Tag: honors college

Fun Fact: Junior biochemistry student Olivia (Liv) Palmieri’s high school in Galloway, New Jersey sat right on the beach. Even so, knowing that medicine was the end goal, she was drawn down south to Clemson University for her undergraduate experience. Clemson was an easy choice for Liv because of our strong sense of community, robust biochemistry program and the wide-ranging number of opportunities for both academic and personal growth.

“I chose biochemistry as my major because it combines my passion for science with my interest in medicine, allowing me to build a strong foundation for a future in healthcare. Being in the Genetics and Biochemistry Department has been a supportive community I am blessed to be a part of. The department allows students to gain hands-on learning opportunities and explore future career paths.”

Having psychology and cluster life science minors, Liv has loved learning campus and getting involved in all the extracurriculars and research opportunities that she can throughout her time at Clemson thus far. One of these is a research opportunity participating in a Creative Inquiry with Dr. Robin Kowalski in the Department of Psychology.   

“Since my sophomore year, I have worked with Dr. Kowalski as a member of her Social Psychology Creative Inquiry team, gaining insight into research design and analysis. Our projects focus on perceptions and their impact on behavior. We have presented our work at multiple forums over the past two years, and one of our papers was recently published!”

Liv has even recently begun a Departmental Honors with Dr. Kowalski, which means that she will complete a thesis of a major research project. Departmental Honors provides Honors students a unique opportunity to do advanced, in-depth study and research within an academic discipline.

Additionally, Liv is a member of the Honors College, where she serves as both a Peer Mentor and an Honors Ambassador. Within the College of Science, she also serves on the Student Advisory Board and as a COSMIC mentor.

“Both roles that allow me to support students and foster growth.”

Liv also acts as the Vice President of Omicron Delta Kappa, Vice President of Membership of Order of Omega and serves as the Event Coordinator for the American Medical Women’s Association.

“I am also an active member of the Kappa Delta sorority and PhiDE, the pre-medical fraternity on campus. In my free time, I enjoy staying active and volunteering locally!”

While Liv stays deeply involved on campus, embracing the opportunities she hoped for when she first arrived, she still reflects on her future goals and the ambitions that brought her here in the first place.

“After I graduate, I plan to attend medical school and pursue a career in healthcare. I am interested in both neurology and surgery!”

Freshman Elizabeth Polatty’s upbringing in a multicultural home, along with minor health challenges in childhood, drew her not only to Clemson, but also to science and biochemistry.

“I grew up in a multicultural Ukrainian-American family, which shaped how I see the world and why I’m drawn to science that serves people, especially across language and access barriers…I’ve always been repping orange and purple and cheering on the Tigers from my living room or from Memorial Stadium.”

Growing up in a Clemson family definitely steered Elizabeth when she was looking at colleges, however, when she was admitted into the National Scholars Program (NSP), it really sealed the deal for her.

“What made it a definite yes was being accepted into the National Scholars Program in the Clemson Honors College last spring. NSP has already made Clemson feel smaller in the best way! It’s given me an incredible community, pushed me to grow, and helped me plug into opportunities that match what I care about.”

Curiosity is truly what led Elizabeth to biochemistry — a desire to understand what unfolds at the molecular level and how that insight can translate into stronger prevention and more thoughtful care. Elizabeth is fascinated by how science connects to real-life health. This curiosity stems from personal health experiences, including numerous ENT appointments for hearing issues during her early childhood.

“The smell of sterile hallways takes me right back to childhood. I spent a lot of time in doctors’ offices and hospitals, and I still remember how much a calm voice, steady hands, and clear explanations could change an overwhelming moment into one that felt manageable. Those experiences didn’t just make me admire medicine; they made me curious about the science underneath it.”

As a freshman she was able to explore that curiosity by joining Dr. Michael Sehorn’s lab studying DNA repair, specifically homologous recombination (HR), and how the proteins RAD51 and DMC1 are regulated.

“The research looks at how cells keep their genomes stable by fixing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that can happen from radiation, chemicals, or problems during DNA replication. It is exciting to be a part of the team and contribute to a bigger question. It’s made me feel like I belong in the scientific community here, even as a first-year student.”

In addition, Elizabeth has joined organizations that combine science with service, acting as the Chief Outreach Officer for Advancing Rural Communities through STEM Education (ARCS-Ed), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that travels to rural and underserved middle schools to share about and make STEM feel exciting and accessible.

