Provost's Council

Suzanne Thomas, Ph.D., is the interim executive vice president for Academic Affairs and provost of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Serving as MUSC's chief academic officer, Dr. Thomas oversees MUSC's academic enterprise through the Office of the Provost, providing collaborative leadership and a forward-thinking approach while guiding six colleges (Dental Medicine, Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy) and numerous centers and offices that drive education, research, and innovation. Dr. Thomas works closely with leadership, faculty, staff, and students to foster an environment of interdisciplinary teamwork and support to set academic priorities and pursue strategic initiatives that move forward MUSC's education and research missions. In the president's absence, the provost acts as the Chief Executive Officer for MUSC.

Dr. Thomas received her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University and her doctorate in Experimental Psychology/Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of South Carolina. She is a graduate of the Harvard Leadership Development Institute.

Michael J. Bouchard, Ph.D., FAPTA, directs the College of Graduate Studies, overseeing graduate education and postdoctoral training programs. He supports students and trainees in advancing research, fostering mentorship, and preparing for impactful careers in science and academia.

Catherine Durham, DNP, APRN, FNP, FAAN, is an accomplished health care leader, educator and clinician who currently serves as Dean of the College of Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). With nearly three decades of experience as a nurse and family nurse practitioner, including 27 years of distinguished service in the United States Navy, she has dedicated her career to advancing nursing education, clinical excellence and health care access.

During her military service, Dr. Durham earned recognition for outstanding leadership, receiving honors such as the Navy’s Rising Star and Excellence in Nursing Awards, multiple Meritorious Service Medals, Teaching Excellence Awards and Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.

Since assuming leadership of MUSC’s College of Nursing in 2023, Dr. Durham has guided the college through significant growth and advancement. Under her leadership, the college has expanded graduate offerings, including the addition of an Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (ACPNP) track in the DNP and MSN programs.

Dr. Durham’s career reflects an unwavering dedication to advancing the nursing profession, strengthening health care systems and improving access to care. Her leadership continues to inspire future generations of nurses, while her vision and commitment ensure that MUSC’s College of Nursing remains at the forefront of innovation, research and service to the community.

Read More: Dr. Catherine Durham, Navy veteran and graduate nursing practice leader, named new MUSC College of Nursing dean.

Philip D. Hall, Pharm.D., FCCP, is professor and dean of the College of Pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, South Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Georgia and Doctor of Pharmacy from the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University). He served as an oncology pharmacy resident at the Audie L. Murphy Veterans Administration Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and completed a fellowship in cancer immunotherapy research at the University of Texas Health Science in San Antonio and the University of Texas College of Pharmacy.

As an academician, Dr. Hall’s passion and commitment to pharmacy education is evident by his work at MUSC over the past 32 years. Since joining the faculty, he has risen from assistant professor to tenured professor and held multiple administrative roles with both the MUSC College of Pharmacy and South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP). As associate dean and subsequently MUSC campus dean within the SCCP, he played a significant leadership role in developing the joint SCCP curriculum and program assessment while overseeing admissions and mentoring students. In 2016, he formally became dean of the MUSC College of Pharmacy upon its re-accreditation as an independent institution.

Board certified in both pharmacotherapy and oncology pharmacy, Dr. Hall is an accomplished writer, presenter, and researcher with over 120 publications, book chapters, & presentations. He is an acclaimed instructor, receiving a number of classroom and bedside teaching awards including professor/teacher/preceptor of the year 10 times and is a Fellow in the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.

Sarandeep S. Huja, D.D.S., Ph.D., has served as professor of the Department of Orthodontics and dean of the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) since October 2017.

Dr. Huja initially received his dental (1987) and orthodontic (1992) training from the Government Dental College and Hospital, Bombay. From 1993 to 2001, he was associated with three U.S. institutions, receiving his Master of Science (1995) from Marquette University, his Doctor of Philosophy in Dental Science (1999) and Orthodontic Certificate (1999) from Indiana University, and his Doctor of Dental Surgery (2001) from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry. His Ph.D. was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. David Burr from the Department of Anatomy and Dr. W. Eugene Roberts in Orthodontics from Indiana University. From 2001 to 2011, he served as faculty at the Ohio State University, working under the mentorship of Dr. Katherine Vig, a world-renowned orthodontist and educator. In 2011, he joined the University of Kentucky as chief of the Division of Orthodontics. In 2016, he was appointed the program director of Orthodontics and associate dean for Faculty and Student Development and Graduate Studies at the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Huja has served as advisor for both the Ph.D. and Master's graduate students and taught Orthodontics and Bone Biology to dental and graduate students. His research seeks to understand bone remodeling, osteoclast biology, and adaptation to physical forces, including tooth movement. His students have been recognized with national awards for projects related to tooth movement and implant adaptation biology. He also served as the president of the Craniofacial Biology Group of the International Association of Dental Research.
At MUSC, Dr. Huja has worked on the expansion of off-peninsula oral and dental clinics at Ryan White and in West Ashley and Summerville. He also recently moved the college to an integrated electronic health record system, Epic Wisdom, and is focusing the college's attention on rural expansion throughout the state and integration into MUSC Health facilities.

