Dear Colleagues,
July 1 marked the first official day of my term as provost of the University of Southern California. I am honored to serve in this capacity, and grateful for the vote of confidence President Folt and the USC Board of Trustees have shown by selecting me for this position.
Eight years ago, I joined USC as the dean of the law school and discovered the rich culture and community in the Trojan Family. The commitment of students, staff, faculty, and alumni has built a unique and inspiring environment of which we are all fortunate to be a part. I cannot express how excited I am to start my new role and have the opportunity to engage more broadly with the blinding array of impactful and inspiring things happening at USC.
Under the guidance of the president, the provost position is focused on academics, including teaching, research, and the success of students. It has the ability to take a holistic perspective and identify opportunities to further advance our excellence across all areas. President Folt has made enormous strides in defining what excellence will look like over the coming years. It includes her moonshots in the areas of Frontiers of Computing, USC Competes, transformation of health sciences, sustainability, and athletics. I look forward to working with President Folt, her leadership team, and every part of the USC community make her vision a reality.
I would be remiss if I did not include a final thank you to both Provost Chip Zukoski and Interim Provost Elizabeth Graddy. I have learned a great deal from each of them and am excited to continue many of the projects that they have advanced.
I am eager to engage with each of you as we continue to push forward the important work of this great university. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the summer season, and I look forward to seeing you back on our campuses for the fall semester.
Fight On!
Andrew