For Paul McGannon, a senior from Fort Mill, South Carolina, his decision to come to PC stemmed from his desire to incorporate many of his interests into his college experience. He has done so during his time on campus by pursuing a major in chemistry, with minors in music, physics, and math. His level of high achievement in the classroom was attained all while playing the tuba in various musical ensembles on campus, participating as a member of the PC Soccer Club, and tutoring his peers in chemistry, physics, and math. “At other schools, it would be difficult for me to do much else besides working on a chemistry major. At PC, I felt my options were for me to pursue anything I wanted,” he says.

Utilizing his talent in music, McGannon has played in the PC Wind Ensemble, the Pep Band, and the Brass Quintet, while also performing during Opening Convocation, Commencement, and the annual Christmas Concert. He has also accepted an invitation to play in the South Carolina College Honor Band all four years of college. Dr. Porter Stokes, the chair of the music department, says of McGannon, “He is an absolutely wonderful young man to be around; he’s popular with all the other students, and he is willing to be a leader. I also know that he is very enthusiastic at football games in the Pep Band.”

As a member of Delta Omicron (music honors fraternity), Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics honor fraternity), Sigma Kappa Alpha (academic honors society), the Society of Physics Students, and the American Chemical Society (ACS), McGannon has also excelled within the academic setting. This past summer he conducted research with Dr. Latha Gearheart through the Summer Fellows Program. “I would describe Paul as efficient, diligent, and confident in his work as a research scientist. His ambitions are to pursue a doctorate in physical chemistry and remain in academics, and I can easily envision his running his own research lab in the future. There is no doubt in my mind he would contribute dedication, uncanny attention to detail, and exceptional reasoning ability to any project,” says Dr. Gearheart.

This year, McGannon has received acceptance into the doctoral programs in chemistry at both UNC Chapel Hill and the University of South Carolina, an incredible feat for an undergraduate student. At both universities, McGannon would receive full tuition and a large stipend for his research, as he works towards a doctorate in physical chemistry with the goal of teaching at the college level. Dr. Gearheart notes that McGannon is one of many chemistry and biochemistry majors to be accepted into prestigious doctorate programs, saying, “All of our majors that have applied to doctorate programs in chemistry or biochemistry have been accepted with full scholarships and similar stipends as Paul’s. We’ve had an exceptional track record here.”