1. education
2. school

2015 Commencement Speaker
Mellody is responsible for firm-wide management and
strategic planning, overseeing all operations outside of
research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves
as chairman of the board of trustees for Ariel Investment Trust.
Beyond her work at Ariel, Mellody has become a nationally
recognized voice on financial literacy and investor education.
She is a regular contributor and analyst on finance, the
markets and economic trends for CBS News. She also
contributes weekly money tips on the Tom Joyner Morning Show and pens a column for Black
Enterprise magazine. As a passionate advocate for investor education, she is a spokesperson for
the Ariel/Hewitt Study: 401(k) Plans in Living Color and the Ariel Black Investor Survey, both of
which examine investing patterns among minorities.
Mellody is chairman of the board for DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., as well as director of The
Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation. Her community outreach includes
serving as chairman of After School Matters, a non-profit that provides Chicago teens with
high-quality, out-of-school time programs. She is a board member of the Lucas Museum of
Narrative Art, The Chicago Public Education Fund, and Sundance Institute, where she has been
appointed emeritus trustee. She is also on the executive committee of the Investment Company
Institute’s board of governors. Mellody earned her AB from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School
of International Relations and Public Policy. She has also received honorary doctorate degrees in
humanities from both Howard University and St. Mary’s College.
Ordering, measurement and distribution of regalia will take place in the University Bookstore, 3rd Floor, beginning
May 4 through May 15. The hours are as follows: Monday-Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to
4:30 p.m.; Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, May 15, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Rental charges for
academic regalia must be paid at the time of measurement. The charges are as follows:
Bachelor’s Degree (Cap and Gown only)
$59.99
Master’s Degree (Cap, Gown and Hood)
$79.99
Doctoral Degree (Cap, Gown and Hood)
$99.99
You and your family are invited to the
Baccalaureate Dinner
Thursday, May 14, 2015
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
on the University Park Campus
The above prices are for rentals only and include a charge for the tassel which may be removed from the cap and
retained as a souvenir. Please contact the bookstore if you would like to purchase your regalia. Order early to be
assured of receiving the appropriate graduate degree hood. No regalia orders will be taken by mail.
Honor Cords: Undergraduates who have earned a minimum 3.5 GPA in USC coursework at the completion of
the fall 2014 semester are eligible to wear the official university honor cords at Commencement. Note: Eligibility
to wear the honor cords does not guarantee or preclude designation of academic honors (cum laude, etc.) on your
diploma/record which is awarded only when all final grades are tabulated after Commencement.
RSVP online beginning Tuesday, February 10, at
www.usc.edu/esvp (Code: Bacc2015).
Space is limited to the first 1,000 guests. The cost per person (including students)
is $40 which includes tax, gratuity, and wine or other beverage.
Order Your 2015 Commencement DVD Online
at www.uscbookstore.com or at (800) 447-8620
Return: Caps, gowns and hoods are to be returned to the collection station outside the University Bookstore by
5:00 p.m. on May 15. If your satellite ceremony takes place at a later time, a representative of the cap and gown
company will be present at your ceremony to pick up the gowns.
The cost is $20 per DVD, plus S&H (California residents please add $1.75 tax).
For further information regarding academic regalia, or to order graduation announcements or class rings,
please visit or call the University Bookstore at (213) 740-8997. The office to call with questions regarding the
El Rodeo yearbook is Student Publications Administrative and Advertising Office at (213) 740-2707.
DVDs will be mailed by September. Remember: This DVD only contains the Baccalaureate
Ceremony and the main ceremony in Alumni Memorial Park. Please contact your individual
school or department to purchase satellite ceremony DVDs, if available.
commencement.usc.edu
#USCGrad
Mellody Hobson
2015 Baccalaureate Dinner
Academic Regalia (Cap and Gown)
U N I V E R S I T Y
USC Commencement Information
O F
S O U T H E R N
C A L I F O R N I A
Commencement Exercises
One Hundred and Thirty-Second
invite you to attend and celebrate the
University of Southern California
of the
The Faculty
and
Southern California
USC Office of Cultural Relations and University Events
University of Southern California
Stonier Hall, Suite 203
Los Angeles, California 90089-1142
U.S. Postage Paid
2 0 1 5
First Class Mail
On behalf of the University of Southern California, I would like to invite you and your family to
attend our 132nd Commencement, to be held on the morning of Friday, May 15, 2015, and to the
events preceding it on Wednesday, May 13, and Thursday, May 14. This is the most joyful and
momentous occasion of the academic year, and one that will have special meaning as you watch
your son or daughter receive a well-earned degree.
