MEMORANDUM

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TO: USC Senior Administration, Deans, Faculty, and Staff

FROM: C. L. Max Nikias
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

DATE: June 1, 2005

RE: New Appointments in the Office of the Provost

As I begin my tenure as Provost, I must express my considerable gratitude to President Sample and his faculty advisory committee for placing their confidence in me and for offering me the privilege to help advance USC further at this moment in its extraordinary 125-year history.

I would like to announce new appointments to the Office of the Provost and to thank my predecessor, Professor Lloyd Armstrong, Jr., and others who are concluding distinguished terms of service here.

Our shared opportunity
Before I share with you details of these new appointments, I would like to offer some perspective on the rare opportunity that awaits USC in the coming years, thanks to the vision, drive and dedication of President Sample, his senior leadership team, and the enthusiasm and commitment of the faculty.

A university that has served a shaping role for its region is poised now to serve as a fount of energy and innovation for society as a whole. USC is on the verge of charting new avenues in all the great frontiers of human endeavor: the arts, humanities, sciences, professions and social sciences. I look forward to the continued advancement of our university to the highest levels of achievement - an advancement that will take place with the active involvement of each of you.

USC's gains in quality and reputation in the past decade arguably represent the fastest rise in the history of higher education: USC has made enormous progress in improving the quality of students and faculty, research and education programs, and in building the endowment through the building on excellence fundraising campaign.

President Sample, however, is rightly concerned that we might become too satisfied with USC's new status quo, as impressive as it might be. That is why the President has asked us to help him to accelerate our ascent at this moment of history.

President Sample believes that accelerating our momentum is necessary for three reasons. First, our peers are making progress as well, so standing pat will result in our losing ground in terms of overall excellence. Second, we are tantalizingly close to staking a role as the university that provides leadership for higher education and for society in this still-young century. And third, it is the right thing to do: we have not yet attained USC's full, astounding potential, and since we are in the business of helping individuals and society to attain their full potential, we must be tireless in our pursuit of excellence.

Who will provide leadership?
Higher education is in a position to be the major creative, intellectual and ethical force that shapes our 21st century world. This leadership will not necessarily come from the richest university, even though our fundraising efforts have substantially increased our fiscal strength. Nor will such leadership necessarily come from the universities ranked highest according to conventional metrics, even though one of the goals of our new strategic plan is to attain the same high standing they enjoy.

Our new strategic plan notes that leadership will come from the research university that can recognize and address society's genuine needs, create dynamic collaborations, revolutionize curricula, stir the imaginations of students, master a cross-disciplinary approach in research and education, create partnerships that span nations and continents, and promote the search for truth and universal core values.

Our strategic plan offers a clear vision: We will become one of the most productive, innovative and influential universities in the world; our ambition is to inspire other universities to want to learn from us and copy us, because we know we have an approach that will yield benefits to many. We will be a role model for others in our pursuit of excellence and innovation.

New appointments
To move us toward the lofty goals set by President Sample and the Board of Trustees, I am announcing a number of changes in the Office of the Provost.

These appointments are the first of a series of changes I will announce over the summer and into the academic year.

First, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Barry Glassner as Executive Vice Provost. He is currently a Professor of Sociology in the USC College and the Myron and Marian Casden Director of the Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. His expertise in the social sciences is complementary to my background in science and technology; in addition to providing charismatic leadership, he will provide invaluable insights from the perspective of the social sciences and humanities.

Professor Glassner will serve as my chief deputy and as chief of staff of the Provost's Office. He will have responsibility for advancing several of the University's strategic initiatives, in particular building strategic networks and partnerships regionally, nationally, and internationally. He will oversee institutional academic rankings, minority faculty recruitment, space planning, and coordination between the Provost's Office and the Office of University Relations. He will also facilitate our continued leadership role in the Association of Pacific Rim Universities.

