President's Council

David J. Cole, M.D., FACS

President, Medical University of South Carolina

Dr. David J. Cole came to MUSC in 1994. In 2003 Dr. Cole was named the A. McKoy Rose, Jr., M.D. Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology and was selected as Chairman for the Department of Surgery in September of 2007. Dr. Cole was then elected President of MUSC Physicians in 2013. He held these esteemed titles until becoming President of MUSC on July 1, 2014.

Dr. Cole received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from New Mexico State University and he received his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York. He interned and completed his residency at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals in Atlanta and his fellowship in Surgical Oncology at the NIH/NCI Surgery Branch in Bethesda.

Stuart Ames

Chief Executive Officer, Medical University of South Carolina Foundation

Stuart is the Chief Executive Officer of the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, he worked as an outsourced chief investment officer (“OCIO”) for King Pine Investments and Commonfund. As an OCIO, Stuart served non-profit organizations in the U.S. and Canada, which included universities, colleges, hospital and healthcare foundations, community foundations, and other religious and cultural institutions. Earlier in his career, Stuart was the Chief Investment Officer for a group providing customized portfolios of hedge funds to Citi’s Private Bank clients. Stuart also worked at SEI Investments and Morgan Stanley. He has a BA in Economics from Brigham Young University and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Richard L. Anderson, CPA, MBA

Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations

Rick Anderson is responsible for capital and operating budget preparation and oversight of a number of enterprise and university units. Enterprise units include engineering and facilities, risk management and information services. University units include finance, university operations and strategic analytics and process improvement. He ensures the delivery of services and overall support of the university's academic, research and clinical priorities, while leading a team of 1,000 employees and providing leadership in the development and continuous evaluation of short- and long-term strategic financial objectives and sound financial policy, including internal controls and risk management. Additionally, he has broad oversight of all campus physical planning and construction efforts, including collaboration with local and state regulatory agencies.

Anderson has worked in public higher education for more than 30 years in roles of increasing responsibility through accounting, finance, operations and administration. Immediately prior to arriving at MUSC in October 2021, he served as the executive vice president for Finance and administration at the University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Anderson earned both of his degrees from Oklahoma State University; a Master's in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in accounting. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Cathie Cannon, MBA

Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

Cathie came to MUSC from the University of Connecticut, UConn Health system, where she served as the assistant vice president for health marketing, and with substantial experience developing strategic marketing plans, guiding communications work (internal and external), and translating insights into action through digital marketing and process improvement strategies.

She offers MUSC a strong, collaborative mindset and understands the numerous demands and priorities that require communication efforts across the enterprise.

Cathie earned her Master's in business administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her bachelor's degree from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, and two certificates in leadership and business analytics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Patrick J. Cawley, M.D.

Chief Executive Officer, MUSC Health
Executive Vice President, Health Affairs

Dr. Patrick J. Cawley is the chief executive officer of MUSC Health and executive vice president for health affairs of the Medical University of South Carolina. In this role, he oversees all clinical matters as they relate to MUSC.

During his leadership, MUSC has significantly expanded its clinical enterprise with a new children's hospital, multiple ambulatory sites, development of additional clinical affiliates, and numerous novel joint ventures. Additionally, MUSC has become a national leader in telehealth and has continued as South Carolina's #1 hospital/health system per U.S. News and World Report. Under Dr. Cawley's leadership, MUSC continues to receive a number of quality awards across all domains of quality: safety, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, timeliness, and patient centeredness.

Michael A. de Arellano, Ph.D.

Chief Organizational Excellence Officer

Michael A. de Arellano, Ph.D., serves as chief organizational excellence officer for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and MUSC Health and leads the Division of Organizational Engagement and Excellence. Under his leadership, the Division of Organizational Engagement and Excellence spearheads strategic initiatives aimed at helping every member of the MUSC feeling genuinely welcomed and engaged, with the goal of every member of the MUSC family feeling genuinely welcomed, included and engaged, promoting a profound sense of belonging. He and his team partner with leaders across the academic health system to increase health care access and quality and to improve health outcomes for all South Carolinians.

De Arellano came to MUSC in 1995, and he joined the faculty in 1998 as a clinical psychologist at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVC) in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. His health disparities work at the NCVC has focused on increasing access to evidence-based mental health services for trauma-exposed youth and families from traditionally underserved backgrounds through a variety of in-person (e.g., home-based, school-based) and virtual (e.g., telehealth) programs. In addition, he currently provides training and technical assistance to communities affected by mass violence, in his role in the National Mass Violence Center. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology at the University of Miami, and he earned his master's and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He interned and completed his postdoctoral fellowship in traumatic stress at the NCVC at MUSC.

Visit the Division of Organizational Engagement and Excellence

Annette R. Drachman, MHA, JD

General Counsel

As the General Counsel for the Medical University of South Carolina, Ms. Drachman serves as the chief legal officer for MUSC and is responsible for the legal affairs of the academic, research and clinical components of the University and Hospital Authority. Prior to her appointment as General Counsel in 2012, Ms. Drachman served as the Director of Legal Affairs and Associate General Counsel for Healthcare with the Medical University Hospital Authority. She has been an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Healthcare Leadership and Management of the College of Health Professions at MUSC since 1999.

Ms. Drachman legal practice focuses primarily on governance, higher education and health law issues.

Ms. Drachman has a Bachelor's degree in history and economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a law degree from the University of South Carolina, and a Master's degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina.

