Office of the President

USC’s 129th Commencement

annettem — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:07:48 +0000

Journalist Christiane Amanpour and USC President C. L. Max Nikias (photo/Steve Cohn)

At USC’s 129th Commencement on May 11, 2012, President C. L. Max Nikias recalled the Roman poet Virgil, telling the crowd that “to be a Trojan is to be an adventurer.” He said: “The Trojans always seized destiny. That is the adventure, the great journey that now calls you by name. But here is the key: You do not go forward alone. You go forward as a member of a global Trojan Family.”

The ceremony featured an address by Christiane Amanpour, global affairs anchor at ABC News and chief international correspondent for CNN International. Along with Amanpour, seven other global leaders received honorary degrees: Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire, Dana Dornsife, USC trustee David Dornsife ’65, Victoria Hale, Armas C. “Mike” Markkula ’64, MS ’66, Julie Mork, and USC trustee John Mork ’70.

Read the full story at USC News.

USC Athletic Hall of Fame

annettem — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:41:16 +0000

USC President C. L. Max Nikias, USC Trustee and 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee B. Wayne Hughes Sr., and USC Athletic Director Pat Haden (photo/Pierson Clair/USC Athletics)

On May 12, 2012, President C. L. Max Nikias addressed the crowd at a gala dinner, held at the university’s Galen Center, honoring the 10th class of USC’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Seventeen Trojan luminaries were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, including USC life trustee B. Wayne Hughes Sr. ’57, who received a Spirit Award in recognition of his longtime support of the USC Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Learn more about the 2012 USC Athletic Hall of Fame inductees.

President Nikias Congratulates Honor Students and Their Families

annettem — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:31:56 +0000

Salutatorian Ryan Hill, Valedictorian Genevieve P. Hoffman, Salutatorian Sonam Ghanshyam Kapadia, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias (photo/Dietmar Quistorf)

During an afternoon ceremony on May 10, 2012, USC president C. L. Max Nikias joined honorees, family members, and friends to personally congratulate the exceptional students whose names have been added to the USC Wall of Scholars. Housed in the Weingart Reading Room of Leavey Library, the Wall of Scholars was created in 1994 by USC’s oldest honor society, Skull and Dagger, to recognize students who have been awarded national or international scholarships, or who have earned certain USC awards and scholarships.

Learn more at the USC Libraries’ virtual Wall of Scholars, which provides location information for all honorees.

Two USC Professors Receive French Knighthood

annettem — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:37:00 +0000

USC Professors Kelvin Davies and Enrique Cadenas with Consul General of France David Martinon, USC Provost Elizabeth Garrett and USC President C. L. Max Nikias (photo/Dennis Martinez)

By order of French president Nicolas Sarkozy, two USC professors have been knighted in recognition of their services to France and to science. Enrique Cadenas, Charles Krown/Pharmacy Alumni Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Kelvin J. A. Davies, holder of the James E. Birren Chair in Gerontology, were named Chevaliers de l’Ordre National du Mérite (knights of the National Order of Merit) during a ceremony at the residence of the consul general of France in Los Angeles on May 9, 2012.

Read the full story at USC News.

Student Leaders Pass the Torch

minneho — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:36:11 +0000

USC President C. L. Max Nikias (center) meets with the USC student leaders Monish Tyagi (2011-2012 SGA president, right) and Mike Geragos (2012-2013 SGA president, left) as they transition the responsibilities of student government.

USC Honors Holberg Prize Winner Manuel Castells

annettem — Fri, 04 May 2012 17:54:30 +0000

USC President C. L. Max Nikias, University Professor Manuel Castells, and Dean Ernest J. Wilson III of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism (photo/Steve Cohn)

On May 3, 2012, USC hosted a reception honoring University Professor Manuel Castells, the most cited communication scholar in the world. A professor of communication and sociology and holder of the Wallis Annenberg Chair in Communication Technology and Society at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Castells was awarded Norway’s 2012 Holberg International Memorial Prize, cited by the Holberg Prize Academic Committee as “the leading sociologist of the city and new information and media technologies.”

At the reception, held in Founders Park, USC president C. L. Max Nikias presented Castells with a special commendation from the university.

Nikiases Honored at 2012 USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative Graduation Celebration

annettem — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:50:08 +0000

USC Senior Vice President for University Relations Thomas S. Sayles, USC First Lady Niki C. Nikias, and USC President C. L. Max Nikias (photo/Steve Cohn)

USC president C. L. Max Nikias and first lady Niki C. Nikias received a special honor at the 2012 USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) graduation dinner on April 30, 2012. Following remarks and a toast by USC Board of Trustees chairman Edward P. Roski Jr., USC senior vice president for university relations Thomas S. Sayles presented the couple with personalized NAI letterman jackets — replicas of the same jackets NAI scholars can earn over the course of their NAI journey — in appreciation for their leadership and continuing support of the university’s civic engagement efforts.

This year’s NAI graduation celebrated 54 scholars for completing the rigorous, seven-year pre-college enrichment program. Also honored was Toyota Motor Corporation, which received the 2012 USC Civic Engagement Champion Award for its financial support of NAI.

Read the full story at USC News.

President Nikias Confers 2012 Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award

annettem — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:30:21 +0000

USC First Lady Niki C. Nikias, USC President C. L. Max Nikias, Sandra Bane, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors President Lisa Barkett ’81, USC Alumni Association CEO Scott M. Mory (photo/Steve Cohn)

The 79th annual USC Alumni Awards banquet took place on April 28, 2012, at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. At the event, USC president C. L. Max Nikias presented the university’s highest alumni award, the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award, to Sandra Bane, accepting on behalf of her husband, Dan Bane ’69, chairman and CEO of Trader Joe’s Company. The Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award celebrates Trojan alumni whose accomplishments have brought honor and recognition to themselves and USC by giving generously of their time, energy and leadership to both their alma mater and to the community.

USC Information Sciences Institute 40th Anniversary

annettem — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:03:44 +0000

ISI Executive Director Herbert Schorr, USC President C. L. Max Nikias and ISI Associate Director Joseph Sullivan (photo/Steve Cohn)

On April 26, 2012, USC marked the 40th anniversary of its Information Sciences Institute (ISI) during a celebratory dinner at Loews Santa Monica Hotel. Founded in 1972, ISI played a pivotal role in conceiving, designing, and implementing the Internet and its predecessor, the Department of Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) communication system known as ARPANET. In his remarks, Nikias noted that the ISI, which began as an off-site research facility with a single grant, now attracts nearly $60 million each year for basic and applied research.

Read the full story at USC News.

Enhanced Safety Measures

annettem — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:52:31 +0000

L.A. Chief of Police Charlie Beck, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, USC President C. L. Max Nikias (photo/Steve Cohn)

In the wake of the tragic event of April 11, 2012, USC president C. L. Max Nikias met with Los Angeles chief of police Charlie Beck, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and others at the mayor’s office in City Hall on April 25 to discuss enhanced safety measures, including a heightened presence of the USC Department of Public Safety as well as additional steps to be taken by the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department in the neighborhoods surrounding the University Park Campus. The safety enhancement plans were formally announced at 9:00 a.m. on April 26 during a joint press conference at USC’s Town and Gown.