USC College To Launch $400 Million Fundraising Initiative
Inaugural recipients of Dean’s Medallion will be honored
September 2005
USC President Steven B. Sample, USC College Dean Joseph Aoun and USC
Trustee Patrick C. Haden will formally launch the USC College of
Letters, Arts & Sciences largest-ever fundraising initiative,
"Tradition & Innovation," on September 13.
In its quest to become one of the best colleges within a private
research university, USC College plans to raise $400 million by 2010.
Haden serves as chair of the Tradition & Innovation initiative
steering committee, which is composed of prominent members of the USC
Board of Trustees and USC College Board of Councilors.
“We are launching the Tradition & Innovation initiative at a time
when the role of a successful college within a research university is
rapidly evolving,” said Aoun. “The initiative will elevate USC College
— the core of USC — so that it can attain the highest level of
accomplishment.”
To sustain its momentum and further foster a dynamic culture of
innovation, said Aoun, USC College seeks funds to strengthen its
academic and research programs, recruit and retain top-notch students
and faculty and enhance teaching and research facilities.
The black-tie kickoff celebration will take place in a tented area
outside the newly opened Molecular & Computational Biology Building
on the University Park campus.
A highlight will be a special inaugural awarding of the USC College
Dean’s Medallion, which recognizes alumni, parents and benefactors who
have helped propel the College to excellence. This year’s recipients
are MaryLou and George Boone, Lois and Robert Erburu, and Dana and
David Dornsife.
“The inaugural recipients of the Dean’s Medallion have exhibited
altruism and leadership that has given USC College new energy,” said
Aoun. “Their generosity has enabled us to elevate the quality of our
educational and research programs, and create exciting, innovative
pathways for both students and faculty.”
During the ceremony, Lois and Robert Erburu will receive the Dean’s
Medallion for Exemplary Leadership. As a founding member of the
College’s Board of Councilors, Robert Erburu has been integral to the
College’s unprecedented growth. He has helped establish strong ties
with the Huntington Library and the Getty Research Institute.
Erburu also recruited support for construction of the Molecular &
Computational Biology Building. In honor of Erburu, USC College and the
Skirball Cultural Center recently established the Robert F. Erburu
Chair in Ethics, Globalization and Development in the school of
international relations.
George and MaryLou Boone will receive the Dean’s Medallion for
Pioneering Enterprises. George Boone is a USC Life Trustee,
Presidential Associate and past president of the Alumni Association. He
also serves on the College’s Board of Councilors and the Advisory Board
for the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies.
MaryLou Boone, a member of the College’s Humanities Advisory Board, has
played a key role in building partnerships with prominent cultural
institutions, such as the Huntington Library.
The Boones are well known for their support of the USC Wrigley
Institute’s Catalina facility. Their continued support of the Wrigley’s
George and MaryLou Boone Center for Science and Environmental
Leadership has helped to recruit and maintain outstanding marine
scientists.
Dana and David Dornsife will receive the Dean’s Medallion for
Commitment to Innovation. Their commitment continues to boost the
quality of the Dana and David Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging
Center, and draw exceptional faculty and graduate students. Since the
state-of-the-art brain imaging facility opened in 2004, the College has
bolstered its research on the human brain and recruited the
world-renown neuroscientists Hanna and Antonio Damasio.
The Dornsifes follow in the footsteps of David’s parents, Harold and
Ester Dornsife, whose contributions to the Seeley G. Mudd Building
greatly enhanced USC College efforts in science education. The elder
Dornsifes also played a pivotal role in the creation of the HEDCO
Neuroscience Building and endowed two chairs in the College. |
|
|
