Word from Widney
Temperatures may still be high, but fall has definitely arrived at USC. On August 21, USC President C. L. Max Nikias, USC Athletic Director Pat Haden and several Trojan luminaries celebrated the grand opening of the new John McKay Center (click here to watch the opening ceremonies).. The next day, we welcomed the newest members of the Trojan Family, the Class of 2016, to USC as they begin a new and exciting chapter in their lives. And Visions and Voices, USC's university-wide arts and humanities initiative, opened its new season with a spectacular multimedia showcase on August 23.

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

SETTING A GOLD (MEDAL) STANDARD
Kudos to our Trojan Olympians, who won a record-setting 25 medals, including 12 golds, at the 2012 Summer Olympics — more than any other American university. For the past 100 years, USC-affiliated athletes have earned at least one gold medal in every Summer Olympics. Click here to read more about USC's unrivaled Olympic heritage.


"MORE THAN A HERO TO US"
The passing of legendary Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong MS '70 inspired USC Viterbi professor James Moore to write this moving tribute to his boyhood idol — a fellow native of rural Ohio revered "for his capacity to allow us to imagine the best in ourselves."



THE FUTURE OF ONLINE EDUCATION
How do you increase access to online graduate education without sacrificing academic standards? It's a hot-button topic in higher education circles that USC President C. L. Max Nikias addresses in this memorandum, outlining the priorities and principles of USC's online education strategy.



TROJAN FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
Join us in celebrating the outstanding contributions and accomplishments of fellow Trojans at two upcoming events on the University Park campus: the 2012 Volunteer Recognition Dinner September 21, and the Half Century Trojans 2012 Annual Hall of Fame Luncheon October 16.


SHOW YOUR TROJAN SPIRIT!
Can't make it to our home football games or Weekenders? Then put on your cardinal and gold jersey, grab a pom-pom and join fellow 'SC football fans to cheer the Men of Troy to victory at USC game-watching parties, hosted by USC alumni clubs across the nation.



TROJANS + TCHAIKOVSKY = FIREWORKS
Save 20% off Hollywood Bowl tickets (sections M & N) for the Tchaikovsky Spectacular Fireworks show, featuring the LA Philharmonic and the USC Trojan Marching Band, September 7-8. To take advantage of this special offer, click here and enter the code HB12.


BRINGING CHOPIN BACK TO THE SOUTH BAY
After an 18-month absence, Classical KDFC radio is back on the air in the South Bay, thanks to USC, which has purchased the popular Bay Area radio station — fulfilling USC President C. L. Max Nikias's public pledge to restore classical music radio to the South Bay.



USC IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: GIVING SIGHT TO THE BLIND
Our popular "USC in Your Neighborhood" series comes to Palo Alto on October 18, when Dr. Mark Humayun of the Doheny Eye Institute gives a fascinating presentation on how bio-electronic artificial retinas are giving "sight" to the blind.



RECONNECT, REDISCOVER, REUNITE AT REUNION WEEKEND 2012
Calling all grads from the classes of 1962, 1972, 1982, 1987 and 2002: Reunion Weekend 2012 registration is open! Join us November 9-10 to reconnect with old friends, tour the University Park campus and cheer 'SC to a Homecoming victory over Arizona State.


THE TALK OF LONDON TOWN
Fall is one of the best times to visit London — especially this October, when the USC Global Conversation: The Future of the Global Economy is held in Great Britain's capital. Special discounted pricing for alumni and students is now available for one of the year's most anticipated events.



CHALLENGING CULTURAL STEREOTYPES
In her thought-provoking new book Barrios to Burbs: The Making of the Mexican American Middle Class, USC Dornsife sociologist Jody Agius Vallejo challenges such widespread assumptions that Mexican Americans in the United States are persistently poor and uneducated.



IN MEMORIAM: VICTOR WELLINGTON PETERS
On behalf of the Trojan Family, the USC Alumni Association expresses its condolences to the family of Victor Wellington Peters, USC's oldest alumnus, who died August 12 at the age of 109. A former Methodist missionary in Korea, Peters earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts from USC in 1924.



MARSHALL PACIFIC RIM BUSINESS FORUM
This extraordinary two-day networking event, taking place in Bali, October 18-20, is designed to connect alumni, faculty and friends of the USC Marshall School of Business. Participants will learn from panels of international CEOs who will share their success stories on doing business in the Pacific Rim. Register today!



USC ALUMNI AUTHORS' MUST-READS
This month, our popular alumni authors' “must-reads” features the five desert island picks of award-winning children's/young adult author Lisa Yee '81 (Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Warp Speed).





Trojan Alum-inaries

Kathy Bihr
Anita Sengupta
Michael Williams

Kathy Bihr EdD '05 has joined the USC Rossier School of Education Board of Councilors. Anita Sengupta MS '00, PhD '05 developed the supersonic parachute for the NASA Mars rover Curiosity. Michael Williams '75, JD '79, MPA '79 has been named the state education commissioner for Texas.








Young Alumni Spotlight
FOR THE LOVE OF RUNNING
A firm believer that running builds character and self-confidence, Greg Woodburn '12 founded the non-profit Give Running, which collects, cleans and distributes running shoes to disadvantaged youth in developing countries and inner city communities.




Alma Matters
USC Breaks Ground on Verna and Peter Dauterive Hall
Amid fanfare from the USC Trojan Marching Band and a flurry of cardinal and gold confetti, ground was broken on Sept. 5 for Verna and Peter Dauterive Hall.

USC Athletics Announces $300 Million Fundraising Initiative
The USC Athletic Department, one of the nation's most successful and storied collegiate athletic programs, has launched a $300 million fundraising drive called the "Heritage Initiative," announced Pat Haden, holder of the USC Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics' Chair and director of athletics.

USC Officials to Advance New Artist Fellowships in Asia
A new USC fellowship program that provides an opportunity for emerging artists to work in the creative capital of Los Angeles is getting a boost from a series of planned visits with top USC arts leaders and Ministry of Education officials in the Pacific Rim cities of Beijing, Seoul, Taipei and Hong Kong.

USC Hybrid High Opens its Doors
On Sept. 4 nearly 100 ninth graders came by bus and by car, with parents and clustered with groups of friends, to start their first day at the new USC Hybrid High School in downtown Los Angeles.