The Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Moore has been named a Truman Scholar Finalist. Highly competitive and prestigious, the $30,000 Truman Scholarship is awarded to approximately 60 juniors nationally for superior academic ability, a strong record of service and leadership, and plans for careers in public service.

Moore is a member of the South Carolina Honors College, and will interview in Atlanta, GA on March 30 for the scholarship. This year, 201 finalists have been named from 135 institutions across the US.
List of Truman Scholar Finalists »

The recipient of the Pepsi-Cola Company Carolina Scholarship, Moore is pursuing a Biomedical Engineering degree, with a minor in Physical Education. She serves as the President of USC's chapter of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority, coaches a local church basketball team of 4th grade girls, volunteers with Dance Marathon, serves as a Peer Leader for first year Scholars through Scholars United and is a Supplemental Instruction Leader. She is a research assistant in Dr. Melissa Moss' lab, focusing on the interactions between P-glycoprotein and amyloid beta aggregates in Alzheimer's disease, and spent a summer researching under Dr. David Charles at Vanderbilt University, looking at the effects of deep brain stimulation on early stage Parkinson's disease patients. Moore plans to pursue an MD and PhD in neuroscience and become a physician scientist with a focus on developing novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease while working at the interface of basic science and clinical research.

University of South Carolina Truman candidates are evaluated and nominated by a USC scholarship committee, chaired by Professor Shelley Smith in the Department of Sociology. Other members of the University Truman Committee include: Steven Burritt (USC 1995 Truman Scholar), Pearl Fernandez (SCHC), Robert Felix (School of Law), Don Fowler (Political Science), George Geckle (English), Robert Oldendick (Political Science) and David Simmons (Anthropology and Public Health).

Moore was assisted by the University's Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs which provides advisement and support to students competing for national fellowships. USC has had six Truman Scholars. Recent USC Truman Scholars include Asma Jaber in 2007, Thomas Scott in 2006, Jeremy Wolfe in 2004 and Lara Bratcher in 2003.