Dr. Huja is a member of the Midwest component of the E.H. Angle Society and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. He also maintains an intramural faculty practice.

Shannon D. Jones, EdD, MLS, AHIP, FMLA, serves as Chair of the Academic Affairs Faculty for the Medical University of South Carolina. She is also the director for Region 2 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine. Before she arrived at MUSC, she worked as the Associate Director for Research and Education for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Health Sciences Library in Richmond.

A long-time volunteer of the Medical Library Association, Dr. Jones has served the Association in many capacities, including the 2022-2023 MLA President.  During her term as MLA President, she established the Be Well MLA initiative to encourage MLA members to prioritize their wellness and well-being.  In 2018, she co-founded the MLA Reads Virtual Book Discussion Club to provide a forum where participants engage in critical conversations related to their work as information professionals and in their personal lives. She is the co-editor of Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success and Cultural Humility in Libraries. She focuses her research on staff recruitment and retention, belonging in libraries, wellness and wellbeing for information professionals, and leadership in academic health sciences libraries.

Dr. Zoher Kapasi is the Dean of College of Health Professions at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.

Before becoming the dean, Dr. Kapasi served as the Director and Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy and Vice Chair of Education of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Physical Therapy from the University of Bombay, India, Ph.D. in Anatomy/Immunobiology from Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and Executive MBA from the Goizueta Business School, Emory University, Atlanta. He did post-doctoral work in Immunology at Basel Institute for Immunology, Switzerland and Medical College of Virginia. After graduation, his research focused on age-related changes in immune function and the effects of exercise and nutrition on the immune system.

Currently, Dr. Kapasi serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Humanities in Rehabilitation. Dr. Kapasi has taught human anatomy, advanced human anatomy, and business management for the physical therapist in the physical therapy program. In 2014, Emory University School of Medicine conferred the Dean’s Teaching Award to Dr. Kapasi. In 2017, Emory University conferred the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award and the Atlanta Business Chronicle awarded the Health Care Heroes Allied Health Professional Award. An active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Dr. Kapasi has served as the secretary of American Council of Academic Physical Therapy and chaired the Education Leadership Partnership of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Sharlene Wedin, PsyD, ABPP, leads efforts to support student success and well-being across MUSC. She oversees the Office of Interprofessional Initiatives, the Office of Student Engagement, the Center for the Advancement of Teaching & Learning, the Center for Academic Excellence & Writing Center, the Student Health & Well-being Care Center, and the Wellness Center to ensure students have the tools, resources, and support needed to thrive.

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.

Terrence E. "Terry" Steyer, M.D., is a graduate of Allegheny College (BS in Mathematics) and Case Western Reserve University (MD). He completed his family medicine residency training at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Michigan. Dr. Steyer began his academic career at the Medical University of South Carolina, serving as the director of the Trident – MUSC Transitional Year Residency and director of a medical school course on evidence-based medicine.

In 2009, he was recruited to the Medical College of Georgia – University of Georgia Medical Partnership where he served as the founding chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences. In this role, Dr. Steyer developed and managed the third- and fourth-year medical school curriculum for a new branch campus of the Medical College of Georgia.

Dr. Steyer was recruited back to MUSC in 2014 to serve as chair of the Department of Family Medicine and was named the first Gregory-Chandler Endowed Chair in Family Medicine in 2015. In 2017, he was named chief of the Primary Care Integrated Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE) and President of Carolina Family Care. In these roles, Dr. Steyer has served as leader of primary care efforts across MUSC Health. In 2021, he was elected by his peers to serve as president of MUSC Physicians, the faculty group practice. He was appointed Interim Dean of the College of Medicine in April of 2022 and, following a national search, was elected Dean of the College of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs by the MUSC Board of Trustees in December of 2022.

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 2009-10. He is an active researcher in the area of health care policy and leadership development for health care professionals. His current work includes research on the evolution of primary care medicine at MUSC.

He is married to Kelly Clifton Steyer, an RN, and has two college-aged sons.

Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center and the Associate Provost of Cancer Programs at MUSC. As a physician-scientist, Dr. DuBois is passionate about cancer research and patient-centered care. He drives the strategy to strengthen and grow Hollings impact on cancer care in South Carolina.

An internationally known scientist, Dr. DuBois has made significant contributions to understanding the role of inflammation and inflammatory mediators in the progression of colon cancer and other gastrointestinal malignancies. His work has led to a better understanding of the molecular basis for anti-inflammatory agents, such as aspirin, in reducing cancer risk. It has also led to clinical trials showing how drugs that inhibit this pathway could prevent or intercept the cancerization process.

Dr. DuBois has over 160 peer-reviewed research articles out of 274 publications, more than 72 review articles, 25 book chapters, and three books during his career, and his work has been cited over 70,000 times with an H-index of 120. He is also a co-inventor of a method to identify and target cellular genes needed for viral growth and cellular genes that function as tumor suppressors in mammals, which led to the creation of a biotech company that utilized this technology to discover new drug targets for the treatment of cancer and viral infections.