“We provide hands-on activities and lessons that help students actually do science, not just hear about it. I love it because it reminds me why representation and early exposure matter. I came from a rural community and a Title 1 school where STEM opportunities were limited. Thus, it’s been really meaningful to help students see themselves in STEM and leave with the confidence that they belong in those spaces, too.”

This winter break Elizabeth also had the opportunity to shadow Dr. Kevin Rust and Dr. Thomas Valenti at the Greenwood ENT Clinic during their office visits and surgeries at an ENT clinic.

“Their precision and calmness in surgery, and the way they communicate with patients during appointments, showed me how much trust a physician builds through their presence.”

Growing up in a multicultural home, science and medicine are not Elizabeth’s only interests. Additionally, she is deeply interested in discourse and rhetoric.

“I really enjoy learning languages and engaging with different cultures, which was sparked by my mom, who immigrated here from Ukraine, where the rest of my family still lives. Growing up around multiple languages and environments made me naturally curious about how people communicate.”

This interest has shaped how Elizabeth spends her time at Clemson outside of the classroom and lab – one of these ways is participating with Every Campus a Refuge (ECAR).

“…[ECAR] has been especially meaningful to me because it allows me to serve refugee families as they acclimate and resettle in the Clemson community. This semester, I joined a Creative Inquiry team that works directly with resettled families and helps teach ESL classes for English learners.”

Being part of ECAR has helped Elizabeth connect service with biochemistry and motivated her to think about a future that combines medicine with international and community-based work.

“After I graduate, I plan to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician. The moments that have meant the most to me are when someone feels seen, heard and cared for, especially when language or cultural barriers could have made them feel invisible. Long-term, I hope to practice medicine and combine science with compassion, communication, and advocacy.”

Alayna Khoja, genetics major, and Kristen Evans, biochemistry major have been inducted into the new Honors College initiative, the Action Scholars Program.

This new program brings together a group of first- and second-year Honors students to research, build and implement plans to address community needs or challenges, furthering the University’s land grant mission by building future leaders who are making a difference in communities throughout the state.

“This program brings 10 of those students together each year to share ideas, learn together and support each other as they pay it forward in their communities,” said Kristine Vernon, associate dean of curriculum and faculty affairs at the Honors College.

Action Scholars receive ongoing mentorship, identify community needs to build their projects, participate in events to finalize plans, build a portfolio of achievements and receive coaching to apply for major fellowships such as the Rhodes, Marshall or Truman.

Two students from the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry joined the National Scholars Program(NSP), which serves students from all majors who demonstrate a unique combination of academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, leadership ability and demonstrated impact on their local and global communities.

Both Elizabeth Polatty and Evgenia Zheltov are sophomore biochemistry majors.

Scholars were chosen from more than 6,000 applications to the Honors College. They receive personalized support to develop their leadership skills and deepen their academic experience, equipping them to excel in the classroom and beyond. Many National Scholars go on to earn major University awards and nationally competitive fellowships.

The National Scholars Program strives to create a transformative community offering life-changing experiences and developing thoughtful scholar-leaders who listen, critically examine their place in the world, and use their talents to serve.

Elizabeth Caldwell, senior genetics major, has been selected as a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most prestigious and selective major fellowships available to American college students.

The Rhodes Scholarship, a fully funded postgraduate award which enables talented young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford, is recognized worldwide as the oldest and most well-known scholarship for academic excellence. Rhode scholars are chosen based on those who demonstrate academic excellence, the energy to use their talents to the fullest, and attributes such as truth, courage, kindness, devotion to duty, moral force of character and instincts to lead.

Elizabeth, who researches rare diseases and advocates for the disability community, was recently announced as Clemson’s 5th Truman Scholar, a federally funded scholarship granted to U.S. undergraduate students for demonstrated leadership potential, academic excellence and a commitment to public service.

Elizabeth is also part of the National Scholars Program, Clemson’s most selective university-wide merit scholarship program. National Scholars are selected through a rigorous process that identifies students with the highest levels of intellectual vision and community engagement.

“A brilliant scientist and determined advocate, Elizabeth’s remarkable accomplishments are eclipsed only by her steadfast and inspirational commitment to making our campus, community, and society more welcoming and accessible,” said Sarah Winslow, inaugural dean of the Clemson University Honors College.

