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SCDNR News

SCDNR Director Dr. Tom Mullikin Receives USC’s Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

October 31, 2025

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Director Dr. Tom Mullikin was honored with the University of South Carolina’s Algernon Sydney Sullivan Alumni Award on Saturday, Oct. 25, during halftime of the USC vs. Alabama home football game at Williams-Brice Stadium.

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award is the University of South Carolina’s highest alumni honor, recognizing individuals whose lives exemplify integrity, humanitarianism, and a deep commitment to service. Established in memory of Algernon Sydney Sullivan — a 19th-century New York lawyer and philanthropist known for his compassion and moral leadership — the award celebrates those whose success is measured not by personal achievement, but by the positive impact they have on others.

As Director of SCDNR, Dr. Mullikin leads the agency in its mission to conserve and manage South Carolina’s natural resources through science, education, and stewardship. A distinguished environmental attorney, author, professor, and award-winning documentarian, Mullikin’s work has taken him to every continent on Earth, advancing environmental conservation and global understanding.

Much like the mission of SCDNR, the Sullivan Award carries deep symbolic meaning. Dr. Mullikin’s dedication to natural resource conservation reflects a lifelong commitment to service, stewardship, and leadership - embodying the ideals the University seeks to honor through this recognition.

"I can brag on this university all day long, and often do," Mullikin said. "What I learned here is that we could be bigger than where we came from, and we can do everything that we set our minds to do.”"

Sullivan recipients represent the Carolina spirit - individuals whose citizenship and compassion inspire others to lead with purpose. Honoring a USC alumnus with this distinction reaffirms the University’s enduring message: the greatest measure of one’s life is the difference made in the lives of others.

Past Sullivan Award recipients include David M. Beasley (2023), Clay Owen (2024), and Peter McCausland (2025).