DuBois has been recognized with numerous awards for his cancer research, including the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Research Award, the Dorothy P. Landon-AACR Cancer Prize, the Margaret Foti Award for Leadership and Extraordinary Achievements in Cancer Research, the AACR Distinguished Service Award, and the Anthony Dipple Carcinogenesis Award from Oxford University Press. He was inducted as a National Academy of Medicine member in 2019. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Academy of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Gastroenterology Association, and the Royal College of Physicians (London). In addition, he currently holds the position of Executive Chair of the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and was previously Vice Chair of the Stand Up to Cancer Foundation as well as President and Chair of the AACR Foundation Board.

Dr. DuBois earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with honors from Texas A&M University, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and a medical degree from The University of Texas School of Medicine in San Antonio. In addition, he completed his internship/residency in medicine and a gastroenterology fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he studied under Nobel Laureate Daniel Nathans as a Howard Hughes Research Associate.

Hometown: Vicksburg, Mississippi
When did you join MUSC? 2006

What's your favorite part about working in global health? 
For me, it’s all about the mission and knowing the work we’re doing is making a meaningful impact. One of the things I truly love about this field is the collaborative nature of the work and the ability to build relationships across so many disciplines. I’m fortunate to partner with so many talented faculty and students at MUSC and with global colleagues who are equally passionate about driving innovative solutions in global health. Every day brings the opportunity to get to know people from different cultures and backgrounds and to learn from their experiences.

What advice would you give to an international student or faculty member coming to MUSC for the first time? 
It can be daunting to move to a new country and to navigate a new culture and language. My advice is to keep an open mind and meet as many people as you can. Charleston is a wonderful city to explore. Get involved in local activities. Try as many things as you can outside of your comfort zone, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.

What is your favorite place to travel?
It’s impossible to pick a favorite – there are too many wonderful places. But if I had to give a top five list, I would surely start with Spain. My husband is from the northwest coast, and we spend time there each year visiting family, hiking in the mountains, and enjoying the sea. Next on the list includes Turkey, Morocco, Thailand and Tanzania.

How do you like to spend your free time? 
Paddleboarding, kayaking and anything that involves water! Endless adventures with my six-year-old son – ranging from scavenger hunts, kids’ science experiments to answering the endless stream of “why” questions and wondering how long the Socratic method will hold up! Any other free time I have is spent reading, spending time with family and friends, my perpetual (but failing) quest to acquire a green thumb in gardening and cheering on my alma mater Notre Dame during football season.

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.

J. Michael McGinnis, MBA, oversees the financial strategy and operations of MUSC's academic enterprise. In addition to leading budgeting and resource planning efforts, he directs various administrative functions.

Michael G. Schmidt earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington and rose through the ranks of the Medical University of South Carolina earning the title of tenured professor of microbiology and immunology. He was elected to fellowship in the American Academy of Microbiology and the American College of Dentists. Currently, he is leading an inter-institutional/ interdisciplinary team of professionals investigating the role that microbes associated with objects present in the built clinical environment play in the acquisition of a healthcare associated infections (HAI). This interdisciplinary team of infectious disease specialists, infection control professionals, architects and engineers are building on the success of previous multi-center clinical trials where he and his colleagues established that by controlling burden in the built clinical environment, through the introduction of the limited and targeted placement of solid copper alloys, they were able to significantly reduce HAI acquisition rates by 58%. The results from this study were the basis of a talk he provided to TEDxCharleston and featured in articles in the Smithsonian Magazine and Vice.

Dr. Schmidt is active in the educational missions of the Colleges of Dentistry, Graduate Studies and Medicine at MUSC. He serves as an invited reviewer to the literature of his field and has served his professional society, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) in a variety of roles. He is the immediate past Chair of the Council for Microbial Sciences (2019-2020) where he recently led, in concert with the Vice Chair, Suzanne Fleiszig COMS efforts in convening a global summit on SARs-CoV-2 in March 2020. He served 3 terms as the chair of the Branch Organization Committee, was a member the Communications Committee, co-chaired the development of their career poster, and facilitated the revision of the society’s public website, Microbeworld.org. He has led numerous, national workshops on the use of information technology in medicine, microbiology and infectious diseases (FEMA), has twice been a panelist on Science Friday, was the former content editor for Microbeworld radio, and for the past 9 years been a regular contributor to the internationally recognized podcast This Week In Microbiology (TWiM).

His most significant publications/patents have been in the area of the control of healthcare associated infections, phage therapy and the mineralization of vapor phase solvents. He has also published an OP-ED with the sitting Governor of AR and former Asst. Secretary of DHS, Asa Hutchinson, on the topic of crisis/disaster preparation. His work has been funded by the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NIH , the private sector and most recently the Department of Justice where he is providing direction and service as a content expert in the areas of crimes involving biological, chemical, explosive, and/or radiological interventions to the Mass Violence Resource Center supported by the Office of Victims of Crime.