Elizabeth is actively engaged on campus and in the community. She is part of associate professor Michael Sehorn’s lab, which explores DNA repair pathways, serves as the only undergraduate student on Clemson’s Accessibility Commission, and founded Tigers 4 Accessibility, Clemson’s first and only student organization dedicated to creating a more inclusive and accessible campus culture and physical environment.

In addition, Elizabeth acts as a volunteer at the Clemson Free Clinic, a local medical center that provides health care to the area’s low-income population, where she created a Mobility Aid Program that raised $3,000 to offset medical equipment costs for patients.

Elizabeth is one of approximately 800 students nominated nationwide for the Rhodes Scholarship, competing for 32 spots. She is one of 15 finalists from the district representing South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. She interviews for the award on November 15 and 16.

If chosen, Elizabeth plans to pursue a master’s program focused on genomic medicine, followed by a master’s degree in global health and epidemiology.

Read more in the Clemson News article.

Senior biochemistry major Harmon Vison has been on both sides of the medical field. Around a year old, he was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Hemihypertrophy, which gave him the inspiration to study biochemistry and eventually go on to medical school.

Hemihypertrophy is a condition in which one side of the body or a part of one side of the body is larger than the other. Throughout his young life, Harmon went through numerous surgeries with Dr. Gurpur Shashidhar Pai to treat his condition.

“Visiting Dr. Pai and having multiple surgeries has influenced my future career goals. With the goal of attending medical school, I believed that Biochemistry was the right major to achieve these goals.”

Clemson has acted a second home for Harmon his entire life, growing up spending weekends in Clemson tailgating and watching football games and other athletic events. It was his dream university to attend.

“Both of my parents are Clemson grads and Clemson was actually where they met. So I enjoy joking around with friends that if it wasn’t for Clemson, I wouldn’t exist. The family aspect of Clemson has stood out since day one and words cannot describe how thankful I am for that.”

On campus, Harmon is a part of the Honors College and is involved in intramural sports – football and basketball. Throughout high school, Harmon was always involved in a sport and has enjoyed keeping up with physical activities here at Clemson.

When he is not playing a sport, Harmon loves to hunt and fish with family and friends. Offshore fishing has always been a passion of his and he says his love for the blue water will continue in the years to come.

Academically, you will likely find Harmon studying for the MCAT or participating in a summer internship. This past summer, Harmon had the opportunity to intern with Swann and Tolbert Medicine. Swann and Tolbert Medicine practices “concierge” care, which is a membership-based healthcare that pairs exclusive, personalized care with accessibility and convenience.

“Dr. Swann and his fellow coworkers were able to provide me with a very valuable experience and demonstrated proper patient care. This internship provided me with multiple skills while also setting high goals in regards to future patient care.”

After graduation, he plans to take a gap year before entering medical school in pursuit of becoming an anesthesiologist. It has been my lifelong dream to be able to return the same care that was provided to him and to support other patients in need.

“After undergoing multiple surgeries throughout my life, I have seen both sides of the medical field. I was able to build a strong connection with my personal anesthesiologist due to his bedside manner and was truly able to be at ease before a big surgical procedure.”

Harmon is thrilled that he chose Clemson and our biochemistry program, saying it has lived up to all expectations. Harmon says the bonds that have been built will last a lifetime and the preparation for medical school has been top-notch.

“I am forever grateful for Clemson’s Biochemistry program.”

Before her thyroid cancer diagnosis at 13, Brittany Avin McKelvey, Ph.D. knew she wanted to pursue a career in science. The diagnosis just inspired her more.

“Even prior to my cancer diagnosis, I knew I wanted to go into science,” says McKelvey. “After my diagnosis I knew I wanted to specifically go into research and study cancer.”

Doctors found a tumor sitting on the nerve feeding of her vocal cord and removed the thyroid and 30 lymph nodes. After the surgery and radiation, she became cancer-free and ready to fight the disease in a different way.

Graduating in 2015, McKelvey double majored in genetics and biochemistry with a minor in science and technology in society. While she was an undergraduate, McKelvey conducted research in the Smith lab for all four years studying C. neoformans to obtain her departmental honors. She also was a part of both the Honors College and the National Scholars Program.

McKelvey spent summers studying abroad at the University of Cambridge and participating in research internships at Emory University and Vanderbilt University.

