Speaker Rainn Wilson delivers the baccalaureate address to the Class of 2014, with USC President C. L. Max Nikias, USC Board of Trustees chair John Mork ’70 MS ’12, and commencement speaker Marc Benioff ’86 and other honored guests in attendance.[/caption] On the eve of commencement day, USC welcomed actor and writer Rainn Wilson as…Continue Reading Baccalaureate Ceremony Address 2014
In recognition of his efforts to protect human rights, his commitment to education and his work advancing opportunities for all people, President Barack Obama was presented May 7 with the Ambassador for Humanity Award by Steven Spielberg, USC Trustee and founder of USC Shoah Foundation’s Institute for Visual History and Education. Spielberg presented Obama with…Continue Reading Ambassadors for Humanity Gala salutes President Barack Obama
Delivered on May 1, 2014
Our university provides an educational experience that is unlike that found at any other university in the nation. This is a place that welcomes students interested in science and technology as well as those who are passionate about the arts, the social sciences and humanities.
In fact, USC’s student body has become a microcosm of the entire world. This rich tapestry of geographic and global diversity is evident in the fact that we currently enroll students from all 50 states and more than 115 nations….Continue Reading President and Mrs. Nikias Host the Trojan Family
During a recent visit to Dallas, TX, USC President C. L. Max Nikias and Mrs. Niki C. Nikias hosted a standing-room only Trojan Family Reception as they met with alumni, parents, and supporters of the university in the Dallas metropolitan area. Their itinerary during the visit to the Lone Star State included a private tour…Continue Reading Trojan Family gathers in Dallas; Visit with the Bush Presidential Library
Earlier this month, music luminary Michael Tilson Thomas was appointed a Judge Widney Professor, a title that carries significant prestige at our university. (Judge Robert Maclay Widney was USC’s chief founder.) In this role, Professor Thomas—who is a two-time alumnus of our Thornton School of Music—will mentor our students, and provide guidance as they develop their professional careers. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Professor Thomas is the longtime music director of the San Francisco Symphony, as well as the principal guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and the founder of the New World Symphony. Last month, a number of media outlets covered the appointment of the new director of our Annenberg School of Journalism: Willow Bay. Ms. Bay is a veteran television news anchor and a Huffington Post editor. About her appointment, Ernest Wilson, dean of our Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, said: “Her leadership will help our innovative school aggressively continue our path of creating—and defining—the digital future.”…Continue Reading Michael Tilson Thomas, Willow Bay, to lead programs at USC
Every year since 1932, the USC Alumni Association Gala has paid tribute to distinguished members of the Trojan Family. Past honorees include Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong ’70, world-renowned architect Frank O. Gehry ’54, opera great Marilyn Horne ’53 and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis ’73. The 2014 honorees include Daniel J. Epstein ’62, founder…Continue Reading Distinguished Trojans Honored
Since its first incarnation in 1978, the USC Viterbi Awards has been a forum for recognizing outstanding members of the engineering community and our alumni who have made lasting contributions to science and engineering in all its manifestations. This year’s honorees include USC Trustee Wanda Austin, recipient of the Mark S. Stevens Distinguished Alumni Award,…Continue Reading USC Viterbi Awards honors top engineers
USC Trustee Steven Spielberg joined USC leadership in announcing The Center for Advanced Genocide Research, which aims to study how and why mass violence occurs. The Center is established as part of the USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education, and will serve as the research and scholarship unit of the…Continue Reading USC Shoah Foundation opens new chapter in genocide research
Alia Tutor, the wife of USC Trustee Ronald N. Tutor ’63, both longtime supporters of the university, is providing a gift to establish the Alia Tutor Chair in Reproductive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The new chair will be housed in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The first holder of…Continue Reading Alia Tutor Chair in Reproductive Medicine
The USC Mork Family Scholars were hosted by the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies during a weekend-long excursion to Catalina Island from April 12-13, 2014. While there, the students were welcomed by USC Trustee John Mork and his wife, Julie Mork, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias and his wife, Mrs. Niki C….Continue Reading Mork Family Scholars meet their namesake benefactors