November 30, 2015
Niki and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you’re enjoying the holiday season with your friends and family. For the sixth straight year, we hosted more than 400 USC students in our home on Thanksgiving. For us, this is always a special highlight of the fall semester, and an excellent opportunity to spend time with some of USC’s exceptionally talented students, including many international students who experience this uniquely American holiday for the first time.
Global Conference in Shanghai
Just a few weeks before, we traveled to Shanghai for the 2015 USC Global Conference, which was a stellar success. This three-day, biennial gathering drew a record number of participants and sponsors, as more than 700 people joined us from throughout the Pacific Rim. Robert Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, spoke in conversation with Willow Bay, the veteran journalist who directs our Annenberg School of Journalism. Their discussion was highly engaging. Also during the conference, we honored USC Trustee Ming Hsieh, chairman and chief executive officer of Fulgent Therapeutics. Mr. Hsieh—a two-time USC alumnus—served as the conference’s co-chair, and is a passionate supporter of our university.
Our panel discussions brought an impressive taste of USC’s scholarly and creative work to the multi-national audience. One of these discussions focused on a groundbreaking project at our Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education. The institute is the first to gather and share testimonies from survivors of the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. While we were in Shanghai, China Daily reported on this ambitious project, and interviewed Stephen Smith, the institute’s executive director: “When it comes to documentary history, it’s very important for us to learn specifically and personally about the lives of individuals,” he said, describing the initiative’s mission. Founded in 1994 by USC Trustee Steven Spielberg, the foundation now houses nearly 53,000 audiovisual testimonies, primarily from survivors of the Holocaust.
USC International Academy
The week before our Global Conference, we dedicated the USC International Academy in its new home in the renovated Davidson Conference Center. The academy, which this fall has nearly 800 students from more than 30 countries, primarily works with international students prior to beginning our master’s degree programs, ensuring they have the academic language skills and social support they need to thrive in their studies here at USC. The academy also offers programs that support international students in applying to degree programs at USC and other leading schools. This is the first time that a top research university has launched a program of this depth and scope. More than 500 people attended the academy’s dedication ceremony, including government representatives from Chile, China, France, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Mexico.
Coliseum renovation
At a recent meeting with the Coliseum Commission, we were pleased to unveil our preliminary plans to renovate one of our region’s greatest treasures: the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The $270 million improvements will preserve the historic nature of the beloved landmark and elevate the entire fan experience, adding more aisles and seating; bringing new lighting in the stands and field; and upgrading the sound system, Wi-Fi, and video. A new structure on the south side of the stadium will include suites, loge boxes, club seats, a new concourse, and a new press box. The renovation will be funded entirely through donations and sponsorships. In its story, the Los Angeles Times noted that the construction phase of renovations could employ up to 3,000 people, and create an additional 400 permanent jobs. Once refurbished, the Coliseum could be used as a temporary home for a new NFL team proposed for Los Angeles, and for track and field events, should our city win the bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games. The storied Coliseum, which opened in 1923, already has hosted two Olympics, two Super Bowls, a World Series, a Papal Mass, and visits by three United States presidents.
During homecoming weekend, Niki and I were reminded once again how much this iconic treasure means to the USC community. There was such joy in the stadium that Saturday afternoon, as the Trojans took on the Arizona Wildcats, and as so many of our dedicated alumni returned to campus. It was wonderful to see the Trojans win on the field, but it was just as wonderful to feel all the love and pride everyone has for their alma mater.
Indeed, this has been a busy and exciting semester at USC, and on that note, I would like to share one more recent highlight: retired General David Petraeus, who is a Judge Widney Professor at USC, and I engaged in a “shark tank-like” special event on campus. Organized by our Viterbi School of Engineering, the event gave five engineering startup teams a chance to pitch their ideas to angel investors. Their creativity and drive inspired us all!
In this uplifted spirit, I close this month’s letter, and—along with Niki—wish you a very happy holiday season.
Yours truly,
C. L. Max Nikias
President