Advertised Job Summary

Chair, Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology

The University of South Carolina School of Medicine – Columbia (USC SOMC) invites applications for the position of Chair of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology (PMI). This is a tenure-track leadership appointment in a basic science department, with responsibility for academic, research, educational, and translational missions.

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership to advance the department’s mission in research, education, and service while fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment. The Chair will be responsible for the continued growth of the department’s research enterprise, including basic, translational, immunologic, microbial and pathobiology research activity, enhancement of educational programs, and expansion of translational research efforts that bridge discovery science with clinical applications.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Research Leadership

• Provide strategic vision and leadership to grow and strengthen the department’s research portfolio including basic, translational, immunologic, microbial, and pathobiology research activity
• Develop and implement strategic initiatives to expand the department’s research portfolio and enhance its national prominence
• Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across basic science, clinical departments, the NIH COBRE program, and associated centers to accelerate scientific discovery and clinical translation
• Provide administrative oversight, including budgeting, strategic planning, program expansion, space allocation, and infrastructure development
• Expand partnerships with state, national, and global research networks to expand funded training grants, interdisciplinary research teams, and programmatic growth
• Promote translation of basic science insights into clinical impact, disease mechanism understanding, immunotherapy or host-pathogen interaction research, and population health benefit
• Mentor and support faculty in securing extramural funding from NIH, NSF, and other federal and private sources
• Maintain an active, externally-funded research program
• Oversee core research facilities and infrastructure to support departmental research activities
• Provide clinical administrative leadership where relevant, build a culture of shared governance, transparency, and research success

Educational Leadership

Promote excellence in education at every level: Undergraduate Medical Education (UME) – leadership in curriculum delivery and content in pathology, microbiology, and immunology in medical student training. Graduate Programs (PhD and MS) – oversight and support for student research training, dissertation progression, funding competitiveness, faculty mentorship, and laboratory growth. Oversight of teaching participation and academic engagement in nurse anesthesia (CRNA), counselling and rehabilitation, genetic counseling and physician assistant (PA) graduate-level professional programs.

Administrative Leadership

• Provide fiscal oversight and resource management for the department
• Recruit, retain, and mentor outstanding faculty, staff, and trainees
• Promote faculty advancement through tenure and promotion processes
• Represent the department at the School, University, and national leadership forums while advocating for faculty, equity, inclusion, and trainee success
• Build partnerships with clinical departments, industry, and community stakeholders
• Oversee departmental operations, including space allocation and strategic planning
• Lead departmental development initiatives, including philanthropy, donor engagement, and investment partnership opportunities to support growth in research, training, and innovation