For Commencement 2022 on May 13th, USC Viterbi will resume all its in-person satellite ceremonies —a PhD “hooding” ceremony, one ceremony for undergraduate students, one for master’s-level students in computer science, and one master’s-level ceremony for all other disciplines. All ceremonies will also be livestreamed so that families and friends around the world can follow along.
“Commencement is a most special time, as it signals the transition to a new phase in the life of our students. It is a time of joy, hope and gratitude. We look forward to holding all our commencement events and to celebrate this joyous occasion in-person again,” said USC Viterbi School of Engineering Dean Yannis C. Yortsos.
Viterbi’s Satellite Ceremonies and Speakers
USC Viterbi PhD Hooding Ceremony
Timing: Wed, May 11th at 8:30 AM
Location: Bovard Auditorium (Map)
To stream, click here
USC Viterbi Undergraduate Ceremony
Timing: Friday, May 13th at 11:00 AM
Location: Alumni Park (Map)
To stream, click here
The speaker for the undergraduate ceremony this year will be USC Viterbi alumna, Dr. Christina Smolke, a pioneer in the fields of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering. Smolke is the CEO and co-founder of Antheia, Inc. and an Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University. At Antheia, her vision and leadership has enabled a synthetic biology platform that dramatically expands the diversity and complexity of molecules that can be reconstructed, enabling new possibilities for drug discovery as well as efficient, sustainable, transparent, on-demand drug manufacturing at scale.
Masters Ceremony (for non-computer science masters)
Timing: Friday, May 13th at 3:30 PM
Location: The Galen Center (Map)
To stream, click here
The speaker for the masters-level ceremony at USC Viterbi (non-computer science) will be General (retired) Ellen M. Pawlikowski who was the third woman to achieve the rank of General in the US Air Force. In her last assignment, assignment, General Pawlikowski served as Commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio which employs some 80,000 people. Now, she is an independent consultant providing expertise on strategic planning, program management, logistics, and research and development. She is also the Judge Widney Professor at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
Master’s-Level Satellite Ceremony-Computer Science
Time: Friday, May 13th at 7:00 PM
Location: The Shrine Auditorium (Map)
To stream, click here
Speaker: For the graduate-level ceremony in computer science, internet and tech leader, entrepreneur and investor, Guru Gowrappan will present the keynote address. Gowrappan, a USC Viterbi alumnus, is the former CEO of Yahoo and Verizon Media who successfully retooled and restructured a disparate portfolio into a unified, profitable powerhouse of trusted media and technology brands. Under Gowrappan’s leadership, the company reached over 900 million users globally, generating $8 billion in revenue. Along with its 11,000 employees, Gowrappan led Yahoo’s expansion into commerce, AR/immersive technologies, gaming and betting, and subscriptions, while growing the footprint of Yahoo Sports, Finance and Mail.
Prior to his role at Yahoo, he was Global Managing Director of Alibaba, focusing on international expansion for key consumer and enterprise products. In addition, to these roles, has held a breadth of leadership roles (including CEO, COO, CPO) at companies such as Quixey, Zynga, and Overture.
Published on May 3rd, 2022
Last updated on May 11th, 2022
