Jason Cruz
As the Campus Center project coordinator, Jason Cruz oversees the construction of the new Ronald Tutor Campus Center and helps ensure its day-to-day operations run smoothly and on schedule.
For Cruz, every day is different, and “every day is a challenge.” He is responsible for meeting with people whose offices will be located in the building to ensure their respective spaces are designed and furnished correctly and for issuing construction updates on a regular basis.
Due in large part to Cruz’s hard work and leadership, the new Campus Center—a 193,000-square-foot, $136 million building complex—remains on schedule six months into its construction and is set to open in the fall of 2010.
Cruz earned his bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of California, Irvine and a master of education at USC in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs (PASA). While in the PASA program, he knew he was destined to work in student affairs, but didn’t know he was going to work for USC—until he met Patrick Bailey, associate dean of students, who offered him his current position. Cruz began working in Student Affairs after he graduated in May 2006.
Bailey describes Cruz as “amazing” and says his dedication to the university is “inspirational.”
“The entire Trojan Family will benefit from Jason’s hard work on the Campus Center for years to come in what will become the ‘centerpiece’ of the overall Trojan experience,” says Bailey.
Cruz’s other campus activities include serving on this year’s panel of judges for Order of the Torch, one of the most prestigious student organizations at USC, and as an assistant coach of the Spirit Leaders, the official student boosters of Trojan athletics.
Not suprisingly, Cruz’s favorite thing about being at USC is working with students. “The students here are the cream of the crop, and I get to help them develop outside of the classroom, which is very rewarding,” he says.
In his free time, Cruz likes to spend time with his wife, go to the beach and watch college sports.