I am appointing Professor Elizabeth Garrett to the position of Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. She is the Sydney M. Irmas Professor of Public Interest Law, Legal Ethics and Political Science at the Gould School of Law, and one of the leading scholars in the interdisciplinary field of law and politics. She is also the director of the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics and has a joint appointment with the USC College and a courtesy appointment with the Annenberg School for Communication.

Professor Garrett will serve as senior executive officer and will be responsible for all university academic programs, including cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs, centers, and initiatives. She will assist schools in recruiting top scholars and will work on curricular improvement and flexibility at the undergraduate and graduate level consistent with the objectives set out in USC's Plan for Increasing Academic Excellence. She will direct programs to improve the educational experience of undergraduate and graduate students, including those focused on learner-centered programs. She will oversee the Graduate School and work with schools to ensure that USC recruits top-notch Ph.D. students, improves the quality of graduate programs at the University, and provides appropriate support in an academic environment.

The position of Dean of the Graduate School is being eliminated.

Professor Jean Morrison will become Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Programs, reporting directly to Elizabeth Garrett. Professor Morrison is a Professor of Earth Sciences in the College, having been at USC since 1988. She is currently a National Science Foundation panelist for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and serves on the Board of Visitors for the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wisconsin. She will have responsibility for the Graduate School, as well as the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program.

In the coming months I will also be announcing an Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Programs, reporting directly to Elizabeth Garrett.

I would also like to announce the creation of the Office of Research Advancement. As we enter a phase of "scientific squeeze" in terms of funding from federal government agencies, it is essential that we create this office and allocate resources to help faculty win research grants and contracts. We must remain extremely competitive to secure funding from federal government agencies, corporations, and foundations.

In addition to assisting the faculty to obtain funding for their programs, the Office of Research Advancement will pay particular attention to coordinating cross-disciplinary research initiatives for the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Toward this end, I am appointing Professor Randolph Hall as Vice Provost for Research Advancement. He is currently co-director of the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE). Based at USC, CREATE is the first university center of excellence for the Department of Homeland Security. Hall's entrepreneurial skills and collegial style have resulted in a number of creative and cross-disciplinary funding opportunities in partnership with other schools and universities.

As a vice provost, Professor Hall will provide the leadership to build bridges between basic and applied research, substantially increase USC's share of federal and foundation research support, and develop partnerships with major research universities throughout the globe. His office will have a considerable presence in Washington, D.C., building strong relationships with federal government agencies and foundations, in areas ranging from the biological and medical sciences, physical sciences, and engineering to the humanities and social sciences. Professor Hall will work closely with the Associate Deans for Research of the College, the Keck School of Medicine, and the other USC Schools, as well as with Research Center Directors and faculty leaders to develop cross-disciplinary partnerships.

In order to position ourselves to play a leadership role in research in the medical and biological sciences with the potential benefit of addressing societal needs, we must aim for a seamless integration between the Keck School of Medicine - including the Childrens Hospital - and the rest of the university. This will be one of my primary objectives, which I will work to achieve in close cooperation with Dean Brian Henderson.

Over the next six months, we will move quickly to define the structure of the Office of Research and Advancement and recruit experienced staff who will be permanently based in the Washington, D.C. area.

Professor Howard Gillman will become Associate Vice Provost for Research Advancement - Social Sciences, reporting directly to Randolph Hall. He is a Professor of Political Science at the USC College and currently serves as chair of the Department of Political Science. He joined the USC College faculty in 1990.

Professor Gillman will be responsible for overseeing the campus research environment as it relates to work in the social sciences. He will advise Professor Hall on initiatives that advance the goals of our latest strategic plan, including the promotion of interdisciplinary research that addresses important social questions and reflects our core values. He will be acting as a catalyst assembling faculty teams in response to external funding opportunities. Special attention will be given to identifying opportunities that would allow faculty across the university to work together more efficiently, benefit from each other's disciplinary expertise, and attract external funding for exciting new areas of research in social sciences and the humanities.

I will also be announcing an Associate Vice Provost for Research Advancement - Humanities, reporting directly to Randolph Hall.

