The University of South Carolina’s National Laboratories Office (NLO) is committed to advancing student research and supporting academic excellence. One example of this commitment is Ph.D. candidate Allison Brown, a Geological Sciences student who presented her research at the 2025 International Conference on Methods and Applications of Radioanalytical Chemistry (MARC) in Hawaii.

Brown’s research, conducted during her internship at Los Alamos National Laboratory under the mentorship of Dr. Jeremy "Jez" Inglis, Ph.D., and Allison "Ellie" Price, Ph.D., focuses on radioactive elements known as actinides—specifically plutonium (Pu) and neptunium (Np)—derived from natural or anthropogenic sources that can be found in certain animal or plant species.* Her study centered on the bioaccumulation of these elements from the local environment within tortoises living near nuclear test sites by analyzing shell material.

With support from a travel grant provided by the NLO, Allison was able to attend the MARC conference and share her findings with a global scientific audience. She presented data from tortoise shell material gathered in two locations: the Trinity Test Site and southwestern Utah.

The National Lab Office’s support greatly assisted me in attending the conference. I am glad to see this office on campus for assistance to any national laboratory student intern or anyone looking to intern at a national laboratory.

— Allison Brown

Upon returning to USC, Allison reflected on her experience. She says presenting at MARC, “gave me more confidence in the research path that I have chosen to take, and in my ability to present my research to national labs or industry audiences.”

She emphasized the importance of the conference’s networking opportunities and gaining fresh perspectives: “My biggest takeaways included networking opportunities and gaining new perspectives on research topics.”

Allison also offered advice for other students hoping to attend or present at professional conferences:
“Work the conference as a student volunteer! I met and networked with so many scientists from different national labs including Lawrence Livermore, Oak Ridge, Savannah River, Sandia, Idaho, and Pacific Northwest, in addition to meeting several other scientists that I had never met from Los Alamos. You also have the chance to network with the other students that work alongside you!”

She credited the National Laboratories Office for enabling her participation:
“The National Lab Office’s support greatly assisted me in attending the conference. I am glad to see this office on campus for assistance to any national laboratory student intern or anyone looking to intern at a national laboratory. They have been incredibly helpful in regard to networking with Savannah River National Laboratory, as well.”

Allison’s participation in the MARC Conference not only highlights the caliber of research emerging from USC but also reflects the essential role of national laboratories and the NLO in providing students with high-impact, real-world research opportunities.

 

Check out photos from the MARC Conference

 

* Conrad, C., Inglis, J., Wende, A., Sanborn, M., Mukundan, N., Price, A., ... & Derieg, K. M. (2023). Anthropogenic uranium signatures in turtles, tortoises, and sea turtles from nuclear sites. PNAS nexus, 2(8), pgad241.