Harris Pastides is an academic and university administrator who served as the 28th president of the University of South Carolina from 2008 until 2019. In addition to his employment at the university Pastides has been on the board of directors of Synovus, a financial services company. On October 3, 2018, Pastides announced his intention to retire from the presidency of UofSC, the last day of which he served on July 31, 2019.
He began his academic career at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where during 1980-1998, he rose to become professor of epidemiology and chairman of the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology. His study on the health effects of chemicals used by the US semiconductor industry revealed links to an increase in miscarriages among employees. Although initially resisted, the study's findings were subsequently borne out, ironically leading to chipmaking's eventual outsourcing overseas.
His election by the board of trustees marks the first internal candidate for the presidency of the university in more than a half century. Previously, Pastides served as vice president for research and health sciences and dean of the Arnold School of Public Health. He and his wife, Patricia, first came to the university in 1998. Under his leadership, Carolina's student population grew to record levels among the system's eight universities on 12 campuses. On the notion that degree attainment significantly affects the quality of life in South Carolina, Pastides spearheaded nontraditional programs such as Palmetto College, Back to Carolina, Gamecock Gateway and Gamecock Guarantee to increase university access and affordability. In addition, he led an unprecedented capital campaign to fund essential needs for knowledge, research, discovery and development. In addition to his position as President of the University, since 2014 Pastides has held a secondary employment in the private sector as part of the financial services industry. He has received $161,700 a year in stock and cash as a director at Synovus, a publicly-traded financial services corporation specializing in commercial loans, mortgages, and retail banking. On October 3, 2018, Pastides announced his plan to retire as President from the University. Shortly before, a report prepared by special prosecutorDavid Pascoe had revealed that several major South Carolina institutions, including the University of South Carolina, had used the Quinn firm to lobby the legislature while the firm was secretly paying S.C. lawmakers to influence legislation. Following a contentious search to hire a new UofSC President, former Superintendent of West Point Robert L. Caslen was eventually selected as Pastides' successor and took office on August 1, 2019.
