Category: USC Ambassadors

Niki and I are delighted to be back on campus, and to be surrounded once again by USC students, faculty, and staff…This year, USC received 53,000 applications for just 2,700 spots in the freshman class, making the admission rate the lowest in the university’s history…The Los Angeles Times published a front-page story on the momentum of our ambitious fundraising campaign, which has raised a remarkable $4.5 billion toward our $6 billion goal…Continue Reading USC among top schools in fundraising; USC’s ambitious vision for biotech in Los Angeles; talented Class of 2019 arrives on campus

The USC community recently celebrated the wonderful news that Trustee Rick Caruso and his wife, Tina, had given a generous $25 million gift to USC to support our renowned ear, nose, and throat program…Commencement was a joy-filled day, as we warmly cheered nearly 16,000 new alumni and welcomed more than 60,000 people to our campuses…Continue Reading Rick and Tina Caruso name department for otolaryngology; Hobson highlights commencement; Gordon Marshall remembered

I had the profound honor of welcoming the prime minister of Japan, the Honorable Shinzo Abe, back to USC—as the final stop on his recent diplomatic visit to the United States…Last month, I led a delegation of USC trustees, deans, and senior administrators to Washington, D.C., where we met with a range of distinguished government officials…This year’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative Scholars gala—which saluted the accomplishments of 61 exceptionally talented young students in the program—was particularly special, as it also provided an occasion to honor our longstanding trustee, Joan Payden. …Continue Reading Japanese prime minister returns to campus; USC in D.C.; Trustee Joan Payden honored; LA Times Festival of Books

In recent weeks—and with great pride—our community has celebrated the landmark gift from longtime benefactors Mark and Mary Stevens. Their exceptionally generous $50 million gift—which names the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute—will dramatically advance the university’s pioneering brain research, allowing our researchers to expand the understanding of the human mind and discover new ways to treat and prevent the most perplexing and tenacious brain disorders of our time…Earlier this month—following a rigorous, national search—Michael Quick assumed the role of provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at USC….Continue Reading Mark and Mary Stevens name brain research institute; Quick appointed provost; Nikias OpEd on Cal Grants

USC hosted a summit to advance support for building a biotech corridor in Los Angeles. Such a hub would create thousands of new jobs in our region—and keep talented graduates of our local universities close to home. The summit drew distinguished leaders from business, academia, and government, including Los Angeles County supervisors Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley-Thomas, as well as Bill Allen of the Los Angeles Economic Development Council…Our distinguished trustee, Dr. Ray Irani, generously pledged $20 million to the university, of which $15 million will create the Ray Irani Residential College at the USC Village. Irani College—one of nine new residential colleges planned for the USC Village—will be a supportive community that integrates living, learning, and extracurricular activities for up to 320 students. Taken together, the nine residential colleges will add as many as 2,700 student beds to our University Park Campus, and increase the number of students in USC-owned housing by nearly 40 percent…Continue Reading LA leaders convene to advance Biotech corrider; Ray Irani donates $15 million to USC Village

With a generous $5 million gift from USC Trustee Joan Payden, USC’s signature college access program, NAI, will expand to reach some 1,100 students in grades six through 12 by 2020, including 600 additional children and teens in the neighborhoods near our Health Sciences Campus. NAI’s cornerstone will be the newly named Joan A. Payden Student Academy. Payden is among the many supporters who have helped USC surpass the $4 billion mark in our historic fundraising campaign. Among all colleges and universities in our nation, only Harvard, Cornell, Stanford, Penn, and Columbia have accomplished this, and what is even more remarkable: we achieved this landmark in just four and a half years. …Continue Reading NAI receives generous support; USC Campaign surpasses $4 billion mark

During the holiday season, Niki and I 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. 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…Niki and I also attended the Festival of the Autumn Moon Gala, honoring 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…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. …Continue Reading Sharing the holiday spirit with the Trojan Family