Chris Pelic, M.D., has been named interim executive director of Student Health Services. Pelic takes over the position from Lesslie Pekarek, M.D., who left Clemson to pursue another opportunity. Pelic most recently served as executive director of psychiatric, counseling and well-being services at Clemson.
“I look forward to Dr. Pelic stepping into this role and providing leadership to the staff in Student Health Services while continuing high-quality patient care for our students,” says Vice President for Student Affairs Doug Hallenbeck. “I want to thank Dr. Pekarek for her service over the past 10 years, including the last several as assistant vice president. I have no doubt Dr. Pelic will pick up where she left off. His familiarity with MUSC Health will be invaluable as we strengthen our partnership with the state’s No. 1 comprehensive academic health system.”
A state-of-the-art medical facility is scheduled to open on main campus in Fall 2027, as Clemson partners with MUSC Health to deliver the highest-quality student health experience.
“I am excited to take on this new role and build upon the strong foundation established by Dr. Pekarek and the entire Student Health Services team,” Pelic says. “Clemson students are at the center of everything we do, and I look forward to helping advance innovative, high-quality healthcare services that support their well-being and success. As we continue strengthening our partnership with MUSC Health and prepare for the future of student healthcare at Clemson, I look forward to working alongside our outstanding team.”
In his most recent role, Pelic held administrative oversight of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Healthy Campus. While taking on administrative duties, he continued to see a large panel of students as a psychiatrist, a role dating to 2019 when Clemson first began exploring an expanded partnership with MUSC Health initially through telehealth.
Pelic has been involved in some capacity with MUSC since 2000, when he completed his psychiatry residency. Pelic held several leadership roles at MUSC, including associate dean of student affairs from 2008-15 and director of telepsychiatry from 2019-24. Additionally, he earned tenure as a professor of psychiatry in 2020.
Pelic also served for a year and a half as clinical director for medical and dental education for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Washington, D.C. for a period of time. Prior to that, he served in multiple leadership roles for Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina, first as director of inpatient mental health and then as associate chief of staff for education.
Pelic earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1996 from the University of Notre Dame. He earned a medical degree in 2000 from the University of Toledo, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.
