewed the Education Foundation’s total value and performance over fiscal year 2025, including its investment portfolio. The Education Foundation manages funds to provide university grants, scholarships and fellowships.
The investment portfolio experienced significant growth over the last three months and is now valued at $957 million. The portfolio averaged a 12.8% one-year return, outperforming all other SEC schools’ investment portfolios, Caskey said.
“We’re very fortunate to have a wonderful investment committee that … seeks to ensure that we have returns that provide for scholarships, fellowships and other support to the university,” Caskey said.
Alumni awards
Following the meeting, South Carolina Alumni Association CEO Tiffany Foxworth presented six awards to notable alumni in honor of homecoming week.
Josh Dawsey, a 2012 graduate of USC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications and former editor-in-chief of The Daily Gamecock, received the 2025 Young Alumni Award. Dawsey is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and has worked as a reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.
Dawsey said his time at USC and the journalism school were formative periods in his life. He recognized former College of Information and Communications Dean Charles Bierbauer in his speech, who died Aug. 29, 2025. Dawsey said Bierbauer helped shape him as a thinker.
Lt. Gen. Jim Richardson (ret.) received the 2025 Outstanding Veteran Alumni Award. Richardson served over 40 years in the U.S. Army, and currently serves as the president of army programs for L3Harris Technologies, a defense technology company.
“The foundation for my 40-year career in the United States Army was laid right here at the University of South Carolina,” Richardson said. “This university helped instill in me the values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.”
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Director Thomas S. Mullikin received the 2025 Algernon Sydney Sullivan award. In addition to his position at SCDNR, Mullikin has been a professor, author and environmental attorney who represented multinational corporations and the United Nations.
“I can brag on this university all day long, and often do,” Mullikin said. “What I learned here is that we could be bigger than where we came from, and we can do everything that we set our minds to do.”
Columbia City Manager Teresa Wilson received the 2025 Outstanding Black Alumni Award. Wilson is a graduate of USC’s McCausland College of Arts and Sciences and the Joseph F. Rice School of Law.
"(Wilson) is a visible and engaged presence in the community," Foxworth said. "Her work exemplifies the power and promise of Black women in executive roles where excellence, empathy and accountability drive transformational change for all citizens."
Bruce and Michelle Brumfield jointly accepted the 2025 Honorary Life Member Award. This award is presented to individuals who did not graduate from USC, but have made significant contributions to the university community. Bruce Brumfield is the CEO of Founder’s Federal Credit Union, and both he and Michelle Brumfield are graduates of Southeastern Louisiana University.
The 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award, presented to an alumnus who exemplifies leadership and dedication to the university, was awarded to Stephanie Burgess. Burgess holds multiple degrees from the University of South Carolina, currently serves as vice president of Coalition of Access to Healthcare and is a retired clinical professor emeritus of nursing at USC’s College of Nursing.
The board of trustees will hold its last meeting of the semester on Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. in the USC Pastides Alumni Center.