2015 Commencement Timeline
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
1:30 p.m.
Phi Kappa Phi Initiation
Ceremony
(213) 740-1143
Bing Theatre
On May 15 your student will take his or her place in a long procession of Trojans, stretching back
through the years to USC’s first commencement in 1884—and indeed, back to the day in 1880
when USC first opened its doors. Commencement is a poignant symbol for the entire Trojan Family
of the lifelong, worldwide connections that have made this great university vibrant and enduring.
This guide provides full details about the exciting events planned for May 13 through May 15.
This information, and any updates as the ceremony nears, will be posted on the commencement
website at www.usc.edu/commencement, and can be heard on the commencement telephone
hotline, (213) 740-4001. As in previous years, the main ceremony will also be broadcast live on
the Internet, accessible worldwide through the website.
Approximately 40,000 parents, family, and friends attend the commencement ceremony each year,
so I urge you to arrive on campus by 7:00 a.m. on Friday, May 15. Seating is on a first-come,
first-served basis.
I am proud of the achievements of the Class of 2015, and I look forward to sharing this important
and memorable time with you and your family.
Sincerely,
C. L. Max Nikias
President
Thursday, May 14, 2015
1:00 p.m.
Senior and Graduate Recognition
Awards Ceremony
(213) 740-5693
Bovard Auditorium
8:00 a.m.
Processional Line-up
All undergraduate, graduate and
doctoral degree candidates
8:30 a.m.
5:00 p.m.
Processional Begins
Bovard Auditorium
6:30 p.m.
Main Commencement Ceremony
Pardee Way
10:15 a.m.
Baccalaureate Ceremony
Visit the Widney Alumni House
on Commencement Day for more
information about your free
membership in the USC Alumni
Association which allows you to stay
connected to the Trojan Family,
lifelong and worldwide.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Baccalaureate Dinner
Pre-Graduation Celebrations
8:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m.
Alumni Memorial Park
Commencement Ceremony Ends
Graduates proceed to
satellite ceremonies
African American Cultural Celebration
www.usc.edu/cbcsa
(213) 740-8257
Bovard Auditorium
A full listing of satellite and
hooding ceremonies can be found
on the reverse side.
Asian Pacific Graduate Celebration
alumni.usc.edu/apaa/apgrad2015
(213) 740-6380
Ronald Tutor Campus Center, Grand Ballroom
Visit commencement.usc.edu
for late-breaking changes and
additional information.
Chicano / Latino Graduate Celebration
www.usc.edu/student-affairs/elcentro
(213) 740-1480
Cromwell Field
#USCGrad
President C. L. Max Nikias
University of
Dear USC Parent:
The Board of Trustees
February 2015
February 2015
Dear USC Parent:
For you and your special student, USC’s 132nd Commencement on Friday, May 15, will surely be a joyous occasion. The campus-wide ceremony,
in all its grandeur, will be followed and complemented by ceremonies for the individual schools. Together, Friday’s events will convey the
university’s pride in its new graduates and in its own academic stature. We look forward to sharing this important and meaningful day
with you.
We hope also to share with you the Baccalaureate ceremony that traditionally precedes commencement. Taking place in Bovard Auditorium on
Thursday, May 14, Baccalaureate begins at 5:00 p.m. and runs about one hour. The participation of numerous university dignitaries, as well as
the religious directors who work with our student groups, will add luster to the occasion. The service itself will feature music and readings from
a wide range of religious traditions, and conclude with a benediction over the graduating students.
Baccalaureate will be followed by a festive dinner for graduates and their families. The dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. This packet includes
information on making reservations for the dinner. Space is limited and last year's dinner filled to capacity, so we urge you not to delay in making
your reservation.
Commencement stands as a culmination as well as a beginning. It is fitting to celebrate all that has been accomplished, learned, and gained.
