September 10, 2026
Dear Trojan Family,
I am writing to share several important leadership updates at Keck Medicine of USC and the Keck School of Medicine of USC. These changes will take effect on September 24.
Keck Medicine of USC
Rodney Hanners has agreed to step down from his role after leading Keck Medicine of USC with distinction over the last six years. As CEO, Rod helped strengthen the quality of care we provide, elevate the reputation of our health system in Los Angeles and beyond, and extend USC’s care into more communities, including new locations in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. He has also helped foster a culture of kindness and compassion across the Keck community, particularly through our Care for the Caregiver program, which continues to grow and support the well-being of our healthcare colleagues. We are deeply grateful for all that Rod has contributed to USC, and we wish him the very best in his next chapter.
With Rod’s departure, we are fortunate that Senior Vice President for Health Affairs Steven Shapiro is fully prepared to assume direct operational responsibility over Keck Medicine of USC as CEO. When Steve joined USC in 2021, he brought a unique set of skills—as both a renowned physician-scientist and an accomplished health system leader who, as president of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, oversaw 42 hospitals. By combining Steve’s direct operational responsibility over Keck Medicine of USC with his continued oversight of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, we can move and innovate even more quickly to extend our renowned clinical care and research throughout the region.
To allow Steve to focus more intensely on elevating our academic medical enterprise, supervision of the other health sciences schools (dentistry, gerontology, pharmacy, and social work) will revert to the provost, although those schools will continue to collaborate and work closely together around their clinical practices, education, and research. Steve’s title will also be adjusted to executive vice president in order to align with that of the provost.
As Steve takes on direct operational responsibility over Keck Medicine of USC, he will be supported in this work by a strong leadership team, including two health system leaders who will take on expanded roles. David Peng will become deputy executive vice president for health affairs in addition to continuing as USC’s chief clinical officer. David has worked closely with colleagues to shape the strategic growth of our medical enterprise, expanding our clinical partnerships and establishing the Keck Community Medical Group to serve more patients throughout the region. In his expanded role, he will continue this work across Keck Medicine of USC while helping strengthen the connections among clinical care, research, and education, particularly at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Marty Sargeant will become chief operating officer of Keck Medicine of USC while continuing to serve as CEO of Keck Medical Center of USC. With his decades of operational experience, Marty possesses a clear understanding of how our hospitals deliver complex care with a high level of patient trust and confidence. He is a dedicated partner to our physicians, nurses, and staff, and he will ensure that they have the support they need to provide exceptional care to our communities every day.
Keck School of Medicine of USC
After more than four years of exemplary leadership, Dean Carolyn Meltzer has decided to step down as dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and assume the role of president of the Radiological Society of North America, while remaining a tenured faculty member in the Keck School’s Department of Radiology with a joint appointment in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering. Since joining USC in 2022, Carolyn has strengthened the Keck School’s commitment to excellence in education, research, and medicine. She has helped recruit outstanding faculty members, encouraged new forms of collaboration across the university, and created new avenues of discovery for students and researchers, particularly through Keck’s presence at our Capital Campus. She has also worked to build the Keck School into a model for community engagement, bringing service, teaching, research, and policy together around the priorities of our local neighborhoods. Carolyn’s caring, compassionate, and ethical leadership has earned the respect of the entire USC community. The Keck School is well poised for future success, and we are tremendously grateful for Carolyn’s dedication and contributions.
Dean Vassilios Papadopoulos has graciously agreed to serve as interim dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC while continuing to lead the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Vassilios brings to this role a decade of experience leading the Mann School and advancing its nationally renowned work in clinical pharmacy. He also holds a joint faculty appointment in the Keck School’s Department of Medicine and brings broad experience across health sciences education and research. Before coming to USC, he served on the medical faculties at Georgetown University and McGill University, where he oversaw major enterprises advancing biomedical discovery and the training of scientists and clinicians. Vassilios is a deeply experienced and collaborative academic leader who knows USC and its health system well. Under his interim leadership, I am confident that the Keck School will continue to advance its excellence in clinical innovation, research, and education.
Please join me in thanking Rod and Carolyn for their leadership and service, and in thanking Steve, David, Marty, and Vassilios for taking on these important responsibilities.
Sincerely,
Beong-Soo Kim
President