Meanwhile, the position of Vice Provost for International Affairs is being eliminated. In the near future, I will announce a new plan for our globalization efforts.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Susan S. Lewis as Associate Vice Provost for Planning and Design. In her new role, she will represent the Provost's Office in all areas of space planning and management, integrating the academic needs of each of the schools and other units into the University's master plan.

She will work closely with Capital Construction Development on all major construction projects on USC's University Park and Health Sciences campuses. She will co-chair the University Committee on Space Planning, which reviews and approves all requests for new or changed space allocations. She will also assume responsibility for special initiatives or projects emanating from the Provost's Office. She will be reporting to Barry Glassner on all issues that relate to space planning and capital construction and to me on special projects and initiatives.

Special Advisor
I am also pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Michael Preston as Special Advisor to the Provost. He has been a faculty member at the USC College since 1986, and has prior experience both as a center director and department chair. I am confident that his years of USC experience will prove invaluable. I have gotten to know him in the last couple of months and I appreciate his advice. He will be advising me directly on diversity issues as well as other opportunity areas as we move forward. I will also assign him special projects as they arise.

Acknowledgments of Gratitude
I would like to take this opportunity to thank those individuals who are departing the Office of the Provost. Specifically, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Michael Diamond, Joseph Hellige, Cornelius Sullivan, and Richard Drobnick for all of their hard work and leadership in bringing USC to its present high level.

Over the past two months, a transition team of eight faculty was instrumental in advising me as I planned for the restructuring of the Provost's Office and the selection of my team of Vice Provosts and Associate Vice Provosts. I would like to acknowledge the members of that team: Jonathan Aronson (Annenberg and College), Caleb Finch (Gerontology and College), Elizabeth Garrett (Law, College, and Annenberg), Barry Glassner (College), Michael Preston (College), Hilary Schor (College), William Tierney (Education), and Roberta Williams (Medicine). During the past two months, I have had the opportunity to meet with them regularly, either as a group or individually. They have been my sounding board and have provided invaluable advice.

I am attaching brief biographies for the new Executive Vice Provost, Vice Provosts, Associate Vice Provosts, and Special Advisor to the Provost.

Finally, I must note that our 125th anniversary theme could not be more fitting: we are here to invent the future and to honor the past. We can look upon our great Trojan Family heritage, including our inspiring recent progress, and in so doing we will draw the strength and wisdom necessary to shape and create the future. President Sample believes this is the university that will generate new ideas and new leadership for this new era, and I am very excited to work with all of you toward this end!

BIOGRAPHIES: OFFICE OF THE PROVOST

Professor Barry Glassner
(Executive Vice Provost)

Professor of Sociology in the USC College, Barry Glassner is the Myron and Marian Casden Director of USC's Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life, and the author or co-author of nine books. The recipient of several honors, including USC's Associates Award for Creativity in Research, a Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Recognition Award, a visiting fellowship at Oxford University, and "best book" designations from the Los Angeles Times Book Review, Choice Magazine, and Knight-Ridder newspapers, Glassner has published his research in leading journals in the social sciences and medicine. He was chair of academic departments for six years at Syracuse University and the University of Connecticut prior to arriving at USC, where he was recruited to become department chair. Glassner has been instrumental in raising more than $7 million in donor support for the Casden Institute and allied programs. He has served on the university's Development Committee, Provost's Advisory Committee, and Budget Advisory Committee, among others.

Professor Elizabeth Garrett
(Vice Provost for Academic Affairs)

Elizabeth Garrett is the Sydney M. Irmas Professor of Public Interest Law, Legal Ethics, and Political Science and Director of the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law. President George W. Bush recently appointed her to serve on the nine-member bipartisan Tax Reform Panel. Her primary scholarly interests are in cross-disciplinary curriculum development, legislative process, direct democracy, the federal budget process, study of democratic institutions, statutory interpretation, and tax policy. She has a joint appointment with the USC College and a courtesy appointment with the Annenberg School for Communication. Before joining the faculty of USC, she was a Professor of Law at the University of Chicago, where she also served as Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs, and she has been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, the University of Virginia Law School, Central European University in Budapest, and the Interdisciplinary Center Law School in Israel. Before entering academics, she clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Professor Randolph Hall
(Vice Provost for Research Advancement)

