Chemistry wasn’t Luci Green’s best subject in high school — which is exactly why she
decided initially to study it in college.
“I couldn’t stand not being good at something like that,” says Green, an Honors College
senior from Columbia. “Chemistry is something that really intrigued me, and I wanted
to go into something science-related. My dream for a while was to work for NASA —
although I’ve abandoned that notion now. Not that I don’t think that’s interesting
still, but I have chosen a different career path.”
Green’s decision to change paths was inspired by an unlikely source — an elective
English course where students read and analyzed The Iliad. The course was taught by a visiting law professor, and at the end of the semester,
he suggested that she consider a career in law.
The professor told her that she was one of the best writers her age that he’d seen.
She thought back to her time in high school, when she had done mock trial, and about
what he had said — and whether she might be able to combine chemistry and law.
“Chemistry really fascinates me — I love learning about it,” she says. “It’s my favorite
subject, but I was having a crisis like, 'Is this actually something I want to do
full time after I graduate or is it just something I enjoy learning?' Talking to him
really inspired me to start thinking about law as a serious interest.”
Now, she’s pursuing a pre-law concentration in conjunction with her chemistry major
in hopes of becoming a patent lawyer. “Law combines a lot of the things I’m interested
in,” she says. “I want to help people who come up with inventions patent them. I thought
that was much more up my alley.”
Even though her future ambitions have shifted, her love for science hasn’t wavered.
Her honors thesis focuses on sustainability. She says working to adapt to a changing
climate is important to her.
During her freshman year, she joined Carolina Distinguished Professor of chemistry
Chuanbing Tang’s lab, which focuses on developing sustainable polymers that can be
used as an alternative to plastic.
“Sustainability is a really hot topic these days and a really significant application
of chemistry,” she says. “One of the reasons I’m so fascinated with studying it is
because it has so much potential to solve a lot of environmental issues. Being able
to synthesize polymers that are more sustainable and able to biodegrade in the environment
and have a net zero carbon emission would be extremely beneficial. There are several
labs around the world that are working towards that goal.”
In addition to working in his lab, she tutors student-athletes at the Dodie Academic
Enrichment Center and serves as a supplemental instruction leader at the Student Success
Center. She is also involved in on-campus organizations like the American Chemical
Society and the Alliance for Women in STEM.
She says being in the Honors College has given her a well-rounded education that has
prepared her for the future.
“The faculty at USC, specifically in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
is incredible,” she says. “I really love that the Honors College and USC allow me
to have opportunities to participate in diverse courses outside of chemistry. I got
to take a service-learning course about homelessness which was super cool. It was
beneficial in helping me to branch outside of what I’m explicitly studying.”
After graduating, she hopes to go to law school and pursue a doctorate in chemistry.
“I’m most interested in organic chemistry; it’s very fascinating to me,” she says.
“And in graduate school, I would be able to do much more specific research, but law
is still an interest for me. I’m looking at JD and Ph.D. programs, and I hope to find
a joint program that will allow me to do both.”