It is also fitting to reflect and be thankful. Baccalaureate offers a wonderful opportunity to bless our graduates as they proceed with the next
stage of their lives. We sincerely hope that you will be able to participate in the university’s commencement events, and that we may have the
pleasure of greeting you personally at Baccalaureate.
Yours,
Varun Soni
Dean of Religious Life
Ainsley Carry
Vice Provost for Student Affairs
b) Communication (Graduate)
B
McCarthy Quad, 10:45 a.m.
Following, Wallis Annenberg Hall Alumni Plaza
c) Journalism and Public Relations
B
Argue Plaza Lawn, 10:45 a.m.
Following
S T.
D
t 1
V
A
DR
C
N/A
d) Physician Assistant Program
19. Music, Thornton School of
D
D
A
Harry and Celeste Pappas Quad, Health Sciences Campus,
Wednesday, May 13, 2015, 4:00 p.m.
Town & Gown, 11:00 a.m.
Lawn southwest of Hancock (AHF),
10:45 a.m.
Ramo Hall South Lawn, 10:45 a.m.
Norris Library Quad,
Health Sciences Campus, 3:00 p.m.
Following
TBD, 11:00 a.m.
Following
Bovard Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
Following
Alumni Park, 3:30 p.m.
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.,
Leavey Library North Lawn
24. Social Work, School of
A
Y
TH
W
N
E
Lo
t 3
3
BL
O
A
W
CK
11a
N
PC
E
RR
B
12
LIS
SH
I
STU
OC
S
SA
L
PL
E
13
A
VK
C
7a
W
WA
H
C
H
IL
D
S
W
AH
F
18d
7c
A
BR
A
W
MH
P
F
H
I
TH
CO
L
Y
W
A
M
Wid
Arg
Alu ney
ue
Pla Ho mni A
za use
LM
TR
O
DH
LA
W
5a
Y
Gate #3
JKP
Ga
len
11b
Ce
nte
r
L
5b
T
DX
Y
JHH
TG
HO
R
DM
L
R
A
K
18a
The
Lab
RG
C
cC
J
H
PTD
L
AC
HA
M
PSX
DM
18C
Gate #1
M
Ros
so O
ro’s
Mc
Kay
’s
N
PS2
Rad
H isso
Fig otel n
uer
oa
Parking
Gate #2
RE
O
G
E X P O S I T I O N
B LV D
P
P
PS1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
PARKING AND SEATING
Due to the large crowd anticipated for commencement, campus parking will be filled early. Our
recommendation is that you arrive before 7:00 a.m. The University Parking Center, located on the
corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue, is recommended for all degree candidates, their families
and guests. Trams will be available to take guests from the Parking Center, Health Sciences Campus and
Union Station to the University Park Campus. Visit the commencement website for tram schedules.
Tickets are not required for admission to the main commencement ceremony, but seating is limited.
Special seating for guests in wheelchairs will be designated by signs in Alumni Park. All guests are
requested to be in their seats before 8:00 a.m. and are asked not to sit in the sections reserved for
faculty and the graduating students. Each guest may save no more than two additional seats. Guests are
also requested to refrain from standing in the aisles during the ceremony and from using cell phones.
SEATING KEY
Video
Screens
I
er
UR
10
24
M
For guests with disabilities, please enter campus through Gate #4, located on Jefferson Blvd.,
and drop off in front of the North Residential College. Cars will then be directed to parking at the PS1
structure at the corner of Figueroa Street and Exposition Boulevard (enter through gate on Flower).
If additional information is required, call USC Transportation Services at (213) 740-3575. There will be
a limited number of wheelchairs available for checkout, free of charge, in front of the North Residential
College for those who are in need of this service. Because of the large crowds, navigating across campus
for the entire day may be physically challenging. Family members who believe they will need additional
assistance may want to consider bringing or checking out a wheelchair. Checkout will be open from
6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Regrettably we are unable to provide wheelchairs to guests after 5:00 p.m.
Wheelchair
nt
3
Seating and Procession Assembly Points
General
Ce
C
K
Alu
m
Par ni
k
CE
O
1
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
JHH
Ronald Tutor
Campus Center
g
DC
EV
SC
* These satellite ceremonies have limited seating and may require tickets. See the Commencement website for more details.
