59 minute read
Alumni News
Stronger Together
Whether he was building one of the internet’s earliest social networks or championing equal rights, David Bohnett has made community a priority.
When he talks about his lifelong passion for creating communities, USC Trustee David Bohnett ’78 likes to borrow a metaphor from Gustavo Dudamel, the famed conductor he helped recruit to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
“Playing in an orchestra teaches you everything you need to know about how to get along in the world,” Bohnett says. “You play an individual instrument, but you play it as a community of musicians. at’s a good analogy for how we ought to operate as a society: You do the best you can as an individual, but you do that in concert with the community around you.”
Growing up in a tight-knit family in the Chicago suburbs, Bohnett learned that lesson early on by watching his parents and grandparents help neighbors and build bonds through church and social programs. He carried that sentiment into his undergrad years at the USC Marshall School of Business, where he earned his business administration degree. He developed strong ties with his fraternity brothers at Alpha Tau Omega as they helped raise funds for Troy Camp through Songfest.
After college, Bohnett founded GeoCities.com, one of the internet’s rst community-based social networks that allowed users to create personal websites and connect with others. e site was a huge hit, and its success enabled him to establish the David Bohnett Foundation, which supports numerous causes, including social justice and performing arts organizations in Los Angeles and elsewhere, LGBT advocacy, public policy scholarships and fellowships, and voting rights.
“I’ve gained so much by living in Los Angeles and building my professional career and personal life here. And just like my parents, I feel a responsibility to give back to my community,” says Bohnett, who has served in leadership roles with the L.A. Phil and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “My way to contribute is to stay involved in the institutions that are important in that community, and USC is among them.”
When USC leaders approached him about an opportunity to endow and name a new residential college at USC Village, Bohnett readily agreed—as long as it centered on social justice and philanthropy. Since 2017, the David C. Bohnett Residential College, supported by his $15 million pledge, has been home to students passionate about solving pressing issues like gun violence and homelessness.
“I wanted to ensure we had a theme of philanthropy and social justice that included an endowment for annual grant-making,” he says. “Every year, students in the residential college have funds to contribute to the local community.”
His commitment to USC and lifelong dedication to advancing social issues have earned him recognition as this year’s winner of the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award, the USC Alumni Association’s highest honor. The award is given to a Trojan who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, generosity and community service. Asked if he had advice for current USC students and others seeking to nd their place in the world, Bohnett keeps it simple and true to his nature: Reach out for help when needed but also gure out how to help others. “I heard a saying once that there’s no problem you can’t give your way out of,” he says. “It creates this great feedback loop and sense of satisfaction that you’re making a contribution.” ERIC LINDBERG
All in the Family
With eight USC degrees among them (and counting), the Shimadas have a love for learning—and for the Trojan Family.
When she was 11, Charlene Shimada ’91, EdD ’19 knew that she wanted to attend USC.
“My fth-grade teacher, Mrs. Stewart, was a graduate of USC. She was a Song Girl, and she married a Trojan,” she says. “Because of her, I wanted to go to USC, and I wanted to be a teacher.”
Just like Mrs. Stewart, Charlene graduated from USC, becoming the rst in her family to complete a four-year degree. She also pursued a career in education and married a Trojan, Tommy Shimada ’88. e couple attended the same church and schools in the L.A. Uni ed School District, but they didn’t start dating until he was a USC freshman. Both worked part-time jobs to pay for college, so they bonded as they carpooled to school together. “It was our dream to attend USC,” omas says. “It was a good investment in our lives and in ourselves, and the education paid o .”
After graduating, Thomas went into accounting, working for Ernst & Young, Countrywide/Bank of America and others. Charlene taught at Glendale Uni ed for ve years and was a substitute teacher while raising their children, Philip and Elisa. rough the years, the family went to the occasional football game, and the siblings grew up hearing about their parents’ positive college experiences. But they made a vow: Don’t attend USC. “We promised ourselves we wouldn’t go because our parents went,” Philip says. “We wanted to rebel.” at rebellious phase didn’t last long.
Philip received a full scholarship to USC and graduated in 2017 with bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology. He returned two years later to earn a Master of Social Work. Elisa, who is a year younger than Philip, followed him with bachelor’s degrees in sociology and social sciences and is pursuing her doctorate in sociology at USC.
Charlene headed back to the university herself, earning a doctorate in education. “It was very impactful to be there for her graduation ceremony,” Elisa says. “I’ve never seen someone who looks like me in academia with a doctoral degree. e fact that it was my mom was really special.”
Re ecting on the di erences between her college experience and her children’s, Charlene marvels at how much the demographics have shifted in the last two decades. “Back then, we came from one of the most diverse high schools in L.A. When we arrived at USC, we felt like a minority,” says Charlene, who is Native Hawaiian. Today, more than 40% of USC students are from a community of color and more than 20% are international. “For students in our generation, we were accepting of diversity,” says Charlene, a principal at Alameda Elementary School in Downey, California, and member of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. “Now I think it’s more of an invitation where we’re not just accepting you, we’re inviting you. We want you.”
Elisa, who teaches undergraduate sociology courses, agrees. “What I like about our student body is that they’re advocating for their education,” she says. “ ey want more representation of people in color in research.”
For the Shimadas, that passion for education and pushing what’s possible isn’t just relatable. It’s a family tradition. RACHEL NG
e Truth Seeker
Dogged determination takes an alumna to the heart of American political power.
Last year, Rachel Scott ’15 reached a career milestone that few journalists attain: As a White House correspondent, she asked a direct question of the president of the United States.
Newly minted in the role with ABC News, she pressed President Donald Trump repeatedly about economic relief for Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s her duty, she says, to ask tough questions of those in power.
“We’re there on behalf of the American people,” says Scott, an alumna of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. “ ere’s such value in not only having a seat inside that press brie ng room and being able to ask the president questions but also to be out on the other side of the White House gates, talking to Americans who are being a ected by the economic turmoil, by the pandemic, by the racial strife in America.”
REPORTING FOR DUTY Scott grew up in Los Angeles and credits her family for inspiring an interest in history and journalism. Her grandparents told her stories about marching for civil rights in Washington in the 1960s and the struggles of their elders born into slavery. In the evenings, she watched news shows with her father, who often quizzed her on current events.
“I always wanted to learn more about civil rights, about communities that were ghting for equality—and to be able to pose questions about those issues to people who are in power,” Scott says. “ at’s how I realized that I wanted to be a journalist.”
USC Annenberg felt like the perfect place to develop as a broadcast reporter and storyteller. She learned to deliver a newscast, shoot video, write online content and record radio stories while earning her journalism degree.
During her senior year, she spotted James Goldston, president of ABC News, while he toured USC Annenberg’s Media Center with Dean Willow Bay. As he was leaving, she worked up the courage to ask him about an entry-level job.
“ ose opportunities are rare for student journalists,” Scott says. “Annenberg gives you that face-to-face time with movers and shakers, with innovators, with leaders in this industry.”
Her bold move paid o , but her early days as a production associate in New York City were less than glamorous. She made copies, ordered meals, created graphics and kept the co ee pot full. To gain on-camera experience, she volunteered as a reporter at an ABC a liate in Connecticut. She worked weekdays as a producer for Good Morning America Digital in New York, then commuted by train to New Haven every weekend.
That hunger and drive earned her a reporter position at the network. Soon, Scott was covering major national events, including the 2018 midterm elections, Hurricane Irma, nationwide protests against police brutality and the 2020 presidential race. She was promoted to White House correspondent as America rst grappled with the pandemic. “It is remarkable for me every day that I, as a Black woman, have a press badge to report
from a White House that was built by slaves,” she says. “To be in that brie ng room, to be able to pose questions for the American people, is a responsibility that I don’t take lightly.”
Now focusing on Capitol Hill, Scott plans to continue delivering tough questions to those who are shaping our future. TED B. KISSELL
Welcome Page
A new online gathering place helps Trojan alumni connect, share and stay in touch.
