US Surgeon General to address MUSC graduates
April 27, 2015
Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy serving as 2015 commencement speaker
CHARLESTON, SC – Approximately 600 graduates will hear newly-appointed U.S. Surgeon General Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., the speaker at the Medical University of South Carolina’s 186thCommencement on May 15, 2015, five months to the day he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Murthy, 37, is the first surgeon general of Indian descent. As America’s doctor, he is responsible for providing the best available scientific information to the public regarding ways to improve health. He also supervises the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, comprised of approximately 6,700 uniformed health officers stationed around the world to promote and protect the health and safety of the U.S.
In the fields of clinical care and research, Murthy has made substantial contributions, and has a world vision in the area of public health and awareness. Starting as early as his matriculation at Harvard, he co-founded with his sister an HIV-AIDS education program in India and the United States, eventually reaching more than 45,000 youths. He also co-founded a program in rural India to train women as health providers and educators. Murthy’s research activities have focused on vaccine development and the participation of women and minorities in clinical trials. His findings have been published in Science, the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
In an effort to improve the clinical trial process, he co-founded and chaired a successful software technology company, TrialNetworks, which in seven years sponsored dozens of clinical trials affecting more than 50,000 patients in approximately 75 countries.
Murthy intends to concentrate his efforts as Surgeon General on issues such as healthy eating, active living, , tobacco-related diseases, mental health and vaccination rates. At MUSC’s Commencement, he will receive the honorary degree Doctor of Medical Science, honoris causa.
Other honorary degree recipients – all receiving Doctor of Humane Letters degrees – include:
- Wendy C. H. Wellin, a licensed stockbroker, founder of a fashion consulting business and philanthropist who, with her late husband, established the Wellin Stroke Center at Roper Hospital and the Keith Wellin Head and Neck Cancer Center at MUSC, and is a member of MUSC’s Heart & Vascular Center board.
- W. Hayne Hipp, a private investor and former chief executive officer of The Liberty Corporation is involved in several civic and charitable activities and is a staunch supporter of MUSC’s Physician Assistant Scholarship and the Center of Excellence in Lipidomics, Pathology and Therapy at the Hollings Cancer Center.
- John and Jill Chalsty, with combined experience ranging from financial management to video production, have a shared commitment to community service. John Chalsty has held the offices of president, chairman and CEO of the investment bank Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc. and is a former vice chairman and director of the New York Stock Exchange. Jill Chalsty founded 3E Productions, and as chairwoman and CEO, created and produced a series for public television. She also founded the Community for Education Foundation to assist middle and high school students in communication, decision-making and goal-setting.
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 13,000 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), Hollings Cancer Center (one of 68 National Cancer Institute designated centers) Level I Trauma Center and 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.org.
