Kay Kyung-Sook Song, a longtime USC administrator who helped develop its award-winning community engagement program, has been named a senior adviser to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Song will utilize her sabbatical year to assist the Villaraigosa administration’s community engagement efforts, systematically deepen city-university partnerships in the region and provide strategic counsel on international and local relations, particularly in the Korean community.

Song follows Carolyn Webb de Macias as the second senior official from USC to spend a sabbatical year working for Villaraigosa. Webb de Macias worked on educational policy and development issues from 2005 to 2006.

“Dr. Song is a proven talent and an effective and respected community leader,” Villaraigosa said. “I am confident that her knowledge and expertise will complement and enhance our work in engaging all communities of Los Angeles in the important issues that affect the city.”

Since 1999, Song has served as associate vice president of USC Civic and Community Relations, where she has overseen staff and programs and $7 million in annual grants. Song also has coordinated university-community partnership building as well as communications with neighborhood constituents.

During Song’s time at Civic and Community Relations, USC has garnered several civic awards, including recognition as “Best Neighbor” among American universities by the New England Board of Higher Education in 2006 and “College With a Conscience” by the Princeton Review in 2005.

Beyond her work at USC, Song maintains strong ties to organizations promoting the well-being of Asian American immigrants and women.

As a longtime member of the board of directors of the Korean American Museum, Song has worked closely with civic leaders to develop a permanent home for the museum in Koreatown, with the museum serving as an anchor for mixed-use development on a “super block” along Vermont Avenue.

Song has served as chair of the Korean Institute of Southern California, the country’s largest Korean American organization, and as president of the board of directors of the Korean Youth and Community Center, the largest and oldest Korean community service organization in Los Angeles County.

She is a best-selling author and a widely recognized columnist in Korea and the Korean American community. She is the author of Exodus From Cinderella’s Complex, an autobiography published in Korea in 1996. From October 1997 to August 1999, she wrote a guest monthly column in The Korea Times, USA and since April 2005, she has written a monthly opinion column for distribution throughout North America.

Song has been the recipient of many honors and awards throughout her career.

In 2000, she received the New Millennium Leadership Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the NAACP at the Freedom Award Ceremony. In 2005, she received the Pioneer Women’s Award from the Los Angeles Commission on the Status of Women.

In the coming year, Song will work with USC senior vice president Martha Harris on a part-time basis as associate vice president for external relations.