Alumni News

Spring/Summer 2023

1970s

MICHAEL NUTKIEWICZ (BA, philosophy, ’71; MA, philosophy, ’73), recipient of the Fred and Ellen Lewis/JDC Archives Fellowship, delivered a public lecture examining Elijah (Illia) Gumener’s memoir A kapitl Ukraine: tsvey yor in Podolye (A Ukrainian Chapter: Two Years in Podolia). The memoir recounts the trials and tribulations of an aid worker based in the killing fields of Podolia, Ukraine, during the 1918-20 pogroms.

1980s

GARTH AUBERT (BA, political science, ’89) joins MG+M as an equity partner and will continue his practice of representing aerospace product manufacturers, airline service providers, aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul organizations, airport authorities and airlines in state and federal courts throughout the U.S.

ERIN SCHUMAN (BA, psychology, ’85) received the Brain Prize 2023 for her pioneering work at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt. The award recognizes her role in revolutionizing our understanding of how nerve cells regulate the production of the brain’s proteins and the insights this provides into neurodegenerative diseases and developmental disorders.

1990s

SONYA CHRISTIAN (MS, applied mathematics, ’90) has been appointed as the new chancellor of California’s community college system, comprising 116 colleges, becoming the first woman and first person of South Asian descent to hold the position. She was chosen for her work in closing achievement and equity gaps in higher education.

ERIKAANNE ENDRIJONAS (MA, history, ’90; PhD, history, ’96) was selected as the next superintendent/president of Santa Barbara City College by the Board of Trustees, bringing a wealth of experience as a community college president overseeing a budget of more than $300 million at Pasadena City College.

SILVIA MAIER (MA, political science, ’99; PhD, political science, ’01) has been appointed academic director of the Center for Global Affairs at the School of Professional Studies at New York University. She also serves as faculty director of the SPS Intersectionality Lab.

2000s

MICHELLE COMMANDER (MA, American studies and ethnicity, ’07; PhD, American studies and ethnicity, ’10) was named deputy director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

EFRAIN ESCOBEDO (BA, American studies and ethnicity, ’03) was named president and CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Management, an organization bridging Southern California’s public, private and nonprofit sectors to drive positive change in the community.

SHELDON EVANS (BA, philosophy, ’08) has been appointed as a professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. Evans teaches criminal law, immigration law, professional responsibility and seminars on race and literature.

2010s

DAVID GIARDINO (BA, applied psychology, ’18) was promoted to senior director of marketing strategy at NBCUniversal.

JAMIE KWONG (BA, international relations, ’18; MPD, public diplomacy, ’18) was accepted into the Council on Strategic Risks’ Nuclear Risk Reduction Fellowship Program.

JAZMINE KWONG (BA, neuroscience, ’14) returned to Keck Medicine of USC as a facial plastic and reconstructive surgery physician assistant specializing in non-surgical procedures.

2020s

SIMON LUU (BA, political science, ’21) was honored as a 2022-23 Wilson Sonsini Foundation Diversity Scholar at the California Change Lawyers Next Gen Awards in Los Angeles.

In Memoriam

JERRY ANDES (BS, zoology, ’56) of Fullerton, CA (1/3/2023) at age 88; delivered more than 10,000 babies and was passionately committed to women’s health during his 40-year career as an obstetrician/gynecologist at St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton; Emeritus Professor at Keck School of Medicine of USC; started the Special Problems Medical OB Clinic at LAC/USC for complicated pregnancies.

DIANNE ARMSTRONG (PhD, English, ’92) of Columbus, GA (11/25/2022) at age 87; an accomplished scholar; published articles on 18th- and 19th-century British and American literature; published entry on “Pragmatics” in the 2011 Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition; made numerous contributions to works of others.

GEORGE BERONIUS (BA, international relations, ’49) of Tucson, AZ (9/28/2022) at age 94; started career in journalism as a copy boy at the Los Angeles Times in 1949; spent two years in Europe reporting on Western Europe’s political and economic recovery from WWII; completed his career in 1978 as a columnist for the Times Sunday Supplement, Home Magazine.

THOMAS BIRNEY (BA, sociology, ’54) of Santa Ana, CA (12/2/2022) at age 90; practiced oral surgery for 40 years; served as a lieutenant and dentist in the U.S. Navy; long-serving faculty member at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.

ELI BIZIC (BA, international relations, ’61) of McLean, VA (9/4/2022) at age 83; awarded a Meritorious Honor Award in 1981, for serving as the principal liaison between the Swiss and U.S. governments during the initial stage of the hostage crisis in Iran; honored and awarded for his dedication and sustained superior performance as a foreign service officer; recognized for his broad experience and his professionalism in widely varying duties and locations from the Middle East to economic and trade issues of Western Europe.

