On August 31, 2018 we welcomed more than three hundred volunteer leaders from around the world to campus to partake in discussions with the university’s senior leadership, as well as breakout sessions focusing on the groundbreaking research being conducted by our faculty and students.
Each year, the USC Alumni Leadership Conference brings together volunteer leaders from across the university and around the world, including representatives from regional alumni organizations, alumnae groups, industry networks, affinity programs, age-based groups, the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors, USC school alumni boards and USC Athletics support groups.
To take a look a past years, search #USCALC on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for a sneak peak of what this conference has to offer.
All sessions will take place in Town and Gown except where noted.
8:00 – 8:45 a.m.
Registration and Breakfast Buffet
Exchange ideas and share best practices for engaging alumni, while enjoying a full buffet breakfast.
8:45 – 9:00 a.m.
Conference Welcome
Michael A. Felix ’83
President, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors
Patrick E. Auerbach EdD ’08
Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
University Leadership Briefings
Remarks by Interim President Wanda M. Austin PhD ’88
The internationally recognized businesswoman and systems engineer
shares why she “answered the call” to serve as the university’s interim
president during the leadership transition.
University Advancement Update
Al Checcio, senior vice president for university advancement, provides
insights into the future of fundraising at USC.
A Look inside USC Student Health
Sarah Van Orman, USC chief health officer, associate vice provost for
student health, and clinical professor of family medicine, provides an indepth
look at how USC is transforming health services for USC students.
10:15 – 11:00 a.m.
Diversity and Inclusion Panel
Michael Quick, USC provost and senior vice president for academic
affairs, leads a dynamic discussion with Andrea Hodge and Camille Rich
on how USC is closing the gap by advancing diversity and inclusion at
every level.
11:05 – 11:20 a.m.
USC Athletic Compliance Update
Michael Blanton JD ’97, vice president for athletic compliance, reminds us of our collective responsibility in ensuring that every member of the Trojan Family plays by the rules.
11:35 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.
Breakout Session 1 (Ronald Tutor Campus Center)
Details may be found under the “Breakout Sessions” tab; attendees will select from the following:
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Networking Lunch (Ronald Tutor Campus Center Grand Ballroom)
USC Student Showcase
Enjoy a special showcase of our best and brightest students, moderated by Tammara Anderson ’81, MS ’90, associate dean of experiential and applied learning at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
2:00 – 2:45 p.m.
Breakout Session 2 (Ronald Tutor Campus Center)
Details may be found under the “Breakout Sessions” tab; attendees will select from the following:
3:00 – 3:45 p.m.
USC Enrollment Update
Tim Brunold ’92, Dean of Admission, shares admissions trends and highlights of the incoming fall class.
3:45 – 3:55 p.m.
Closing Remarks
Michael A. Felix and Patrick E. Auerbach
3:55 – 4:30 p.m.
Cocktail Reception
5:00 p.m.
Pep Rally (Heritage Hall)
(optional and subject to change based upon USC Athletics)
Patrick E. Auerbach EdD ’08
Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations, University of Southern California
Patrick Auerbach was named associate senior vice president for alumni relations in July 2013, and is responsible for managing all operations of the USC Alumni Association, and serving as the university’s primary representative to its alumni. He advances USC’s mission by developing and implementing programs, events and services to engage the Trojan Family’s diverse alumni constituency of more than 400,000 and also works closely with the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. As part of his senior management role in University Advancement, Auerbach also supervises the USC Associates, the university’s 2,500-member premier academic support group.
Auerbach has been with the USC Alumni Association since January 2008, and initially joined the Trojan Family in July 2000, when USC Athletics hired him as director of women’s basketball operations & marketing. In this position, Auerbach managed all team operations, directed marketing and ticket sales initiatives, and supported local USC community outreach projects.
Auerbach currently serves on USC’s University Convocations Committee and the USC Hillel Board of Directors, and is a former member of the NCAA Women’s Final Four Media Coordination Committee. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Association of Private College and University Alumni Directors and is an active member of the Council of
Alumni Association Executives and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
Auerbach earned his BA in sociology from UCLA in 1992, his MS in sports administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1994, and his EdD from the USC Rossier School of Education in 2008.
