USC has long been a leader in digital media, informatics, and communication. Our excellence in these important areas ranges from the Information Sciences Institute, which has helped shape the internet and its use for more than four decades, to the Institute for Multimedia Literacy, which promotes effective and expressive communication. It also includes the USC Digital Repository, a pioneer in information storage and expression, and our high-performance computer, one of the world’s fastest academic supercomputers. The university’s leadership also is seen through the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and its life-saving work; our top-ranked game design program; and in the groundbreaking training and treatment we offer our military and veterans through virtual reality and avatars.
These strengths are profoundly impressive and contribute tremendously to our society, but USC now seeks to do even more. Last fall, Provost Elizabeth Garrett announced the university’s intention to invest $1 billion in digital knowledge and informatics over the next decade, an investment that will draw on a range of sources, including university, federal, and foundation funding. As a follow up to this announcement, earlier this month USC organized a productive retreat, at which our provost, some deans, and key faculty discussed the university’s strategic vision in these increasingly significant areas.
I had the privilege of opening the event, and expressed my firm belief that USC has a special role to play in the information and informatics revolution. USC is better positioned than any other university to offer the technological and human leadership that this revolution requires: our academic community is in the right place, at the right time, and has the right assets to lead this new wave of the information revolution. No other university can match our twin strengths: top-notch programs in the area of digital media and informatics, coupled with six independent arts schools, each of which injects creative energy into every discipline.
External funding sources continue to recognize USC’s vital role in this revolution, and I am delighted to share that the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded USC a five-year, $1.9 million grant to support graduate level training in digital scholarship. The grant will support two-year fellowships for humanities Ph.D. candidates and post-doctoral scholars. It’s a wonderful vote of confidence in USC’s work, and its significance is well delineated in an article that recently appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
In addition, I’d like to share two stories that the Los Angeles Times recently published, both of which speak to USC’s stellar leadership in the area of online education. Around the world, some 7,600 students are currently enrolled in our online programs for graduate and continuing education, with our Viterbi School of Engineering and School of Social Work offering particularly innovative programs. The first story noted that our online graduate computer information technology program ranked first in the nation, while our graduate online engineering program remains among the very best in the country. A second article presented the inspiring story of Ryan Williams, who was seriously injured in an accident, but able to complete his engineering graduate studies online at USC, thanks to the flexibility of our online education programs, all of which maintain the university’s rigorous standards for excellence.
Heritage Hall reopens
Earlier this month, Heritage Hall, which has long served as the home of Trojan athletics, reopened, following a year of extensive renovations. The project greatly increased the building’s square footage, which now includes an interactive museum with a Hall of Champions, one that pays tribute to the university’s most decorated athletes, as well as new state-of-the-art training facilities for our women’s sports programs. This remodel coincides with the celebration of USC Athletics’ 125th anniversary year, which continued with the recently-dedicated Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The accompanying photos capture the celebration’s excitement, and I hope you enjoy them.
USC Marshall receives gift from Brittingham Family Foundation
The USC Marshall School of Business recently received a generous $5 million gift from the Brittingham Family Foundation. This gift will name the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab, which formerly operated as the Society and Business Lab. With the foundation’s support, USC Marshall will forge new partnerships across the university, while bolstering its efforts to tackle pressing social, environmental, and health challenges from a business perspective. We are particularly grateful for the visionary philanthropy of the foundation’s two board members, Ella and Scott Brittingham, both of whom are USC alumni. Ella earned a bachelor’s degree in English from USC Dornsife, and Scott earned an MBA from USC Marshall. Their dedication to their alma mater will surely inspire others, as it dramatically enriches the educational experience we offer our students.
Yours truly,
C. L. Max Nikias
President