Tyler Ray

McNair scholar from Virginia engineering a nanotechnology career

• Hometown: Richmond, Va.
• High School: Midlothian High School
• Major: Mechanical engineering and a minor in math
• Video (1:38)

Tyler Ray was looking to attend a small college with a big reputation, such as Davidson College or Bucknell University. He scrapped that plan after hearing Dr. Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs at the University of South Carolina, tell him, “You cannot make a small university large, but you can make a large university seem small.”

Ray, a McNair scholar, says the university has given him the best of both worlds: small classes through the South Carolina Honors College and research opportunities available only at a large university.

“You can reach your full potential at South Carolina because of professors who care and a university that cares about students,” Ray said. “The South Carolina Honors College is as good, if not better, than some of the best schools in the nation.”

Ray said the many “cool experiences of scientific discovery” he has had at the university have contributed to his interests in nanotechnology. He credits Dr. Sarah Baxter for fostering his research interests and Dr. David Sumner for sharing his infectious love of math. Ray decided to minor in math after taking a calculus course under Sumner.

His college memories are anything but nano in size.

“I had a full and rich experience,” said Ray. “I participated in Cocky's Reading Express to promote children's literacy, I took a class on F. Scott Fitzgerald and saw his original manuscripts, and I learned how to play the blues on a harmonica. They have added to the depth of my college experience and personal growth.”

Perhaps Ray's best memory will be when he and his roommate invited President Andrew Sorensen and his wife, Donna, to dinner in their Horseshoe apartment.

“We hand-delivered an invitation, and they accepted,” said Ray, who said he had always been impressed by Dr. Sorensen's concern for students. “It was a fantastic evening. They had come from the last of the Ocean Isle funerals. We had a personable discussion about student life, and they shared their experiences as university administrators. He always stops to talk to students when he his walking or bicycling on campus.”

The menu for Ray's most memorable college meal? Ray and his roommate prepared beef tenderloin, a potato casserole, vegetables, salad and mini-cheesecakes.

After spending the summer working for the design center at Eaton Electrical in Pittsburgh, Ray will return to the university to continue his research in nanotechnology as a National Defense Science and Engineering graduate fellow. He credits his fellowship to Jan Smoak and Novella Beskid in the Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs for their guidance.

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