Michael A. Felix ’83
President, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors
Michael A. Felix became a member of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors in 2016. Before his installation as board president earlier this summer, he served on the board’s Executive Committee and co-chaired the Student Outreach Committee.
In addition to his service for the Board of Governors, Felix currently chairs the USC School of Dramatic Arts Board of Councilors and the USC Caruso Catholic Center’s Advisory Board. He also serves on the President’s Leadership Council, the USC Associates Board of Directors and USC Latino Alumni Association’s (LAA) Corporate Advisory Council.
Since 2013, he has co-chaired the LAA’s $3 million endowment campaign, which achieved its goal in 2017, a year ahead of schedule. Inspired by their success, Felix and the LAA increased the goal to $4 million. To date, the campaign has raised $4.2 million, nearly doubling LAA’s scholarship endowment.
An associate of the Capital Group Companies for 30 years, Felix currently serves as the financial-services company’s global head of investment operations.
He is also the treasurer of Capital Guardian Trust Company, as well as a director, senior vice president and treasurer of several other Capital Group divisons. Prior to joining Capital Group, Felix worked for Deloitte and Sells in Los Angeles. He is also a California-licensed CPA.
Michael and his wife Debbie, who is a member of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance Board of Councilors, are the proud parents of four children: Taylor ’13, Brenden, Jordan ’18 and Austin (USC Class of 2021).
Felix earned his BS in business administration from the USC Marshall School of Business.
Wanda M. Austin PhD ’88
Interim President, University of Southern California
Dr. Wanda M. Austin is an American businesswoman who is internationally recognized for her work in aeronautics and systems engineering. She is the co-founder of MakingSpace, Inc, a systems engineering and leadership development consultant, and a motivational speaker. She is also the former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to the application of science and technology toward critical issues affecting the nation’s space program. From January 2008 until October 2016, Austin led the organization’s 3,600 employees and managed annual revenues of $950 million at 17 offices nationwide. As the sixth president of The Aerospace Corporation, she was the first female and the first African-American to hold this position in the organization’s 57-year history.
Austin served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology until January 2017, advising then U.S. President Barack Obama in areas where an understanding of science, technology and innovation was key to forming effective U.S. policy. Austin is currently a member of the Defense Policy Board, having previously served on the Defense Science Board, and the NASA Advisory Council. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She is an honorary fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Chevron Corp. and Amgen Inc. She has served on the USC Board of Trustees since 2010. In 2018, she received the USC Presidential Medallion.
She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, earned a BA in mathematics from Franklin & Marshall College, MS degrees in systems engineering and mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD in systems engineering from the University of Southern California. Austin has many professional achievements and honors, including the National Intelligence Medallion for Meritorious Service, the Air Force Scroll of Achievement, the National Reconnaissance Office Gold Medal, the AIAA Godard Astronautics Award, the Career Communications Group Black Engineer of the Year Award, the Horatio Alger Award, the Bob Hope Distinguished Citizen Award, the National Defense Industrial Association Peter B. Teets Industry Award, the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Mark A. Stevens Distinguished Alumni Award, and the USC Alumni Association’s Alumni Merit Award.
Austin is committed to inspiring the next generation to study the STEM disciplines and to make science and engineering preferred career choices. She is the author of Making Space: Strategic Leadership for a Complex World, which explores the leadership principles she learned during her decades-long journey as an engineer, space industry executive, daughter, wife and mother.
Albert R. Checcio
Senior Vice President for University Advancement, University of Southern California
Albert R. Checcio was appointed senior vice president for university advancement effective August 23, 2010. In this capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the university’s overall advancement and alumni relations efforts on both the University Park and Health Sciences campuses, and for building partnerships with all of USC’s philanthropic and volunteer communities, including prominent individual supporters, charitable foundations, corporate donors, alumni and friends.
Since his arrival at USC, Checcio has played an instrumental role in designing and implementing the $6 billion Campaign for the University of Southern California, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s history, and one of the largest ever in higher education.
He reports directly to the president and works closely with the provost and the deans in developing resources to fulfill the university’s potential and support its continued academic ascent. He also staffs the Development Committee and the Alumni Affairs Committee of the USC Board of Trustees.
Checcio is a nationally recognized development leader with 40 years of experience building comprehensive fundraising programs and executing successful campaigns at a range of institutions in higher education and healthcare, including Fordham University, American University in Washington, D.C., Temple University, the University of Pittsburgh, Drexel University and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
He is a graduate of Drexel University.
