Beloved by his work family at the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE), Dave Murday passed away unexpectedly in January of this year – just two months
shy of his 71st birthday. The health policy and services researcher leaves behind a loss of expertise,
but more profoundly, a legacy in the rich organizational culture he helped cultivate
over the past 30 years.
“Dave Murday was truly a one-of-a-kind original,” says Lee Pearson, executive director of operations and accreditation. “His amazing insights and expansive
knowledge were only outpaced by his unique brand of humor – which often caught the
less-seasoned colleague off guard. Dave had a rare ability to make a seemingly swampy
problem appear interesting and, at times, even fun. His enthusiasm for his work was
reflected in the approach he took to mentoring others, always wanting to instill in
them the same passion and commitment that he demonstrated. As one of those mentored
by Dave early on in my career at USC, I owe him an immense debt of gratitude. He was
actually the person who hired me into the Arnold School back in 2003. Dave helped
to pave the way for the many opportunities that I have had to serve this school, and
I wish I had thanked him more often for that tremendous gift.”
Pearson’s sentiments are echoed by many who knew Murday, whether as students, colleagues
or collaborators. He is best known for his vibrant personality, which he channeled
into mentoring and friendship in both loud and quiet ways.
Dave created an organizational culture that I loved, and his values as a director
and as a person inspired my own leadership style and influenced my desire to stay
with CARE for the past 25 years. He really believed that if you want to keep people,
you have to show them how you value them, and he really taught me ways to do that.
Pamela Gillam, director for CARE
Murday studied political science and psychology at Rutgers University before heading
South to work at a community mental health center in rural Georgia. He then made the
move to South Carolina, where he served as a research assistant for the Medical, Military,
Public & Municipal Affairs Committee in the SC House of Representatives while working
on his Ph.D. in Clinical/Community Psychology at USC.
After graduating in 1983, he was elevated to director of research for the committee,
making a lateral move two years later to the Joint Legislative Health Care Planning
& Oversight Committee in the SC General Assembly, where he would stay for 10 years.
When that committee was disbanded in 1995, Murday returned to USC as a research associate
with the Center for Health Services & Policy Research (which would eventually become
CARE).
He spent the remainder of his career with the center – first as part of the President’s
Office and then when it transitioned to the Arnold School of Public Health in 2000.
He quickly moved up to assistant director and then director – leading the center until
he “retired” in 2009.
Murday’s “retirement” included a year as the interim chair for the Department of Health Services Policy and Management and 15 years of staying on with CARE as a research associate and advisor. He was
a twice-weekly presence in the office until his death – offering friendship and expert
input with enthusiasm and wisdom.
Pictured with Pamela Gillam (left) and Lauren Workman (right), Dave Murday was a treasured
presence in the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation.
Pamela Gillam, the director of CARE for the past 14 years, met Murday when he hired her as a graduate
assistant for a joint project between the center and the South Carolina Department
of Health and Environmental Control (renamed the Department of Public Health in 2024)
back in 2000. She was a student in USC’s Master of Public Administration program,
and the center had just made the move to the Arnold School.
“He hired me as the full-time program coordinator for the grant and helped me stay
funded until I learned – through his mentorship – how to secure my own grants,” Gillam
says. “Dave created an organizational culture that I loved, and his values as a director
and as a person inspired my own leadership style and influenced my desire to stay
with CARE for the past 25 years. He really believed that if you want to keep people,
you have to show them how you value them, and he really taught me ways to do that.”
Murday made a similar impact on Lauren Workman, a research assistant professor and CARE’s associate director who joined CARE as
a graduate research assistant in 2012. Workman was a doctoral student with the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior and remembers that she and Murday hit it off right away.
“He slowly adopted me and took me under his wing,” Workman says. “Dave was always
advocating for my professional development and career progression.”
