Althea Lyman ’08
It’s advice born of experience for Lyman, a biomedical engineering major who spent a good part of her undergraduate career blazing new paths – conducting cardiomolecular engineering investigations aimed at quantifying the chemical and mechanical factors that induce myocardial infarctions and strokes. Her undergraduate research credits include service as a merit research assistant in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and as a summer research assistant with USC’s Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program.
Beyond the classroom and the lab, Lyman has been a supplemental student instruction leader for general chemistry as well as a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, the USC Mock Trial Team and the senior honor society Mortar Board.
All of her hard work has earned this energetic ambassador for USC Viterbi widespread acclaim throughout the university. In November 2007, she was named Ms. USC by the highly selective Order of the Torch. Membership in the order is reserved for a very small group of students each year who exemplify Trojan excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, commitment to USC, public speaking and university advocacy.
And in May 2008, she became one of 12 students named to USC’s inaugural class of Discovery Scholars. The program, which recognizes seniors who have excelled in the classroom while demonstrating the ability to create exceptional new scholarship or artistic works, provides each scholar with a prize of $10,000 for post-baccalaureate study.
After graduation, Lyman – a native Angeleno – plans to spend two years teaching high school chemistry in New York City with the federal Teach for America program. Next stop will be medical school, where she’ll earn her chops as an anesthesiologist.
- To read an article about Lyman being named “Ms. USC,” click here.