February 12, 2026 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu

Donna Richter is widely known for her leadership role as the fourth dean of the Arnold School (2003 – 2007), but she is best remembered for her enduring commitment to advancing public health. She dedicated her more than 40-year career to the field, with most of those years spent at the Arnold school.

Following her Lowcountry upbringing in Charleston, South Carolina, Richter studied psychology and Spanish at Duke University – developing lifelong devotions to her alma mater’s basketball team as well as traveling the world, which began with a study abroad trip to Mexico. In the late 70s, Richter moved to Columbia to enroll in USC’s Ed.D. in Education program. After graduating in 1982, she accepted a faculty position with what is now known as the Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (HPEB).

By the time Richter succeeded Harris Pastides as dean in 2003, she had already achieved full tenure and served as chair of the HPEB department. During her four years as dean, Richter accomplished a remarkable amount. She helped lay the groundwork for the public health bachelor’s programs (now the largest in the nation), increased research awards by 38% (55% for NIH grants), grew faculty ranks and student enrollment, oversaw the redevelopment of the Arnold School website, launched the alumni achievement recognition program (Norman J. Arnold Alumni Medal and Gerry Sue Arnold Alumni Award), cut the ribbon on the Public Health Research Center (the first building located in USC’s Innovista Research Campus), established the Office of Public Health Practice, and supported the creation of the Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities.

In 2007, Richter left her role as dean to pursue a new leadership opportunity as the founding executive director of the South Carolina Public Health Institute (known as the Institute of Medicine and Public Health since 2011) while remaining a professor and close collaborator within HPEB. She later returned full time to her faculty role at the Arnold School before retiring as a Distinguished Professor Emerita in 2014.

Across her four decades in higher education, Richter led rigorous research programs and community engagement initiatives in parallel with her leadership roles. Supported by more than $22 million in competitive research funding, the throughline of this work was a deep commitment to reducing health disparities in South Carolina and around the world.

One of Richer’s earliest international initiatives was a Fulbright Fellowship in West Africa to study the challenges faced by community-based HIV prevention organizations. She also worked to advance prevention strategies on the frontlines of low-resource settings like Sierra Leone and pursue collaborations in China, Tanzania, Austria, Uganda, Taiwan, and dozens of other countries. Together, these experiences fueled her pioneering work at the CDC-funded Institute for HIV Prevention Leadership where Richter created a nationwide training program that prepared grassroots community-based leaders throughout the U.S. to fight HIV.

Every step of the way, Richter’s work included mentorship of students and colleagues – many of whom became lifelong friends. She carried those relationships and her love of travel into her retirement – planning trips to Spain, Aruba, Cancun, Hawaii, and other favorite locales.

“Dr. Richter modeled a genuine collaborative spirit and inspired a robust network of partners, alumni and friends that now spans a generation of public health professionals tracing their roots to her gentle guidance and devoted mentoring,” says Lee Pearson, who worked with Richter at the Arnold School and the SC Public Health Institute and became a close family friend. “For those of us fortunate enough to have known her, the legacy of Dr. Richter will be one of enthusiasm for life and an unrivaled determination to help those in need through our collective knowledge, support, and advocacy.”

Many of Richter’s students, colleagues and friends have expressed their remembrances of knowing her over the years, with a sample of comments from these individuals included below:

"Donna and I served concurrently as department chairs from 1998 to 2001. She was a great friend to me with many funny stories about her outreach adventures in sub-Saharan Africa teaching and promoting safe sex practices to prevent the further spread of the raging HIV epidemic. Her work was early and impactful in this global health effort, and it pre-dated the well-known PEPFAR program that came later under President GW Bush. I hope she will be remembered for the many lives that her work no doubt saved and for the positive influences she had on HIV/AIDS policies in that part of the world. She was also a very caring dean who shepherded many of the planning and construction needs of our beautiful PHRC. Donna left this world much too young. She will be sorely missed by many friends and family." — Thomas Chandler

“Dr. Donna Richter hired me and gave me opportunities as a new assistant professor that shaped the start of my career, including participation on a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant and other risk communication grant work. I can still see her standing in the lobby of the old public health building on Sumter Street, welcoming students on the first day of classes. What I remember most about Dean Richter was her kindness and her remarkable ability to really know people. She understood our work, our motivations, and how to help each of us grow. Her example continues to influence how I try to support others.” — Daniela Friedman

“Dr. Richter’s mentorship was pivotal in my career trajectory and forever shaped the public health leader I would eventually be. And I’m not alone. And entire generation of Richter alumni have carried this torch forward and continue to improve public health locally and around the world.” — Billy Oglesby