Students
in
HR
Mc
C
Qu arthy
ad
Y
U
Tom
Tro my
jan
Hah
nP
laza
R
Camonald
pus Tuto
Cen r
ter
STO
E
LK
rk
H
14
CA
VH
PH
W
S
LH
37
TH
2
N
BK
SSL
S
AD
YW
A
A
BSR
SOSOS
S
4
M
7b
B
EEB
ES
T
Ass
oc
Par iates
k
EL
M
23
E
SEC
IRC
H
WA
H
HN
Y
Pa
LVL
Fou
n
Par ders
k
PED
BH
D
M
H
H
PSD
A
W
HE
O
F
20
WP
T
See seating map enlargement to the left
EY
1
SCD
S
NC
To
MR
CA
H
W
OH
O
TT
N/A
Y
6
19
9
TT
D
PK
D
D
ld
S
W
21. Pharmacy, School of
W
16
C
Fie
C
B
Following
Following
F R
G
Gate #4
t B
L
H
M
Lo
ED
BM
RH
AS
HR
DR
R
Leavey Library West Lawn, 11:00 a.m.
23 ROTC – Air Force, Army, Naval
ell
M
O
GE
C
22. Public Policy, Sol Price School of*
mw
SG
H
S
LPB
15
Cro
FW
MU
R
K
20. Chan Occupational Science and
Occupational Therapy
S
T
Rob
ert
D
Pla . Wo
za od
17
CW
Following
CC
CV
BIT
CW
M
SCE
G
Cenalen
Caf ter
é
GF
10:30 a.m., Town & Gown
C
C
MA
Gate #6
Following
A
F
UR
LU
F
PSA
Following, McCarthy Quad
N
D
ST
SCX
I
L
A
t M
BK
I
Following
A
Lo
TR
N/A
SCC
RR
17. Group 4:
E
Brittingham Field, 11:00 a.m.
Following
American Studies and Ethnicity, Anthropology, Cognitive Psychology, Health and Humanity, Linguistics, Psychology, Master of Science in Applied Psychology, Master in Visual Anthropology, Spatial Sciences
Galen Center
Saturday, May 16, 2015, 3:00 p.m.
34
TH
SCA
Y
Shrine Auditorium, 11:00 a.m.
ES
T
U
EN
A V E N U E
FPF
T
16. Group 3:
E
Economics, International Relations, Political Science, Sociology
T
N
SCB
J
N
DE
W
P
Following, Associates Park
BL
V
t V
X
KA
Following
A
F R W Y
E
N
Lo
TC
15. Group 2:
F
Cromwell Field, 11:00 a.m.
Following
Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Studies, Human and Evolutionary Biology, Math, Neuroscience, Physics and Astronomy
c) Health Promotion and Global Health
t S
S
Gate #7
Following
14. Group 1:
E
Alumni Park, 11:00 a.m.
Following
Art History, Classics, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Cultures, East Asian Area Studies, English, French and Italian, Gender Studies, History, Interdisciplinary Archaeology,
Interdisciplinary Studies, Middle East Studies, Master of Liberal Studies, Master of Professional Writing, Philosophy, Religion, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Spanish and Portuguese
b) Ph.D., MPH, M.S.
Lo
R1
Letters, Arts & Sciences, Dornsife College of
18. Medicine, Keck School of
a) M.D./Ph.D., M.D.
H O O V E R
E
Y
Founders Park, 3:30 p.m.
S
SD
D
D
JE
FF
ER
SO
A
13. Law, Gould School of
Ronald Tutor Campus Center Ballroom, 11:00 a.m.
F R W Y
Y
F
M ON I CA
O
W
12. Gerontology, Davis School of
Y
F R W
P O M O N A
W
Galen Center, 3:00 p.m.
C
LRC
H
F
18b
B E R N A R D I N O
WT
A
11. Engineering, Viterbi School of
B
Gate #5
UC
PSB
E
Following, Queens Court
Following
b) Master's, Engineer, and Engineering Graduate Certificates
FLT
Lo
TO
Bing Theatre, 11:00 a.m.
McCarthy Quad, 3:30 p.m.
Y
ESH
CC
LI
N
F
A
W
S A N
S A N TA
M
9. Dramatic Arts, School of*
FR
C
G
10. Education, Rossier School of*
A
21
Gate #8
F
Following
D
EE
T
Following
E
ST
R
McCarthy Quad, 10:45 a.m.
