University of Southern California

Robert A. Cooper

Vice Provost for Academic Operations and Strategy

Robert A. Cooper is the vice provost for academic operations and strategy.  In this role, he oversees the finance and business functions for the Office of the Provost (including Academic Affairs, Faculty Affairs, Faculty and Programmatic Development, Global Initiatives and the Office of Research), as well as academic capital projects and space management for the University Park Campus and the Health Sciences Campus.  His additional responsibilities include the supervision of organizational reviews for academic support operations and the coordination of strategic planning and resource allocation modeling.  Dr. Cooper is a member of the USC University Hospital and Norris Cancer Hospital Governing Boards and the USC Care Board, and he advises the Provost on clinical operations and budgeting related to Keck Medicine of USC.

Cooper served as USC’s university budget director and associate senior vice president from 2000 to 2006, having previously served as executive director of the Office of Budget and Planning from 1995 to 2000. In these capacities, he provided conceptual leadership in resource planning and formulated USC’s annual operating budget. Among other responsibilities, he also reported on the university’s budget process to the Finance Committee of the USC Board of Trustees, managed health plans administration and institutional research analysis, and was a member of various university committees.

Before assuming those positions, Cooper served as chief financial officer and treasurer of the Doheny Eye Institute, and as USC’s associate comptroller and assistant comptroller. Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree and an M.B.A. from the USC Marshall School of Business, and holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania.