Countdown to Commencement
During the lead-up to USC's 125th Commencement on May 16, various USC schools and alumni groups hold their own celebrations. USC Lambda Gay + Lesbian Alumni Association, the LGBT Resource Center and the GLBT Assembly held their 14th Annual Lavender Commencement Celebration on May 4. And the first-ever Asian Pacific Graduation Celebration is set for May 15. On May 16, after Robert A. Iger of the Walt Disney Company delivers the Commencement keynote, come by Widney Alumni House for your free commemorative photo and a special gift!

SCending Seniors Off in Style

At the inaugural Senior SCend Off on May 1, the USC Alumni Association provided barbecue, raffle prizes and Trojan Family camaraderie to 400 members of the Class of 2008. In addition to graduating seniors, members of the association's board of governors and Young Alumni Council attended the festivities in Argue Plaza, adjacent to Widney Alumni House.

USC Honors Its WWII-Era Nisei Students
During World War II, Japanese-ancestry aliens and citizens and alike were interned in "relocation" camps far from the Pacific coast. Many of the Nisei ("second-generation" in Japanese, though it refers to first-generation Japanese Americans) were students at West Coast universities, including approximately 130 at USC. All were forced to leave school, including seniors ready to graduate, and some were later denied readmission to USC or access to their college records. On April 25, at the USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association 2008 Scholarship and Awards Gala in downtown L.A., a small group of survivors (or their surviving family members) were recognized, after a standing ovation, as honorary alumni of USC. Read the full story here.

Hail to the New Chief
At the USC Alumni Association's annual meeting on May 22, Richard A. DeBeikes, Jr. '78 begins his year-long tenure as the 2008-09 president of the alumni association's board of governors. The president of an Irvine-based real estate development company, DeBeikes succeeds USC trustee Michele Dedeaux Engemann '68. He is also the chair of Annual Giving for the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development, and serves with his wife, Bryn DeBeikes '80, on the Friends of the USC Libraries' board of directors.

Pledging Their Support
Two honorary members of the USC Board of Trustees recently made generous pledges towards their alma mater. Carmen Warschaw '39 contributed $3 million to endow the first named chair in the USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences' political science department. The Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics is also the first endowed gift USC College has received since Dean Howard Gillman took office in June 2007. And Verna Dauterive M.Ed'49 Ed.D '66 pledged a record-setting $25 million to USC — the all-time largest gift from an African-American alumnus to a university. Dauterive and her late husband, Peter W. Dauterive '49, had previously endowed USC's first scholarship for minority doctoral education students in 1985.

Topping the Charts
According to the winter 2008 Arbitron rankings, KUSC 91.5 is now the #1 public radio station in metropolitan Los Angeles, with 525,800 weekly listeners. Bravo to Classical KUSC president Brenda Barnes, newly promoted program director Gail Eichenthal and everyone else at the station on a job well done!

Brio in Rio
On May 19, the Spirit of Troy Trojan Marching Band departs for Brazil on a performance tour in Rio de Janeiro and the surrounding area. Band members will be taking in the local attractions as well as performing at a football – err, soccer – game, at Ipanema Beach, and for Brazilian schoolchildren.

This Month in Trojan History
1885 — USC Board of Directors appoints Joseph P. Widney dean of the university's newly established College of Medicine, located in a former winery on Aliso Street.

1979 — Nation's first university-based institute for the study of hydrocarbons — the Donald P. and Katherine B. Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute — is dedicated at USC under the leadership of George A. Olah, 1994 Nobel laureate in chemistry.

1981 — Glaciologist who previously led two expeditions to Antarctica, James Herbert Zumberge, becomes USC's ninth president.

Travel Trojan-Style
EXOTIC DESTINATIONS FOR AUTUMN


This fall, Trojan Travel is offering a trio of trips to far-flung locations: Dubai: The Modern Oasis departs on September 19 for the United Arab Emirates' futuristic metropolis; Serengeti and Zanzibar Explorer leaves September 23 for a breathtaking safari across Tanzania's national parks to the island of Zanzibar; and renowned USC history professor Peter Dingman joins Bhutan, the Fabled Himalayan Kingdom, departing October 28. For details or reservations, email Trojan Travel or call (213) 821-6010.

