MUSC Commencement set for Friday, May 16 at 9 a.m.
May 13, 2014
CHARLESTON, SC – Approximately 870 graduates will receive degrees from the Medical University of South Carolina’s six colleges during commencement exercises scheduled for Friday, May 16, at 9 a.m. at McAlister Field House on the campus of The Citadel.
John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., CEO of the American Cancer Society, will give the keynote address and receive an honorary degree. As head of the world’s largest voluntary organization battling cancer, with more than a billion dollars in resources to help prevent and cure cancer, Dr. Seffrin has become a leading voice in America’s struggle to overcome the disease. He led the development of the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids, now known as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, and served on the Advisory Committee to Congress on Tobacco Policy and Public Health, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, and several other public policy groups.
Seffrin was chairman of the Department of Applied Health Science at Indiana University prior to joining the American Cancer Society. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Ball State, a master’s degree in health from the University of Illinois and his doctorate in health from Purdue University. He has contributed to more than a dozen books and written more than 100 articles and other publications.
He will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa.
MUSC also will confer honorary degrees on:
- Rep. G. Murrell Smith Jr., a Sumter attorney and member of the South Carolina House of Representatives since 2001; Doctor of Humane Letters
- Benjamin W. Navarro, B.S., founder and CEO of the Sherman Financial Group, a founder of Meeting Street Academy and a member of the MUSC Foundation Board of Directors; Doctor of Humane Letters.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 11,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.7 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit www.muschealth.com.
