Yesterday we had the privilege of meeting Michael Amiridis, President of the University of South Carolina. Before coming home to Carolina, he led the University of Illinois Chicago as its chancellor since 2015. Prior to leading UIC, Amiridis spent more than two decades the USC Columbia campus as a faculty member and administrator, serving from 2009 to 2015 as the university's executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

President Amiridis discussed the two major challenges facing universities today: the loss of trust by the public and the changing demographics with the number of high school graduates in the US to drop by 7% in the year 2026 with continued birthrate declines beyond. The University is working on many important projects, federal grants to form tech hubs and working with the State Superintendent to improve the quality of K-12 education in South Carolina. They are also working with businesses to ensure their graduates have the tools to meet the future demands for industry in South Carolina and beyond.

His perspectives were insightful, and the University is truly an asset to our State! THANK YOU Dr. Amiridis for making time to meet with our Club in person and provide your impressive presentation.