When I say he was generous, I mean that he mentored every person who came to his door
– whether that was at work or out in the community. I feel so lucky to have hit the
jackpot with a workplace that is enjoyable and allows me to do interesting work, alongside
people who are not only co-workers but family. Dave built that.
Lauren Workman, associate director for CARE
One night, Workman was plugging away at her first grant proposal. Despite the late
hour and being a retiree, Murday just happened to be in his office – quietly and conveniently
available each time she popped over with a question. Sometimes his mentorship style
was outspoken, and sometimes it was silent – depending on what others needed.
“I’ve always said that when you asked Dave for his two cents, he would give you 50,”
Workman says fondly. “But I’m also looking back at all of the quiet ways he mentored
everyone around him.”
Dave Murday joined the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (previously known
as the Center for Health Services & Policy Research) in 1995.
After Workman’s parents passed away, Murday took on another role in her life: “grandfriend”
to her young children and father figure to Workman. He generously shared his time
in this way, too, Workman says.
To Gillam’s kids, he was “Uncle Dave” – underscoring how CARE’s close work relationships
transcended beyond the office walls. And it was Murday who introduced the team to
one of their most treasured traditions – celebrating birthdays and other special occasions
with homemade ice cream.
Though he remained committed to work beyond his official retirement date, Murday began
to really embrace new hobbies over the past 10 years. He went skiing, camping, and
on river cruises with his siblings and partner, Claire Prince. Murday devoted even
more time to his service work at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where he taught religious
education and attended daily mass.
“When I say he was generous, I mean that he mentored every person who came to his
door – whether that was at work or out in the community,” Workman says. “I feel so
lucky to have hit the jackpot with a workplace that is enjoyable and allows me to
do interesting work, alongside people who are not only co-workers but family. Dave
built that.”
Colleagues and friends share their memories and thoughts about Dave Murday:
Dr. Dave Murday hired me as a Clinical Instructor and to help manage the MHA program
back in 2011 when he was the Interim Chair of HSPM. From that moment on, he was an
invaluable resource to me, as this was my first job in academia (my previous work
experience was in the private industry), and he was always so helpful and gracious
with his time. He guided and mentored me in this new role, and I will never forget
his wit and humor. He made the job fun and interesting, and I learned so much at the
same time! When I moved on to a new job at the SC Department of Health and Human Services,
he still kept in touch and always wanted to know how I was doing. That says so much
about his character. He really cared about his colleagues and showed great compassion
for them. I recently accepted an adjunct faculty part-time teaching position in HSPM
this semester, so I was really looking forward to reconnecting with Dave. I was very
sad to hear of his passing. He will be greatly missed!
Amanda Williams
His door was always open. Literally and figuratively. His shared experiences were
a valuable resource to all who dropped by. And along with his quick wit, he was a
delight to work with.
Holly Pope, CARE colleague
Dave was my hero. The SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy was incubated in the USC
Institute of Public Affairs from 1994-1998, and my office was right next door to his.
Dave drafted the language for our bill that created County Grants for Adolescent Pregnancy
Prevention to provide funding to local prevention programs in all 46 counties. He
took a highly contentious issue and brilliantly crafted the bill such that people
with differing political philosophies could support its passage. It was Dave's expertise
and political savvy that was responsible for ensuring that boots on the ground organizations
had the resources they needed to help our kids make good decisions. As a result, South
Carolina realized a 73% decrease in teen births, the most significant decrease in
the Southeast. Dave made an immeasurable impact on thousands of young lives. I, for
one, will be forever grateful for him and for all he did to improve the health and
well-being of South Carolina's children.
Joy Campbell
Dave and I had a long history of working together on state data and research projects
in the health care field. I worked in the Office of Research and Statistics in the
Budget and Control Board. We were in the business of building a statewide integrated
data warehouse to provide innovative data for healthcare research and state program
outcomes. From his perch as staff to a legislative committee, he became a major proponent
of spurring our success, both by using the system, and also making sure we had the
resources to carry it forward. We had a strong bond as colleagues and one of the greatest
privileges of my life after retirement was his invitation to me to serve as a consultant
with USC CORE in spinal cord injury research with MUSC using the data systems we had
worked so hard to build. To see that come full circle and actually provide information
for improving lives was so gratifying. Dave was visionary and a mentor in the truest
sense of unselfishly wanting to make the world better.
