College of Charleston Faculty Joins SC EPSCoR State Committee

The South Carolina EPSCoR State Committee recently voted to elect Seth Pritchard, interim dean of the College of Charleston School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, as the next representative of the state’s primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) on the SC EPSCoR State Committee.

The South Carolina EPSCoR State Committee brings together the leaders of academic institutions and government agencies to oversee all matters related to the SC EPSCoR Program. EPSCoR, which stands for the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, is a nationwide program to strengthen STEM capability and capacity in specific states, including South Carolina.

The South Carolina committee has a broad set of responsibilities, including advocacy in the state’s science and technology arena. Meeting at least twice a year, the committee addresses statewide matters related to the state and federal EPSCoR programs, as well as providing oversight of the State EPSCoR Office. 

Pritchard, who will represent the state’s PUIs for a term of four years, was named interim dean of the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering in January 2024 after serving as its associate dean. He has also served as the director of the interdisciplinary undergraduate program in environmental studies and the chair of the Department of Biology. He teaches undergraduate courses in environmental and sustainability studies, general biology and plant physiology.