Make the 'SCene

USC Alumni Association Day at Dedeaux Field
Bring your family to a day of barbecue and baseball on May 17, as the Trojans take on Oregon State.

USC on Route 66
USC Thornton School of Music faculty member Bruce Forman and his western bebop band Cow Bop take a musical trip down Route 66 on May 12 in support of the non-profit music mentoring program Jazzmasters Workshop. Cow Bop's journey kicks off in Chicago's famed night club Martyr's and ends at Culver City's Jazz Bakery on May 26.

USC/University Hospital Guild Speaker Series and Luncheon
Ralf Langen, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the USC Keck School of Medicine, discusses "Searching for a Cure for Neurogenerative Disorders" on May 13 at Wilshire Country Club. The 11:15 a.m. lecture is free; reservations for the 12:15 p.m. luncheon are $45 each. For details and to RSVP, email russek1@aol.com.

Coast-to-Coast Wine Tastings
Trojans in the Big Apple sample fine local wines at Soho's Vintage New York Wine Bar & Restaurant on May 15, while the USC Alumni Club of San Gabriel Valley hosts a day trip to Temecula's wineries on May 17.

Special Offers

LIBERTY MUTUAL
Auto Home & Renter's Insurance Liberty Mutual is a proud partner of the USC Alumni Association. For a free no-obligation rate quote, visit their website or call (800) 706-5520.

INSURANCE BENEFITS FROM MARSH ALUMNI SERVICES
The insurance broker for the USC Alumni Association, Marsh Alumni Services offers Trojans a wide range of 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.

WATERFORD CRYSTAL USC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CLOCK
When choosing a gift, time is of the essence, and that essence should be pure Trojan Spirit. This beautiful crystal timepiece features a mini-quartz clock and the inscription "USC Trojans."

TROJAN FLASHBACK FOOTBALL
Ever dream of experiencing gridiron glory alongside USC legend Pete Carroll, but didn't think you had the right stuff? No problem — Trojan Flashback Football was created for you! And when you register for the June camp, tell them you're a USC Alumni Association member to receive a special, one-of-a-kind gift. So if you want to play or coach Trojan football with Coach Carroll and some of USC's all-time greatest players, reserve your roster spot for this "Fantasy Camp for Grown-Up Kids."

ENTERPRISE RENT-A-CAR
Hit the open road without wrecking your wallet, thanks to Enterprise Rent-A-Car's 5% discount for USC alums.

Alma Matters

Headlines
$27M for New Stem Cell Research Facility
The university's proposal of a five-story laboratory building includes extensive shared space. MORE...

Record 13 Fulbright Scholars ... So Far
After last year's university record of nine, USC lands a baker's dozen Fulbright grants for study and research around the world. MORE...

New Center to Study Immigrant Integration
Mayor Villaraigosa attends a conference featuring the announcement by USC College and the School of Policy, Planning and Development. MORE...

Milestones
Study Alcove Selected as 2008 Senior Gift
The gift will be placed near the Alumni Association office in the new Ronald Tutor Campus Center. MORE...

President's Award Goes to Milton Young
The annual honor for staff achievement recognizes Young's extraordinary service and work ethic. MORE...

Jay Harris Co-chair of Pulitzer Board
The award-winning journalist and holder of the Annenberg Chair in Journalism begins a one-year appointment. MORE...

International
Global Outreach Grows at School of Dentistry
The school now has 17 collaborative pacts in place with universities around the world. MORE...

George Chilingar Named Honorary Professor
He earns the distinction for his wealth of articles and textbooks in the field of oil and gas technologies. MORE...

Athletics
USC Beats Cal Poly, 9-3
Kevin Couture throws six scoreless innings while Derek Perren records four RBI. MORE...

USC's Rodriguez Named Pac-10 Female Track Athlete Of The Week
Senior betters her school and Puerto Rican national record in the 400m dash. MORE...

USC Captures 2007-08 Lexus Gauntlet Trophy
Trojans win for fourth time in seven years. MORE...

USConnection is a service of the USC Alumni Association. If you have any comments or questions about this e-newsletter, you can reach us at usconnection@alumnicenter.usc.edu. Fight On!

Scott Mory
Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations

Ross Levine and Tim Knight
Editors
USConnection