February 4, 2026
Dear Trojan Family,
I am deeply honored and humbled to be appointed the 13th president of the University of Southern California. To the Board of Trustees, the Presidential Search Committee, our amazing faculty, staff, and students, and the entire Trojan Family: thank you for entrusting me to advance USC’s mission – with openness, vision, and integrity – during this time of change and immense opportunity.
The last seven months as interim president have reaffirmed my belief in the Trojan Family and the vital role that USC plays in our world. We possess an unrivaled combination of strengths – 23 renowned schools spanning the liberal arts and all forms of professional and artistic education, $1.3 billion in research expenditures, an academic medical enterprise that brings clinical innovation to the most complex cases in the nation, an unrivaled athletics and Olympic heritage, a campus in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities, and over 500,000 die-hard alumni across the globe.
More than anything else, though, USC’s greatest asset is the talent and dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni. In every domain, and every part of the world, Trojans distinguish themselves as leaders. There is nothing USC cannot achieve when we bring our talents and perspectives together as one united Trojan Family.
I recognize the challenges of this moment in our history. There is skepticism around the value of great research universities, our openness to new and different ideas, and our ability to keep pace with technological change. These concerns provide opportunities for USC to reflect on our values, align as a community, and re-dedicate ourselves to our powerful academic mission. This is no time for complacency. Instead, we must continue focusing our financial planning around retaining and attracting the very best talent. We must not be afraid to innovate and partner with others. And we must stay laser-focused on our mission of educating future leaders, advancing research and innovation, and serving our society.
The goal is not simply to advance USC, but to deliver the leadership, research, innovation, and creativity that our world needs more than ever. We are working to cure Alzheimer’s, cancer, and blindness; lengthen healthspans; and reform health policy. We are advancing quantum computing and trustworthy AI, creating more resilient ecosystems, and tackling political polarization. We are enriching the world by producing great literature, films, athletes, and artists. Too much is at stake for USC not to continue broadening its impact on the world.
I have felt that impact personally, as the son of two international students whose lives were shaped by attending USC in the late 1960s. Visiting the university campus as a child, I remember the sense of awe I drew from the architecture, the intellectual and artistic vitality, and the feeling of limitless possibility in the air. I now know USC much better, but that sense of vast potential remains.
I look forward to working tirelessly alongside you every day to make our possibilities a reality – for our students, our university, our nation, and our world.
Fight On!
Beong-Soo Kim
President