Harris Pastides named University
of South Carolina's
28th president

July 11, 2008

 

Harris Pastides' personal and professional timeline

1954

• Is born Feb. 21 in New York, the first American-born child of a Cypriot immigrant family

1971

• Is the first in his family to attend college, the University at Albany-State University of New York, where he received a New York State Regents Scholarship

1973

• Inducted into Tri-Beta biological honor society

1974

• Graduates from the University at Albany

1975

• Begins graduate school at the Yale University School of Medicine

1977

• Earns his master's degree in public health from Yale

1978

• Earns his master's of philosophy degree in epidemiology from Yale

1980

• Earns his Ph.D. in epidemiology from Yale
• Marries Patricia Moore on April 27
• Named assistant professor of epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst

1982

• Elected Fellow, American College of Epidemiology (FACE)

1986

• Named tenured associate professor of epidemiology, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Credited with discovering the association between women's
  chemical exposure to glycol ether in the workplace and miscarriage; media coverage included stories in The New York Times and Time magazine

1987

• Awarded two-year Fulbright Senior Research Fellowship to study nutritional epidemiology, University of Athens Medical School, Greece

1989

• Served (through 1993) on National Academy of Sciences Committee on Pediatric Respiratory Infections in Developing Nations

1993

• Named chair, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences; and professor of epidemiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst

1994

• During sabbatical and thereafter, consultant for Office of Global and Integrated Environmental Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

1998

• Named dean of the Arnold School of Public Health and professor of epidemiology in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina

2001

• Begins seven-year mentorship of young students, Richland County School District One

2002

• Named Interim Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina
• Senior Investigator for two-year, $2.1 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control to create Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research Center
• Instrumental in securing $10 million gift from Norman J. and Gerry Sue Arnold for the naming rights to the Arnold School of Public Health
• Named to board of directors, South Carolina Governors School for the Arts and Humanities
• Named to board of directors, Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands

2003

• Named Vice President for Research and Health Sciences, University of South Carolina
• Named to board of directors, S.C. River Alliance
• Receives Yale University Public Health Distinguished Alumni Service Award
• Receives James A. Hayne Award for Meritorious Achievement in Public Health, South Carolina Public Health Association
• Co-Principal Investigator on five-year, $2.75 million W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant for W.K. Kellogg African-American Fellowship Development Program
• Adviser on public health and diversity, U.S. Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust

2004

• Co-chairs Columbia Next Energy Initiative, a university-city collaboration for alternative energy research
• Begins three-year stint as interim director, South Carolina Cancer Center
• Receives the University at Albany Distinguished Alumni Award
  (Excellence in Education)

2005

• Helps unveil "Innovista" as official name for new 500-acre research and innovation district
• Announces new Magellan Scholar Program to fund undergraduate research projects of up to $3,000 per student
• Announces $400,000 allocation to fund 18 University of South Carolina faculty research projects to study after effects of Hurricane Katrina
• Named to board of directors, National Hydrogen Association
• Named to Executive Committee of the Council on Research Policy and Graduate Education (CRPGE)

2006

• Under Pastides' leadership, University of South Carolina is named by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement of Teaching as one of only 62 public institutions (and 94 overall) of "very high research activity."
• Named to executive committee of EngenuitySC
• During sabbatical, consultant for Cyprus Institute for Environment and Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health and Cyprus Ministry of Health
• Announces 18 Hurricane Katrina research projects generated an additional $1 million external funding

2008

• Co-Editor of "Fundamentals of Cancer Epidemiology," his 12th published book or book chapter
• Receives Knowledge Economist Award from South Carolina Research Authority on June 4
• Named finalist for presidency of the University of South Carolina on July 9
• Elected University of South Carolina's 28th president on July 11