When you picture the last time thousands of Trojan alumni gathered together, you probably think of the packed stands at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or the Galen Center.
Now you can also think of FightOnline.
Since its launch last year, the official website for USC alumni has welcomed more than 28,000 users and counting. Designed for alumni to stay in touch and update career information, the site also allows users to choose their preferences for receiving university communications.
“This is almost like a digital living room for alumni,” says Patrick Auerbach, associate senior vice president for alumni relations. “We want Trojans to be able to visit us anytime and customize their experience with USC.”
A PLACE FOR ALUMNI
On many social media platforms, it’s hard to tell if users are being honest about their identity—or worse, are just a bot. On FightOnline, all users are confirmed USC alumni. “This is not an open platform,” says Teresa Verbeck, executive director of alumni relations. “This is a service available to alumni only. You can’t join if you’re not in the university’s database.”
Users can search and message other alumni to reconnect with old friends or build new ties. They can also join message boards—several regional groups are based on where alumni live, for example—with each moderated by a manager.
Beyond location, alumni can personalize their profiles with their USC affiliations, including fraternities and sororities, student groups and athletic teams like rugby and soccer. As the site grows, it will be easier to find other alumni who shared these unique USC student experiences and request even more specialized groups, like former tour guides or Trojans whose children also attended USC.
LOOKING AHEAD
The USC Alumni Association is hard at work to expand the platform and plans to offer more ways for alumni to stay informed about official USC events and networking opportunities. Right now, users can check a calendar of events to keep updated on university activities.
And as more Trojans share information about their interests and involvements, the USCAA wants to keep customizing and enhancing the user experience. For example, when a USC Marshall School of Business alumna logs on soon, she will have access to parts of the site set aside just for USC Marshall alumni with content tailored to their interests and community.
For now, personalizing your relationship with USC is at the heart of the FightOnline platform. You can update your mail, phone and text messaging preferences and control how the university contacts you.
“We’ve made it so that alumni can tell us about their interests,” Verbeck says. “This is an opportunity for us to then tailor future developments to the site based on what alumni want.” ELISA HUANG
TROJAN NETWORK
The Trojan Network is an online mentoring platform for alumni to help USC students gather career and industry information and launch their careers. The FightOnline platform links to the Trojan Network (go to usc.peoplegrove.com in your web browser) so that alumni can easily create an account and serve as mentors to current students. Both the Trojan Network and FightOnline are part of the university’s Trojans to Trojans initiative, which seeks to harness the power of the Trojan Family to help alumni excel.
What a Difference a Day Makes.
Make May 4 Your Day to Give
Each year, on the USC Day of SCupport, USC alumni, parents and friends come together to demonstrate the power and generosity of the Trojan Family.
On Monday, May 4, 2021, we invite you to join us by making a gift of any size to the USC school, program or initiative most meaningful to you. With your support, we are #TrojansTogether, and a family like no other.
dayofscupport.usc.edu
1950s
Michael Halperin ’55 (SCJ) published his eighth book, My Name Is David: Search for Identity, a true post-Holocaust story that recounts a young boy’s rescue from the Warsaw ghetto by Polish Christians.
1960s
James M. Taggart ’64 (LAS), MS ’66 (GRD) published e Rain Gods’ Rebellion: e Cultural Basis of a Nahua Insurgency, which discusses oral narratives about the 1977-1984 rebellion by indigenous people in Huitzilan de Serdán, Mexico.
Gail Kenna ’65 (LAS) won two rst-place and three second-place honors in ve categories in the 50th Biennial Letters Awards of the National League of American Pen Women.
Kirby Timmons ’68 (LAS) wrote an essay on the pandemic experience—“Is is America’s Valley Forge Moment?”—in Communal News.
Cary D. Lowe ’69, MA ’70 (LAS), JD ’74 (LAW), PhD ’80 (SPP) published a political memoir, Becoming American.
1970s
Carol (Edmonston) Ross ’70 (LAS), CRT ’71 (BKT) is the author of the Amazon bestseller e Healing Power of Doodling: Mindfulness erapy to Deal with Stress, Fear & Life Challenges.
Tim Twomey ’72 (ARC), senior vice president and deputy general counsel for CallisonRTKL, a global architecture, planning and design rm, retired after more than 43 years as an architect and attorney.
George Pla MPA ’74 (SPP)received a Maestro Award for Entrepreneurship from Latino Leaders Magazine. He is founder and CEO of Cordoba Corporation, an engineering rm specializing in transportation, education, water and energy. TROJAN TRIBUTE
G. Denman Hammond
G. Denman Hammond (right), emeritus professor of pediatrics, had a distinguished career as the founding director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. With a specialty in childhood leukemia and other pediatric malignancies, he first joined the faculty at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in 1957 as an assistant professor. Hammond was instrumental in directing the final phases of the cancer center’s planning and construction and assisted in developing its research and care programs. He died in September 2020 at the age of 97.
Stephen Ralls DDS ’74 (DEN), PhD ’79 (EDU) is president of the American College of Dentists after serving as its executive director for more than 20 years.
Salpi Ghazarian ’75 (LAS) is an Aurora Forum Goodwill Ambassador, part of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative in Armenia.
Donald LaPlante ’76 (LAS/SCJ) is president of the Board of Education for the Downey Uni ed School District in Downey, California. is is his seventh term on the board.
Russell C. Elmayan ’77 (BUS) has served the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina, since 1990 in roles such as chancellor, chief nancial o cer, chief operating o cer and chief administrative o cer.
John E. Karayan JD ’77 (LAW) co-authored the third edition of State and Local Taxation: Principles and Planning.
Ron Maines ’77 MS (ENG) received the 2019 FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, which recognizes 50 years of exemplary aviation ight experience, distinguished professionalism and a commitment to aviation safety.
Dean G. Rallis Jr. ’77 (BUS), JD ’80 (LAW) heads Hahn & Hahn LLP’s bankruptcy and nancial restructuring practice group.
Stanley Taubman DSW ’77 (SSW), the former director of Medi-Cal Behavioral Health in Alameda, California, received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). He is a consultant for the NASW Continuing Education Program and California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions and the author of the Berkeley Training Associates Treatment Plan Library, designed for use in electronic health records.
Maureen A. Flanagan ’78 (BUS), managing director and wealth manager at First Republic Investment Management in Newport Beach, California, has been named to the Forbes 2020 list of Top Women Wealth Advisors.
Regina Birdsell ’79 (SCJ), MSW ’88 (SSW) was appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to the Coronavirus Economic Resiliency Task Force to develop recommendations for shaping public policy and spurring economic recovery.
John H. Daly III MS ’79 (ENG), director of transportation infrastructure for Flint, Michigan, has been reappointed to the Michigan Infrastructure Council, which implements statewide asset management strategy for public infrastructure.
Bruce Furniss ’79 (SCJ),a six-time NCAA swimming champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist, was inducted to the College Sports Information Directors of America’s Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Conrad Mallett Jr. JD ’79 (LAW), MPA ’79 (SPP), a former Michigan Supreme Court justice, is deputy mayor of Detroit and sits on the board of directors of Lear Corporation in South eld, Michigan.
1980s
▲ Sandra J. Evers-Manly ’81 (SPP) joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after more than 25 years in the lm industry, including serving as president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP for 12 years and overseeing the NAACP Image Awards, NAACP eater Awards and reports on diversity in the lm and television industry. She has testi ed in front of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, the Congressional Black Caucus and the California Assembly about Black images and employment of Blacks in the lm and television industry.
David Frost MS ’81 (ENG) is a master tness trainer. He published his rst non ction work, KABOOMER: riving and Striving into your Nineties.
Mark B. Frazier JD ’82 (LAW) is managing partner at Rutan & Tucker LLP after serving as the rm’s trial department section head and chairperson of its nance and recruiting committees.
