GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: TERRENCE GRAHAM

hail from foreign countries, including Armenia, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. Roughly a third of each PharmD class includes students born outside the U.S. In addition, most of the school’s master’s students come from abroad.

Ronak Shethia, a second-year MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences student originally from Mumbai, says the school’s international reputation, global partnerships and diverse culture of students influenced his decision to enroll here.

“USC is well-recognized globally and has always made sure that all international students feel comfortable and included,” he says. “My peers from different countries have also shown me a glimpse of their traditions, culture, food, art and music, and I am so grateful for the experience.”

First-year MS in Management of Drug Development student Ema Rajić grew up in Illinois but retains a strong affinity with her parents’ home country of Croatia—so much so that she competed as a swimmer on the Croatian national team at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Like Shethia, she was attracted to USC by the school’s global impact. She says she feels inspired by those who travel from overseas to pursue degrees at the university.

“I love learning about people, why they’re interested in their field and what brought them here from the other side of the world,” Rajić says. “I think USC is pretty exemplary in that global aspect of education, and that’s exactly the environment I want to be in.”

First-year PhD student Sara Abdel-Hamid took part in the school’s predeparture orientation for international students before leaving her native Egypt, which she says helped ensure a smooth transition. “USC offers a community of people from different backgrounds coming from around the world,” she says. “Having exposure to

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

While a high schooler in Dayton, Ohio, Terrence Graham saw his world open up when a teacher inspired him to study Russian literature. As chief international officer for the USC School of Pharmacy, he helps connect students to opportunities to learn from other cultures as the school’s leadership in pharmacy education, research and practice continues growing in global impact. Here, he discusses the school’s worldwide reach and what it means.

What makes the school’s global reach so important for students?

International experiences help them understand how different cultures approach healthcare, which will make them better pharmacists, healthcare leaders, scientists, regulatory affairs professionals and health economists because they can understand where people are coming from—especially in a region as diverse as Southern California.

How do global initiatives support other aspects of the school’s mission?

Our global reach includes always looking for multiple touchpoints of collaboration, and our partnerships include institutions in Taiwan, India, Brazil and Mexico. It’s not just about study-abroad exchanges but also about our teaching and research projects and other outreach. For example, in May, I traveled with six USC PharmD students to Bulgaria to provide input on a new healthcare clinic being developed there. While there, we actually met up with Terry Church and his undergraduate Maymester students (see story on page 16).

Does this go both ways? What about students from other countries who come here?

We’re seeing an increase in international students coming into the PharmD program, and we welcome them. This distinguishes us from many other pharmacy schools, which don’t enroll international students in their PharmD programs due to complications with licensing. I’ve heard numerous students say our international program is what really attracted them to USC. Meanwhile, our International Student Summer Program draws students from around the world to campus—including more than 50 in 2022.

What is your main goal in your capacity as chief international officer for the school?

I want to ensure that the School of Pharmacy’s international dimension becomes ever more integral to everything that happens here—from teaching and research to clinical practice.