In addition, she was president of Clemson’s Colleges Against Cancer and organized the Relay for Life event. McKelvey was awarded the Norris Medal as the best-all-around graduating senior in 2015 and was named a Goldwater Scholar, which is considered the most prestigious national scholarship award for undergraduates in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

“After Clemson, I went to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and obtained my Ph.D. in molecular biology and genetics in their Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology program.”

At Johns Hopkins, she researched thyroid cancer, the same cancer she was diagnosed with as a young teen. Here she also authored seven publications, a textbook chapter and multiple international presentations.

Now living in Fayetteville, NC with her new baby girl and her husband, who is on active duty in the army, McKelvey works in science policy and research.

“I am the Director of Regulatory Affairs at Friends of Cancer Research, a non-profit advocacy organization based in Washington, DC that drives collaboration among partners from every healthcare sector to power advances in science, policy, and regulation that speed life-saving treatments to patients.”

She has been at Friends for 3.5 years, previously in the role of science policy and a policy intern at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network before that. In her current role, she supports the development and implementation of the organization’s research and policy agenda by generating scientific evidence and policies to advance progress in oncology care and collaborating with diverse stakeholders (pharmaceutical companies, academics, clinicians, patients).

“Some of my current projects revolve around validating the use of ctDNA as an endpoint in clinical trials, using real-world data from patient health records to understand treatment efficacy, aligning AI/ML tools for biomarker assessment on patient biopsies.”

Though she didn’t recognize science policy as a career opportunity until graduate school, it was a perfect marriage of her enjoyment of science and thinking critically about science coupled with her passion for advocacy and helping patients with cancer. McKelvey uses her scientific background and the education she learned while an undergrad at Clemson daily to evaluate trends in technology and novel research that will help propel treatment for cancer.

“I work with scientists to take groundbreaking advances and apply them to drug and diagnostic development and policy surrounding development to help get treatments to patients faster.”

McKelvey is active in the cancer community, leading a support group for teens with thyroid cancer and active with the National Cancer Institute as a member of its Council of Research Advocates. She also enjoys coming back to campus to discuss her career path with undergraduate and graduate students and volunteering with the National Scholars Program and the Honors College.

In 2023 McKelvey was named one of Clemson University’s Roaring 10. Each year, the Clemson Young Alumni Council recognizes ten outstanding individuals for their impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors. The honor is given to those individuals who exemplify Clemson University’s core values of honesty, integrity, and respect.

Looking to the future, McKelvey hopes to continue to work in science and regulatory policy to help patients with cancer.

Senior biochemistry student Ryan Mehlem was part of a group that won the Pay it Forward competition, sponsored by South Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives.

The Pay it Forward competition challenges students at Clemson University, South Carolina State University or the University of South Carolina to propose solutions to pressing social and economic problems in rural areas. Students work as teams to create a solution to a long-standing issue, presented as a research paper and video.

Other students in the winning group include Mercy Crapps and Natalia Nortz, both biological sciences majors. The group received $1,000 for their design for a mobile STEM academy toolkit that provides resources, volunteer support and community outreach to students in rural South Carolina schools. The STEM education toolkit helps teachers provide their students with an experiential learning approach that can complement textbook learning or computer simulations in the classroom.

“I remember from my middle school experience, I was able to do some molecular biology practices and techniques which was exciting and interesting,” said Mehlem. “And now I work with those in my own research, pretty much every day.”

When building their STEM education project proposal, the team’s research focused mostly on middle schools, talking to staff at several rural schools throughout the state before developing their initiative.

The trio plans to start with fewer than 10 schools before refining their toolkit and expanding to other locations.

Genetics and sociology double major, Katie Barfield, is one of the twelve Clemson University students that have been named a 2024 Dixon Global Policy Scholar.

Created through an endowment from the active Clemson family members, the Dixon family, the Dixon Global Policy Scholars program is a selective and intensive program for high-achieving Honors College students with a demonstrated interest in major national or global issues.

During summer of 2024, the scholars will take specialized courses on global perspectives on politics, economics, philosophy and public policy and participate in an intensive study abroad experience in France and Germany, where they will visit European institutions, important historic sites and museums, and meet with key policymakers, diplomats, academics and journalists.

Congratulations, Katie!

Read more in the Clemson News article.