The Word from Widney House

Michele Engemann Sworn in as President of the USCAA Board of Governors
Earlier this year, Michele Dedeaux Engemann '68 became the 84th president of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. Engemann, the daughter of legendary Trojan baseball coach Rod Dedeaux (who died in 2006 at age 91), is an accomplished actress and tireless supporter of USC. She is the founding chair of the USC School of Theatre Board of Councilors and a past president of the Trojan League of Los Angeles. As the head of the USCAA Board of Governors, she presides over an advisory body charged with supporting and strengthening the quality and range of programs and services available to the vast community of USC alumni. Engemann will lead the board until summer of 2008 when President Elect Richard DeBeikes '78 will take over the post.

Louis J. Galen, Trojan Philanthropist, Dies at Age 82
The name Galen is writ large throughout Trojan Town – most prominently, it graces the imposing new sports center on Figueroa and Jefferson that is now home to USC basketball. Louis "Lou" Galen '51 and his wife Helene have been, according to USC President Steven B. Sample, "devoted members of the Trojan Family" whose generosity has made possible such campus mainstays as a dining facility at Heritage Hall and a ceramics studio in the School of Fine Arts. Galen, who proposed to his wife at a USC-Notre Dame football rally and made his fortune in the banking industry, died on November 12 at his home in Rancho Mirage. For more on Louis Galen, click here.


2008 New Year's Resolution: Become a TJA Member
Founded in 1936 in the spirit of friendship, scholarship and leadership, Trojan Junior Auxiliary (TJA) is one of USC's oldest alumnae (women's) groups. TJA members live throughout Los Angeles County and are young professionals who wish to continue the USC tradition of service and sisterhood. They value their USC connection and want to give back to the university by raising money for scholarships to support junior and senior women at USC. In addition to raising these funds, they also enjoy a variety of social networking activities that, in many cases, lead to lifelong friendships. Members have found jobs, made great contacts and discovered fresh opportunities for growth and service through participation in TJA, and everyone will have memorable experiences and the satisfaction of supporting the next generation of Trojan women. You are invite d to check out TJA at the group's upcoming membership mixer on Monday, January 14, 2008 at 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the USC Widney Alumni House. To RSVP, e-mail membership@usctja.com or call (310) 493-7026.

Travel Trojan-Style

GO ON VACATION, NOT INTO DEBT
When it comes to vacation value, Trojan Travel has you covered. Our Alumni Campus Abroad (ACA) program is one of the best travel deals available, with trips in 2008 to Italy, Ireland, France, Scotland, the Swiss Alps and the Ukraine and Romania, priced as low as $1,895 plus air! We're offering a number of other trips that are bargains in price only, including Burgundy and Provence, the Dalmatian Coast, Passage of Peter the Great, Sicily and Malta, Ancient Greece, Village Life in the Dordogne and Holiday Markets of Salzburg and Vienna. For more information on all of these values, please visit our European travel page . Happy holidays and bon voyage!


Your Alumni Network in Action

YOUNG ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY
Celebrate the holiday season with hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and the company of your fellow young Trojan alumni. The party takes place Thursday night, December 6, from 7-9 p.m. at Royale on Wilshire located between Hoover and Alvarado. Admission is only $10 per person; please click here to RSVP. Make the most of your holidays by meeting other young people who share your Trojan Family affiliation and many of your interests.

USC GREEK GALA
The USC Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils, along with the Interfraternity and Intersorority Parents' councils, invite alumni to a dinner, dance and silent and live auction in the Founders Club of the USC Galen Center on Saturday night, March 1, 2008. In attendance will be special guests Sam Cunningham and John Papadakis, authors of The Turning of the Tide: How One Game Changed the South, the story of the first fully integrated football game in Alabama (1970). The event will honor the philanthropic efforts of various Greek chapters as well as the recipients of the Fraternity Merit Scholarships, and will also raise funds for Swim with Mike, a program that awards scholarships to physically disabled swimmers. Individuals or corporations who would like to donate money or silent/live auction items can download the donation form here. For more information, please contact Ashley Mahaffey at (310) 245-6157 or uscphcpublicrelations@gmail.com.

Special Offers

INSURANCE SAVINGS FROM MARSH AFFINITY GROUP SERVICES
Marsh Affinity Group Services, the insurance broker for the USC Alumni Association, offers USC alumni a wide range of group insurance plans including term life, auto, homeowners, catastrophe major medical insurance, short-term medical, long-term care and Blue Shield of California medical plans and Medicare supplement. Click here for more information.

AUTO, HOME AND RENTER'S INSURANCE
Liberty Mutual is a proud partner of the USC Alumni Association. For a free, no-obligation rate quote, call 800-706-5520 or click here .


From the USC Newsroom

Headlines
L.A. MEMORIAL COLISEUM TALKS AT IMPASSE
An alternative lease with the Rose Bowl Operating Company is under discussion, USC officials say. More...


A CALL FOR BOOST OF DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Governor speaks at USC Annenberg conference focusing on the creation of greater access to broadband. More...

Milestones
USC RANKED AS LGBT-FRIENDLY CAMPUS
The university earns a top national rating for support of gay, lesbian and transgender students. More...

MATHER HONORED FOR INNOVATIVE PUBLICATION
The USC Davis School assistant professor is recognized for her paper on elders' tendency to remember more positive information as they age. More...

International
BREAKING AWAY FROM BOOKS AND BARRIERS
A new peer mentorship program at the USC Gould School of Law pairs law students with likeminded pupils from around the world. More...

Athletics
PETE CARROLL TALKS ABOUT SATURDAY'S GAME AGAINST UCLA
Trojans set for showdown with the Bruins at the Coliseum. More...

MEN'S WATER POLO TOPS OUT WITH 7 ALL-MPSF HONOREES
As the Trojans turn to 2007 NCAA Championship competition this weekend, the USC men's water polo team has planted an all-time best 7 players on All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams. More...







USConnection is a service of the USC Alumni Association. We e-mail it monthly to thousands of USC alumni across the United States and the world. If you have any comments or questions about this e-newsletter, you can reach us at usc.alumni@alumnicenter.usc.edu. Fight On!

Michele Dedeaux Engemann '68
President
USC Alumni Association Board of Governors, 2007-08


Scott Mory
Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations

Ross Levine
Editor
USConnection