William C. Harris earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of South Carolina in 1970 and began his career as a chemistry professor at Furman University before joining the National Science Foundation (NSF). During his tenure at NSF, he led major national research initiatives, including the creation of the agency's first Science and Technology Research Centers and later served as assistant director for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, overseeing programs in chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy and materials research.

Harris went on to serve as assistant director of Columbia University's Earth Institute and as vice president for research at the University of South Carolina before becoming the founding director general of Science Foundation Ireland. There, he led a landmark investment that transformed Ireland into a global leader in research and innovation. He later founded Science Foundation Arizona, helping drive the state's emergence as a hub for advanced technology and semiconductor manufacturing.

A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the Royal Irish Academy, Harris has received numerous honors for his contributions to science and innovation. In 2024, he co-authored How to Change the Future: Lessons from Ireland on Revolutionizing Innovation and Scientific Prosperity, which draws on Ireland's success to offer a roadmap for strengthening research, education and economic growth.

Patricia Sullivan, Ph.D. is the William Arthur Fairey II Professor of History at the University of South Carolina and one of the nation's leading scholars of the Civil Rights Movement, African American history and modern U.S. history. During her career, she has taught at USC, Harvard University, the University of Virginia, Boston University and the University of California, Berkeley, while also directing major research initiatives and National Endowment for the Humanities institutes for college faculty and teachers.

An award-winning historian, Sullivan is the author of several influential books, including Justice Rising: Robert Kennedy's America in Black and White (2021) and Lift Every Voice: The NAACP and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement (2009), a finalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. Her scholarship has earned fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library of Congress, Harvard University's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute and the National Humanities Center.

Beyond her teaching and research, Sullivan has helped shape the field of civil rights history through extensive public scholarship, editorial leadership and historical consulting. She has advised the Obama Presidential Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and PBS documentaries, while mentoring generations of students and scholars through her leadership in professional organizations and academic publishing.

Zoie Horecny, Ph.D. is a native of Chapin, South Carolina, and a graduate of Chapin High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in History with Distinction and a minor in Southern Studies from the University of South Carolina, followed by both a master’s degree in Public History and a Ph.D. in Early American History. Her passion for historical research and preservation developed during her undergraduate studies and led to a career focused on public history, documentary editing, and education.

Today, Zoie Horecny serves as Digital Washington Papers Editor at the George Washington Presidential Library, where she oversees workflow migration for the Papers of George Washington project and edits major public-history initiatives, including the Digital Encyclopedia of George Washington. She also collaborates with universities and is developing a documentary editing project examining Mount Vernon during the Civil War era.

Prior to joining the Presidential Library, she worked on the Civil War Governors of Kentucky and Pinckney Papers projects, developing expertise in documentary editing, public history, and educational outreach. Her scholarship on slavery in the Atlantic World has appeared in multiple academic publications, and her work has been recognized through honors including the Brecht Family Fellowship, the Wilfrid and Rebecca Callcott Award, and the Walter Edgar Scholarship.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Horecny remains deeply committed to education and service. She has taught students at both the elementary and collegiate levels and serves in leadership roles with the Association for Documentary Editing, Alpha Xi Delta at the University of South Carolina, and Ballyshaner, Inc., the nonprofit organization that supports Alexandria, Virginia’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Moss Blachman Ph.D. is a longtime educator, administrator and leader whose career has been defined by service to higher education, health care and the broader community. At the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and Prisma Health, he has led initiatives in physician leadership, faculty development, strategic planning and continuing professional development, while serving in numerous leadership roles with national organizations including the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education (SACME) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).

Throughout his career, Blachman has been committed to advancing leadership and organizational excellence through service. He has chaired and served on countless university, health system and national committees, mentored faculty and physician leaders, developed leadership programs and strategic planning initiatives, and contributed to accreditation, governance and professional development efforts that have strengthened academic medicine and health care organizations across the country.

Beyond the university, Blachman has devoted decades to civic leadership and community service throughout South Carolina. He has served on the boards of the United Way, Columbia Jewish Federation, Columbia Area Mental Health Center and numerous nonprofit organizations, while providing pro bono consulting, mentoring and leadership development. His distinguished service has been recognized with numerous honors, including the United Way of the Midlands' Alyce Kemp DeWitt Award, the USC School of Medicine Dean's Distinguished Service Award and multiple national awards for leadership in continuing professional development.

Diana and Hal Stevenson have dedicated their careers to building and growing Grace Outdoor Advertising while remaining deeply engaged in service to their community and industry. Together, they founded what became Grace Outdoor Advertising in 1984 and have helped shape it into one of South Carolina’s leading independent outdoor advertising companies. Under Diana’s leadership since assuming ownership and management in 2014, the company has experienced substantial growth, while Hal played a key role in establishing and expanding the business throughout the Southeast.

A native of Columbia and the daughter of German and Colombian immigrants, Diana Stevenson has combined entrepreneurial leadership with a strong commitment to education, mentorship, and professional development. Beyond her business accomplishments, she has served in advisory roles with the South Carolina Philharmonic, the Foundation for Out of Home Advertising Research & Education (FOARE), and the Midlands Business Accelerator. She is also a charter member of SC Women in Leadership, was selected to the Palmetto Venture Fellowship Class of 2022, and serves nationally as a board member of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA), where she also chairs the Independent Council.

Hal Stevenson, a Rock Hill native and Wofford College graduate, has paired business leadership with decades of civic involvement across South Carolina. His community service includes leadership roles with the Columbia Rotary Club, the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Columbia Community Relations Council, Providence Home, the Outdoor Advertising Association of South Carolina, and Share the Dream Project. Through these organizations, he has championed business development, community engagement, and charitable initiatives throughout the state.