The USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism inaugurated a new era of digital media education, communication and production with the grand opening of the visionary Wallis Annenberg Hall on October 1, 2014.
A crowd of more than 500 students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and friends of USC Annenberg cheered the ribbon-cutting that marked the official opening of the 88,000-square-foot, future-focused facility that rises from the center of USC’s campus. Cardinal and gold metallic streamers filled the air as members of the Trojan Marching Band trumpeted the occasion. School and university leaders heralded the building as an expression of the school’s dedication to transparency, collaboration and experimentation. As the digital media revolution pushes ahead, Wallis Annenberg Hall is uniquely prepared to help build the next generation of communicators.
“Thanks to philanthropist Wallis Annenberg, students will have access to the digital tools of the future in the richest of learning environments,” said USC President C. L. Max Nikias. “It is her sustained support of USC Annenberg that has allowed it to flourish, he said.”
“Bearing testament to Wallis’s vision of access and connectivity, the building is full of spaces that encourage collaboration and cooperation,” Nikias told the crowd that gathered around the tall glass entranceway leading into the building’s four-story atrium. “It is also home to some of the most creative minds – faculty and students – who will push the limits of technology, communication and journalism. They will redefine how we connect, how we think and how we access information and experience our days.”
The $59 million building, initiated by a lead gift of $50 million from the Annenberg Foundation, was designed with the input of students, faculty and staff. The physical spaces and digital networks comprise a learning and production laboratory unique to an academic environment – a place where students and scholars can be nimble and innovative as they work collaboratively.
Read the full article at USC News.