“I was truly honored to work for Dr. Richter during the establishment of what is now the SC Institute of Medicine and Public Health. When I first began working with her, I was a new DrPH student striving to balance the demands of full-time work with rigorous academic expectations and impactful public health practice. I am forever grateful for her unwavering support, guidance, and belief in me. She pushed me to grow professionally in my role while also ensuring I was able to meet my academic goals. Dr. Richter generously shared her professional insights, wisdom, and advice, mentoring me to seize opportunities, thoughtfully navigate challenges, and grow into a stronger public health professional.” — Megan Weis

“Dr. Richter and I had the opportunity to work together on several different projects from her HIV Institute in Atlanta, to my Health Disparities Institute's HIV projects, to our joint project on emerging infectious diseases. It is the latter that I had the opportunity to see her work up close and personally. I coined her the acronym Queen of public health. All she needed was a vision, a mission, and a purpose and she could pull it all together into an acronym that brought passion to the work. That's how project MATCH was born and lives to this day. We all gathered at Dr. Richter's house around the dinner table and tossed out what we were proposing to do in underserved communities around emerging infectious diseases. There was coffee, tea, fruit, and a delightful assortment of pastries. As we consumed the goodies, we watched her pull out paper and markers and as we talked between bites, key words appeared on the paper.  We heard her say the word Mobilizing. Yes, that's exactly what we wanted to do, and we wanted to do it in the community in partnership with the community. She guided us through a discussion about how the communities we wanted to reach would never grasp the concepts of emerging infectious diseases; but that they would understand a threat to their community's health, any threat, all threats. So now we have Mobilizing, Threats, Community, and Health. Dr. Richter circled those four words, and I think we all saw the Eureka moment in her eyes at the same time. She said the word Against. We knew we had our acronym- Mobilizing Against Threats to Community Health. Project MATCH was born in Dr. Richter's dining room over 20 years ago. Since then, there has been a MATCH 2, and now MATCH 3 working with undeserved farming communities faced with increasing natural disasters. Dr. Richter will live on in our hearts, and her legacy is alive through MATCH.” — Saundra Glover

“Donna Richter was a remarkable public health leader.   Her work at USC was instrumental in establishing the Arnold School as a leader in academic public health.  Beyond academia she was a leader in public health practice at both national and international levels. Through her many students and colleagues, she leaves an amazing legacy. I am privileged to have had Donna as a wonderful colleague and a great friend.” — Russell Pate

"Dr. Richter (RIP) was my root in this corner of our earthly home . . . in so many special ways! After her Alzheimer’s Disease became increasingly aggressive, prompting Reynolds, her beloved son, to move her to safer surroundings in Columbia, I’d visit and spend time with her, mostly in attempts to regale her with ever so speedily slipping and ebbing stories and accounts of places, people, events, activities, and adventures from a past mutual to her and me: Freetown, Sierra Leone, my birthplace . . . where I first met her and she me, her home on Merril Rd., Columbia, SC, my first American home, the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, where our paths would cross and intertwine with many others in a beautiful tapestry primarily woven by her. Upon being thus reminded, she would often cheerily say: “you are my memory now, Ali," sweeter, albeit melancholic, words than which had not and will never fill my loving ears again! I am indebtedly privileged and gratefully elated to be a tiny part and keeper of YOUR ever treasured and precious MEMORIES, dearest Dr. Donna Laurraine Richter of blessed memories!" — Ali Mansaray

“Dr. Richter (Donna) was a gem. She was kind, funny, talented, positive and incredibly giving. She gave of her time, her talent and her treasurers. In my former role as Deputy Commissioner for Health Services at the former SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), I was so honored to have had the opportunity to partner with her on several key initiatives to support the public health workforce. We both believed in getting things done in a collaborative spirit and to have a meaningful impact. And we did just that. Donna was truly a wonderful friend and colleague.” — Lisa Waddell

"I was the Exercise Science Department Chair while Dr. Richter was Dean, Arnold School of Public Health. Donna and I had many discussions regarding various School and Department topics which we mostly agreed regarding the final outcome though, not always. During these interactions, Donna was always positive, respectful, attentive, compassionate while passionate, and wanting to be fair to all individuals involved. Donna desired to facilitate departments, faculty, and staff movement forward in achieving their goals." — Larry Durstine

"Dr. Richter's legacy lives on through her pioneering work in HIV/AIDS prevention, mentoring students and training public health professionals. Most of all, she will be remembered for her laughter and joie de vivre." — Sara Corwin