Academic Honors Convocation celebrates USC scholars for innovative research and achievements

At last Monday’s Academic Honors Convocation dinner celebrating the achievements and careers of Trojan faculty members, USC President Beong-Soo Kim gave attendees a snapshot of the company they were keeping.

Thirty-one honorees sat at various tables inside the ballroom of Town and Gown on USC’s University Park Campus. Among them were researchers finding new ways to fight disease and bring treatments to patients faster, inventors designing smarter systems from clean water to advanced manufacturing, and artists opening new ways of seeing history, culture and memory.

“What we recognize tonight represents the highest aspirations of our academic community, and that, in a word, is excellence,” Kim said.

Speaking directly to the honorees, Kim lauded them for “persistence, discipline and a willingness to keep running toward complexity.”

“You are here not only because of what you’ve accomplished in your own fields, but also through your mentorship, your service and the ways you lift up those around you,” he said.

Each honoree (see full list below) had a moment in the spotlight as their accomplishments were highlighted by Kim, USC Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Andrew T. Guzman, and other academic leaders during their individual walks to the stage to accept their awards.

Presenting the prestigious Presidential Medallions

The evening culminated with the presentation of the USC Presidential Medallion to both longtime USC Viterbi School of Engineering Dean Yannis C. Yortsos and Chief Clinical Officer of USC Health David H. Peng. The prestigious award goes to those who have brought significant honor and distinction to the university’s campuses.

Kim described Peng as “the physician our medical community looks to for guidance and support.”

“He sets the standard for quality, safety and integrity,” he said. “[Peng] ensures that every patient is treated with dignity and respect, and he brings people together, from physicians and nurses to staff and students, around a shared commitment to excellent care.”

Yortsos was lauded by Kim for his transformational leadership at USC Viterbi, highlighting his 21-year tenure overseeing tremendous growth, global research networks and new initiatives like the USC School of Advanced Computing.

“He has cultivated exceptional talent within Viterbi and built programs that bring engineers together with scientists, scholars and artists from across USC,” Kim said. “He has helped reimagine engineering education, preparing students to apply their skills in ways that serve a greater good.”

After receiving their medallions to robust standing ovations, both Peng and Yortsos showed humility and humor in their remarks and grew emotional when talking about their families.

“You can imagine that when one wins something like this, you immediately wonder what in the world I did to deserve it,” Peng said. “I’m very grateful for the chance to be a part of this community.”

As he reflected on his journey, Yortsos credited mentors and family and discussed the school’s transition to the era of artificial intelligence.

“Our mandate is different, more demanding,” he said of AI. “I call it embracing the singularity. So, let’s embrace that. I am sure that our school will do just that and will continue leading in this new era.”

This week’s event highlighted USC faculty members. A second Academic Honors Convocation, on April 24, will focus on student accomplishments.

Faculty honorees

Here is the full list of faculty honorees:

Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award: Given to a very select number of retired faculty at the annual Academic Honors Convocation, the USC Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes eminent careers and notable contributions to the university, the profession and the community.

• Amy S. Lee
• Andrew P. McMahon
• Kenneth H. Nealson
• William G. Tierney

Distinguished Professors: Awarded very selectively by the president to those whose accomplishments have brought special renown to USC.

• María P. Aranda
• David Hirshleifer
• Chanita Hughes-Halbert

University Professors: Awarded based on multidisciplinary interests and significant accomplishments in several disciplines.

• Darius N. Lakdawalla
• Heinz-Josef Lenz

Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Recognition Award: Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the oldest interdisciplinary honor society at USC.

• Emily Hodgson Anderson
• Enrique Martínez Celaya
• Alvin Huang
• W. Martin Kast

Provost’s Mentoring Award: The Provost’s Mentoring Award honors an individual faculty member whose investment in and generosity toward the academic and professional success of other USC faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students or undergraduate students demonstrate exemplary mentoring.

• Kristin Diehl
• Amy L. Murphy

USC Associates Awards: The USC Associates Awards are the highest honors the university faculty bestows upon its members for distinguished intellectual and artistic achievements and for outstanding teaching, both in and out of the classroom.

Creativity in Research and Scholarship

• Lourdes A. Baezconde-Garbanati
• Andreas F. Molisch

Artistic Expression

• Sherin Guirguis
• Pepe Romero

Excellence in Teaching

• Azad M. Madni
• Stephanie Shroyer 

National academy Inductees

• Amy Childress (Engineering)
• Satyandra K. Gupta (Inventors)
• Mary Helen Immordino-Yang (Arts and Sciences)
• Adrianna Kezar (Education)
• Anna Krylov (Arts and Sciences)
• Darius N. Lakdawalla (Medicine)
• Shrikanth S. Narayanan (Engineering)
• Massoud Pedram (Inventors)
• Shang-Hua Teng (Inventors)