Beth Corley
Dave was one of my committee members for my dissertation and he inspired me to study
health policies as interventions designed to change practices, behaviors, and ultimately
health status. He was always willing to help and answer my questions. I recall one
day, at CHSPR, asking him a question that had been bothering me about the methods
for my dissertation. An hour and one fully covered whiteboard later, we had figured
it out both conceptually and methodologically. Doing a dissertation is all about your
own perseverance; Dave felt like a teammate on mine. On a lighter note, I remember
while working for CHSPR, Dave would pop by my cubicle to ask a question or see how
an analysis, grant or report was going, and I could never type or spell well with
a person standing over my shoulder. Dave seemed to know this was true and one day
made a joke about it. I still laugh at that moment when a colleague peers at my computer,
or I peer at others' computers.
Kim Nichols Dauner
Dave took me under his wing when I first joined CHSPR. We did a number of projects
together, including a national training on conducting an evaluation and using a national
nurse staffing methodology. He was our video man for the evaluation series and when
we finished, he put together a collection of "out-takes" that gave all of us who worked
on the project a major chuckle. He could turn our bad moments into something that
gave us all joy!
Sue Haddock
It's hard to measure Dave's true impact. Professionally, he gently pushed me out of
my comfort zone to learn new skills and because of that, I'm able to do work that
I love. But it was his wisdom and compassion that made him special. He always had
a perspective that inspired people to keep going when the work got hard. He was also
happy to share his wisdom on life, parenting, trying to find balance, all with joy.
He took care of the people around him, whether it was bringing coffee, tea, and chocolates
in the office or making people's favorite ice cream for their birthdays. Dave's passing
left a big hole for the people around him. He is greatly missed.
Casey Childers, former colleague at CARE
Dr. Murday was a sounding board and cheerleader for young and ambitious students.
When I served as a graduate student at CARE, Dr. Murday heard my desire to learn more
and advocated that I be placed on an additional project under his guidance. We remained
in close contact when I graduated and frequently met for a brew at Thirsty Fellows
or Savage Craft. His mentorship brought too many gems to name, but a few that stand
out were how he counseled me through the loss of my father and encouraged me to see
a grief therapist. In my drive for success, he reminded me to slow down and celebrate
small wins as I advanced my career. He frequently reminded me of what truly matters
through stories of his beautiful daughters. I even hike now because I couldn't let
all his kayaking stories show me up! Thank you, Dr. Murday; your mentorship made me
a better wife, mother, and advocate.
Chynna Phillips
I served as Director of Research for the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs
Committee ("3M") of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1977-83. During
my tenure, Dave served as a USC intern for the committee while he was a Ph.D. candidate.
After he completed his internship, I hired Dave as the Assistant Research Director.
In 1983, I resigned as the Director of the Committee to attend law school at USC,
and Dave became the Director of the committee. I greatly enjoyed working with Dave,
and he and I remained friends until his death. Dave was intelligent, talented, and
eager to lead, and from working with Dave, I learned to give my direct reports the
opportunity to lead and succeed so that more work can be accomplished. This leadership
lesson served me well later in my career as State Superintendent of Education and
Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Inez Tenenbaum
Dave shaped my career in ways I can never repay – mostly by challenging me, making
me laugh, and never letting me take myself too seriously. His sarcasm was unmatched,
his wisdom invaluable, and his mentorship one of the greatest gifts of my life. I
will always be grateful for the years I had with him and for the lessons (and jokes)
that will stay with me forever. I will carry his legacy with me always.
Maria McClam, CARE colleague
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