The Office for the Vice President of Research is proud to announce the 2014 Breakthrough Leadership in Research Award Recipients. These eight outstanding senior faculty members have made a tremendous impact on research efforts at the University of South Carolina and the community beyond. These faculty members not only excel in research in their respective fields, but also continuously go above and beyond their traditional academic responsibilities. They show exemplary leadership through interdisciplinary collaborations, mentoring junior faculty and reaching out to communities and diverse populations.
USC Vice President for Research, Prakash Nagarkatti, congratulated the 2014 award recipients, saying, “These exceptional senior faculty members display a serious commitment to research innovation, and go out of their way to enhance research at USC and its impact on their colleagues and communities at large. Such dedication is a major contributor to the University of South Carolina being recognized as a premiere research institution.”
USC President Harris Pastides echoed this sentiment, noting, “Research leaders like those included in this distinguished group give our university an edge in competing for research funding and make USC an attractive neighbor for innovative businesses and other economic drivers. Their leadership also helps us recruit outstanding junior faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, raising our profile ever higher, and ensuring a rich academic experience across our campuses.”
This year’s Breakthrough Leadership in Research Award recipients have spent years conducting impressive research in a wide variety of disciplines from the humanities to medicine. Their nationally and internationally recognized work aims to generate breakthroughs in high-impact research areas like cancer, HIV and cardiovascular disease, statistical applications to combat health care fraud, health policy impacts on low-income and vulnerable patient populations, sustainable energy development through fuel cells and renewables, disaster recovery and supply chain management.
Congratulations to the 2014 Breakthrough Leadership in Research Award Recipients
Kim Creek, Ph.D., Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences, SC College of Pharmacy
Don Edwards, Ph.D., Department of Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences
James Knapp, Ph.D., Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
Ana Lòpez-De Fede, Ph.D., Institute for Families and Society, College of Social Work
Manoj Malhotra, Ph.D., Department Management Science, Darla Moore School of Business
Branko Popov, Ph.D., Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing
Mark Smith, Ph.D., Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Frank Spinale, MD, Ph.D., Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, School of Medicine
13 October 2014