Gregory Gandrud ’82 (BUS) is treasurer of the California Republican Party.
Sharon Marchisello ’82 (LAS) published her second novel, Secrets of the Galapagos.
Dasha C. Nisula PhD ’82 (LAS) translated the second edition of You with Hands More Innocent by Vesna Parun.
Matthew Airey ’84 (SCJ) published a book, Steadfast Awareness: Re ections and Life’s Takeaways.
Joseph Arleth ’84 (LAS) completed his PhD at George Washington University, where he wrote his thesis, “Improving Federal Employee Engagement rough First-Level Supervisors.”
Paul Barton ’84 (LAS) was promoted to regional sales manager for HP Specialty Printing Systems, where he is responsible for clients in North, Central and South America.
Christopher Gopal PhD ’84 (BUS) has been appointed to the Defense Business Board in Washington, D.C.
Charles Smith ’84 (BUS), MPL ’90 (SPP), a member of the USC Price Alumni Association Board of Directors,is a business group leader in impact investment for GHD, an engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services rm.
Christianne Kerns JD ’85 (LAW) is the fth managing partner in Hahn & Hahn LLP’s history and the rst woman to hold the position. She was named one of the most in uential women attorneys by the Los Angeles Business Journal for a third consecutive year.
Paul D. Lippe MS ’85 (ENG) is the director of cost estimating for Fincantieri Marine Group. Roger Neill ’86 (MUS) joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is known for his work on the Amazon television show Mozart in the Jungle and lms such as 20th Century Women and Don’t ink Twice.
▲ Robert DeLaurentis ’88 (ACC) completed a ight around the globe in a plane he dubbed Citizen of the World, carrying experimental equipment for NASA and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography while using biofuels for the rst time over the poles. During the ninemonth journey, he met thousands of people and interviewed many about what it means to be a citizen of the world.
Kristy Williams Fercho ’88 (BUS) leads the home lending division for Wells Fargo.
Karen (Combs) McClintock MBA ’88 (BUS) is the rst woman to serve as president and CEO of LSIA, an investment management rm.
John Goldman ’89 (LAS) published The Arlington Orders, a historical ction thriller, under his pen name, Elliot Mason.
1990s
Aric Ackerman ’90 (BUS) is CEO and managing partner of Jump Global Technology Advisors, an L.A.-based telecommunications services company.
Steven Atlee JD ’90 (LAW) is deputy general counsel at Caltech, where he manages litigation, supervises the o ce’s practice groups and oversees daily operations at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Adam Smith ’90 (ARC) serves on the National Park System Advisory Board’s National Historic Landmarks Committee.
Seeding Change
Jose Miguel Ruiz inspires sustainable thinking and renewal through urban gardens, one empty lot at a time.
Some 600 years ago, the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan —now modern-day Mexico City—kept its 200,000 or so inhabitants fed through the use of “chinampas.” These small, elevated gardens wound through neighborhoods in a thread of green islands, providing enough tomatoes, beans and other sustenance to keep everyone nourished.
If Jose Miguel Ruiz MSW ’17 could have his way, Los Angeles may someday mirror Tenochtitlan. “There’s 59,000 acres of unused space across the city. If we scratch 5% or 10% of that and turn it into growing land, that’s an impact,” he says.
He’s the mind behind CultivaLA, a nonprofit transforming urban agriculture through gardens scattered in tiny, ignored corners of Los Angeles’ sprawl. Its members are working-class residents. Ruiz calls them “cultivadores”—meaning farmers or growers in Spanish—to honor how they cultivate both the earth and their community. These gardeners grow nutritious produce for themselves and neighbors on land maintained by CultivaLA. GROWING UP GREEN
Ruiz’s grandparents were farmers in Puebla, Mexico, and his father picked peaches in California’s Central Valley as he dreamt of tending his own small plot of land.
The family immigrated from Mexico to Los Angeles when Ruiz was 2 years old, without documentation. Ruiz was one of many whose lives hang in the balance without citizenship. Luckily, as Ruiz prepared for college, he connected with a nonprofit organization that found him a pathway to legal status through his father’s work experience as a field laborer.
Ruiz enrolled at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he majored in psychology and took courses in agroecology and sustainable food systems. He spent most of his time in the university’s extensive gardens and campus research areas. Walking among the California redwoods, he pondered how to bring the joy of gardening into urban life.
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
After graduation, he headed to the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work for a master’s in social work. He met Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, the Florence Everline Professor of Sociology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, who enthusiastically supported Ruiz’s vision of creating an urban, community-building agricultural model.
“She just said: ‘Here’s $1,000. Let’s make it happen,’” Ruiz says. “It was that seed money that really made me believe that we could build a nonprofit here to drive change.”
Working with L.A. City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, they identified their first piece of land: a 0.16-acre patch wedged in front of the Rampart Division police station and facing a U-Haul office. In 2019, CultivaLA sprang to life. Now the garden boxes at this Westlake location overflow with herbs and produce, some of which originate from the homeland of the many immigrant cultivadores.
Even a pandemic couldn’t stop the garden from thriving. Participants grow Swiss chard, onions, celery and more to fill grab-and-go bags for families hit hard by COVID-19. Watering days continue, with Ruiz’s mom pitching in to douse beds of cilantro.
Working with civic leaders across L.A., CultivaLA has renovations underway at its second site: Union Avenue/Cesar Chavez Community Garden, located south of MacArthur Park. A 4.5-acre farm will soon break ground in South El Monte. As the island chain of urban greenery emerges like the chinampas of Tenochtitlan, Ruiz is on his way to bringing people closer to the land—and to one
another. MARGARET CRABLE
Toxic Relationships
A prominent toxicologist talks about dangerous chemicals—and reframing the burning of fossil fuels as a public health threat.
We’re surrounded by manmade chemicals, from bits of dust in the air we breathe to the fabrics we wear. Not all are dangerous, though. Toxicologists like John Whysner MD ’70, PhD ’70 have the di cult task of determining which ones might be. e author of The Alchemy of Disease: How Chemicals and Toxins Cause Cancer and Other Illnesses got his start in toxicology studying the venom of poisonous snails at USC, home of a leading center for developing anti-venom in the 1950s. He talks with writer Sarah Nightingale about the science behind harmful chemicals and how some of them are linked to climate change.
As consumers, we often hear that certain chemicals are toxic or cause cancer. How do toxicologists determine if that’s true? is is a complicated process that involves studying people who have been exposed to a certain chemical, as well as animal studies and other laboratory tests. ere may be a simple relationship, such as chemical X causes disease Y, or it may be more complex. A chemical can cause several types of toxic e ects depending on the dose and the extent and circumstances of the exposure.
A lot of our knowledge comes from studying people who have been exposed to high levels of harmful chemicals through their work. For example, we know from occupational health studies that asbestos exposure causes a type of cancer called mesothelioma and that vinyl chloride, used to manufacture PVC plastics, causes liver cancer.
Even more of what we know comes from animal studies that test vast numbers of chemicals used as pharmaceuticals or food additives and in household products. Unfortunately, animal models are not necessarily good predictors of chemical-induced diseases in humans, especially when it comes to cancer and other complex, genetically driven diseases. What happens is that some chemicals are mislabeled as toxic to humans when they aren’t, and more worryingly, we are missing some that are. e lack of good toxicity models is the biggest problem facing the eld. e good news is that toxicologists have made great discoveries concerning the health e ects of chemicals we encounter in our daily lives, and the application of this knowledge for public health bene ts has been successful in many areas.
About 7 million people die prematurely each year from polluted air. Why is that still happening? When it comes to the e ects of air pollution, the application of our knowledge has been inadequate. e production and use of fossil fuels, for example, still exposes workers to disease-causing agents and still results in air pollution that leads to heart and lung disease, cancer and stroke. In this case, the problem is a lack of political motivation to control exposure to these chemicals rather than a lack of knowledge.
