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MUSC presidential search

MUSC has retained Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), a global leadership advisory firm, to assist with a national search to identify the new president of MUSC.

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About the search

The Medical University of South Carolina has begun a national search for its next president.

Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, the president is accountable for advancing the University's mission of excellence in health professions education, research, and statewide and community impact, with direct responsibility for the performance of all six colleges. Working alongside the CEO of MUSC Health, the president helps carry forward the goals of the OneMUSC strategic plan — positioning MUSC among the nation's top 20 academic health systems and helping South Carolina rank among the top 20 states for health outcomes.

The Board has appointed a search committee to lead this work and has retained Russell Reynolds Associates, a global leadership advisory firm, to assist with the national search. This page will serve as the University's central source of information about the search.

Presidential search committee

James Lemon, D.M.D.

Terri R. Barnes, BS

William Melvin "Mel" Brown III, M.D.

Henry Frederick "Fritz" Butehorn III, M.D.

C. Guy Castles III, M.D.

Richard M. Christian, Jr., M.D.

Ex officio

Charles W. Schulze, CPA

Thomas L. Stephenson, Esq.

Faculty representative

Christopher Cowan, Medicine, PhD, Professor wearing a sport coat and dress shirt

Christopher Cowan, Ph.D.

The opportunity

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, MUSC is South Carolina's only comprehensive academic health system and home to the oldest medical school in the South. Today MUSC encompasses six colleges, 4,200 faculty members, nearly 3,500 students, and more than 1,000 residents and fellows. MUSC is also the state's premier biomedical research institution, with more than $349 million in research funding in FY2026. The University’s budgeted operating revenues for FY2027 are $1.24 billion.

The president will shape the next chapter of MUSC by advancing academic excellence, scientific discovery, education innovation, philanthropy, and statewide health impact. Reporting directly to the Board of Trustees, the president will lead the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine, Health Professions, and Graduate Studies. In partnership with the CEO of MUSC Health, the president will jointly lead institutional efforts to advance MUSC’s integrated mission across this growing enterprise.

MUSC seeks a highly respected physician leader whose career reflects achievement across patient care, scholarship, teaching, and institutional administration. The ideal candidate will have a successful track record of senior-level academic leadership, academic program building, interdisciplinary collaboration, engagement with policymakers, and philanthropy.

42 health sciences degree programs across six colleges
1,315 active clinical trials
4,200 faculty members
#1 MUSC Health University Hospital ranked #1 in SC

U.S. News & World Report

Nominations and applications

MUSC has retained Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), a global leadership advisory firm, to lead a national search to identify the new president of MUSC. RRA welcomes inquiries, nominations, and applications.

To receive full consideration, interested individuals should electronically submit a curriculum vitae and a letter of interest to Sarah Brooks. The letter of interest is a two-page cover letter detailing your experience and key achievements related to this position, and your thoughts on how you see yourself contributing to the programs and responsibilities described in the position specification. Letters should be addressed to the MUSC Presidential Search Committee and submitted electronically.

Materials will be reviewed immediately and on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Serious inquiries only.

Nominate or Apply

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