Carolina Alumni Award
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Past Recipients

(Note: This award was known as the New Carolinian Award prior to 1989)

The Young Alumni Award is presented to a graduate of the past 10 years who has excelled in his or her chosen field. Prior recipients are:

1980 Thomas E. Suggs
1981 Donna Gamble Traywick
1982 William Lee Bussell
1985 Leeza Gibbons
1986 Susan Aude Fisher
1987 Samuel R. Foster
1988 John Stevenson Beckham, Jr.
1989 John Lyles Glenn, IV
1990 Jiri Olmr
1991 Abigail R. Rogers
1992 Dr. D. Davidson Easson, Jr.
1993 Steven D. Dillingham
1994 Harry B. Gregory, Jr.
1995 "Hootie & the Blowfish"
            Darius C. Rucker
            Mark W. Bryan
            James G. Sonefeld
            E. Dean Felber
1996 Jeff A. Norris
1997 James E. Smith, Jr.
1998 Rita Cosby
1999 Stephen K. Benjamin
2000 J. Michelle Childs
2002 Sally Tibshrany McKay
2003 Todd R. Ellis

2004

Darci Strickland Rush

Darci Strickland Rush received her degree in Journalism at USC in 1997 and went to work at WLTX-TV in Columbia where her engaging personality and intelligent reporting earned her the evening news co-anchor role. Beyond her dedication to her profession Darci works hard in service to her community, speaking often to high school students about the importance of making the right choices in life. These qualities make her eminently qualified as the 2004 recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

2005

Robert R. Hill, ’95 master’s, is the president and chief executive officer of SCBT Financial Corporation, the fourth-largest S.C.-based bank. Hill has been president of the bank since 1999. He was recognized as one of the top 20 business leaders by The State Newspaper and also was named Distinguished Young Alumnus by Carolina’s Moore School of Business. Robert has been a board member or officer in several organizations, including the S.C. Bankers Association, S.C. Bankers School, Central Carolina  Community Foundation, S.C. Museum Foundation, Columbia Museum of Art, the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the USC Business Partnership Foundation, and the USC Development Foundation.
 

2006

Noel Brownlee, ’02 M.D., received the 2005 Pulmonary Pathology Society Research Award and was named the USC School of Medicine's 2006 Distinguished Young Physician. A 2002 graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine with a Ph.D. from the Medical University of South Carolina, Dr. Brownlee is a member of the surgical pathology faculty of Johns Hopkins University. He is an intra-operative consultant to surgeons, helping to diagnose disease by examining organs, tissues and cells. He also teaches residents and medical students, and works with a variety of clinical research projects related to lung disease and kidney cancer. Dr. Brownlee also serves as national secretary of the College of American Pathologists Residents Forum.