Have the health risks of fossil fuels been overshadowed by the conversation on climate change? Yes. e health problems associated with burning fossil fuels, which are immediate and happen on a personal level, share a common cause with global climate change. As a toxicologist, I think we should place the emphasis for cleaning up our air on the immediate health bene ts. at would also solve the global warming problem.
John Bautista ’91 (BUS), who holds an MBA from Columbia University, is managing director of UHY LLP, overseeing the rm’s business valuation services practice.
Shawn Marie Boyne JD ’91 (LAW) joined Iowa State University as director of academic quality and undergraduate education.
James O. Fraioli ’91 (BUS), a James Beard Award-winning culinary author, will soon publish Sammy Hagar’s Greatest Cocktail Hits with a foreword by Guy Fieri.
Noreen Green DMA ’91 (MUS) was featured in a documentary by the Milken Archive of Jewish Music exploring her decades-long career as a conductor.
Timothy Omundson ’91 (DRA) starred in Psych 2: Lassie Come Home on NBC.
David Orenstein ’92 (LAS), MS ’12 (GRN) published his memoir, Love Songs To My Brain, a story about coming of age after having pediatric brain cancer.
Dominic Choi ’93 (ACC) was recognized by the L.A. City Council for his accomplishments as deputy chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, the rst Korean American to reach that rank. After graduating from USC with a degree in accounting, he began his career as a police o cer and served in many roles, including sergeant, captain, commander and homeless coordinator. Currently chief of sta for LAPD Chief Michel Moore, he received the promotion after 25 years in the department.
Kimberly Kane ’93 (LAS/SCJ) received a 2020 Bravo! Entrepreneur/I.Q. Award from BizTimes Media in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She graduated from the Small Business Association’s Emerging Leaders program and her company, Kane Communications Group, earned national certi cation as a Women’s Business Enterprise. president of DLY Marketing Group, a marketing and branding consultancy in L.A.
Tim Spence ’94 (ARC), president of BSA LifeStructures, a national architecture, engineering, interior design and planning rm, serves on its board of directors and is a registered architect in Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Greg Suess ’94 (BUS), a partner at Glaser Weil LLP, was appointed an independent director for Zedge, a worldwide mobile publishing and content platform provider.
Brian David Goldberg MA ’96, PhD ’03 (LAS) received his second master’s degree inhealth and behavioral science from Columbia University.
Liz Kern ’96 (SCJ) was awarded a Golden Mike Award as news anchor and reporter at KMJ-AM in Fresno, California.
Kurt Patino ’96 (LAS) owns Patino Management Company and presented the TEDx Talk “How Fear Can Be a Four-Letter Word for Success.” Kristen C. Vine JD ’96 (LAW) is a director at Jackson & Campbell PC in Washington, D.C., where she focuses on complex insurance coverage litigation related to environmental and toxic tort claims.
Ben Ammerman ’97 (LAS) joined Fisher Phillips, a national employment and labor rm.
Rebeca Andrade ’97 (LAS), EdD ’16 (EDU) is superintendent of Salinas City Elementary School District in Salinas, California.
Sean Callahan ’97 (SCA), a Directors Guild of America stage manager, was elected to the guild’s Western AD/SM/PA Council, representing associate directors, stage managers and production associates.
Renée Goldsberry MM ’97 (MUS), a Tony Award-winning artist, was interviewed in the Los Angeles Times about her role as Angelica Schuyler in the stage and lm versions of Hamilton. She was nominated for a Grammy for her performance in the hit musical, which was released on Disney+ last year.
Anthony Turner MBA ’96 (BUS) was named global commercial banking market executive for Bank of America, leading a team of 17 commercial bankers covering L.A. and Ventura counties and the Inland Empire. Jeff Hegedus JD ’97 (LAW) is executive vice president for business and legal a airs at Skydance Television, where he oversees deals for the company’s live-action television group.
Ayano Ichida JD ’97 (LAW) joined Miramax as executive vice president of compliance. Previously, she was general counsel at WDI International Inc.
Brent Rupnow ’97 (ARC) earned the Certi ed Exit Planning Advisor designation, joining the Exit Planning Institute’s international community of advisors who assist business owners and their families through an ownership transition.
Maria Aristigueta DPA ’98 (SPP) is the inaugural dean of the Joseph R. Biden Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration at the University of Delaware. After serving as president of the American Society for Public Administration, she was elected to the National Academy of Public Administration. She has served on the executive council of the National Association of Schools of Public A airs and Administration.
TROJAN TRIBUTE Mike Gillespie
Mike Gillespie ’62, MS ’64 (EDU) coached the Trojan baseball team from 1987 to 2006, guiding the program to five Pac-10 titles, 14 NCAA Regional appearances, four College World Series berths and the 1998 College World Series crown.
In his 31-year Division I coaching career, he won 1,156 games and twice was the National Coach of the Year. He was UC Irvine’s head coach from 20082018 and was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
During his college years, he was an infielder and outfielder on USC’s 1961 College World Series championship team.
Gillespie died on July 29, 2020, at the age of 80. Mark Foster ’95 (LAS), JD ’98 (LAW), partner at Snell & Wilmer, has been in the rm’s real estate practice group since 2016.
Justin M. Goldstein JD ’98 (LAW), chair of the litigation practice group at Sklar Kirsh LLP, received the LA500 Award from the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Matt Morse ’98 (ACC) is chief nancial o cer of Ethic Wealth Advisors LLC at Ethic, A Wealth Bank, headquartered in Boston.
Marisa Reichardt MPW ’98 (LAS) published a young adult novel,Aftershocks, about a young woman’s determination to survive a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Southern California.
Edward H. Chyun ’99 (LAS) is co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council in the Cleveland o ce of Littler, an employment and labor law practice.
Andrew Stein JD ’99 (LAW) is partner of Hersh Mannis LLP. He joined the rm in 2016, bringing more than 15 years of knowledge and experience representing high-pro le, high-asset individuals in family law cases.
Limor Toren-Immerman MM ’99, DMA ’04 (MUS), Garik Terzian MM ’02 (MUS) and Nora Chiang Wrobel MM ’04 (MUS) are in the group Trio Accento and released a classical contemporary album,Extent Blues.
2000s
Ilan Ben-Hanan ’00 (SCJ) was promoted to ESPN senior vice president of programming and acquisitions, primarily overseeing ESPN’s college networks business.
Nicole Vick ’00 (SPP), MPH ’05 (MED) published a memoir, Pushing rough: Finding the Light in Every Lesson, that chronicles her experience as a teen mother who pursued a life of public service.
Raul Ramirez ’01 (LAS), EdD ’14 (EDU) is superintendent of Mesa Union School District in Somis, California.
Cody Westheimer ’01 (MUS) scored the award-winning documentary e Story of Plastic along with Mike McCready of Pearl Jam.
Aaron Brown MFA ’02 (SCA) is creative director of Taft Communications, a New Jersey-based consultancy rm, where he leads the company’s creative strategy and oversees design functions.
▲ Tyler Evans ’02 (GRN) is chief medical o cer overseeing the COVID-19 response for the New York City Department of Emergency Management, where he led quarantine coordination efforts that included tending to patients at a makeshift hospital built at the U.S. Open tennis complex in Queens. Previously, he completed several humanitarian missions with Doctors without Borders and Partners in Health and helped found the NYC Refugee and Asylee Health Coalition.
Amber Finch JD ’02 (LAW) is the partner chair of Reed Smith LLP’s African American Business Inclusion Group, STAARS.
Jen Malia MA ’02, PhD ’09 (LAS) wrote the book Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism.
Sean Mulvihill ’02 (DRA) teamed up with improv comedian Colin Mochrie for the documentary feature lm Act Social.
FredAnthony Smith ’02 (SCA), a senior producer for the NFL, received a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Trans-Media Sports Coverage for his work on NFL 100 Greatest and All-Time Team.
Bill Stephenson ’02 (BUS) is a senior sales executive at SAP America, consulting with Southern California businesses on business analytics and customer experience.
