Bennie L. Harris

On July 1, 2021, Bennie L. Harris became the fifth chancellor to lead the University of South Carolina (USC) Upstate, where he fulfills his purpose to inspire and develop young people to change the world. He received a B.S. in industrial engineering at Mississippi State University, an MBA in strategic marketing at Washington State University, and a Ph.D. in strategic educational marketing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He served in increasingly responsible positions at Washington State University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, DePaul University, Lipscomb University, and, immediately prior to his appointment at USC Upstate, at Morehouse School of Medicine beginning in 2014, where he served as senior vice president for institutional advancement. Since moving to USC Upstate, Harris has been appointed to serve on the boards of several civic organizations, including the Spartanburg Academic Movement, United Way of the Piedmont, the Franklin School, and the NCAA Big South Conference. He is also a member of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce Accelerate Steering Committee and Prisma Health Medical Scholars program.