Sarah Van Orman
Chief Health Officer, USC Student Health Associate Vice Provost for Student Health Clinical Professor of Family Medicine, University of Southern California
Sarah Van Orman joined the Division of Student Affairs and Keck School of Medicine of USC as the chief health officer, USC Student Health, and associate vice provost for student affairs on
August 1, 2017. In this role, she oversees both USC student health services, including the Engemann Student Health and Eric Cohen Student Health centers, including medical, mental health and health promotion and wellness services. She also holds academic appointments through the Keck School of Medicine in the departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry.
Van Orman is a past president of the American College Health Association, and is board-certified in both internal medicine and pediatrics. She joined USC from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, where she served as the executive director of university health services.
Van Orman received her BA from Carleton College, MD from Mayo Medical School, and MMM from Carnegie Mellon University.
Michael Quick
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Southern California
Michael Quick was appointed provost on April 1, 2015. He also serves as senior vice president for academic affairs and as professor of biological sciences in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He holds the Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky Provost’s Chair.
As the university’s second-ranking administrator, Quick oversees USC Dornsife and 22 schools and units, in addition to the divisions of student affairs, libraries, information technology services, research, student religious life and enrollment services. His strategic priorities for the university include tackling the “wicked problems” confronting the 21st century, faculty and student access and opportunity, educational value and affordability, and global impact.
Quick received his PhD in neuroscience from Emory University and studied as a post-doctoral research fellow at the California Institute of Technology. Before coming to USC in 2002, he was on the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His scholarship focuses on how therapeutic drugs and drugs of abuse alter the signaling properties of nerve cells.
Quick previously served as the director of the neuroscience graduate program, vice dean for research and executive vice dean of USC Dornsife, and executive vice provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Andrea Hodge
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs, University of Southern California
Andrea Hodge is vice provost for undergraduate programs. Her responsibilities include oversight of the Renaissance Scholars, Discovery Scholars, McNair Scholars and undergraduate research programs. She also works with the vice president for academic planning and budget to develop new curricular strategies to address the diverse needs of USC undergraduates.
Hodge holds the Arthur B. Freeman Professorship in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, where she also has a joint appointment in the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science, and the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. A USC Viterbi faculty member since 2007, she specializes in nanomechanics, supervises the Hodge Materials Nanotechnology Research Group, and studies the mechanical behavior of engineered materials at the nano- and micro- scale.
Hodge has received many significant honors, including the Young Leader Award from The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society; the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Excellence in Publication Award; a Young Investigator Program award from the Office of Naval Research; a National Science Foundation (NSF) BRIDGE Award; and an NSF CAREER award.
Hodge earned a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a PhD in materials science and engineering from Northwestern. She was a postdoctoral fellow and then a staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory before joining the USC faculty.
Camille Rich
Associate Provost for Faculty and Student Initiatives in the Social Sciences, University of Southern California
Camille Rich was appointed associate provost for faculty and student initiatives in the social sciences on July 1, 2015. She joined the USC Gould School of Law faculty in the fall of 2007, following five years of private practice where she worked primarily on general commercial litigation and internal investigations.
Her research and teaching interests include constitutional law, feminist legal theory, legal ethics, employment discrimination, and children and the law. Prior to entering private practice, Rich clerked in the Southern District of New York for District Judge Robert L. Carter and on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals for Circuit Judge Rosemary Barkett. She has also worked on various pro bono matters involving Title VII retaliation claims and disability rights, and was awarded the Legal Aid Society Pro Bono Award in recognition of her work on female prisoners’ rights.
Rich graduated from Yale Law School and was a senior editor on the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism. She was awarded a postgraduate research fellowship at
Yale Law School, where she began doing research on ways that anti-discrimination laws can better accommodate the shifting contingent nature of racial and ethnic identity.
Michael Blanton JD ’97
Vice President of Professionalism and Ethics, University of Southern California
Michael Blanton is the new vice president of professionalism and ethics. Under his leadership, the Office of Professionalism and Ethics will serve as the university’s hub for complaint intake at all levels and across both campuses. Blanton has direct oversight of the following investigatory offices: the Title IX Office, the Office of Equity and Diversity (OED), the Office of Athletic Compliance, and the newly created Office of Conduct, Accountability, and Professionalism (CAP). In addition, the Office of Compliance, the Office of Internal Audit and the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards (SJACS) will report to Blanton, specifically for the direction, oversight and monitoring of allegations that may require review or investigation.
Last year, Blanton was appointed vice president for athletic compliance. In this capacity, he ensured the university’s compliance with NCAA, Pac-12, and university rules and regulations.
Blanton has extensive experience in managing all levels of investigations, both as an outside attorney for USC, and in his previous role as vice president for athletic compliance.
Prior to joining USC, Blanton practiced law for nearly 20 years at several Los Angeles law firms specializing in civil and business litigation, including Hill, Farrer & Burrill LLP, where he was both an attorney and partner.
Blanton earned his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, and his law degree from the USC Gould School of Law.
Tammara Seabrook Anderson ’81, MS ’90
Associate Dean for Experiential and Applied Learning, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Tammara “Tammy” Seabrook Anderson was named associate dean for experiential and applied learning at USC Dornsife in 2018. In this position, she oversees all of the school’s for-credit experiential learning programs.
Anderson began her professional career with USC Dornsife’s Joint Educational Project (JEP), where she was hired to put together an intergenerational service-learning program. In 2002, she became JEP’s executive director, supervising the project’s eight full-time staff members, as well as 50+ part-time students, who help as many as 1,000 USC students gain field experience and civic responsibility by placing them in local community assignments at schools, hospitals and other organizations. Anderson has raised more than $3 million for JEP, including two $1 million endowments, making JEP one of the few endowed service-learning programs in the country.
In 2002, Anderson co-founded the Los Angeles Higher Education Partnership (LAHEP), a consortium of 12 L.A. colleges and universities whose primary goal is increasing opportunities for their students to engage in service projects that enhance the lives of all citizens of the city.
In 1987, Anderson became the first African American elected to the National Society of Internships and Experiential Education board of directors. In 2007, she received USC Dornsife’s Outstanding Staff Achievement Award.
Anderson earned a BA from the USC Davis School of Gerontology and an MS from the USC Rossier School of Education.
Rhea Choudhury
Hometown: Cupertino, California
Major: Biomedical Engineering (minor in Health Care Studies)
Graduation Year: 2019
Rhea is a Viterbi Undergraduate Research Fellow conducting research at the USC Biomechanics Lab and volunteering at LAC+USC Medical Center’s Violence Intervention Program.
Ana Mercado
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Majors: Sociology and Contemporary Latino and Latin American Studies
Graduation Year: 2020
Ana is the president of Improving Dreams, Education, Access and Success (IDEAS), an organization that provides support and resources for undocumented students pursuing degrees at USC.
Manjima Sarkar
Hometown: Fremont, California
Majors: Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience
Graduation Year: 2019
Manjima has developed the mobile app INTRAM to help people having strokes receive the best possible medical care in the shortest amount of time.
Kayla Soren
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Majors: International Relations and Environmental Studies
Graduation Year: 2020
Kayla is the founder and executive director of the International Student Environmental Coalition, a nonprofit fostering the student-led coalition against climate change in 32 countries.
Adam Walker
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Major: Biomedical Engineering (pre-med emphasis)
Graduation Year: 2019
Adam recently spent the summer developing algorithms to assist in MRI processing at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Tim Brunold ’92
Dean of Admission, University of Southern California
Tim Brunold has worked in higher education for nearly three decades, having received his introduction to the admission profession in the late 1980s when he first joined USC’s Office of Admission as a student intern. Since then, he has served his alma mater in a variety of enrollment and student services capacities. He was director of undergraduate admission for five years and was appointed USC’s eleventh dean of admission in 2010.
During his tenure as the university’s chief admission officer, USC has received record application volume, achieved its highest level of student selectivity, and enrolled the most talented, diverse and impactful incoming classes in its 138-year history. Brunold dramatically expanded the size of USC’s admission office, making it one of the country’s largest—and one with a distinct focus on transparency, access and best practices.
Brunold is active in multiple professional organizations and regularly presents at national conferences. He also serves on the board of directors of the Common Application, a not-for-profit technology corporation that provides a standardized admission application platform for more than 700 colleges and universities across the United States.
