Niki and I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season. Throughout this month, we are extremely fortunate to spend time with many members of the USC community, and we’re always touched to see—and feel—the special version of holiday spirit that our Trojan Family shares. We truly appreciate the many kind wishes and greetings we receive.
It was in this same spirit of warmth that Niki and I welcomed more than 350 USC students to our home on Thanksgiving Day, continuing a tradition we began shortly after my inauguration in 2010. The San Marino Outlook published an excellent story on this year’s event, and I’d like to share it with you here.
We were especially fortunate that this year the chairman of our Board of Trustees, John Mork, and his wife, Julie, joined us in hosting these students, who hailed from all over the world. Many of the students who attended were far from their families, so this was an opportunity to experience this uniquely American holiday among Trojans. For others—including some students from places as close as Pasadena and Glendale—this was an opportunity to spend this special day with their new Trojan Family. Niki and I were particularly pleased that our own daughters—Georgiana and Maria, both of whom are USC graduates—shared in this experience. It was a very special and memorable afternoon.
USC Pacific Asia Museum gala
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, Niki and I attended the Festival of the Autumn Moon Gala, the first since the Pacific Asia Museum became a part of the USC family. The beautiful event honored USC Trustee Dominic Ng, chairman and chief executive officer of East West Bank, for his professional and philanthropic accomplishments, as well as his ardent support of Asian art and culture. Along with his wife, Ellen Wong, Mr. Ng stands among our nation’s leaders in introducing contemporary Chinese art to American audiences.
The event raised a record amount of support for the museum and drew more than 550 guests, including USC Trustee Ming Hsieh and his wife, Eva. The Hsiehs are passionate collectors of Asian art, and Mr. Hsieh has been instrumental in connecting the museum with new members of our community. This event takes place annually, and this year’s gala signals a magnificent future for the USC Pacific Asia Museum.
USC Institute of Urology gala raises $2 million
At another exceptional event in November, the USC Institute of Urology raised $2 million to support its world-class patient care and research programs—and it did so in a single night! The gala honored Derrick Hall, president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Diamondbacks major league baseball franchise, who stands proudly as a prostate cancer survivor and advocate. Mr. Hall received the inaugural Louis Zamperini Courage Award, which bears the name of the late Olympian and USC alumnus who survived a harrowing imprisonment during World War II. Dean Carmen Puliafito of the Keck School of Medicine and Dr. Inderbir Gill, the institute’s founding executive director, hosted the event, which included performances by singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow and comedian Jay Leno, and was emceed by Joe Piscopo. USC Trustee Rick Caruso and his wife, Tina, graciously served as co-chairs, along with baseball executive Ken Kendrick and his wife, Randy.
As Niki and I reflect on a truly remarkable year for USC, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you warmly for serving as a USC Ambassador. In sharing the university’s successes with your friends and family, you contribute tremendously to its stature among a much wider community, and you help tell the USC story to new audiences and supporters. For this we are truly grateful.
Niki and I look forward to the coming year, and all that it holds for our Trojan Family. We hope 2015 is a particularly special and productive year for you.
Yours truly,
C. L. Max Nikias
President