Gov. bestows highest civilian honor on professor who's dedicated career to helping survivors of trauma, rape

An advocate for trauma survivors, including members of Mother Emanuel AME Church, students struggling in the aftermath of school shootings and music fans who saw a concert in Las Vegas erupt in automatic weapon fire, has been awarded South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.

Dean Kilpatrick, Ph.D., received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, from Gov. Henry McMaster in a ceremony in Columbia. The award honors the Medical University of South Carolina Distinguished University Professor’s extraordinary lifetime service and achievements throughout his 50-year career at MUSC.

Longtime collaborator Vickey Cornelison-Grant nominated Kilpatrick for the award. “Although Dean has received many national and international awards for his research and training and translational work in the field of trauma, it seemed to me that it was time that South Carolina recognized his many contributions.” The nomination was supported by numerous people, including South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson and U.S. Congressman Joe Cunningham.

Kilpatrick's contributions include: 

• Conducting “Rape in America: A Report to the Nation,” an important study that showed how widespread sexual assault is.
• Playing a key role in establishing the South Carolina Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights.
• Collaborating with key state leaders to ensure the marital rape bill passed in South Carolina.
• Working with activists to establish the state’s first rape crisis center, People Against Rape, in 1974.
• Speaking at U.S. Congressional hearings about traumatic stress among veterans and the need for improving criminal justice system treatment of rape victims.
• Mentoring students, researchers and clinicians in the field of trauma.
• Helping to establish criteria for diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Directing the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center.
• Establishing and leading theNational Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC since 1977.

Kilpatrick said he was humbled and honored to receive the prestigious Order of the Palmetto.

“This recognition may be directed at me, but it’s based on collaborative work with friends, colleagues and work that we have done together at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center.”

He thanked those friends and colleagues as well as leaders at MUSC who supported his efforts, then noted that there’s plenty of hard work ahead when it comes to helping survivors of crime and trauma. “It is particularly important during this pandemic, which has created great challenges for victims as well as those who try to serve them,” he said. “We must not rest until every crime victim gets the treatment, services and justice they deserve.”