Manager
Kristy Plaza (she/they) is the Manager of Communications and Media at the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future (CPF). She manages all communications and outreach for CPF and the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics, as well as their digital image and messaging to the USC community. Kristy helps maintain the day-to-day operations at CPF and Unruh Institute.
As the Manager of Communications and Media, Kristy produces marketing content across numerous digital platform, including social media, website, and the weekly newsletter, for all CPF and Unruh programming. She developed public relation strategies to share CPF’s message and expose their services to the USC community, larger Los Angeles area, and across the nation. She developed and executed multiple video series across CPF digital platforms to promote their work to the USC community.
Kristy graduated from USC in 2016 with degrees in Broadcast and Digital Journalism and Political Science. She spent most of her undergraduate career balancing her journalism reporting on social issues and politics and learning about state policy and law. Kristy earned her Master’s Degree from the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism in Strategic Public Relations. Her thesis focused on the intersection of public service, civic engagement, and public relations, entitled “Voter Engagement in the 2020 Presidential Election: What We Can Learn from the Voter Engagement Initiatives in California-Based and National Nonpartisan Organizations to Increase Voter Participation.”
Kristy was also a 2016 Journalism Reporting Fellow for the The Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College (CMCJ). Through the fellowship program, sponsored by The Tow Foundation, Kristy used solution-based reporting and investigative journalism to report on juvenile justice during the election year. Her focus was on the Los Angeles County’s Task Force combating child sex trafficking and the resources they provide victims.
Kristy is a California native, and she spends her weekends exploring LA’s food landscape and spending time with her loved ones. She is passionate about advocacy, particularly human rights and voting rights, film/media, and mental health.
Contact Details
Email: kplaza@usc.edu