Almost 200 students, faculty members and donors gathered in USC Viterbi’s Epstein Family Plaza on Oct. 17, when the school hosted its fourth annual Scholarship and Fellowship Dinner. The evening gave current Trojans and their benefactors a chance to connect one on one.
“This event is very rewarding,” says Dean Yannis C. Yortsos. “Our extended USC Viterbi family members get to meet the leaders of tomorrow and talk to them in depth about their goals and their dreams.”
Before the event, guests visited Ronald Tutor Hall, where the dean unveiled the school’s Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship Wall, a mural installation that recognizes select individuals for the significant gifts they have made in support of our students.
“It is a genuine act of selflessness to assist an individual so that they can become successful,” Yortsos said. “This wall is a representation of the collective objective of so many. Scholarship and fellowship support allows our students to thrive without financial burden.”
The Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship Wall comes one year after USC Viterbi unveiled its Endowed Chairs and Professorships Wall in the same location. “Both exist as a testament to the power of generosity. Both of these walls represent a shared vision and mission,” Yortsos said.
Indeed, scholarship and fellowship support is more urgent than ever and among the school’s top priorities. USC Viterbi is constantly competing with other leading academic institutions that offer an array of support packages. As a leading engineering institution, it never wants to lose a top candidate because it does not have the ability to help him or her.
Dean Yortsos has reiterated this goal throughout his tenure by calling attention to several of the school’s achievements: its commitment to diversity, its leading participation in the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, and the success and growth of student organizations and various centers that advance the idea of Engineering+, the use of engineering to assist other disciplines.
Throughout the night, which was hosted by Senior Associate Dean for Advancement Mary Ann Schwartz, guests watched several video presentations that highlighted the USC Viterbi student experience.
Along with Dean Yortsos, USC Viterbi junior Celeste Goodwin and donor Chris Borch served as keynote speakers.
For information about giving to USC Viterbi, please visit viterbischool.usc.edu/giving.
Published on October 17th, 2018
Last updated on October 29th, 2018
