A Clemson native, May ’25 alum Griffin Thomas was a familiar face in the Life Sciences Building (LSB) during his undergrad, something that he looks back fondly on.
“Every day I looked forward to going to the LSB, knowing I would get the chance to talk to a past professor, a friend studying in the atrium, a member of the Genetics and Biochemistry staff or a member of the support staff.”
Griffin was a biochemistry major with minors in genetics and social sciences and was named an Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovations Center (EPIC) Seifert Scholar, served as the president of the Clemson Rotaract Club, a volunteer with the Cottingham Hospice House and a clinical research assistant in the School of Nursing.
Arguably, his most important work while at Clemson was his research in Dr. James Morris’ lab within EPIC where he studied the metabolism of T. brucei and Nagleria Fowleri in order to elucidate potential therapeutic targets.
After graduation, Griffin will be conducting research with the Department of Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC for a year prior to attending medical school.
“I hope this opportunity will prepare me to provide more informed and comprehensive care to my future patients and prepare me for a career in neurosurgery.”
Our G&B seniors graduated yesterday and among them was biochemistry student, now alum, Ruxi Xia. An international student from China, Ruxi enjoyed the strong biochemistry program Clemson had to offer, setting her up for future successes in research.
“I wanted a strong biochemistry program to set me up for success in cancer research as it has been my career choice since one of my family members passed from cancer.”
Ruxi was an intern at the Clemson Light Imaging Facility and participated in lab research at the Nanobiotechnology lab.
“I have worked on many independent immunofluorescence staining projects, learned to operate wide-field and confocal microscopes, and coordinated an imaging contest that receives entries from all over the world for that past three years.”
She has served as co-director for the Clemson Paw Pantry, president of the Clemson Chinese Students and Scholars Association and community service coordinator for the Clemson Rotaract Club, tutored at the Academic Success Center and acted as member of CUSG Campus Advancement committee.
“I have really enjoyed getting to help the community whether that is helping at the Clemson Community Care, local farms, and other shelters in the community.”
Her favorite moment during her undergrad was receiving her college ring at the Clemson Ring Ceremony with her best friends.
Ruxi plans to attend Columbia University for a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.
Natalie Shay, genetics student graduating this May, has been emersed in research, clubs and the community since she arrived, research being one of Natalie’s top priorities.
“During my freshman and sophomore year, I was in a CI with Dr. Marc Birtwistle where I helped study cancer diagnostics and pharmacology.”
Junior and senior year, Natalie developed an interest in neurobiology, resulting in an undergraduate researcher position in Dr. Julia George’s lab, where Natalie studied gene expression in the brains of zebra finch embryos, particularly DNA methylation changes.
“These experiences shaped me as a scientist, and I couldn’t be more thankful for them!”
Natalie was also the president of the Biochemistry and Genetics club, and her favorite course was Epigenetics; she loves figuring out how so many factors affect our gene expression beyond just our DNA sequence.
Natalie is grateful for the lifelong friends that she has made at Clemson over the last four years.
“It was awesome to find friends who love science as much as I do!”
After graduation, Natalie will be joining Dr. Jessica Larsen’s lab to pursue a master’s degree in bioengineering, her overall career goal to research and develop gene therapies.
“I’m glad I get to stay at Clemson a little bit longer!”
The last four years of her undergraduate studies, graduating biochemistry senior Kailie Greer, has spent trying new things and meeting new people. From studying abroad to participating in a Creative Inquiry (CI) Program, Kailie has fully taken advantage of the experiential learning that Clemson has to offer.
Kailie was a part of Dr. Scott Pratt’s Advancement of Assisted Reproductive Technologies for Cattle and Other Species CI and studied abroad in Florence, Italy last summer at the Institute of Lorenzo de’ Medici (LdM) in Florence, Italy, which is noted as one of the most distinctive and well-established study abroad institutions in Italy. In addition, Kailie worked part-time at Crossroads Animal Hospital in Seneca, SC.
Upon graduation, Kailie is taking a gap year and working at Salt Marsh Animal Hospital in Kiawah, SC before applying to veterinary school.
“Clemson has brought me so many opportunities and I am forever thankful for the four years I had here.”
During genetics senior Disha Qanungo’s undergraduate degree, she has been involved in a “Human Remains Recovery” course, traveled oversees to learn about microbial pathogens, volunteered at the Shifa Clinic and participated in an MUSC internship, just to name a few.
Disha says that her favorite part of the Genetics and Biochemistry Department is the advisors, whom she notes visibly show their best interests for their students. In her very limited free time, she enjoys cooking and ice skating.
Disha dreams of creating free clinics for women and children in developing countries. Upon graduating in May, Disha will be spending the summer preparing to take the MCAT on August 2nd and subsequently applying to medical school. During Disha’s gap year, she will apply to work at We are Sharing Hope SC as a clinical specialist in Organ Donation.
Alumni Christine Hart ’18 and biochemistry major Caroline Argenti were recognized by the prestigious National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program, receiving three years of financial support for graduate study.
The Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports outstanding students early in their graduate school careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant research achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics or in STEM education. Recipients receive a $37,000 stipend and a full cost of education allowance, which covers their tuition and mandatory fees.
Caroline Argenti’s research focuses on expanding the field of nanotechnology with an emphasis on RNA (ribonucleic acid) therapeutics. Caroline has also been awarded the Goldwater Scholarship in 2024. After she graduates, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Christine Hart ‘18, researches the impact of global and anthropogenic changes on insect communities and how to address insect declines through research-based management solutions and equitable science education for K-12 students with language-based learning differences. She currently runs a small business providing educational support and consulting for students with learning disabilities and works part-time at Clemson’s Coastal Research and Education Center in a vegetable entomology lab run by Tom Bilbo, assistant professor of plant and environmental sciences.
