Where might you find a Gamecock this summer? Try looking anywhere from research labs in Germany to policy intensives in Washington, D.C., to fieldwork in the Montana wilderness. This year, 12 University of South Carolina students have secured national fellowships to fund an exciting summer of beyond-the-classroom experiences.
Summer is the perfect opportunity for students to engage in hands-on activities that they might not be able to pursue during the academic year. These opportunities allow students to network with experts in their fields, explore new areas of research, study abroad or gain practical insight into their future careers. National fellowships can provide funding and impactful experiences, connecting students from around the country and the world.
Grace Cosby is a rising junior biomedical engineering and philosophy double major. The Stamps Scholar and Honors College student will participate in a weeklong policy course entitled, “Hormones, Sex, and Society: An Evolutionary Perspective.” She looks forward to engaging with students from across the country, delving into pressing questions at the intersection of science and policy and learning from AEI scholars.
Honors student Emily Henderson is a rising junior BARSC public health law and policy major. She will attend a seminar focused on federal safety net programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Henderson will draw on these experiences in her future legal career. She aspires to practice at the intersection of medical and legal partnerships.
Evan Lawton is a rising Honors sophomore and student in the Accelerated Undergradaute to J.D. program. His AEI course will investigate K-12 education policy in the United States and enrich his interdisciplinary coursework at USC.
Carolina Scholar and Honors student Shivani Patel is a rising junior. The neuroscience major was accepted into a course that discusses science policy and its influence on healthcare decisions. These policy insights, along with her clinical experiences, will inform her understanding of meaningful healthcare reform.
Celia Razon is a rising senior environmental science major. She will spend the summer in Montana researching in the Salis and Pend d’Oreille Aboriginal Watershed on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The Sustainable Land and Water Research Experience focuses on cultural preservation, tribal health, water management and natural resources. Razon is excited to learn Indigenous methods for understanding environmental systems. She looks forward to applying this knowledge throughout her future research projects.
Reagan Stanton is a rising senior physics major and Honors student. The 2026 Goldwater Scholar will pursue a summer research experience in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Space Telescope Institute. She will work with data from the James Webb Telescope to study a low metallic dwarf galaxy. Stanton’s career goal is to be an astrophysicist researching extragalactic magnetism.
McNair Scholar Linden McGregor is a rising senior Honors biochemistry and molecular biology major. The 2025 Goldwater Scholar will spend eight weeks at the NIH researching PINK1, a Parkinson’s Disease-implicated program. McGregor aspires to earn a Ph.D. in biochemistry and pursue an academic research career.
Stamps Scholar Nysha Reddy is an Honors student in the Accelerated Undergraduate to M.D. program. Reddy will conduct research for 10 weeks at the National Cancer Institute, focusing on metabolic adaptations in T cells following treatment with Cyclophosphamide. This project seeks to understand how the drug can prevent graft-versus-host disease after cell transplantation. Reddy will attend the University of South Carolina Kay and C. Edward Floyd, M.D., School of Medicine.
Isabella Avosso is a rising senior and South Carolina Honors College student. The Stamps Scholar is pursuing a BARSC degree focused on biology and healthcare policy. This summer, she will travel to Bonn, Germany, and study the pathophysiology of vascular and lymphatic endothelial cells. Avosso will leverage this research experience as she prepares to apply for graduate programs.
Rising junior McNair Scholar and Honors student Elaina Conger is a civil engineering and economics major. Through DAAD RISE, she will conduct research in Hamburg, Germany, investigating international approaches to urban planning, infrastructure and policy. Conger hopes to draw from all these experiences to become an engineering-focused urban planner committed to sustainable infrastructure.
Rani Shelton is a rising senior Honors student majoring in psychology and English. She is spending the summer in Saarbrücken, Germany, at the University of Saarland. Shelton will contribute to research at the university's On-Call Lab, which focuses on protective factors that could prevent developing post-traumatic stress disorder. After graduating from USC, she plans to earn a Ph.D. and to work as both a clinician and a researcher.
Spring 2026 graduate Madeline Fyock earned degrees in music performance and languages, literatures and cultures (Russian). The Honors College alumna will spend the summer studying national security and foreign policy at the Hertog Foundation. Following the completion of this program, Fyock will begin a master’s degree at Georgetown University. She aspires to become a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.
Students seeking national fellowships for summer opportunities can be assisted by National Fellowships and Scholar Programs. For more information, visit the National Fellowships and Scholar Programs webpage or call 803-777-0958.