Esmeralda Bermudez ’03 (SCJ) received the Sí Se Puede Award at the 2020 convention
Paper Caper
In 1958, a crew of Trojans devised a bold plan to embarrass their crosstown rivals. Could they pull it off?
Nothing unusual stood out about the newspaper delivery driver, aside from looking unfamiliar.
Dressed in a workman’s tan shirt and slacks, he pulled up to the UCLA entrance just like any other morning. Stacks of the Daily Bruin were bundled in the back of his truck. e guard waved him through after he explained that the regular driver was sick. No one paid much attention to the truck as it dutifully dropped o newspapers across the Westwood campus—or so it seemed. In fact, Trojan conspirators had been covertly watching the truck’s progress. By the time UCLA students realized that fake copies of their school paper were all over campus, it was too late. e driver—a USC student— was already headed back downtown, armed with a story destined for Trojan Family lore.
“My dad loved telling the story,” says Steve Short ’91, who fondly remembers hearing the tale throughout childhood. His late father, Garry Short ’59, the sports editor of the Daily Trojan in 1958, pulled o the prank ahead of the annual crosstown football matchup. His fellow colluders included the late Joe Jares ’59, Daily Trojan managing editor, and Larry Lichty ’59, a student senator.
Lichty roped in his roommate, Ken Ballard ’60, JD ’67, to pose as the delivery driver. “He made it clear that if I didn’t do it, no one else would be dumb enough,” Ballard jokes. e two staked out the printer and followed the UCLA driver to learn his delivery route.
Meanwhile, Jares, Short and Lichty wrote articles for the phony paper. eir headlines included “Trojans Get Slight Nod in Bruin Poll” and “Student Quits School in Hu Over Facilities.” e back page quoted the UCLA coach proclaiming he “couldn’t see any hope” for the team.
THE ELABORATE PLOT UNFOLDS At about 6 a.m. on Nov. 21, 1958, the UCLA delivery driver showed up at the press to pick up his papers. A group of Trojan Squires intercepted him.
“We didn’t want to be accused of kidnapping, but it was clear to the driver that the 20 or so people surrounding him felt really strongly that he should have a good meal before setting out on a crosstown journey,” Lichty says.
The driver was escorted to a hearty breakfast, and Ballard headed to Westwood with his own special delivery. Lichty served as lookout at the last stop and remembers watching with glee as an angry Bruin threw their bogus papers into a trash can. Two other students immediately retrieved them and passed them out to a curious crowd. e pranksters had pulled it o . e caper made national news and the Daily Trojan printed a jubilant account the following Monday, with a quote from Dean of Students Robert Gordon admitting, “Even students and administration at UCLA agree that this was a real coup.”
“A few people said we should be more serious and spend our e orts on better things,” Lichty says. “And yes, if we got caught or sued or arrested, it would have been awful. But I think we just loved a good joke.” e only disappointment that year might have been the result of the football game itself: a 15-15 tie. ELISA HUANG
Tap into the Power of the Trojan Family Trojan Family
Alums, sign up for The Trojan Network, USC’s free online professional networking platform, where you can:professional networking platform, where you can:
• Connect with thousands of fellow alumni from a wide range of industries and geographic locations to give or receive valuable career advice. • Build your professional network. • Serve as a mentor and advisor to new grads and current students who reach out to you. • Participate as much or as little as you wish—whether it’s answering one question per month or establishing an ongoing connection with a student or fellow alum. Sign up today at careers.usc.edu/trojan-network.
hosted by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists.
Araba Nayena Blankson MA ’03, PhD ’07 (LAS) was promoted to full professor at Spelman College.
Eli Brueggemann MM ’03 (MUS), the musical director for NBC’s Saturday Night Live, was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Music Direction for the episode “SNL At Home #1.”
Carlton G. Davis JD ’03 (LAW) is a Sacramento County Superior Court judge. He previously served as a court commissioner at the Sacramento County Superior Court, deputy district attorney in the Sacramento County District Attorney’s O ce and deputy district attorney in the Riverside County District Attorney’s O ce.
Jeremy Gimbel MBA ’03 (BUS) joined Donor Network West as chief nancial o cer.
Tim Stowe EdD ’03 (EDU) is interim superintendent of Torrance Uni ed School District in Torrance, California.
Michael Werwie ’03 (BUS) wrote the Net ix original movie Lost Girls.
Jill Baker EdD ’04 (EDU) is superintendent of Long Beach Uni ed School District in Long Beach, California.
Joshua Chu MS ’04 (ENG) is managing partner of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie’s California o ces, specializing in intellectual property with a focus on the prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications.
Uri Fleming JD ’04 (LAW), MBA ’04 (BUS) is head of business a airs for unscripted television at Amazon Studios.
Kathleen Grace MM ’04 (MUS) released the songs “Where Or When” and “Everywhere” from her album Tie Me To You, a collaboration with pianist Larry Goldings.
Siria Martinez ME ’04 (EDU) is assistant vice chancellor of student equity and success at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s O ce in Sacramento, California. Darryl H. Ng ’04 (BUS) was pro led in Forbes as one of the 2019 Best-in-State Next Gen Wealth Advisors in Northern California and spotlighted for his work in the special needs and disability community.
Maegan Poland ’04 (SCA) received the 2020 Bakwin Award for her debut story collection, What Makes You ink You’re Awake.
Mark Prior ’04 (BUS) helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series victory as the team’s pitching coach. At USC, he played in two College World Series runs and won the Golden Spikes Award as the country’s top amateur player in 2001. A 20-year pitching veteran of Major League Baseball, he was a Dodgers bullpen coach for two seasons before being promoted in December 2019.
Patrick Sommers ’04 (BUS) is the assistant vice president of sponsorships and events at Northwell Health, which was featured on 60 Minutes for helping lead the COVID19 ght in New York City.
Matthew Strugar JD ’04 (LAW) was honored by the National Lawyers Guild for his work with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition’s litigation team, which won a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department for harmful policing activities.
Maurice Turner MPA ’04 (SPP) is senior advisor to the executive director at the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which supports local, state and federal partners in administering elections fairly and securely.
Kimberly White-Smith EdD ’04 (EDU), dean of the University of La Verne’s LaFetra College of Education, is a vice president of the California Council on Teacher Education.
Molly Claflin ’05 (LAS) won the 2020 Stevens Award presented by the Truman Foundation.
Erik Hammer ’05 (MUS) played guitar with Shakira during the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. He was previously a guitarist for rapper Lupe Fiasco.
Brian Kendrella ’05 (BUS) published e Trojan Alphabet, a USC football-themed children’s book about the ABCs.
Sarah Peyre MS ’05, EdD ’08 (EDU) is dean of the Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester.
Dominique Samario ’05 (SCJ), MPA ’18, GCRT ’18 (SPP), the rst public information officer for Menifee, California, oversees the city’s communications, governmental relations and community engagement e orts. She previously served as a public information o cer for the cities of Santa Barbara and Goleta, working on a variety of programs such as special events, economic development initiatives, community grants and the Goleta’s Homelessness Strategic Plan.
Theodore “Teddy” Chadwick ’06 (LAS) co-founded Chadwick & Crouse LLC, an immigration law rm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Mike Gallegos ’06 (LAS) joined HFO Investment Real Estate in Portland, Oregon, as a managing director.
Glen Golightly MPW ’06 (LAS) launched So a Bella, a bridal salon in Torrance, California.
Jaime Lee ’06 (LAS), JD ’09 (LAW), a USC trustee, was a featured panelist on the Asia Society’s webcastCOVID-19: e Implications for Real Estate on Both Sides of the Paci c.
Dan Rib ’06 (DRA) is the technical director of Mizel Arts and Culture Center in Denver, Colorado.
Jennifer Sarvas ’06 (DRA) founded a resume coaching business called At Your Sarvas to help entertainment workers nd new opportunities during the pandemic.
