S 0409  Concurrent Resolution, By Fanning
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR LAMAR RICHARDS, A SENIOR IN THE
 DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM AT RICHLAND ONE MIDDLE COLLEGE, FOR HIS OUTSTANDING
 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND TO CONGRATULATE HIM FOR WINNING THE TENTH ANNUAL
 LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE.
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   01/22/19  Senate Introduced, adopted, sent to House
                     (Senate Journal-page 12)
   01/23/19  House  Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence
                     (House Journal-page 5)

TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR LAMAR RICHARDS, A SENIOR IN THE DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM AT RICHLAND ONE MIDDLE COLLEGE, FOR HIS OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND TO CONGRATULATE HIM FOR WINNING THE TENTH ANNUAL LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH CONFERENCE.

Whereas, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly are pleased to learn that Lamar Richards garnered top honors at the Tenth Annual Louisiana State University (LSU) Undergraduate Research Conference; and

Whereas, the son of Alexis Milling and the late Lamar Richards, Sr., he is a native and life-long resident of Fairfield, and he is a senior at the Richland One Middle College for Science and Engineering, a program enabling students to earn an associate degree and take high-level, dual-enrollment courses as high school juniors and seniors; and

Whereas, Lamar has a 5.1 GPA, all the while enrolled in intensive college courses, such as analytical geometry and calculus, organic chemistry, microbiology, calculus-based mechanical physics, biomedical engineering, and chemical engineering; and

Whereas, an award-winning and classically-trained vocalist, he scored "gold" at the 2017 New York Music Invitational at Carnegie Hall, accompanied by the Fairfield District Honors Chorus; and

Whereas, in 2017, Lamar was elected South Carolina State Beta Club president and student chair of the National Beta Club Advisory Council. He was honored as the 2017 National Beta Club Member of the Year and the 2018 NAACP Excellence in Action Student, and he was recently selected for induction into Richland One's Hall of Fame as a Legend in the Making and Honorary Student; and

Whereas, he currently serves as senior class president, Midlands Technical College Student Activities Board co-chair, and vice president of the National Honor Society, and he is a member of National Beta Club, the National Society of Black Engineers, the National Society for Leadership and Service, the NAACP, and Future Business Leaders of America; and

Whereas, the LSU Undergraduate Research Conference provides a dynamic forum for undergraduates to present research, interact with faculty, and develop collaboration with their peers. Lamar and his partner, Austin Geer, were invited to present their research for competition against undergraduates from across the nation, for which they earned first place in the Engineering and Technology division and took home the highest honors; and

Whereas, they completed remarkable research in the area of biomaterials and mechanical engineering in the summer of 2018 under the guidance of mentors Dr. Ershela Sims and Dr. Anthony Stewart at Southern University Agricultural and Mechanical College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and

Whereas, by tensile testing various materials, their research, Investigating the Mechanical Characteristics and Failure Characteristics of Dental Archwire, looked for cost-effective alternatives to orthodontic materials currently used. They created their own polymer to replace high-priced, traditional braces; and

Whereas, during the experience in Baton Rouge, Lamar developed keen research and scientific-investigation skills, while gaining skills in research presentation, leadership, and public speaking; and

Whereas, Lamar plans to double major in biomedical engineering and molecular biology in college and to earn a medical doctorate and doctor of philosophy degree in biomedical engineering with a desire to practice surgery. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, recognize and honor Lamar Richards, a senior in the dual enrollment program at Richland One Middle College, for his outstanding academic achievement and congratulate him for winning the Tenth Annual Louisiana State University Undergraduate Research Conference.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Lamar Richards.