James Rawitsch Assistant Vice President, University Advancement

James Rawitsch was appointed assistant vice president in the Division of University Advancement in 2006. He leads the division’s market research, planning and donor analytics programs, which since his arrival have contributed to the raising of more than
$1 billion for USC. Using state-of-the-art business intelligence tools and metrics, he tracks changing trends in philanthropy, seeking competitive advantage in the researching, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors to the university. In addition to his work on behalf of central-projects fundraising, he advises development professionals serving USC College, the Graduate School and USC’s 17 professional schools.

Prior to joining USC, he served as managing director at Aberdeen Group, a Boston-based market research and consulting firm. In this role, he led a team of analysts in identifying new technology markets, serving clients such as Kodak, Bell South and Compaq. Earlier in his career, his clients included IBM, HP, Microsoft, Lucent, Mobil and Great Western Financial. He also has served as a board member, staff member or volunteer for a variety of nonprofit arts and cultural institutions, including the Pasadena Playhouse and LACMA, where he was instrumental in the development of innovative research-based marketing programs.

Rawitsch holds B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from UCLA, and has taught at Marylhurst University and Loyola Marymount University.