The night’s speakers included, from left, Senior Associate Dean for Viterbi Admissions and Student Engagement Kelly Goulis; Jerome S. Linn Scholarship recipient and USC Trustee Scholar Arynn Gallegos ’20; USC Viterbi graduate and parent Usha Patel ’92, MS ’95; and Senior Associate Dean of Advancement, Mary Ann Schwartz. (Photo Credit: Steve Cohn)
USC Viterbi School of Engineering celebrated students and donors on October 10, as the school hosted its 5th annual Scholarship and Fellowship Dinner.
Select faculty, staff and invited guests gathered at Town & Gown, where several USC Viterbi undergraduate and graduate students connected face-to-face with the generous individuals who continue to provide support.
“Scholarships and fellowships are critical to recruiting and retaining the most talented students,” said Senior Associate Dean of Advancement Mary Ann Schwartz, kicking off the evening. “They allow these students to realize their real potential and reach their dreams.”
Schwartz then introduced the night’s donor speaker, Usha Patel B.S. ’92, M.S. ’95, Vice-President of Business Development and Mergers & Acquisitions for Rayco Electronics. Patel was the recipient of scholarship support during her time at USC Viterbi and expressed her feelings of gratitude after having been on the receiving end of such kindness.
“It shaped who I am today and opened a world of opportunities: academic, professional and social,” she said. Patel also expressed the importance of cultivation of future generations of donors. “We must pay it forward,” she said.
After dinner, USC Viterbi senior Arynn Gallegos, current recipient of the Jerome S. Linn Scholarship and a USC Trustee Scholar, echoed that gratitude.
“Scholarship support is truly a gift. I speak for all students when I say how grateful we are to receive [such] kindness. Because of that support, I feel that my work has been endorsed, and it has validated my pursuits.”
Gallegos is a Viterbi Undergraduate Fellow in the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and has focused much of her work on the intersection of electrical engineering with physics and material science. Since her sophomore year, she has been heavily involved in on-campus research with Andrea Armani, Ray Irani Chair in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and professor of chemical engineering and materials science, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering-electrophysics and chemistry at USC Viterbi.
The night’s final speaker was Senior Associate Dean for Viterbi Admissions and Student Engagement Kelly Goulis, who also introduced a video presentation in which several students described the role that scholarship support played in their decision to attend USC Viterbi and thanked donors for providing the opportunity.
“Donors who provide scholarship and fellowship support do more than just ensure opportunities for deserving students,” Goulis said during her keynote speech. “Support for scholarships and fellowships also attract and incentivize even greater numbers of high-performing students, who bring bold ideas and new ambitions to USC. These students energize our academic community with their eagerness to learn and elevate classroom discussions with their fresh insights and perspectives.”
For more information about giving to USC Viterbi, please visit here.
Published on October 17th, 2019
Last updated on October 17th, 2019
