Beloved provost retires with impressive legacy and plans for future

For Provost Lisa Saladin, PT, Ph.D., retiring wasn’t a simple decision. As second in command at a major medical university, she couldn’t just hand in a two-week notice and walk away. With students, faculty and staff counting on her – and major initiatives still underway – she gave a full year’s notice to see them through. But time was moving quickly. Her mother was 88, and Lisa knew the next chapter needed to center on what mattered most: family.

For 35 years, Saladin has been a voice for change, a steady hand and a warm heart at the Medical University of South Carolina. She spent six years as dean of the College of Health Professions and nine as provost and executive vice president of Academic Affairs, guiding excellence across every corner of the University. But even as she climbed to one of the institution’s highest roles, she never lost sight of what truly matters – people.

Ask anyone – she’s considered a mentor in the truest sense of the word. Saladin doesn’t just give advice but opens doors, listens intently and celebrates others’ successes as if they were her own. Colleagues describe her as the person you turn to for both wise counsel and heartfelt encouragement, someone who can steady the ship in a storm and also remind you to savor the journey. She believes a good leader stands side by side with the people she leads. 

Outstanding leadership

Saladin’s tenure as provost was marked by bold innovation, strategic vision and a relentless commitment to excellence. Through her leadership, she:

• Co-founded MUSC’s Office of Innovation and co-created the AI Research Hub with Clemson University, a collaboration that has already attracted $45 million in external research funding.
• Integrated multiple tech transfer offices into the Zucker Institute for Innovation and Commercialization, strengthening MUSC’s role in moving ideas from the lab to real-world impact.
• Led the creation of the Virtual Reality Anatomy Lab, transforming how students across MUSC learn complex concepts.

Some of Saladin’s contributions were on a larger scale. During COVID-19, she coordinated the University’s entire response – from emergency funding to the distribution of personal protective equipment – ensuring safety, continuity and transparency.

Saladin also launched programs to reduce student debt and created accelerated degree partnerships with state universities. Her office now funds $1.75 million for scholarships across the six colleges. 

Saladin made research a priority as well. Under her leadership, research funding at MUSC grew from $260 million to $360 million – an impressive 72% increase.

David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, MUSC president, reflected on her time at MUSC. “Lisa has been a tireless champion of our educational and research missions and elevated this critical element of MUSC to the level of performance and recognition that places us amongst the best in the nation.”

Global adventures with heart 

Outside of academia, Saladin and her husband, Michael – a psychologist who recently retired from MUSC and her partner in every sense of the word – have lived lives filled with curiosity and compassion. Together, they have traveled the world, not as mere tourists, but as people who invest deeply in the places they visit and the people they meet.

 

They have helped families build homes, supported education for children and stayed connected long after their suitcases were unpacked. She speaks of Peru, Bhutan and Nepal with affection and reverence, describing the beauty of the people as much as the landscapes. She recalls the awe of standing atop Kilimanjaro, tears streaming down her face as the sun rose over Africa, and the quiet wonder of seeing mountain gorillas in Uganda. The humans who shared that land with them captivated her as well.

“The people are beautiful,” she said wistfully. “Smiling, happy, friendly, grateful – always willing to give, even if they have nothing. It sobers you and makes you that much more grateful.”

It’s no surprise that Saladin and her husband share complementary philosophies on the meaning of life. For the provost, it has always been about bringing joy wherever she can; for her husband, it’s about easing the burdens of others and reducing suffering. Together, they have carried those values around the world, striving to leave every place – and every person they encounter – better than they found them.

The next chapter

Not for a second does retirement mean Saladin will prop up her feet every day for a good Netflix binge. Her calendar is already booked well into 2026. Before she even packed up her office, she had plans to mentor young faculty members as well as a new dean at another institution. 

She plans to continue her multi-day treks to the world’s highest peaks and deepen friendships in her own backyard. But above all, she wants to reclaim time – time for her family, time for her friends and, especially, time for her 89-year-old mother, who remains fiercely independent in Florida, with no plans to move in yet with her daughter and her husband. Still, she knows she’ll be welcomed into their home with open arms if and when she’s ready.

“I want to be a better family member, a better friend,” Saladin said. “My work has given me so much, but it has also taken a very precious commodity – time. I want to make up for that.”

Her colleagues are glad to see her have that opportunity. “Lisa has been a mentor, a guide, and a friend to so many of us. Her legacy isn’t just in programs or buildings – it’s in the people she’s shaped and the standards she’s set for what leadership can look like,” said Terrence E. Steyer, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine and vice president for Medical Affairs. “She’s been a role model for scholarship, interprofessionalism and strategic change. We won’t soon forget the meaningful contributions she’s made to this University.”

A lasting legacy

Saladin leaves MUSC with a legacy measured not only in initiatives launched or academic milestones achieved but in the countless lives she has touched. Her leadership has always been about more than strategy or systems – it has been about loyalty, dependability and relationships that endure.

As she turns the page to this next chapter, her story at MUSC closes the way she has lived it: with strength, grace, gratitude and a heart wide open to the people around her.