Veronica Arteaga MSW ’07 (SSW) is chief program o cer for L.A.-based Way nder Family Services, which provides temporary shelter care for children, group homes for people who are medically fragile or severely disabled, and residential therapeutic programs for foster teens.
Melissa Farrar MA ’07 (SCJ) is director of communications at Fairmont Austin in Austin, Texas.
Andrew Green ’07 (MUS), MAT ’08 (EDU) was selected as District of Columbia Public Schools Music Teacher of the Year for the 2019-20 school year. A former tuba player in the Trojan Marching Band, he has taught music at Phelps ACE High School for 12 years.
David A. Romero ’07 (LAS) published his third full-length poetry book,My Name is Romero.
Tracey Chenoweth JD ’08 (LAW) is partner in the banking practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York City.
Miya Williams Fayne ’08 (SCJ) became a Knight News Innovation Fellow, which will assist with her research on the digital Black press.
Monisha Coelho MCL ’09 (LAW) is partner in the L.A. o ce of AlvaradoSmith, where she focuses on business and commercial litigation, real estate litigation and U.S.-India legal matters.
Anne Hsu ’09 (SCJ) is a senior producer at CBS News’ Face the Nation.
Michael Pierce ’09 (MUS) is a live sound engineer and recording artist based in Austin, Texas, where he created a socially distanced outdoor studio during the pandemic.
Madhuri Shekar MA ’09 (SCJ), MFA ’13 (DRA) received the Dramatists Guild of America’s Lanford Wilson Award, which is presented annually to a dramatist based primarily on their work as an early career playwright. Coby Marie Turner JD ’09 (LAW) is a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP in the labor and employment department, where she represents employers in state and federal courts.
Peter Vack ’09 (DRA) is a series regular on the HBO Max series Love Life.
2010s
Nick Cabraloff ’10 (SPP) completed his MBA at the Harvard Business School and is an investment analyst at Boston-based hedge fund Whale Rock Capital Management.
Sarah Gibson MM ’10, DMA ’15 (MUS) and Thomas Kotcheff MM ’12, DMA ’19 (MUS), who form piano duo HOCKET, launched #What2020SoundsLike, a social media series featuring newly commissioned works from 50 composers.
Steffi Gascón Hafen JD ’10 (LAW), a partner at Snell & Wilmer, was included in Super Lawyers’ 2020 Southern California Rising Stars list for estate planning and probate.
Jason Issokson MA ’11 (SCJ), MM ’11 (MUS) was introduced by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra as one of its newest members in a video interview, during which he performed Brahms’ “Sonatensatz in C minor.”
Michael Lewis MPA ’11 (SPP) was elected chairperson of the board of directors of the Torrance Community Credit Union in Torrance, California. He has served the credit union since 2011 as a member of the supervisory committee, and in 2013 he joined the board of directors, where he served as treasurer and vice chairperson.
Rosezetta Upshaw JD ’11 (LAW), president of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, was named to the National Bar Association’s 40 Under 40 list.
Angela Vázquez MSW ’11 (SSW) is on the leadership team for Body Politic, a global COVID-19 support group to increase public awareness and secure public investment to address the long-term impacts of the novel coronavirus. She was also appointed to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.
TROJAN TRIBUTE
Gayle Garner Roski
A USC alumna, plein-air watercolorist and longtime philanthropist, Gayle Garner Roski ’62 was a driving force in the Los Angeles art community.
Over a career that spanned more than half a century, Roski illustrated seven books and held numerous solo shows. Her art career coincided with her civic dedication. She headed public art projects throughout Los Angeles, including the Community of Angels Sculptural Project and at the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels. She also served on the executive board of the California Art Club.
In 2006, she and her husband, USC Trustee Edward P. Roski ’62, pledged $23 million to USC’s art school, which was renamed in her honor. In 2016, the Roskis made a landmark $25 million gift to endow and name the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute at Keck Medicine of USC, which helped solidify the institute’s position as one of the nation’s leading centers for advanced vision care, research and education.
The donation had a deep personal meaning for Roski, who received cataract treatment at the institute. After the surgery, Roski’s ability to see color and light values dramatically improved and she realized how cataracts had affected her paintings and changed how she used color.
Roski died on Oct. 21, 2020, at the age of 79.
Michael Zobel ’11 (LAS), MD ’15 (MED) completed the Pediatric Surgery Research Fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he investigated the bene t of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in treating children with a high-risk type of cancer. He is completing his residency in general surgery at the University of California, San Francisco.
Maxim Dorbushin ’12 (LAS) founded and serves as president of Quantum Logos, a marketing agency.
Alfonso Jimenez EdD ’12 (EDU) was named superintendent of Hacienda La Puente Unified School District in the City of Industry, California.
Justin Lubliner ’12 (MUS), founder of Darkroom Records, signed Billie Eilish as the label’s second artist. Eilish swept the four main categories at the 2020 Grammy Awards (album, song, record and best new artist) for only the second time in the history of the awards.
Kevin Del Principe MFA ’13 (SCA) and Nikki Del Principe MFA ’13 (SCA), who married in August 2019, co-created the feature lm Up on the Glass.
Tonantzin Oseguera EdD ’13 (EDU) was appointed vice president for student a airs at California State University, Fullerton.
Alison Spirito ’13 (LAS), JD ’17 (LAW)published the article “ e ‘Collaborative Generation’ Will Make Good Family Lawyers” in the June 2020 issue of Los Angeles Lawyer magazine. She is an associate at McGaughey & Spirito in Redondo Beach, California, and serves on the executive committee of the Barristers/Young Attorneys Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Dan Arriola JD ’14 (LAW), a city councilmember for Tracy, California, was highlighted in the Young Elected O cials Network’s 35 Under 35 list. He was elected to the city council in 2018 at age 29, becoming the youngest council member in city history and Tracy’s rst openly LGBTQ elected o cial.
Justin Berry PhD ’14 (LAS) earned tenure and promotion to associate professor at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, where he has been an assistant professor of political science since 2014.
Jessica Burns JD ’14 (LAW) joined Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, specializing in commercial leases, loan documents, real estate purchase and sale agreements, and governance documents.
James Morosini ’14 (DRA) received the 2020 ScreenCraft Comedy Screenplay Competition grand prize for his short lm I Love My Dad.
Brooke Mulligan ’14 (BUS), JD ’19 (LAW), Mane Hakobyan JD ’18 (LAW) and Mane Khachatryan JD ’19 (LAW) were featured on EXHIBIT A: From a Big Law School to a Small Firm, a webcast series by the Pasadena, California, law rm of Donald P. Schweitzer.
Eric Hoyeon Song ’14 (LAS) received a 2020 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Madigan Stehly ’14 (DRA), a two-time Emmy Award winner, was nominated in 2020 for two Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special for his work on the 62nd Grammy Awards and Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Series for Fox’s So You ink You Can Dance.
Colin Woodell ’14 (DRA) is a series regular on the HBO Max series e Flight Attendant.
Karine Akopchikyan JD ’15 (LAW), a litigator at Stubbs Alderton & Markiles and vice president of the USC Gould Alumni Association, was named to the 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers’ 2020 Rising Stars list.
Alissa Gwynn ’15 (SCJ) started a new position as senior manager of culture programming at Red Bull Media House.
Liz Lopez ’15 (SCJ) is an associate partner manager for creators at Spotify.
Kalyn Norwood ’15 (SCJ) joined KOATTV’s Action 7 News team in New Mexico.
Taniko “Nickey” Woods EdD ’15 (EDU) is assistant dean for diversity, inclusion and admissions in UCLA’s graduate division.
Molly Zive MSW ’15 (SSW) started her own clinical practice, erapy with Molly, working with clients who are experiencing life transitions, work-life balance issues, depression, anxiety and more.
Milan L. Brandon II JD ’16 (LAW), an associate at LiMandri & Jonna, published articles in the California Insurance Law and Regulation Reporter and the Insurance Litigation Reporter discussing commercial property insurance claims during the pandemic.
