Aditi Bussells

Dr. Aditi Bussells is a public health professional who was born to immigrant parents from India. At a very young age, she understood the importance of hard work and ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities. Dr. Bussells received her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina as a Doris Duke Foundation Fellow. She holds a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in American government from the University of Virginia. In 2020, Dr. Bussells was awarded the Columbia Business Monthly’s 30 under 35 Best and Brightest and the Hon. Jim Clyburn’s Emerging Leader in Health Equity Research Award for her work.

Dr. Bussells is a 2021 graduate of Emerge South Carolina. She has helped build a lift as you climb culture following her victory to succeed her Emerge South Carolina sister Tameika Isaac Devine. She became the first Indian American woman to serve in a municipal seat in South Carolina. She was also the first South Asian American woman to be elected to the Columbia City Council and received the most votes out of any candidate running in the 2021 city council election cycle.