Category: USC Ambassadors

Our Trojan Family came together to honor our provost, as USC Trustee and alumna Shelly Nemirovsky and her husband, Ofer, generously funded an endowed chair for this position and we formally installed Michael Quick as its inaugural holder. Also this month, USC’s continued contributions to brain mapping and bioscience were recognized as President Nikias accepted the Humanitarian Award on behalf of the USC community. Another special occasion was a visit from Greek Ambassador Haris Lalacos to the USC campus to speak at our Annenberg school….Continue Reading Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky endow provost’s chair; USC recognized as a leader in brain mapping and bioscience; Greek ambassador visits USC

A delegation of USC trustees, deans, and senior leadership traveled to the United Kingdom, where among our many activities, we officially opened USC’s ninth international office in the heart of London. Returning to campus, we hosted receptions that brought together the namesakes of three of the residential colleges at the USC Village with the students who live in those residences. Our students were thrilled to meet the namesake benefactors, and gained inspiration from their personal stories….Continue Reading USC opens office in London; USC Village residential colleges bring students and namesakes together; USC pioneers virtual reality treatment for PTSD

USC’s fundraising campaign is $648 million ahead of where we hoped to be at this point in 2018.  In the most recent rankings, announced earlier this month, USC was again among the nation’s top-five most successful universities for cash fundraising. Many donors to our campaign have directed their support to the much-needed, multi-million-dollar upgrade of the Coliseum.  As part of our stewardship agreement, USC found a naming sponsor that shared our commitment to the structure’s proud history, as well as to our local community: United Airlines…Continue Reading Restoration of newly-named United Airlines Memorial Coliseum begins; USC ranks among the nation’s top fundraising institutions; President Nikias tackles immigration reform with Lt. Gen. John F. Regni (Ret.)

At USC, the year is off to a wonderful start, as our students settle in to the spring semester.  We were so thrilled to begin the year with an extraordinary addition to our campuses: the USC Norris Healthcare Center, which opened on our Health Sciences Campus. On our University Park Campus, our students and the local community continue to embrace the USC Village, which increased our campus’ footprint by one-third. Los Angeles’ mayor, Eric Garcetti, visited the USC Village, and I gave him a personal tour, pointing out the additions since he spoke at the opening gala last fall. …Continue Reading USC Norris Healthcare Center opens; Mayor Eric Garcetti visits USC Village; Clay Helton’s inspiring connection to a USC alumna and cancer survivor

Niki and I hope you have been enjoying the holiday season!  There were many notable milestones that marked the year, the highlight of course being the opening of the USC Village—and its warm embrace by our students and the local community… Our students, meanwhile, continue to inspire us with their remarkable intellect, creativity, and leadership.  With this letter, I would like to focus on three students who recently received special attention.  The first is Paulo Hernandez-Farella, an undergraduate at the USC Kaufman School of Dance… Another student who deserves recognition is Edwin Saucedo, the former president of USC’s Undergraduate Student Government.  Edwin was selected to be a Schwarzman Scholar… Ironically, the third student I will mention is from UCLA!  A Bruin undergraduate, Arielle Yael Mokhtarzadeh, recently wrote to USC’s student newspaper, the Daily Trojan, regarding the powerful symbolism of our new Hecuba statue….Continue Reading USC Kaufman student dancer chooses USC over Juilliard; Former USC undergraduate president named Schwarzman Scholar; Hecuba statue praised by UCLA student body president

Last week, Niki and I were delighted to continue our tradition of spending Thanksgiving day with USC students.  We welcomed more than 350 students to our home for a traditional Thanksgiving meal… We began November with the dedication of the new, cutting-edge home for the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, a gorgeous structure that now stands as the single largest academic building on either of USC’s campuses… As part of the USC President’s Distinguished Lecture series, the former president of Taiwan, Dr. Ma Ying-jeou, visited our University Park Campus earlier this month to deliver a highly engaging and informative talk for our community….Continue Reading USC Michelson Center dedicates new building; President and Mrs. Nikias host USC students on Thanksgiving; USC student featured in People; former president of Taiwan speaks at USC

Earlier this month, Niki and I were thrilled to welcome so many parents, alumni, and friends back to campus for Trojan Family Weekend… In a much-anticipated event, we officially broke ground on the new home for the USC Iovine and Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, a 40,000-square-foot, state of the art building that will rise at the corner of Watt Way and Exposition Boulevard… Earlier in the semester, more than 500 members and guests of the Trojan Family came together in Tokyo for the USC Global Conference. …Continue Reading Iovine and Young Academy groundbreaking; Global Conference in Tokyo; USC Professor Viet Thanh Nguyen named MacArthur “genius”

This fall semester, we have been so gratified to see how quickly and enthusiastically our new USC Village has been embraced—not only by our students, faculty, and staff, but by our local community, alumni, and friends… This project was seven years in the making, so it’s wonderful to see so many enjoying the buildings and patios, dining hall, fitness center, green spaces, and shops. Without question, it has profoundly transformed the experience USC offers its students….Continue Reading USC Village praised for its design; Blind student-athlete Jake Olson completes perfect snap; President Nikias urges congressional action on DACA

As our 137th class of students begins a new academic year, it arrives at a milestone moment in our university’s history, as together we celebrate a transformative addition to our University Park Campus: the USC Village…  USC’s campuses have transformed in recent years, and alumni and friends always marvel at the breadth of new facilities.  But this project—the largest in USC’s history and the largest in the history of south Los Angeles—inspires special pride for our Trojan Family, as just a generation ago, USC was viewed primarily as a commuter campus… At the heart of the USC Village is a proud new monument for our university….Continue Reading USC Village celebrates grand opening; Hecuba, Queen of Troy unveiled; Bovard Scholars program

As we enjoy summer on campus, I would like to return to last month’s glorious commencement, and once again offer my congratulations to USC’s newest alumni and their families… Edwin Saucedo, USC’s graduating student body president, sat down with the Los Angeles Times… Jorge Campos, a USC TRiO student who was previously homeless, was interviewed by our local ABC News affiliate, as he prepares to attend Harvard University this fall on a full scholarship. …Continue Reading Trojans celebrate commencement; USC recognized as a leader in accepting transfer students; Biotech Park plans advance