Sorensen’s transformative tenure

By LAYTON McCURDY - Guest Columnist

During my tenure as chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, I have had the distinct privilege of interacting with some of our state’s most talented and exceptional leaders, our college and university presidents. They each demonstrate unique qualities as they strive to advance the cause of higher education and assure that students are receiving the best possible college education. I commend them all for a job well done. I would like to take this opportunity, however, to call to your attention the particular assets and accomplishments of Andrew Sorensen, president of the University of South Carolina.

Dr. Sorensen has served as a pioneer and champion in the transformation and revolution of the state’s economy by using his charismatic leadership to support such visionary initiatives as the S.C. Centers of Economic Excellence Program, the Life Sciences Act and the S.C. LightRail project to connect the state to the national fiber optic network. He has insisted that USC choose carefully selected research priorities to ensure the greatest success possible for the program and develop research strengths that are competitive nationally. In a remarkably short time, current focus areas in future fuels, biomedical areas and nanotechnology have resulted in significant increases in federal and business support.

Surely one of Dr. Sorensen’s trademarks, above and beyond his signature bow tie, is his talent for eradicating boundaries. Collaboration among USC, Clemson and MUSC in research and academic programs is occurring at unprecedented levels. For example, he has been a vital force in forging collaboration among the state’s three largest health systems and three research universities, Health Sciences South Carolina. On his watch, the National Science Foundation has selected USC and its Fuel Cell Center of Excellence to become the nation’s first Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Fuel Cells.

Outreach to the technical college system has resulted in the historic statewide “Bridge” program, designed to encourage and facilitate the transfer of more students to USC from all 16 of the technical colleges. He has embraced a vision of progress, economic development and expansion, working collaboratively with the city and the Greater Columbia business community, to spearhead such initiatives as USC BusinessLink and the transformation of the Columbia Riverbanks region.

Dr. Sorensen has reached out to the African-American community through the creation of a community advisory committee, which brings together leaders from the community, local government and the alumni association. Through his now-legendary Bowtie Bus Tour, he delivered to historically African-American high schools in all 46 counties the message that education is a foundation for personal success. And to convert that dream into a reality for low-income students, he recently launched the “Gamecock Guarantee,” which will supplement other grants and scholarships to meet the full cost of tuition and standard fees for eligible students.

Finally, USC itself has experienced a boom of capital activity during Dr. Sorensen’s years as president. USC’s Innovista Research Campus, the Arnold School of Public Health, the Greek Village, the Inn at USC, the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, maintenance and improvements to the historic Horseshoe, the West Quadrangle Living and Learning Center (the largest green dorm in the world) as well as future facilities such as the Public Health Research Center, the new NanoCenter, a new baseball stadium, the Honors College Residence Hall, the new wing at Cooper Library for the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and new facilities for the dance program, marching band and String Project — all will serve as monuments to Dr. Sorensen’s incredibly productive and transformative tenure as president of a university that he leaves well-positioned to serve the many pressing needs of South Carolina and its citizens as we strive toward success in the knowledge economy.

Dr. McCurdy is chairman of the Commission on Higher Education and dean emeritus and distinguished university professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.