Word from Widney

Temperatures may still be high, but fall has definitely arrived at USC. On August 17, we welcomed the newest members of the Trojan Family, the Class of 2015, to USC as they begin a new and exciting chapter in their lives. Visions and Voices, USC's university-wide arts and humanities initiative, opened its new season with a spectacular multimedia showcase on August 18. And September 15 marks the beginning of the multi-year Campaign for the University of Southern California (see related feature).

The USC Alumni Association is busily gearing up for what promises to be another extraordinary year, as we continue to reach out and engage the 300,000+ members of our alumni community. More . . .


Alumni Headlines
COUNTDOWN TO VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION DINNER
Town and Gown on the University Park campus will provide the elegant backdrop for the 2011 Volunteer Recognition Dinner on September 16. The event sells out every year, so purchase tickets today for this memorable evening of Trojan Family camaraderie.


SEND US YOUR 2012 ALUMNI AWARD NOMINATIONS
Please help us identify USC's most accomplished and dedicated alumni. Click here to download the nomination form for the 79th Annual USC Alumni Awards, to be held April 28, 2012; the submission deadline is September 16.  


REST AND RECREATION
When C. L. Max Nikias was named USC's 11th president last spring, several people urged him to balance the grueling pace of the job with exercise. Click here to read how President and First Lady Nikias spent their first vacation since he took office, cycling 30-40 miles daily.



ARIZONA STATE, HERE WE COME!
Bring your Trojan Spirit to the Grand Canyon State! Take advantage of Pleasant Holidays complete travel and event packages and join us for USC's five away games this season, starting September 24 in Tempe, AZ, where the Trojans take on the Sun Devils.


RECONNECT, REDISCOVER AND REMINISCE AT REUNION WEEKEND 2011
Calling all grads from the classes of 1961, 1971, 1981, 1986 and 2001: Reunion Weekend registration is open! Join us November 11-12 to reconnect with old friends, tour the University Park campus and cheer 'SC to a Homecoming victory over Washington. Click here for more information..


2011 USC GLOBAL CONFERENCE
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and author Thomas L. Friedman (The World is Flat) will deliver the keynote address at the 2011 USC Global Conference: Global Challenges and Enhancing Opportunities, October 13-15 in Hong Kong. Click here to register.


USC ANNOUNCES GAME-DAY IMPROVEMENTS
On August 23, USC athletic director Pat Haden unveiled a comprehensive plan for improving the overall game-day experience for football fans. Click here to read the list of improvements, the result of a six-month review of game-day logistics at the Coliseum.


USC CAREER CENTER: NEW NAME, SAME GREAT SERVICE
Under the new leadership of executive director Carl Martellino, the USC Career Planning & Placement Center is now simply the USC Career Center. Other changes include broadened outreach to alumni and graduate students and maximized used of technology. Click here for more information.


IN MEMORIAM: "JACK" HUBBARD AND THOM RHUE
On behalf of the Trojan Family, the USC Alumni Association expresses its condolences to the families of USC President Emeritus John Randolph "Jack" Hubbard, who served from 1970 to 1980, and Thom Rhue MA '68, associate senior vice president for University Advancement.




Trojan Alum-inaries


Boris Dramov  
Cindy Hensley McCain
Neil G. Siegel

Boris Dramov '66 led the design team for the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Cindy Hensley McCain '76, MA '78 will join the USC Rossier School of Education Board of Councilors this fall. Neil G. Siegel '74, MA '76, PhD '11 received the 2011 IEEE Simon Ramo Medal for creating the U.S. Army operations "digital battlefield."





Young Alumni Spotlight
CYCLING SOLÉ
Taking the proverbial leap of faith has paid off for Jake Medwell '11 (left) and Jonathan Shriftman '10, who launched Solé Bicycles to create and sell affordable "fixies," i.e., fixed-gear bikes popular among urban cyclists. Sales are expected to hit the $1 million mark this year.



Alma Matters

USC School of Pharmacy Announces Quintiles Gift
The USC School of Pharmacy has received a gift from Quintiles to establish the Quintiles Chair in Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Innovation and the Quintiles International Lecture Series, both to be housed at the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC.

USC Viterbi Professors Tapped among Top Innovators
USC Viterbi School of Engineering faculty members Jernej Barbič and Bhaskar Krishnamachari have been named among the world's top innovators under the age of 35 by Technology Review magazine.

Hassan Participates in Global Initiative Jobs Summit
Anthony Hassan, director of the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families at the USC School of Social Work, recently attended the Clinton Global Initiative America jobs summit, a meeting hosted by former President Bill Clinton on driving job creation and economic growth in the United States.

Tom Milone to Become 100th Trojan in Major Leagues
The left-handed pitcher is scheduled to start for the Washington Nationals on Saturday.