SPPD In the News

SPPD Ranks Among Best Public Affairs Schools in U.S.
The USC School of Policy, Planning and Development ranked seventh overall among "America's Best Graduate Schools" for public affairs, according U.S. News & World Report. In addition, SPPD also earned high ratings in several academic specialty areas.
» Read more about SPPD's rankings.

Jeffe Examines Impact of Military Service on Presidential Race
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, senior fellow at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development, was quoted recently in a Columbus Dispatch story on how presidential candidates may benefit from military experience. Military experience "does help a candidate make the case that his expertise goes beyond the boundaries of the United States," Jeffe said.
» Read the complete Columbus Dispatch article.

Latino Immigrants May Provide Economic Rescue, Myers Says
Professor Dowell Myers was quoted in a recent U.S. News & World Report story about baby boomers and Latino immigrants. For a nation bracing to support 79 million baby boomers in their old age, the growing and younger population of Latinos should be viewed as economic salvation, Myers said. "Children are always a fiscal burden, yet children are also the lifeblood of every community," he explained. "What's killing Japan and threatening the economic future of Europe is that they don't have enough kids, and that's what's depriving these rural areas in America," he added. Myers is the author of Immigrants and Boomers: Forging a New Social Contract for the Future of America, the story noted.
» Read the complete U.S. News & World Report article.

Tunnel Bill Requires Further Environmental Analysis, According to Keston Institute Report
A report by the USC Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy was cited in a recent La Cañada Valley Sun story about a proposed tunnel linking the 710 and 210 freeways. "Although there is solid financial and engineering data available, the environmental aspects of the project remain to be examined," the report stated.
» Read the complete La Cañada Valley Sun article.

SPPD Professor Presents Immigration Research to State Lawmakers
Professor Dowell Myers served as an expert witness before the California Senate Select Committee on Immigration and the Economy on June 9. His testimony before state lawmakers was featured on BBC Radio World Service. Myers' research suggests that immigrants can help fill the gap left in the work force as aging baby boomers retire, the BBC story noted. "People view immigration as being a problem about immigrants, but really our problem today is not immigrants but is the rest of us," Myers said. "The number of seniors is skyrocketing. We have to figure out how we're going to live in an aging society. Immigrants are part of the solution, they're not the problem."
» Read the complete article.

Alumnus Pledges $50,000 Toward Newland Professorship in Public Administration
The USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development announced today that alumnus Dr. Kenneth Macias pledged $50,000 toward the school's Chester A. Newland Endowed Professorship in Public Administration at the USC State Capital Center in Sacramento.
» Read the complete article.

SPPD Students Sweep Fellowship Awards
In an unprecedented sweep, all three recipients of the William A. Carlson Fellowship award – presented by the California Redevelopment Agency in March – are current students at SPPD.
» Read the complete article.

SPPD Alumnus Is Committed to Giving Back to Community — and SPPD
Jim Lewis vividly remembers the kind of enriching "family environment" present at the USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development during his undergraduate years more than a decade ago. "Faculty members exposed me to things I never would have imagined,” Lewis said. “They invested in me." Now, he's returning the favor. Lewis, the 33-year-old the assistant city manager of Atascadero, Calif., recently donated a $250,000 insurance trust to SPPD.
» Read the complete article.