Scott Felix ’16 (DRA) directed ve shows for Shia LaBeouf’s Slauson Rec eater School. He also created the production company Sun ower Pictures, which focuses on independent short lms, and published a poetry book, Mediocre Sun ower.
Jason C. Harter ’16 (BUS) is an associate at L.A. real estate private equity rm Paci c Coast Capital Partners.
Scholarships change lives.
“ I am a first-generation American and a first-generation I am a first-generation American and a first-generation college graduate. It is no exaggeration to say that this scholarship impacted the trajectory of my life and the lives of all of my family.”
Edgar Bustos Dr. Homira Firoozeh Kioumher and Dr. Fariba Firozeh Bagheri Endowed Scholar USC Marshall School of Business USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and SciencesUSC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Class of 2020 of 2020
Every gift counts.
giveto.usc.edu
TROJAN TRIBUTE Alan Kreditor
Alan Kreditor had a 50-year career at USC, including serving as a longtime administrator and chief fundraiser. During his time at the university, Kreditor launched the Master of Real Estate Development degree and helped establish what is now known as the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. He became the first dean of the USC School of Urban and Regional Planning, which later merged with the USC School of Public Administration to form what is now the USC Price School of Public Policy.
As senior vice president for university advancement, he set a new bar for fundraising, helping raise $2.85 billion in what was then the most successful campaign in the history of higher education. During Kreditor’s 16-year tenure as USC’s chief fundraiser, the university raised more than $5.5 billion in gifts and pledges.
He returned to the USC Price faculty as a professor emeritus in 2008. He also served on numerous national and international boards and commissions and advised corporations, foreign governments, international organizations and other universities. He also served as chairman of the California Building Foundation and the Los Angeles Urban Design Committee. He died Oct. 7, 2020, at age 84.
Nicole S. Houman JD ’16 (LAW) founded The Property People, a Miami law firm specializing in protecting the personal and nancial investment of property ownership.
Reid Silverman ’16 (SCJ) was promoted to director of brand at Mayweather Boxing + Fitness.
Dario Avila LLM ’17 (LAW) is leading a campaign to deliver 3D-printed face shields to health care workers in Quito, Ecuador.
Claudia Buccio ’17, MS ’18 (SCJ) received her rst Emmy Award forLuz Sin Fronteras/A Light Across the Border, a documentary about a blind vendor in Tijuana who raises money for underserved people with special needs.
Eli Goodstein ’17 (SCJ) started a new position as associate producer of digital video news at CNN. Nicole Skinner MSW ’17 (SSW), a mental health counselor at McKinley Children’s Center in San Dimas, California, received the Outstanding Field Supervisor Award from Azusa Paci c University.
Raja Venkatapathy Mani MCG ’18 (SCJ) works in digital media communications for the United Nations Development Programme in New Delhi, India.
Casey McEuin MSW ’18 (SSW) has helped more than 4,000 veterans nd work through Project RELO, his nonpro t organization dedicated to educating business executives on the bene ts of hiring military veterans.
Waverly Middleton ’18 (LAS) was awarded second place and named fan favorite in the Goldman Sachs Gives Analyst Impact Fund competition.
Joy Ofodu ’18 (SCJ) was promoted to associate brand marketing manager at Instagram.
Drew Schwendiman ’18 (SCJ) joined REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice reform organization led by Meek Mill, Jay-Z and Van Jones, as its rst social media strategist.
Alexander Blake DMA ’19 (MUS) leads the choral ensemble Tonality, which received the 2020 Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming for choruses committed to new music.
Landon Brand ’19 (IYA), Ben Stanfield ’19 (IYA) and Mimi Tran Zambetti ’20 (IYA) are co-founders of Wren, an app that calculates ways to o set your carbon footprint. ey were recently named to the Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2021 in the Consumer Technology category.
Braden Hicks DDS ’19 (DEN) is the latest in his family to graduate from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, following in the footsteps of father Paul W. Hicks DDS ’88, uncle Scott Hicks DDS ’93, grandfather Paul H. Hicks DDS ’63, great-uncle Taylor Hicks DDS ’62 and great-grandfather Taylor T. Hicks DDS ’33. He joins his father and uncle as the fourth generation to serve Prescott, Arizona, through their practice, Hicks Dental Group.
Mirabella McDowell MA ’19 (SCJ) is social media associate at Group SJR, a public relations agency.
Jaimie Pangan MM ’19 (MUS) was invited to join the Recording Academy as a voting member.
2020s
Matāpuna Levenson MSW ’20 (SSW) is director of training and technical assistance for the Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Maahir Shah ’20 (MUS) won the Independent Music Award for Best Music Producer in the Dance/Electronica category for Electric, the rst full-length album released under his moniker, 5önik.
MARRIAGES
Kazuma Kitagaito ’09 (ENG) and Nikki Ryu ’11 (BUS)
Cheryl Madamba ’12 (ENG) and Je Collins
Elisabeth M. Davis MAT ’18 (EDU) and Glenn Hakes
BIRTHS
James O. Fraioli ’91 (BUS) and Ti any Fraioli, a daughter, Bianca Alessandra
Beaumont Shapiro ’06 (LAS) and Ashley L. Shapiro, a son, Simon Harris
Andrew Green ’07 (MUS), MAT ’08 (EDU) and Elizabeth Kuhn ’07 (LAS), a son, Anthony Paul Nagem
Annie (Faulkner) Wagner ’11 (LAS) and Brian Wagner ’12 (SCJ), a daughter, Bridget
Catherine “Cat” Karyan Wilbur JD ’11 (LAW) and Greg Wilbur, a son, Henry “Harry” Augustus
Justine Safar Leach MAT ’15 (EDU) and Kyle Leach, a son, Anderson Koguma
IN MEMORIAM
ALUMNI
Marilyn Johnson Kizziah ’43 (SCJ) of Santa Monica, California; Feb. 20, 2020, at age 96
Betty Fullerton ’46 (LAS) of Scottsdale, Arizona; Feb. 10, 2020, at the age of 94
Lowell Dabbs ’48 (LAS), MS ’54 (GRD) of Bakers eld, California; May 25, 2020, at the age of 95
Baxter Hallaian ’48 (LAS) of Encino, California; June 30, 2020, at the age of 97
George E. Myers ’48, MA ’50 (LAS) of Portland, Oregon; Feb. 24, 2020, at the age of 93
Joan Johnson Follis ’49 (BUS) of Ventura, California; Dec. 30, 2018, at the age of 91
Jerry D. Boyd ’50 (SCJ) of Reston, Virginia; Sept. 24, 2019, at the age of 91
John Caminiti ’50 (BUS) of Newport Beach, California; Jan. 13, 2013, at the age of 93
John Creighton Bodle MD ’51 (MED) of Santa Rosa, California; Sept. 1, 2020, at the age of 94
James L. Perzik ’51 (BUS), JD ’62 (LAW) of Los Angeles; Nov. 11, 2020, at the age of 91
TROJAN TRIBUTE
Rev. Bernard J. Coughlin MSW ’59 (SSW) was posthumously honored as a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers Foundation last year. Coughlin, who died in January 2020, was a civic leader, university president, social work administrator and scholar, along with being an advocate of human rights, service and social responsibility. He was the longest-serving president of Gonzaga University, and though the Jesuit priest had taken a vow of poverty, he proved to be the biggest fundraiser in the school’s history. He received many awards for his contributions to society and authored two books and dozens of scholarly articles about social change and action. Ralph H. Zeledon ’52 (LAS), MSW ’56 (SSW); March 1, 2020