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Jonathan Edwards, M.D., MBA

MUSC Physicians President, Chair, Department of Neurology

As an epileptologist, Dr. Edwards is a member of the South Carolina Neurological Association, the American Epilepsy Society, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. He has served on the scientific committee of several organizations, including the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and has been a board member and examiner for the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology and for ABRET. He recently served as president of the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society. Dr. Edwards has won numerous awards for teaching, research and patient advocacy.

Jesse Goodwin, Ph.D.

Chief Innovation Officer

Jesse Goodwin has spent more than a decade engaged in innovation across a broad range of medical therapies, with applications in academia and industry. She has a demonstrated track record for driving improved outcome metrics. Under her leadership, the Office of Innovation serves as a catalyst for innovations that ultimately create value for the MUSC enterprise, patients, and students. The office is charged with providing leadership and coordination of a robust innovation ecosystem supporting both intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship across the tripartite mission. Ultimately, the office aims to build a nationally recognized culture and capacity for innovation and facilitate the development of processes, technologies and strategies that produce real-world beneficial impact for those that MUSC serves.

Prior to accepting the role of chief innovation officer at MUSC, Goodwin was vice president of development for the Zucker Institute for Applied Neurosciences. Goodwin also served as the deputy director for the MUSC Foundation for Research Development, the university's technology transfer office.

Prior to joining MUSC, Goodwin was the director of the medical device practice of a Boston-based intellectual property consulting firm. Goodwin received her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Stony Brook University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Harvard-MIT HST program.

Eugene S. Hong, M.D.

Chief Physician Executive, MUSC Physicians

Dr. Hong is the Chief Physician Executive for MUSC Physicians and MUSC Health. In this position, he oversees the practice plan and serves as a senior leader in the health system. Hong is a leading authority on concussions, cardiac issues in athletes, overuse injuries and sports-injury prevention and has worked for decades as a team physician. He comes to MUSC from Drexel University in Philadelphia, where he was an endowed chair and professor in the Department of Family, Community and Preventive Medicine. He also served as chief of the division of primary care sports medicine, chair of the Drexel University Physician Board and associate dean for primary care and community health.

Timothy Stemmler, Ph.D.

Vice President for Research

As vice president for research, Dr. Timothy Stemmler serves as MUSC's chief scientific officer, overseeing all its associated divisions, which include responsibility for accreditation and regulatory affairs, university-wide promotion of research across all colleges and centers, representing the president and provost on internal and external research matters, and identifying institutional research strategies and benchmarks in relation to the MUSC strategic plan.

Dr. Stemmler received his graduate degree in Biophysical Chemistry from the University of Michigan under the supervision of Dr. James Penner-Hahn and completed his NIH postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Utah under the supervision of Dr. Wesley Sundquist. Prior to joining MUSC, he spent over 25 years at Wayne State University, where he held leadership roles including interim vice president for research, associate dean of the graduate school, and associate dean for research in the college of pharmacy and health sciences.

Dr. Stemmler's research is internationally recognized, particularly his work on iron-sulfur biosynthesis to advance the understanding of protein functional deficiencies in the genetic disease Friedreich's ataxia. His interdisciplinary approach has combined biochemical, biophysical, and structural tools, contributing significantly to scientific discovery and the training of future research leaders.

With consistent funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Heart Association, Dr. Stemmler's career reflects a substantial and lasting impact on the scientific community. His research collaborations span over 60 research groups worldwide, underscoring his ability to build meaningful partnerships and foster innovation across disciplines.

Lisa K. Saladin, Ph.D., FAPTA, FASAHP, PT

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost

Lisa K. Saladin, PT, Ph.D. is the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost for the Medical University of South Carolina. In this role, Dr. Saladin serves as the chief academic officer, responsible for institutional vision setting, strategic planning, oversight and investment for education and biomedical research. The Vice President for Research, Associate Provost for Educational Affairs and Student Life and the deans of the six colleges report to the Provost.

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Terrence E. Steyer, M.D.

Dean, College of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs

Dr. Steyer serves as Dean of the College of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at the Medical University of South Carolina, where he also holds the Gregory-Chandler Endowed Chair in Family Medicine. He is responsible for the educational and research missions of the College of Medicine and also provides strategic clinical leadership for MUSC–Physicians, the faculty practice of the Medical University of South Carolina.

A graduate of Allegheny College (BS in Mathematics) and Case Western Reserve University (MD), Dr. Steyer completed his family medicine residency training at Wake Forest University and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Michigan. Prior to being named Dean and Vice President for Medical Affairs, Dr. Steyer served MUSC as Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Chief of the Primary Care Integrated Center of Clinical Excellence (ICCE). Dr. Steyer is an active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, for which he served as National President from 2009-2010. He is an active researcher in the area of health care policy and leadership development for health care professionals, and his current work includes research on the evolution of primary care medicine at MUSC.

Mark Sweatman, MPA

Vice President of Government Affairs and Senior Advisor to the Board of Trustees

Mark has over 25 years of governmental and lobbying experience, having worked for the SC Senate, SC Governor's Office, and US Senate. He came to MUSC in 2007 from the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, where he served as a lobbyist. He was elected by MUSC's Board of Trustees in 2014 to serve as its Secretary and in 2022 was appointed to the position of Senior Advisor to the Board of Trustees. During his tenure at MUSC, Mark has secured many appropriations for MUSC, including funding for a statewide telehealth network and for the Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital.

Mark holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina. A native of Chapin, SC, Mark and his wife Lisa live in Columbia with their three children.