USCB Student Daniela Lopez Named Ronald E. McNair Scholar
Daniela Lopez, a Biology major at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB),
has been selected as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar—an honor reserved for high-achieving
students with aspirations toward graduate study.
The program, hosted by the University of South Carolina in Columbia, is part of the
federally funded TRIO initiative designed to increase the number of Ph.D. recipients
from first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented backgrounds.
Lopez, who was born and raised on Hilton Head Island and commutes to USCB, is experiencing
her first extended stay on a college campus this summer as she participates in the
McNair Scholars program and works with a USC faculty mentor on a research project.
She is interested in women’s health—specifically Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS),
a hormonal disorder affecting women of reproductive age.
"My mom has always encouraged higher education and has inspired my interest in health-related
fields," Lopez said. “I'm very excited to be a McNair Scholar. This program exposes
students like myself to experience of doing research with a mentor at a graduate level.”
The McNair program offers students expanded faculty mentoring, hands-on research experience,
and academic enrichment, including a summer research symposium. Lopez will present
her findings at the USC Summer Research Symposium on July 31. Throughout the next
academic year, she will continue her research and receive support in preparing for
graduate school.
At USCB, Lopez is already a standout. She is an officer in the Student Government
Association, a member of the Gamma Beta Phi service honor society, and an Honors student.
She was accepted into the Beaufort College Honors program and awarded scholarships
by the USCB's Student Scholarships & Fellowships Committee and the Honors Office to
study abroad in France for a month this summer, following her McNair experience.
Lopez, who is bilingual in Spanish and of Argentinian, Venezuelan, and Colombian heritage,
is considering a combined MD/Ph.D. program after completing her undergraduate studies.
Participants in the McNair program are recognized nationally and are often actively
recruited by graduate programs that offer incentives such as admissions fee waivers,
assistantships, and fellowships.
For Lopez, being named a McNair Scholar is both a personal milestone and a step toward
a future in healthcare research and service.
CW • 6/03/25