JO ANN OKIMOTO CHINN (BA, Spanish and planning and urban studies, ’77) of Honolulu, HI (1/24/2023) at age 67; an early childhood behavioral health consultant; known for her exceptional cooking skills; enjoyed yoga and tennis.

PHILLIP COHL (BA, economics, ’64) of Arroyo Grande, CA (1/24/2022) at age 79; began successful career as a stockbroker with EF Hutton in 1966; supported Trojan athletics and the band, “The Spirit of Troy” for many decades.

JOHN FISCHOOK (BA, economics, ’61) of Mississauga ON, Canada (2/21/2023) at age 83; pursued careers in retail and manufacturing; enjoyed many years of travel, visiting museums, socializing and spending time with pets; passionate about history, languages and classical music.

GAIL FOSLER (BA, economics, ’69) of Chevy Chase, MD (4/2/2023) at age 75; served as deputy staff director and chief economist of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee; held leadership positions in prominent organizations; renowned economist and founder of The Gail Fosler Group LLC, which provided advisory services to global business leaders and policymakers; recognized by The Wall Street Journal as “America’s most accurate economic forecaster.”

JOSEPH GULLO (BA, psychology, ’51) of Tucson, AZ (4/18/2023) at age 102; served as associate professor of psychology of education at the University of Arizona; actively involved in the American Educational Research Association and Phi Delta Kappa; dedicated to philanthropic causes including the Sierra Club, the YMCA and Veterans organizations.

WILLIAM HART JR. (PhD, political science, ’85, MPW, professional writing, ’86) of Montrose, CA (2/11/2023) at age 78; published several memoirs, fiction and poetry collections, winning national and international poetry awards; produced and wrote documentary films with his wife, Jayasri, two of which were archived for historical significance.

MARIETTA KIN (BA, mathematics, ’61) of Tustin, CA (4/14/2023) at age 83; research engineer at Rockwell International —one of few women in the engineering field at the time; worked assisting students in Tustin Unified School District; privately tutored students in mathematics.

TERENCE LYNCH (BS/MA, economics, ’64) of Pasadena, CA (1/23/2023) at age 81; member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and USC golf team; career in financial services; passionate about golf, travel, sailing, cycling and wine; active in the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, (the Fraternity of Knights of the Wine-Tasters) and the Society of the Friendly Sons of St Patrick.

NEAL MOORE (BA, history, ’67; JD, ’71) of Cerritos, CA (10/17/2022) at age 77; distinguished career as a litigator in private practice and serving Los Angeles County and the city of Huntington Beach; life-long, avid Trojan sports fan who had season football seats for 49 years; founding contributor to the Galen Center.

ELEU KAMAKANOE ORNELLAS (BA, political science, ’96) of Honolulu, HI (2/23/2023) at age 48; professional concierge; member of the Los Angeles Concierge Association; remembered for her sense of humor, joyous laughter, beautiful smile, and resilient spirit.

PATRICK SANTOS (BA, political science, ’06) of Holbrook, NY (2/28/2023) at age 40; highly accomplished attorney, known for his dedication to serving others and his pro-bono work for indigent clients; published California Supreme Court Opinions and Daily Journal articles. successful fashion model prior to his legal career; held a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

LUKE SCHUNK (BA, neuroscience, ’14) of Salt Lake City, UT (4/2/2023) at age 32; National Merit Scholar; entered USC on an academic scholarship; worked in marketing before learning coding and front-end design at Devmountain where he later taught; tech career included working for MX and Jane, later worked at Everee; accomplished musician who played piano, upright and electric bass; grew up playing tennis and volleyball; enjoyed skiing, swimming and skateboarding.

NORMAN TAYLOR (BA, political science, ’57) of Porter Ranch, CA (3/25/2023) at age 88; pioneering figure in the legal community; served as assistant attorney general and chief of the Land Law Section for the State of California; played a leading role in creating the Diamond Valley Lake reservoir in Southern California; represented California in several landmark cases, including United States v. California before the U.S. Supreme Court.

TERRENCE TAYLOR (BA, psychology, ’51; MD, ’55) of Laguna Beach, CA (3/7/2023) at age 95; long and distinguished career in psychiatry; maintaining a private psychotherapy practice while teaching at Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute; co-founder and member of the board of directors at Woodview Hospital; served as staff psychiatrist at the Orange County Mental Health Clinic in Mission Viejo, CA.