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Office of the Vice President for Research

About

South Carolina Research Foundation

The South Carolina Research Foundation is an element in the university's strategy for research growth, supporting faculty efforts, and helping faculty with their scholarship goals.

Formed in 1991, the South Carolina Research Foundation (SCRF) is a major initiative to increase the support for faculty doing research at USC. The SCRF provides greater flexibility and competitiveness in implementing research grants and contracts, building infrastructure, and developing intellectual property for the faculty. Responsibilities of the SCRF include USC's intellectual technology licensing program.

The SCRF is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from public- and private-sector leadership to bring the broad range of backgrounds, expertise and perspectives necessary to make strategic decisions. The board includes six external and five internal members. The five internal members are the USC President, the Vice President for the Division of Research, the Foundations President, a member of the USC Board of Trustees and a member of the Council of Academic Deans.

 

S.C. Research Foundation Board of Directors

UofSC President Michael Amiridis

Dr. Michael Amiridis, Ph.D., President, University of South Carolina

Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison • Former Chancellor of the University of Illinois Chicago (2015-2022) • Former University of South Carolina Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (2009-2015) • American Institute of Chemical Engineers Fellow (2015) • American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow (2012)

Mr. David Black

Mr. David Black, Former President, Liberty Life Insurance Company

B.S. in Economics (summa cum laude), Clemson University • Executive Program at the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia • J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law • Vice President, Hollings Cancer Center Advisory Board, Medical University of South Carolina • Member, Trevillian Cabinet, College of Business and Behavioral Sciences, Clemson University

Jason Caskey

Mr. Jason Caskey, President and Chief Executive Officer of University Foundations

B.S. in Accounting, University of South Carolina • Former financial services practice leader for Elliott Davis accounting firm • Board member, United Way of the Midlands • Former board member of the Central Carolina Community Foundation and the USC Business Partnership Foundation • Darla Moore School of Business Distinguished Young Alumnus Award

Interim Provost Stephen J. Cutler

Dr. Stephen J. Cutler, Ph.D., Dean, USC College of Pharmacy

B.S. in Chemistry, University of Georgia  • Ph.D. in Pharmacy, University of Georgia • Dean, USC College of Pharmacy • USC Vice President for Economic Development • American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 2022 James E. Wynn Memorial Award •  Former USC Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Mr. Kester S. Freeman

Mr. Kester S. Freeman, Executive Director, South Carolina Institute of Medicine & Public Health

B.S. in Economics, College of William and Mary • Master of Health Administration, Duke University • Founding CEO of Palmetto Health • Founding chairman of the Carolina HealthChoice Network board of directors • Distinguished Service Award, South Carolina Hospital Association   

Dr. Julius Fridriksson

Dr. Julius Fridriksson, Ph.D., Vice President for Research, University of South Carolina

B.A., Communicative Disorders, University of Central Florida • M.A., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Central Florida • Ph.D., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Arizona • SmartState Endowed Chair of Memory and Brain Function • USC Health Sciences Distinguished Professor • Co-Director, McCausland Center for Brain Imaging University of South Carolina 

Dick Jones

Mr. Richard A. Jones, Jr., Sr. Attorney, Dobson, Jones, Ball, Phillips & Bridges

Attorney • B.S., business administration, USC, 1968 • J.D., USC School of Law, 1972 • Board of Trustees member since 2018

Alain Litwin portrait photo

Dr. Alain Litwin, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Director of the Addiction Medicine Center, Prisma Health

 B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1992 • M.D., Tulane University School of Medicine, 1997 • Professor, Department of Medicine, University of South Carolina • Professor, Clemson University School of Health Research • Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow

Portrait photo of Brent Powers

Dr. Brent Powers, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Lexington Health

B.A., Chemistry and German, Wake Forest University (Magna Cum Laude) • M.D., Bowman Gray School of Medicine (AOA) • MBA, Babcock Graduate School of Management (With Distinction in Finance) • Board chair, SC Physician Alliance • Board member, Transitions Homeless Shelter • Board member, SC Hospital Association • Previous Examiner with Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program • Previous Trustee with Lexington District One School Board • Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives • Fellow of the American College of Physicians

Portrait photo of Ashley Teasdel

Mrs. Ashely Teasdel, MBA, Deputy Secretary of Commerce, South Carolina Department of Commerce

B.B.A. in Business Administration and Management, Charleston Southern University • MBA, Southern Wesleyan University • BB&T Leadership Development Institute graduate • South Carolina Economic Development Institute graduate • South Carolina Certified Public Managers Program graduate 

Bhavna Vasudeva

Ms. Bhavna Vasudeva, United Real Estate of Columbia

B.A. in Advertising and Public Relations, University of South Carolina • Licensed Realtor • South Carolina Arts Commission • Free Medical Clinic Board • Central Carolina Community Foundation Community Impact Chair 


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