Black History Month 2024

Featured MUSC profiles across South Carolina

Tiffany Harrison
Tiffany Harrison has made significant contributions to the MUSC community through her leadership at the Center for Healthy Aging, including planning the statewide aging symposium and organizing grant collaboration sessions that united research experts on the subject of aging to foster collaboration and advance the field. Additionally, Harrison also has a strong commitment to financial education, having earned the Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI) credential, showcasing her dedication to empowering others through financial literacy. Her multifaceted achievements reflect a profound commitment to community development and sharing knowledge that helps others.

Keia Hewitt, M.D.
Keia V.R. Hewitt is the director of Emergency Services and chief of Emergency Medicine for the MUSC Health Catawba Division. She establishes clinical policies, implements guidelines and manages operations for the Emergency departments within the Catawba Division. In addition to her clinical practice, she focuses on patient safety and patient experience for Emergency Services within the division.

Aundrea Loftley, M.D.

Aundrea Loftley is an assistant professor of medicine and endocrinology in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at MUSC. In addition to providing care for patients, Loftley is committed to medical education and serves as a master clinical skills teacher for the College of Medicine. In 2018, she was awarded the Professional Research Consultants Excellence in Healthcare Top Performer Award for scoring at or above the 100% percentile for patient satisfaction.

Dante Pelzer, Ph.D.

As the associate director of Student Diversity in the Office of Student Engagement, Dante Pelzer strives to cultivate an inclusive campus experience and a student population that reflects South Carolina. He also holds an appointment as an associate professor in the Office of Academic Affairs. As a scholar-practitioner, his research interests include the study of Black male identity development among college men and the broad examination of underrepresented students’ college experiences.

Natasha Wright, Ed.D.

Since joining the MUSC James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, Natasha Wright has completely reinvented the onboarding process for the college and provided superior supervisor trainings. As a changemaker, Wright is passionate about driving Human Resources excellence to empower both educators and staff for sustained success.

Sem Ganthier, DHSc

The executive director for Operations for MUSC Health-Orangeburg, Sem Ganthier is responsible for the overall administrative management and operation of the hospital. With more than 15 years of progressive leadership experience in the health care industry and expertise in operations, Ganthier is prioritizing strategic program growth in Orangeburg.

Elbony Belton Ashford, R.N.

Elbony Belton-Ashford is the executive director of Nursing for the MUSC Health-Midlands Division, serving the Kershaw and Northeast campuses. Her leadership extends beyond health care, as she actively contributes to the community's advancement by serving as the vice-chair of the Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees and secretary of the Fairfield County Mental Health Coalition, exemplifying a commitment to holistic improvement and collaborative engagement.

Darlene Fulton, R.N.

Darlene Fulton makes a huge impact not only within the walls of the hospital but in the communities MUSC Health serves. With an illustrious 33-year career as a hospital leader, she has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to health care and emerged as a true changemaker. Fulton leads the MUSC Heath Practice Council for the MUSC enterprise. She also excels in achieving high employee and patient engagement and high employee retention. She is known for her openness, acceptance of others, integrity and adaptability. These qualities collectively contribute to her ability to inspire and positively influence those around her.

2024 Events

Title: Ghost Values and American Slavery | 2024 WLS Black History Month lecture

Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Registration: Registration is highly encouraged for this event.

In-person Location: Bioengineering Building, Room 112; 68 President St.

Title: 2024 Black History Month Program featuring Dr. Keia Hewitt, Emergency Medicine Director of MUSC Health Catawba 

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Registration: Register in OurDay for this virtual event.

Title: John A. McFall P.D. -- An early African American pharmacist tells his story | February SHC Noon Lecture

Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Registration: Register online here

Title: Medical Milestones: “All Are Gladly Received” | Pop-Up Exhibit

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Registration: Registration is highly encouraged for this event.
In-person location: Colbert Education Center Lobby

Title: The Impact of Health Equity and Social Justice on Employee Engagement featuring Mr. Curtis Brown

Date: Monday, February 19, 2024

Time: 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Registration: Register in OurDay for this virtual event.

Title: E.E. Just Symposium featuring Carol M. Artlett, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine

Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Title: The Department of Surgery Grand Rounds featuring Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, Executive Director and CEO, American College of Surgeons

Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Time: 7:00 - 8:00 a.m.

In-person location: Bioengineering Building Room 110; 68 President St.

Title: Black History Month Seminar: Panel featuring Shannon Wright, Sabrina Russ, Rashad Darby, and Jonathan Jones

Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Time: 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Location: Basic Sciences Building Room 202 or join virtually here

Title: Black History 2024: The Legacy Continues, 10th Annual Awards Program, presented by MUSC's six colleges

Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024

Time: 5:00 p.m.

In-person location: Drug Discovery Auditorium