Three families, one mission
USC Rossier donors

With a passion for USC and a shared commitment to education, these families are ensuring future teachers feel the Trojan spirit. All three families have supported student scholarships annually for over 40 years, each giving their first gift in 1983. Read more about alumni supporting student scholarships

Lifting others as she climbs
Ella Rae Bautista with parents seated outside

Guided by a deep commitment to community and family, PASA graduate Ella Rae Bautista Columbres ME ’24 is helping students realize their full potential. Read more of Ella’s story

2 prestigious grants fund PhD research in marine and molecular biology
Headshot of two students.

Research on neurogenerative disorders and the capacity for marine life to withstand warmer temperatures has gotten a boost, thanks to a grant and fellowship awarded to PhD students.

First-Gen Student Leads the USC Liquid Propulsion Lab
Danetti Martino

Soon to launch into a career at one of the nation’s top space companies, graduating student Danetti Martino has already gained ground as lead engineer of one of the nation’s top student rocketry labs.

Sticking the Landing: Marta Davila Mateu
Marta Davila Mateu

Graduating computer science master’s student Marta Davila Mateu on mastering skating, surfing and theoretical computer science at USC

No More Burnout: Mohamad Awada Wants to Optimize your Workspace
Mohamad Awada

Mohamad Awada, a graduating Ph.D. student in USC Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, reflects on five years of research developing dynamic environments for modern workspaces.

Social work doctoral graduates awarded prestigious postdoc fellowships for novel research approaches
Adriane Rory

Academia can be a competitive landscape, but for two doctoral candidates completing their PhD studies in May 2024 at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, it has been an opportunity to lift each other up. The educational journeys of Adriane Clomax (she/her) and Rory O’Brien (they/them) mirrored each other as recipients of the Oakley Fellowship endowed by the USC Provost.

Price student and Air Force vet begins new real estate career
Keshia Albrecht

Ever since she was seven years old, Keshia Albrecht seemed destined to work in real estate. 
Growing up in the Florida panhandle, Albrecht remembers “For Sale” signs sparking her curiosity as she wondered who was buying and selling the vacant swamp lands.

From the Maker Space to SpaceX: Why Engineering is Far More than Fundamentals
Victoria Pinkett

Victoria Pinkett, hands-on learner and student leader, shares how she’s made the most of her USC experience.

‘You don’t have to fit in the box that society puts you in’
Mariah Lora

USC Rossier alum Mariah Lora MAT ’24 shares her academic journey from the basketball court and pageant stage to the classroom and commencement podium.