OO
A
B
W
O
7. Communication and Journalism, Annenberg School for
a) Communication (Undergraduate)
T
ER
Following, School of Cinematic Arts
S T
A
U
3:30 p.m., Town & Gown
Shrine Auditorium, 2:30 p.m.
L D
E N
EE
T
Galen Center, 6:30 p.m.
A
HO
LL
Y
FI
G
B
6. Cinematic Arts, School of
O
C
Caf
é8
4
Following, Bridge Hall Lawn
(between Hoffman Hall & Bridge Hall)
G
McAlister
Field
18
ST
R
Bovard Auditorium, 11:00 a.m.
S T.
17
L
D
16
A
4. Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
8
15
O
Following
Epstein Family Plaza, 10:45 a.m.
14
R
Watt Hall Lawn, 11:00 a.m.
F
13
Water Station
Flowers
A
F
UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS
W
3. Art and Design, Roski School of
a) Undergraduate*
12
K
Following, Watt Hall Courtyard
B
R
Founders Park, 11:00 a.m.
McAlister Field, 11:00 a.m.
11
PA
A
D
10
LE
2. Architecture, School of
8. Dentistry, Herman Ostrow School of
9
A
Epstein Family Plaza, 2:30 p.m.
b) Graduate
8
U
A
Galen Center, 11:00 a.m.
7
O
Reception
Location & Time
1. Accounting, Leventhal School of
B
6
A
Following, Bridge Hall Lawn
(between Hoffman Hall & Bridge Hall)
5. Business, Marshall School of
a) Undergraduate
5
Legend
V E R M O N T
Satellite Ceremony
Location & Time
4
Y
Seating &
Assembly Points
3
3 0 T H
To locate procession assembly (line up) points, see corresponding letters on the map below. For satellite ceremonies, the academic
unit/school number corresponds to the numbered locations on the map to the right. All satellite ceremonies are on Friday, May 15, 2015,
unless otherwise indicated under the location and time.
Academic Unit/School
2
W
F R
2015 USC Commencement
1
Candidates for degrees are to assemble no later than 8:00 a.m. Refer to the list of schools on the left
for seating and assembly points. White signs will indicate these assembly areas around Alumni Memorial
Park. Promptly at 8:30 a.m. the commencement marshals will lead the columns of degree candidates to
reserved seating sections in Alumni Memorial Park. During the procession, march briskly and follow the
instructions of the commencement marshals.
The faculty and Ph.D. candidates will assemble inside Bovard Auditorium at 8:00 a.m.
The academic party will arrive on the platform at 9:00 a.m., and the One Hundred Thirty-Second
Commencement Exercises will begin.
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
PHOTOGRAPHY
Individual degree candidates are presented at the school satellite ceremonies and not at the main ceremony.
The best opportunity for photographs is at the satellite ceremonies. Only hand held cameras and/or video
cameras may be used in Alumni Memorial Park. A professional DVD with the best camera angles will be
taken of the main ceremony and will be available for purchase.
SOME NOTES ON PROTOCOL
The caps should be worn at all times, except during invocation, and the playing of the National Anthem,
when gentlemen remove their caps. The tassel is customarily worn over the right temple. Upon conferral
of degrees, the President will salute the graduates. It is appropriate for the graduates to return the salute
by tipping their cap. The tassel should then be moved to the left temple.
RECESSIONAL: INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
The main ceremony will end at approximately 10:15 a.m. The graduates and audience should remain
in place until the platform party has passed in recession. The audience will continue to remain in place
while the graduates are led in the recessional march by the commencement marshals. Refer to the list
of schools on the left for satellite ceremony and reception locations and times.
DOCTORAL HOODING CEREMONIES
Seperate doctoral hooding ceremonies will take place at the following locations and times:
Thursday, May 14
Viterbi School of Engineering
Bovard Auditorium
9:00 a.m.
Dornsife College of Letters,
Arts and Sciences
Cromwell Field
10:00 a.m.
Rossier School of Education
McCarthy Quad
3:00 p.m.
Annenberg School for
Communication and Journalism
Wallis Annenberg Hall,
Room L105A
3:30 p.m.
#USCGrad