Brunold holds a BA, magna cum laude, in international relations from USC, and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi academic honor societies.
Helena Chui
Chair and Professor of Neurology
Raymond and Betty McCarron Chair in Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of USC
Helena Chui is internationally recognized for her research in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular cognitive impairment. She is the principal investigator for the NIA-funded Alzheimer Disease Research Center, as well as for a multi- institutional program project on vascular dementia. Chui is the author of more than 120 publications and has served on the editorial board for Stroke, Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, and Archives of Neurology Journal.
Christian J. Pike ’85
Professor, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
Christian J. Pike is a USC alumnus whose work focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Using a variety of cellular, biochemical and molecular techniques across several experimental paradigms, his laboratory is
studying the role of neuronal apoptosis (cell death) in neural diseases and how these pathways are modulated by neuroprotective interventions. His current research efforts are elucidating the neuroprotective mechanisms of estrogen and testosterone, and their role in regulating vulnerability to Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology. Pike earned his doctoral degree in biological sciences from UC Irvine in 1994.
Michael S. Rafii
Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI)
Michael Rafi is the clinical director of USC’s Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI). Located in San Diego, ATRI is dedicated to accelerating the development of effective therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. Rafi ’s work at
ATRI centers on advancing Alzheimer’s treatments through novel therapeutic trial methods, which include research on a genetic form of Alzheimer’s occurring in Down syndrome. He also leads
ATRI’s Medical Safety group, which is responsible for medical oversight of all ongoing clinical trials. Rafi holds two patents for protein-based
therapeutics resulting from his work as a graduate student at Brown University.
Arthur W. Toga
Director, USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute
Provost Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology, Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences, Radiology and Engineering
Ghada Irani Chair in Neuroscience
Arthur W. Toga and the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging were recruited to the Keck School of Medicine of USC from UCLA in 2013. Toga’s
research focuses on developing new algorithms and on the computer-science aspects critical to neuroimaging. His lab has been working to create 3D digital and functional neuroanatomic atlases for stereotactic localization and multi-subject comparison. This includes developing local deformation techniques to equate brain data sets from different modalities and subjects, as well as electronic databases for the archiving, interaction and distribution of brain data.
Julie M. Zissimopoulos
Associate Professor, USC Price School of Public Policy Vice Dean for Academic Affairs
Associate Director, USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics
Julie M. Zissimopoulos applies insights and methods from economics to several health-policy areas, such as the risk and healthcare costs of Alzheimer’s, including financial support between generations of family members. She currently leads several research projects funded by the National Institute on Aging that focus on: the health of caregivers for persons with dementia; the use of/response to drug therapies for non- Alzheimer’s conditions that influence Alzheimer’s risk; and racial/ethnic disparities in Alzheimer’s treatment. Her research appears in numerous prestigious publications, she is a frequent speaker on the economics of aging, and her work has
been featured in/on, among others, the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, CNN and NPR.
Peter Cardon
Academic Director, MBA for Professionals & Managers Professor of Clinical Business,
USC Marshall School of Business
Peter Cardon is the academic director of the MBA for Professionals & Managers program and a professor of clinical business at the USC Marshall School of Business. His research focuses on leadership, team and intercultural communication. He is the author of Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, and has contributed articles to such publications as the International Journal of Business Communication, Business and Professional Communication Quarterly and the Journal of Education for Business.
Prior to joining academia, Cardon held several marketing and management roles in tourism and construction companies. Much of his work has been international in nature, including three years in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.
Cardon appreciates people who build community and engage in volunteerism, particularly in the realm of education. He is a longtime member of the Rotary Club, a service organization committed to many global and local causes.
Cardon received a BA from Brigham Young University and both an MBA and a PhD from Utah State University.
Lynette Merriman ’84
Associate Vice Provost for Campus Support and Intervention, University of Southern California
Lynette Merriman serves as the associate vice provost for campus support and intervention in USC’s Office of Campus Wellness and Crisis Intervention, providing support, trouble shooting, and crisis response and support to students, faculty and staff. Prior to this position, she worked for 15 years in the university’s Division of Student Affairs, providing oversight for numerous departments. In addition, Merriman holds a faculty appointment in the USC Rossier School of Education.
