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TROJAN

OPEN DOORS Room 100 at the Student Union is home to the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, one of seven new or remodeled spaces for students. Learn more about these spaces on p. 8.

Room to Grow

Many USC students have new spots where they can hang out—and find a place to belong—this semester.

Sometimes you need a place to relax and call your own. That’s part of the thinking behind the remodeled USC cultural centers and new student lounges that opened this fall on the University Park Campus.

In these comfy spaces, Trojans can set up meetings, organize activities or hear a visiting speaker. They might talk with a counselor, take a break to meet friends or relax. Designed to bridge across many identities and cultures, the spaces encourage a sense of belonging and well-being for students, whether they’re LGBTQ+, first generation, Black or Asian American—or their allies.

CENTER FOR BLACK CULTURAL AND STUDENT AFFAIRS The newly updated space in the Student Union aims to create an Afrocentric, holistic learning environment that supports academic, personal and social development for all members of the USC community.

NATIVE AMERICAN AND PASIFIKA STUDENT LOUNGE Students who identify as Native American or Pasifika now have their own spot in the Student Union to connect and learn.

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN STUDENT SERVICES Students from Asian, Pacific Islander and Desi communities seeking mentorship, cross-cultural programs and leadership development can find like-minded Trojans here.

FIRST-GEN + SUCCESS CENTER This expansive space in the Tutor Campus Center welcomes Trojans who are the first in their family to attend college, as well as transfer students, former foster youth and undocumented students.

MIDDLE EASTERN AND NORTH AFRICAN STUDENT LOUNGE This new culture-affirming space, located in the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, supports and promotes Middle Eastern and North African identities.

LGBTQ+ STUDENT CENTER Students who are interested in LGBTQ+ support, education, advocacy and community building can head to the Student Union to unwind and talk with others in an updated lounge.

Triple Header Bright Start

USC’s three newest deans take on arts, tech and policy.

THE CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVER

Emily Roxworthy has tackled complex issues of diversity and race throughout her career as a performer and higher education leader. When the chance came to take the lead of USC’s drama program, the timing seemed right. “This opportunity is unparalleled,” she says. “Both the theater and Hollywood are in the midst of a social justice movement, and the USC School of Dramatic Arts is perfectly situated to empower its students through creativity and the performing arts.”

Roxworthy was most recently associate dean of the Graduate Division at the University of California, San Diego, where she also served as vice chair of its Department of Theatre and Dance. She holds a degree in performance studies and English literature from Northwestern University, a master’s in theatre arts from Cornell University and a doctorate from the Interdisciplinary Program in Theatre and Drama at Northwestern.

THE DISRUPTOR

Throughout his career, Thanassis Rikakis has sought to break down barriers among academic disciplines. That makes the educator and researcher a great fit as the new dean of the USC Iovine and Young Academy, which aims to spark disruption in the arts and technology and the business of innovation. “Creating a space for people who learn differently is going to be a major goal for education in the 21st century, whether at the college level or the high school level,” he says. “Those people can be catalysts for how we expand the knowledge vocabulary.”

Prior to USC, Rikakis taught bioengineering and performing arts at Virginia Tech and served as the university’s executive vice president and provost. He is a musician, engineer and artist who was born in Greece, studied in the United Kingdom and earned degrees in music composition at Ithaca College and Columbia University.

THE POLICY EXPERT

To change society on a broad scale, one of the most effective and useful tools is public policy. Dana Goldman knows its power, having helped guide policy discussions on critical issues like Medicare reform, Obamacare and health disparities as director of the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics. He’ll continue that work and more as the C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Dean’s Chair at the USC Price School of Public Policy.

“For those who want to affect the real world, USC is a hub,” he says. “That’s why our mission is broad: to improve the quality of life of people in communities globally because policy touches all.”

A Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy and Economics, Goldman earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Cornell University and a doctorate in economics from Stanford University. He began teaching at USC in 2009 after 15 years as an economist and director of health economics, finance and organization with the Rand Corp. Created after World War II, the prestigious Fulbright program promotes the international exchange of ideas, culture and goodwill through merit-based scholarships. USC has been among the country’s top producers of Fulbright students for nearly a decade, and this year is no exception. Of the program’s 2020-21 recipients, 25 are Trojans—the most students from any California university.

Fulbright students teach, conduct research and lead professional projects in more than 135 countries. From studying fetal cardiology in Poland to offering free English tutoring in Colombia, this year’s Trojans continue a rich legacy of bridging cultural divides.

31%

Percentage of USC applicants who received a Fulbright award

25

How many USC students received a U.S. Fulbright scholarship in 2021

NINE

Number of consecutive years USC has ranked as a top producer of U.S. Fulbright students