August 31, 2015
Niki and I are delighted to be back on campus, and to be surrounded once again by USC students, faculty, and staff. We spent our vacation in Sun Valley, Idaho, where we completed 420 miles of bike riding over two and a half weeks. On our rides, we always wear our USC gear, so everywhere we go, Trojans greet us with a warm “Fight On!” Among those we met was a young student who is part of USC’s new freshman class. She has since joined an extraordinarily talented group of students: this year, USC received 53,000 applications for just 2,700 spots, making the admission rate—less than 18 percent—the lowest in the university’s history. Nearly 30 percent of our incoming students had perfect 4.0s in high school, and more than three-quarters had standardized test scores at or above the 95th percentile.
These exceptional students remind us why we’re so ambitious with our fundraising campaign. We still have the final, toughest stretch to go—but so far the Trojan Family has raised a remarkable $4.5 billion toward our $6 billion campaign goal. Four of the gifts have exceeded $100 million, 27 exceeded $25 million, and 60 percent of the total money raised has come from non-alumni of the university. In June, the Los Angeles Times published a front-page story on our campaign’s momentum, noting that USC ranks among the top schools in fundraising, trailing only Harvard and Stanford. The story quoted Dr. Terry Hartle of the American Council on Education: “A generation ago, USC was a very good regional university. Today it’s a world-class institution and, among other things, it took money to get there.” This is indeed true, and why everyone at the university remains so passionate about the campaign’s success.
Visit to Japan
Before heading to Sun Valley, I traveled to Japan for the annual presidents’ meeting of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), for which I currently serve as chair. During my time there, I met with a reporter from The Japan Times, and the resulting piece observed how Japanese universities have studied the entrepreneurial atmosphere at USC and other top universities for years, and are eager to recreate that atmosphere at home. During my trip, I also had the honor of meeting privately with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who studied at USC in the 1970s, and remains an ardent supporter of our university.
A conversation with reporter Conan Nolan
In June, reporter Conan Nolan and I discussed development projects in south and east Los Angeles on the local affiliate of NBC News. Our conversation included the USC Village, the university’s $700 million student housing, retail, and dining project. My discussion with Mr. Nolan also covered USC’s proposal for a biotech corridor near the university’s Health Sciences Campus. I believe that biomedical technology will be the fastest growing sector of our global economy, and that biotech development would be a tremendous economic boon for our region. You can view my full conversation with Mr. Nolan here.
A key part of this biotech corridor would be the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. Construction on this building continues apace, and recently received a wonderful boost, thanks to the generosity of our trustee, Malcolm Currie, and his wife, Barbara, who gave $10 million to support its construction and the endowment of our Keck School of Medicine. In recognition of their most recent gift, a new Health Sciences Campus residence hall and the lobby of the USC Michelson Center will be named in their honor. The Curries are outstanding friends to our community—and are making a permanent difference for medical research and education.
Niki and I would like to remember three illustrious Trojans who passed away this summer. Trustee Jane Hoffman Popovich was truly a lifetime Trojan. Over the decades, she and her husband, Kris, have been extraordinary friends to the university and generous supporters of a range of schools and programs, most notably business, medicine, and athletics. Elaine Leventhal, wife of our late Trustee Kenneth Leventhal and the namesake of our Elaine and Kenneth Leventhal School of Accounting, also passed away. A devoted volunteer for the university, she graciously welcomed so many Trojans into her home—and indeed her life—over the years. Finally, in June, our community also mourned the passing of Distinguished Professor Brian Henderson, a recipient of the Presidential Medallion—the university’s highest honor—and a former cancer center director and dean of our Keck School of Medicine. Each of these beloved individuals contributed to our university in profound and lasting ways.
As we appreciate them, Niki and I thank you for all you do for USC. We hope we will have the chance to see you on campus in the year ahead.
Yours truly,
C. L. Max Nikias
President