Contact: Jeff Watkins
843.792.3906
May 1, 2007
CHARLESTON -- Approximately 700 students are expected to receive degrees from the Medical University of South Carolina's six colleges during commencement exercises scheduled for 9 a.m. May 18 on the university's Horseshoe.
Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, the 17th surgeon general of the United States, will deliver the commencement address. He will receive a Doctor of Medical Science, honoris causa.
Other honorees include:
•Vice Adm. Albert J. Baciocco Jr., USN (retired), and a member of MUSC's Foundation for Research Development, Doctor of Science, honoris causa;
•S.C. Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter of Orangeburg, Doctor of Humane Letters;
•Jordan J. Cohen, MD, president emeritus, Association of American Medical Colleges, Doctor of Medical Science, honoris causa;
•S.C. Rep. Harry B. ìChipî Limehouse III, Doctor of Humane Letters;
•and Jerry Zucker, CEO, The Intertech Group, Inc., Doctor of Science, honoris causa.
The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Carmona in 2002 to become the 17th surgeon general. He completed his four-year term in July 2006. One of the primary health concerns he addressed during his tenure was the danger of secondhand smoke, which currently is a major issue before the S.C. General Assembly and several municipalities considering bans on smoking in public places. Following service in the U.S. Army during the conflict in Vietnam, he continued his education, ultimately earning his bachelor's and medical degrees at the University of California at San Francisco. During his multifaceted public service career, Carmona has been a professor of surgery, chairman of the Arizona Southern Regional Emergency Medical System and a deputy sheriff. A Fellow in the American College of Surgeons, Carmona currently is vice chairman for Canyon Ranch, a leading health and wellness company for more than 25 years. He also serves as chief executive officer of the company's Health Division and oversees health strategy and policy for all Canyon Ranch businesses. He is president of the nonprofit Canyon Ranch Institute and the recipient of the first Distinguished Professorship in Public Health at the University of Arizona's Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.
About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.
#####