MUSC Reports Record Research Funding, Record Graduate Numbers

Contact: Heather Woolwine
843-792-7669
woolwinh@musc.edu

May 20, 2016

CHARLESTON, SC – The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Board of Trustees held its scheduled meeting May 19. Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph.D., vice president for research, delivered a strong report on the expanding research enterprise. “Research year-to-date totals about $207 million, almost 25 million more than at this time last year, with funding up from NIH and corporate sources." MUSC is poised to surpass its previous record research funding total of $247 million (fiscal year 2015) in fiscal year 2016, which ends on June 30.
MUSC Provost Mark S. Sothmann, Ph.D., advised the trustees of a record-breaking year for MUSC graduates as well. On Friday, May 20, 600 students will participate in commencement ceremonies, with 79 bachelor’s, 63 master’s, and 458 doctoral students receiving degrees. Counting all of the MUSC graduates from June 1, 2015 through May 20, 2016, translates to a benchmark of 978 students who earned MUSC health care degrees in this academic year.

In the Diversity and Inclusion report presented by Willette Burnham, Ph.D., the university’s chief diversity officer, trustees learned some of the demographics concerning this largest-ever graduating class: 3 percent Latino, 8.3 percent African-American (self-identified by racial groups); 69 percent female / 31 percent male; and 75 percent from South Carolina (instate) / 25 percent out of state.

The board took time to issue a resolution in honor of Provost Sothmann, who is stepping down from his position at the end of June. The resolution expressed the trustees’ gratitude for his “profound and positive impact on the long-term well-being, growth and development of MUSC” as well as his “nine years of service characterized by humility, integrity, and commitment to the highest standards.” Sothmann has served MUSC in a number of senior-level administrative roles and will join the faculty in the College of Health Professions in July.

“To be part of MUSC and part of Charleston has been a gift,” Sothmann said. “I want to thank all the people I’ve worked with over the years. I’ve taken more from them than I’ve given.”

The Board of Trustees also received progress reports on:

• The construction of the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Women’s Pavilion, which is set to break ground in August.
• The opening of three new primary care facilities in the Charleston metropolitan area.
• Legislative relations efforts to expand MUSC’s statewide telemedicine network and garner funds for deferred maintenance and to retire debt.

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates over 3,100 students in six colleges and trains 950+ residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in federal and National Institutes of Health and research funding. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.

As the health care system of the Medical University of South Carolina, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2024, for the 10th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.

MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $7.1 billion. The 31,000 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research, and patient care.