When we think of getting a genetics degree, most of us don’t really equate that to a career in law. 2014 alum Megan Robertson is paving the way to broaden the horizons of what a science degree can lead to.
After growing up outside of Charlotte, NC, Megan came to Clemson as a genetics major with a minor in legal studies. While she was on campus, Megan was involved in Sigma Kappa, Pi Chi and worked at the Academic Success Center with the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program.
“I was an SI instructor for calculus for a year or so and then oversaw the SI instructors for all the science classes.”
Outside of academics, Megan enjoyed all that Clemson had to offer.
“I loved going to football games (of course!) and hanging out with friends downtown, whether it was getting ice cream at Spill the Beans or grabbing a drink at TTTs.”
After Clemson, Megan went straight to law school at the George Washington (GW) Law School in Washington D.C., living in the city for eight years throughout her schooling. The GW Law School a global law school that exists to make an impact on the law through the leadership of diverse faculty and staff, the extraordinary influence of an extensive alumni network, and the location in the heart of downtown Washington, DC.
Upon graduating from law school, Megan began her career as an attorney at the law firm of Epstein Becker Green (EBG), a national law firm with a primary focus on health care and life sciences; employment, labor, and workforce management; and litigation and business disputes.
Megan is now a partner at Epstein Becker Green, working with clients involved in biotech, biopharma, clinical lab and research activities advising them on compliance with federal and state laws and regulations (think FDA regulations, CLIA for labs, fraud and abuse considerations and state laws).
“I may be answering a question about how a new product is regulated or helping to negotiate a clinical research contract for a new study. I also represent investor clients during due diligence reviews of life sciences companies, advising on risks associated with potential transactions.”
Another piece of Megan’s practice is pro bono work, where she represents claimants seeking social security disability benefits on a no cost basis. This was not originally Megan’s plan when she went to law school.
“I actually went to law school thinking I would do patents. But as I learned more about the health care law field, I got more intrigued and finally zeroed in on where I am today.”
Though Megan is technically an attorney, she uses her genetics degree and knowledge everyday in her work duties. Megan’s degree in genetics, allows her to understand the unique compliance challenges faced by, and the development opportunities available to, companies in the life sciences industry.
“Having a science background is incredibly useful when talking to clients about the details of a new product or study. Regardless of whether it has to do specifically with genetics or biochemistry, “speaking the language” is invaluable when relaying legal and compliance concepts and concepts and talking through strategy with these life sciences companies.”
Much of the work Megan does is with clinical labs, and she co-leads the firm’s Clinical Labs Focused Initiative.
“Whether the labs are running genetic tests or developing their own test, it is exciting to be able to watch new developments in genetics come to fruition in near-real time.”
Megan married her high school sweetheart Zach in 2017 and now live in just outside in Herndon, VA with their four-old daughter, Olivia and two dogs, Miller and Marlo.
Biochemistry alum Dr. Phyllis MacGilvray ’96 became interested in medicine at an early age because of her relationship with her family doctor.
“I have a curious mind and was always asking, ‘Why?’ I found science fascinating because it gave me an avenue to finding answers,” she said. “Medicine was just a natural fit for me.”
In July, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville named Dr. MacGilvray, a family medicine practitioner of over 20 years, its dean.
Dr. MacGilvray earned her doctor of medicine degree in 2002 from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston before completing her residency in family medicine at the University of Vermont, followed by academic leadership positions at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune and at the University of Texas Health San Antonio.
She then returned home to South Carolina in 2018 to take a position with Prisma Health—Upstate as vice chair for academic affairs in family medicine, becoming department chair in 2020 and leading the development of two new graduate medical education programs, which tripled the number of family medicine residency positions at Prisma.
Dr. MacGilvray will serve as dean for a two-year term – a time in which she plans to bolster the school’s research footprint and elevate the school’s lifestyle medicine mission. She is the first medical school dean in the country who is board-certified in lifestyle medicine, which focuses on using evidence-based lifestyle interventions to prevent, treat and reverse chronic diseases.
“Learning from the very first day of medical school how to educate patients holistically is only going to improve the care of their patients down the line,” Dr. MacGilvray said.
Gracie Dellinger graduated in May with degrees in genetics and microbiology
Gracie Dellinger ’24, recent genetics and microbiology alum, was one of the six Clemson members recognized with the country’s most prestigious STEM-focused graduate research fellowship, awarded annually through the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship program helps ensure the quality, vitality and diversity of the country’s scientific and engineering workforce by supporting outstanding students pursuing research-based graduate degrees at accredited United States institutions.
Gracie, originally from McClellanville, South Carolina, was a part of the Clemson Honors College and has been performing undergraduate research in EPIC with Dr. Kim Paul since the summer after her junior year of high school, focusing on the parasite that causes African Sleeping Sickness, a disease that can be fatal if left untreated. Last summer, Gracie attended a Research Experience for Undergraduates at UNC Chapel Hill, exploring different adaptations of an intestinal pathogen responsible for a hospital-acquired disease called C. difficile infection.
Gracie will be attending Duke University School of Medicine in the fall, where she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and microbiology. She was also awarded a fellowship called the James P. Duke Fellowship, which aims to attract and develop outstanding scholars at Duke.