Margaret Akita ’53 (LAS) of Sierra Madre, California; May 6, 2020, at the age of 89
James Patrick Fitzgerald ’54 (LAS), MS ’58 (EDU) of Lakewood, California; March 5, 2020, at the age of 90
Robert A. Krauch ’54 (SCJ) of Playa del Rey, California; Jan. 24, 2020, at the age of 92
Albert Solnit ’54 (LAS), DDS ’56 (DEN) of Solvang, California; Feb. 18, 2020, at age 90
Theodore C. Carothers ’55 (LAS), MS ’61 (EDU) of Pasadena, California; March 2020, at the age of 90
Donald Daves ’55 (LAS) of Newport Beach, California; June 7, 2020, at the age of 89
George Talcott Root PharmD ’56 (PHM) of Corvallis, Oregon; Aug. 12, 2020, at age 87
Fred Caso ’57 (BUS) of Laguna Woods, California; April 12, 2020, at the age of 84
Lawrence J. Warner DDS ’58 (DEN), MLA ’82 (LAS) of Sherman Oaks, California; April 23, 2020, at the age of 89
Robert A. Johnson ’60 (ENG) of Ironwood, Michigan; April 23, 2020, at the age of 91
Antonio Juan Mendez ’60, MA ’65, PhD ’68 (LAS) of El Segundo, California; May 22, 2020, at the age of 81
Michael John Cloran ’61 (LAS) of Carmel, California; June 7, 2020, at the age of 82
Leslie Geyer ’61 (LAS), MS ’63, MS ’77 (GRD) of Carmel, California; May 18, 2020
Judy Primrose McKeever Gannon ’61 (EDU) of Valley Center, California; Sept. 8, 2019, at the age of 79
Robert W. Mannon MS ’61, PhD ’71 (ENG) of Santa Barbara, California; March 10, 2020, at the age of 92 Russell Vogel MS ’63 (EDU) of Newbury Park, California; Feb. 25, 2016 at the age of 91
Mel Hein, Jr. ’64, MS ’66 (EDU) of Reno, Nevada; July 8, 2020, at the age of 79
Robert R. Rigg ’64 (LAS), LLB ’67 (LAW) of Newport Beach, California; April 10, 2020, at the age of 78
Eugenia Behar PharmD ’65 (PHM) of Coral Gables, Florida; Sept. 8, 2020, at the age of 88
Takeshi Tokiyama MS ’65 (ENG) of Los Angeles; Oct. 16, 2019, at age 84
Carlton Penn MS ’66 (ENG) of Lancaster, California; Dec. 6, 2019, at the age of 80
Mary Elizabeth Zola ’66 (LAS) of Monrovia, California; April 14, 2020, at the age of 77
Damon Clinton Bame ’67 (LAS) of Riverside, California; June 26, 2020, at the age of 77
Vincent H. Okamoto ’67 (LAS), JD ’73 (LAW) of Inglewood, California; Sept. 29, 2020, at the age of 76
Patrick G. Young ’67, MBA ’70 (BUS) of Newport Beach, California; Nov. 17, 2019, at the age of 74
Farokh Shad Afsahi MA ’68, PhD ’79 (LAS) of Laguna Niguel, California; Feb. 5, 2020, at the age of 84
Ryle Sonduck MS ’68 (EDU) of Cathedral City, California; May 16, 2020, at the age of 89
Steve Hammond Watson ’71 (LAS) of Hagatana, Guam; Nov. 23, 2019, at the age of 70
Edwin M. Todd MLA ’72 (LAS) of Boulder, Colorado; July 6, 2019, at the age of 71
Thomas Charles Somerville DMA ’73 (MUS) of Aliso Viejo, California; Feb. 25, 2020, at the age of 85
Robert M. Bogle MBA ’74 (BUS) of Westlake Village, California; Jan. 6, 2020, at age 76
TROJAN TRIBUTE
Tom Seaver , the legendary pitcher known for his fastball, spent more than 20 years pitching for major leagues teams, including the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox. “Tom Terrific,” USC’s first member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, died on Aug. 31, 2020, at the age of 75.
James E. Fernandes MS ’74 (ENG) of Seattle, Washington; Feb. 8, 2020, at the age of 93
Timothy McReynolds ’74 (LAS) of Cumming, Georgia; Sept. 26, 2019, at the age of 67
John Zander Gallie ’75 (BUS) of Santa Ana, California; Aug. 12, 2019, at the age of 75
Lee Dreyfuss ’76 (LAS) of La Cañada, California; March 25, 2020, at the age of 65
Kathleen N. Holmes MSW ’78 (SSW) of Phoenix, Arizona; Dec. 23, 2018
Shirley Elaine Ostler MA ’81 (LAS), PhD ’87 (EDU) of Logan, Utah; Jan. 22, 2020, at the age of 89 Steven G. Tripodes MBA ’82 (BUS) of San Marino, California; Feb. 19, 2020, at the age of 87
David Elias Lutfi ’83 (LAS) of Yorba Linda, California; Nov. 19, 2019, at the age of 57
Grant Imahara ’93 (ENG); July 13, 2020, at the age of 49
James M. Carrick ’00 (LAS) of San Diego, California; Jan. 4, 2019, at the age of 48
Ruben Zepeda II EdD ’05 (EDU) of Palmdale, California; March 6, 2020, at the age of 59
Joshua S. Markovitz ’16 (SCJ) of Seattle; Feb. 11, 2021, at the age of 27 FACULTY AND FRIENDS
Ira Kalb of Santa Monica, California; August 2020, at the age of 72
David Lewis of Tampa Bay, Florida; July 14, 2020, at the age of 65
Max Tuerk of Trabuco Canyon, California; June 20, 2020, at the age of 26
LEGEND
ACC USC Leventhal School of Accounting ARC USC School of Architecture ART USC Roski School of Art and Design BPT Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy BUS USC Marshall School of Business DEN Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC DNC USC Kaufman School of Dance DRA USC School of Dramatic Arts EDU USC Rossier School of Education ENG USC Viterbi School of Engineering GRD USC Graduate School GRN USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology IYA USC Iovine and Young Academy LAS USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences LAW USC Gould School of Law MED Keck School of Medicine of USC MUS USC Thornton School of Music OST USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy PHM USC School of Pharmacy SCA USC School of Cinematic Arts SCJ USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism SPP USC Price School of Public Policy SSW USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Amanda Decker, Matt DeGrushe, Edmundo Diaz, Leticia Lozoya, Kristy Ly, Alex Rast, Stacey Wang Rizzo, Nicole Stark, Julie Tilsner and Deann Webb contributed to this section.
Ticket to Ride
Before Metro E Line trains zipped down Exposition Boulevard, there was the Santa Monica Air Line.
On May 20, 2016, Los Angeles celebrated a milestone in public transit: the opening of Los Angeles Metro Rail’s E Line to Santa Monica. e much-anticipated 6.6-mile light rail extension connects downtown Los Angeles to the beach. On opening day, hundreds ocked to the line’s 19 stations to experience a tra c jam-free ride between downtown and the Westside— a rare experience for many Angelenos. ough maybe not for some. Older locals might recall Paci c Electric’s Santa Monica Air Line, a predecessor to today’s E Line train that operated until 1953. It carried passengers between Santa Monica and its station at the corner of Sixth and Main streets in downtown L.A. Today’s E Line runs along much of the Air Line’s original route, which included a tunnel under the 405 freeway and stops near the University Park Campus.
In this picture from 1953—the year the Air Line closed for good—a rail car cruises down Exposition Boulevard. e Mudd Hall of Philosophy’s distinct brick facade and 146-foot clock tower are unmistakable in the background. Midcentury Angelenos could take this route through South L.A., Culver City, Palms and West L.A. to the end of the line, which was within walking distance of the Santa Monica sand.
Low ridership led to the Air Line’s closure, but 63 years later, Metro rail lines revived regional interest in public transit. e E Line alone ferried 18 million passengers in 2019. e line has three stations adjacent to the University Park Campus, making train cars once again a xture along Exposition. Running past Mudd Hall every few minutes on weekdays, they keep the campus community linked to the city after more than a half century. ELISA HUANG
