Posted 2/4/2008

USC's 27th chief returning to classroom as retirement nears

Retiring USC President Andrew Sorensen will present a Brown Bag seminar titled The Scholarship of Engagement: From Research to Practice on Feb. 8 at the Arnold School's Health Education Center, 800 Sumter St.

Dr. Andrew Sorensen

Sorensen, the author or editor of 7 books and more than 100 articles, also is a professor in the school's Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

His address will be in HESC Room 114 from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. followed by a reception lasting to 3:00 p.m. in Suite 307 on the HESC's Third Floor.

The reception will mark the one-year anniversary of the Arnold School's Office of Public Health Practice.

Led by Dr. Lillian Smith, the OPHP promotes excellence in practice-based education, research, and experiences, in support of the USC Arnold School of Public Health's vision of "Improving people's health . . . statewide and worldwide."

It is responsible for continuing education and academic programs, student placement, the Public Health Practice Post-Doctoral Program, Joint Research Agenda and academic/practice appointments.

Sorensen was named USC's 27th president in 2002. Last December he announced his retirement effective July 31, 2008.

"I look forward to returning to the faculty upon stepping aside as president and renewing a life of scholarship and teaching," he said at the time.

Arnold School Interim Dean Dr. Tom Chandler noted Sorensen's public health credentials, adding, "hopefully he will have time to be more involved in the (Arnold) school as President Emeritus upon his pending retirement."

For more information, contact Dr. Donna Rhoades (803) 777-0999, drhoades@gwm.sc.edu or Janice Compton (803) 777-4788, janicec@gwm.sc.edu.