November 1, 2023
Dear Trojan Community,
I write today to share that Kelvin J. A. Davies will be stepping down from his post as Executive Vice Provost effective December 31, 2023. He will stay on as Special Advisor to the Provost through the end of February 2024 to assist with the transition of the role, at which time he will return to his well-earned retirement.
We all owe Executive Vice Provost Davies (EVP Davies) a debt of gratitude for his dedication and service to USC and our faculty. He will return to his original plans of sailing his boat, writing novels, and playing the violin, in addition to traveling the world with his wife, Dr. Joanna Davies.
At the beginning of this year, EVP Davies took on the responsibility of serving in the important Interim Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs position when Elizabeth Graddy took on the Interim Provost role. Subsequently, at my request, he graciously agreed to extend his role beyond his planned departure date of June 30, 2023, to allow a smooth transition as I entered the Provost position.
Under his leadership, the vital functions of our Academic and Faculty Affairs Office, Campus Wellness and Crisis Intervention, and USC Museums have continued to deliver excellent service to all our schools and campus community. We have been lucky to have EVP Davies’ steady hand at the helm.
Prior to taking on the role, EVP Davies enjoyed a distinguished career at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology. Before his planned retirement in 2022, he was the James E. Birren Chair and Executive Vice Dean at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and Director of the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center. He was concurrently Distinguished Professor of Gerontology in the Leonard Davis School; Distinguished Professor of Molecular & Computational Biology in USC’s Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences; and Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine at USC’s Keck School of Medicine. The winner of numerous medals, prizes, and awards from around the world for his research, EVP Davies is a Fellow in several academies and societies, including the Academy of Europe, the Royal Society of Medicine, the Royal Institution, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Royal College of Physicians. He has also been awarded some 16 honorary doctoral degrees and professorships. EVP Davies was knighted by French President Sarkozy in 2012 and elevated to the status of Knight Commander by French President Macron in 2016.
This is an exciting time of growth and innovation at USC, and we will seek to identify a dynamic and strategic leader to continue the important work that EVP Davies has done so ably.
Please join me in thanking Executive Vice Provost Kelvin J. A. Davies for his many contributions to USC and wishing him the best as he returns to retirement.
Sincerely,
Andrew T. Guzman
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs