Reese Lycan, an Honors College student from Lexington, Kentucky, is majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology with a goal of becoming a physician. But she also wants to advocate for better health care access, particularly for low-income residents of rural Appalachia.
“My passion for medicine and public health stems from watching my family in rural Eastern Kentucky navigate health care barriers,” says Lycan, one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor. “I plan to attend medical school to serve as a physician in underserved Appalachian communities while leveraging my policy background to advocate for systemic health care reform.”
Lycan, a 2024 Truman Scholar, received a grant for her Honor College thesis on "Health Gatekeepers: The Influence of Women on Health Practices in Rural, Central Appalachia.” Her research included interviewing women from Appalachia to examine their influence on health practices in their families and communities.
During her time at South Carolina, she also conducted research to understand mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, bacteria reproduction and cell communication in the lab of chemistry and biochemistry professor Olja Simoska. She worked with geography professor Conor Harrison’s lab, studying how clean energy transitions disproportionately affect populations in eastern Tennessee and South Carolina.
“Choosing to major in biochemistry and molecular biology has been both challenging and rewarding, pushing me to grow as a student and researcher,” Lycan says. “As a member of the Simoska Research Lab, I have built meaningful connections with my professors, classmates and lab partners that will last a lifetime.”
She has served in Student Government as treasurer, chief of staff to the student body president and secretary of government relations. Lycan also has participated in legislative lobbying efforts for college students on a national level.
“Through research, service and leadership, I have dedicated my college years to making a tangible impact on my university and beyond. Without South Carolina, I might remain passionate yet aimless, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunities this university has given me.”
“My involvement in Student Government has allowed me to advocate for students on multiple levels,” she says. “As director of the National Lobbying Agency, I led the first student advocacy group to Washington, D.C., in years, fighting for first-generation and immigrant students, higher education funding and sexual assault prevention.”
Her service work during her time at USC includes volunteering at Prisma Health in the emergency department and intensive care unit, where she assisted in all levels of patient care, from restocking equipment and cleaning rooms to supporting families of critically ill patients.
“My volunteer work at Prisma Baptist has deepened my understanding of health care disparities and strengthened my commitment to serving marginalized communities,” she says.
Outside the classroom, Lycan was a member of the Delta Zeta sorority and the Alpha Epsilon Delta honors society, where she served as an academic mentor to younger students, a mentor in the lab-shadowing initiative and as a member of the MedConnect program. She also served on the student-faculty Health Services Advisory Committee at USC, helping to evaluate health services on campus and identify possible improvements.
“Beyond academics, I have embraced opportunities to serve and lead,” she says. “As a member of Delta Zeta, I have found a community of women dedicated not only to their studies but also to philanthropy, particularly supporting hard-of-hearing individuals.”
This summer, she plans to work for the Centers for Disease Control during the 2025 Truman Summer Institute in Washington, D.C.
“Through research, service and leadership, I have dedicated my college years to making a tangible impact on my university and beyond,” Lycan says. “Without South Carolina, I might remain passionate yet aimless, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunities this university has given me.”