Randolph Hall has been the founding director of two interdisciplinary and multi-university national research centers in collaboration with other universities and across schools within USC. The first, METRANS, is the national center for metropolitan transportation and policy research and is the focal point for transportation research at USC. The second center, which currently co-directs is the Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE), the first university center of excellence selected by the Department of Homeland Security after a competition among 72 universities. . Hall is separately leading a collaborative with the LA County Department of Health Services to improve health care delivery at County/USC hospital with support from LA Care. He is the author and editor of books on Queueing, Transportation Science and Delay Reduction in Health Care Delivery (forthcoming). Hall has served as the chair of the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and currently is the Senior Associate Dean for Research in the Viterbi School, where he is responsible for research development, research administration, and collaboration of interdisciplinary research efforts. He holds a Ph.D. degree from U.C. Berkeley.

Professor Howard Gillman
(Associate Vice Provost for Research Advancement---Social Sciences)

Howard Gillman is a Professor of Political Science at the USC College. He is the recipient of the C. Herman Pritchett Award for "best book" of the American Political Science Association. He has been invited to present his research at a number of universities, including Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, the University of Michigan, Georgetown, the University of Virginian, UCLA, Ohio State, the University of Washington, and the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently on the Executive Board of the Western Political Science Association. He has twice received the Pi Sigma Alpha Award for "best paper" presented at the annual meeting of the Western Political Science Association. He has received a number of university awards for teaching excellence and dedication to students, including the University's highest recognition, the USC Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching. Professor Gillman received his Ph.D. from UCLA in 1988 and has been on the faculty at USC since 1990. He became the chair of the Political Science Department in Fall 2004.

Susan S. Lewis
(Associate Vice Provost for Planning and Design)

Susan S. Lewis is Associate Dean for Program Planning and Design in the Viterbi School, where she is responsible for all aspects of the School's space and infrastructure, including space management, policies and planning, large-scale renovations, and new construction projects. She was the Project Manager for the newly-completed 106,000 square foot Ronald Tutor Hall. She also led the planning and renovation of more than 100,000 square feet of academic and research space. In addition, she has been responsible for managing the School's academic information effort and for special projects for the Dean. Prior to this position, she was the Executive Administrative Director of the Integrated Media Systems Center (IMSC), a National Science Foundation (NSF) engineering research center. Prior to joining USC in 1996, Lewis was the Administrative Director of two NSF research centers at the California Institute of Technology. She holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a bachelor's degree from UCLA.

Professor Jean Morrison
(Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Programs)

Jean Morrison is Professor of Earth Sciences in the USC College, having joined the faculty in 1988. Her research focuses on the role of fluids in metamorphic processes, stable isotope geochemistry, and metamorphic petrology. She was also a Visiting Associate Professor at the California Institute of Technology. Morrison is currently a National Science Foundation panelist for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program and serves on the Board of Visitors for the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wisconsin. In 2000, she was named Sigma Chi Professor of the Year and received Sigma Gamma Epsilon's Excellence in Teaching Award. She received a bachelor's degree from Colgate University, a master's degree from the University of Georgia, Athens, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.

Professor Michael Preston
(Special Advisor to the Provost)

Michael Preston is Professor of Political Science in the USC College. From 1989-1995 he served as Chair of the Department of Political Science and, from 1995-1998, as Director of the Center for Multiethnic and Transnational Studies. He is a specialist in American Politics, Urban Politics, Black Politics, and Racial and Ethnic Politics. Preston has received outstanding teaching awards from the Mortar Board and the Department of Black Students. He frequently chairs panels and is a participant in conferences across the country discussing racial and ethnic politics in big cities, particularly the politics of Los Angeles and Chicago. Preston joined the USC faculty in 1986, having spent thirteen years at the University of Illinois-Urbana. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.