On behalf of President Folt, I am pleased to announce that we will welcome Dr. Thanassis Rikakis as dean of the USC Iovine and Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, effective August 23, 2021.

I am pleased to share with you that the search for the next dean of the USC Iovine and Young Academy is now entering its final stages. Over the last several months, the Search Advisory Committee has conducted an exhaustive and thorough search.

Reporting to the Provost, the Dean will be responsible for strengthening existing programs and further developing the capacity of the Academy, including facilitating broader collaboration and synergies across USC.

I am pleased to announce that we have appointed a search committee to identify and recruit the next dean to lead the USC Iovine and Young Academy. The search committee will be co-chaired by Willow Bay, Dean, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and Elizabeth Graddy, Executive Vice Provost. The committee roster follows this memo.