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To resounding applause from a record gathering from 11 countries, 32 states and virtually every county in South Carolina, life sciences leaders at SCBIO 2019 in Greenville saluted three leaders two individuals and one organization for profound positive impact and exceptional contributions to the advancement of South Carolina’s $11.4 billion life sciences industry.
Retired University of South Carolina President Dr. Harris Pastides was presented with the South Carolina Life Sciences Hall of Fame Award for his personal championing of the life sciences industry, which today has an $11.4 billion annual economic impact in the Palmetto State, with more than 670 firms directly involved and over 43,000 professionals employed in the research, development and commercialization of innovative healthcare, medical device, industrial, environmental and agricultural biotechnology products. The University of South Carolina is a Mission Partner of SCBIO and has been highly instrumental in helping the rapid growth of life sciences in the Palmetto State.
Recently retired as USC’s 28th president, Dr. Pastides has led the school’s eight institutions in 19 locations to high achievement and growth. He took USC’s helm in 2008, launching an unprecedented construction expansion of more than $1 billion in projects, and growing student enrollment by 25 percent to more than 51,000 students. Under his tenure, the USC Honors College has risen to the No. 1 public honors college in the nation and celebrated increased research funding and top rankings in undergraduate and graduate international business, public health, engineering and nursing. In 2016, Dr. Pastides became one of seven Fulbright alumni to receive the inaugural Global Changemaker Award in recognition of his ongoing commitment to transform society and humanity through his work. Before joining USC as dean of the Arnold School of Public Health, Dr. Pastides was chairman of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He received two masters’ degrees and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Yale University. The award was presented by Hank Jibaja, CIO of sponsoring organization Nephron Pharmaceuticals.
Presented with the South Carolina Life Sciences Pinnacle Award for Organizational Contribution to the industry was AVX Corporation of Fountain Inn, represented by Robert J. Fairey, Vice President of the Medical Division of AVX Corporation. A Mission Partner of SCBIO, AVX components are used in most implantable life support devices globally, and the company is expanding its passive component and interconnect product portfolio to serve other segments of the medical electronics industry. With over 20 years’ experience supplying electronic components to the medical device industry, AVX offers leading technology, reliability and a deep understanding of the requirements set forth from the medical industry. AVX’s quality systems lead the industry and support customer-specific change control, documentation, specifications and testing procedures.
A South Carolina native and Clemson University graduate with B.S. and M.S. degrees in Management, Mr. Fairey serves as Vice President, Medical Division for AVX Corporation in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. For over 25 years, he has been involved in developing, manufacturing and marketing capacitors and other AVX components for pacemakers, implantable defibrillators and other lifesaving and life-enhancing products.
Presented with the South Carolina Life Sciences Pinnacle Award for Individual Contribution to the industry was Dr. Jerry Youkey, recently retired EVP and Chief Academic Officer of Prisma Health and Founding Dean of the USC School of Medicine Greenville. Dr. Youkey joined Greenville Health System (now Prisma) in 1998 and was responsible for expansion of the health system’s research and education activities, creation of its 1200 physician group practice, progressive integration of hospital-physician patient care, and for the growing USC health sciences presence in the Upstate. Dr. Youkey previously served as chief of the department of surgery at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania and in the United States Army Medical Corps where he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. Certified by the American Board of Surgery in general vascular surgery, he is a member of numerous professional societies and widely published. On September 30, 2019 he was designated Founding Dean Emeritus by the University of South Carolina. In recognition of his transformative health care leadership, Governor Henry McMaster conferred upon Dr. Youkey the Order of the Palmetto for his contributions to the state of South Carolina.
The three honorees joined such noted speakers as Johnson & Johnson Innovation leader Michal Preminger, Medtronic VP of Value-Based Partnerships Christian Howell, South Carolina Lt. Governor Pamela Evette, President Jim Clements of Clemson University and more than 50 additional national speakers at SCBIO 2019 the annual conference which gathers thought leaders and executives from life sciences organizations across the nation annually.
The record 450 attendees who filled Hyatt Regency Greenville included scores of top industry chief executives, leaders in government and higher education, biotechnology and pharma executives, clinicians and researchers, and industry supporters from across America including IQVIA Institute of Human Data Science’s Murray Aitken, EY’s NextWave Wellness and life sciences experts Kim Ramko and Kenny O’Neill, Thomas Hardaway of PhRMA, Prisma Health’s President & CEO Mark O’Halla, and numerous others.
SCBIO (scbio.org) is South Carolina’s investor-driven economic development organization exclusively focused on building, advancing, and growing the life sciences industry in the state.
“The life sciences industry is a significant driver of South Carolina’s growing knowledge economy, and these honorees and this conference are testament to the industry’s growing impact, reach and rapidly rising economic significance in our state and region,” noted SCBIO President and CEO Sam Konduros. “We’re pleased to honor them for their many contributions and salute them for the advances they have facilitated for this industry.”
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