Merriman earned a BA in journalism from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, as well as both a master’s in higher
education and a doctorate in education from UCLA.
Patrick Prince ’78
Chief Threat Assessment Officer and
Associate Vice Provost, University of Southern California
Patrick Prince serves as chief threat assessment officer and associate vice provost in USC’s Office of Campus Wellness and Crisis Intervention. In this position, he leads a team responsible for assessing the risk of threats of violence targeting university faculty, staff and students. To that end, Prince and his staff coordinate university- wide threat-management responses; manage operations of the threat-management team; develop strategies to mitigate identified risks; and prepare training materials and conduct training sessions for the campus community.
For nearly 25 years, he has been a partner in Prince Phelps Consultants, a corporate-training and management-consulting partnership specializing in workplace violence prevention, confl ct resolution, workplace substance abuse, trauma response
and other related occupational health and safety issues. Prince has also participated in TARGET, the FBI-sponsored initiative to identify best practices in preventing violence in institutions of higher education.
Prince earned a BA in sociology from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from UCLA.
Ilene Rosenstein
Associate Vice Provost for Campus Wellness and Education, University of Southern California
Ilene Rosenstein serves as the associate vice provost for campus wellness and education in USC’s Office of Campus Wellness and Crisis Intervention. In this position, she coordinates a strategic vision for training and educating all faculty, staff and students to ensure that, the university is a safe and caring environment where everyone feels trust and compassion, finds meaning and thrives. She also provides presentations and consultations to individuals, departments, schools and institutions on mental health, wellness and thriving. In addition, Rosenstein conducts intervention-outcome research and teaches at the USC Rossier School of Education. She previously served as the director of USC Student Counseling Services for nine years.
Rosenstein received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Ithaca College, a master’s degree in counseling and organizational psychology from American University, and a doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Caroline Bhalla
Managing Director, USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation
Caroline Bhalla is the managing director of the USC Sol Price Center for Social Innovation, where she directs all activities and operations and helps expand the center’s strategic vision and impact. She previously served as the
USC Price School’s senior director of development and constituent relations.
Before joining USC, Bhalla was the associate director of the New York University (NYU) Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, where she served as the project lead on the annual state of the city’s housing and neighborhoods report.
Bhalla earned a BA from the University of California at Berkeley, an MA from NYU’s Steinhardt School of Education, and an MA from NYU’s Graduate School of Arts and Science.
Mich Hamlin
Doctorate of Physical Therapy Candidate, Class of 2020 USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
Mich Hamlin knows from personal experience the tools needed to win the battle against homelessness in the greater Los Angeles area. Before he was placed in foster care in 2005,
Hamlin grew up homeless with his family. While in foster care he discovered a passion for running, which inspired him to study physical therapy.
Utilizing state, CSU and private resources, he graduated with honors from Cal Poly Pomona in 2016. Now earning his doctorate at USC, he plans to fight the battle against homelessness and help current students navigate their education.
Eric Rice
Associate Professor of Social Work, Department of Children, Youth and Families
Co-Founding Director, USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society,
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Eric Rice is an associate professor of social work, department of children, youth and families, at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, and the co-founding director of the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society, a joint venture between the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
Rice is an expert in social network theory and analysis and the application of social network methods to HIV-prevention research, particularly among high-risk adolescent populations. He has worked closely with many community-based organizations on issues of HIV prevention for homeless youth and impoverished families affected by HIV/AIDS. Rice has also served as an external reviewer for Los Angeles County’s Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, and has conducted program evaluation and consultation with organizations working with homeless youth and high-risk adolescents.
Rice earned a BA from the University of Chicago, and an MA and PhD from Stanford University.
Brenda Wiewel MSW ’80
Director, USC Initiative to Eliminate Homelessness University of Southern California
Brenda Wiewel, a licensed clinical social worker, joined the university in January 2017 as the director of the USC Initiative to Eliminate Homelessness. In this position, she focuses on reducing homelessness by developing and matching university innovations, tools and resources to maximize the local efforts of our government, nonprofit and foundation partners. She organizes high-level, local-leadership convenings; develops curriculum; arranges multiple opportunities for student involvement as part of workforce development; and coordinates university-wide communications efforts to promote understanding.
A USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work graduate, Wiewel has devoted her career to building and administering behavioral health treatment and prevention programs in the nonprofit sector, with an emphasis on services for the homeless.
In September 2017, Wiewel began pursuing her doctorate in social work. She is focusing on the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare’s Grand Challenge to End Homelessness and designing new efforts to stem the flow of homeless people onto the streets.
Donald Dean ’90
Member, USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association Board of Directors
Member, USC Marshall Partners Board
Donald Dean is a native Angeleno and longtime USC volunteer who served as the first president of the Second Decade Society and helped relaunch the USC Black Alumni Association’s “Legacy Through Leadership” mentorship program.
In addition, he co-chaired both the 2015 USC Alumni Day of SCervice and the 2016 USC Alumni Awards Committee, and served on the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors for six years.
Dean earned a BS in marketing, with an emphasis on product management, from the USC Marshall School of Business.
Pasha Hawthorne
Director of Regional and Engagement Programs, USC Alumni Association
Pasha Hawthorne was named the director of regional and engagement programs for the USC Alumni Association (USCAA) in July 2017. In this position, she works with more than 70 alumni clubs and chapters worldwide to develop engagement programs.
A graduate of California Polytechnic University, she joined the Trojan Family in 2007 as the assistant director of development and graduate relations at the USC Gould School of Law, where she played an integral role in the development of the USC Gould School of Law Alumni Association.
Hawthorne is currently pursuing an MPA at the USC Price School of Public Policy.
Leticia Lozoya
Director of Alumni Relations, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Leticia Lozoya is the director of alumni relations for the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, where she oversees a community of 18,000+ graduates. To that end, she creates forums for alumni to network and expand scholarship opportunities for current students.
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recognized Lozoya with a CASE Gold Circle of Excellence Award for “New Program Initiatives” at Cal State University, Long Beach, where she earned both her BA and MA.
Lozoya is currently pursuing an MA in communication management from USC Annenberg.
Stephanie Paggi ’74, MS’77, EdD ’90
Chair, Alumnae Coordinating Council
Member, USC Alumni Association Board of Governors
Stephanie Paggi has been a USC volunteer for more than 35 years. Over the span of her volunteer career, she has gained valuable experience in strategic planning, organizational efficiency, parliamentary procedure and fund development.
The immediate past president of the Trojan League of Orange County, Paggi currently serves on the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors and chairs the Alumnae Coordinating Council.
Paggi earned her undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees from the USC Rossier School of Education.
Breakout speakers will be announced in August.
(attendees will select one)
Revolutionizing the Battle Against Alzheimer’s Disease
Discover how the USC Alzheimer’s initiative is charting a bold new course in the fight against the nation’s sixth-leading cause of death.
Leading with Integrity: Developing Yourself and Others
Developing new leaders is vital to an organization’s success. Learn how to recognize and nurture leadership potential in yourself and others from USC Marshall professor Peter Cardon, the author of Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World.
Creating a Culture of Wellness at USC
USC has become a frontrunner in cultivating a university culture that promotes mental health and well-being for students, faculty and staff. Learn about the many support services now available, as well as plans for new initiatives to meet the needs of our university community.
Tour of Wallis Annenberg Hall
Tour this state-of-the-art media center and learn how USC Annenberg faculty and students are ushering in a new era of digital media communication and production.
(attendees will select one)
A Deep-Rooted Commitment to Addressing Homelessness
From 2016 to 2017, Los Angeles County experienced a 23% increase in persons living unsheltered. Learn how USC is tackling the homelessness crisis by creating and sharing tools with our community.
Answering the Call: The Essentials to USC Volunteer Leadership
Volunteering for USC is unique and rewarding if you identify a volunteer program that works for you. Explore volunteerism at USC and learn how you can contribute to the university’s success. Hear from USC volunteers and alumni relations professionals as they share their experiences and insights.
Creating a Culture of Wellness at USC
USC has become a frontrunner in cultivating a university culture that promotes mental health and well-being for students, faculty and staff. Learn about the many support services now available, as well as plans for new initiatives to meet the needs of our university community.
Tour of USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience
Visit the innovative Michelson Hall, where Interdisciplinary collaboration is leading to the development of new life-saving devices and therapeutics that address the most critical health issues of our time.
If you are looking for information about the Volunteer Recognition Dinner, click here.