MEDIA ADVISORY: Wallis Annenberg Hall Grand Opening, Wednesday, Oct. 1

The $59.3 million, 88,000-square-foot technological marvel in the heart of USC is building the next generation of communicators.

Wallis Annenberg Hall features high-tech classrooms and a state-of-the-art Media Center that is the newsroom of the future — it seamlessly blends digital, video and audio production with up-to-the-minute technologies that are scalable and flexible as new innovations pop up. The building — which was designed with the input of students, staff and faculty —  features an ultramodern interior with a four-story atrium, a media wall, a Greek assembly-style sunken forum, movable walls and a focus on drop-in, transparent, collaborative spaces.

• WHAT: Grand opening of the new Wallis Annenberg Hall. It’s camera-ready, with confetti cannons, Trojan Marching Band, and ribbon cutting. Reception and tours will immediately follow.

• WHEN: October 1, at noon

• WHERE: Wallis Annenberg Hall, University of Southern California. 3630 Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089

• WHO:

• President C.L. Max Nikias
• Wallis Annenberg
• Dean Ernest J. Wilson III
• School of Journalism Director Willow Bay
• School of Communication Director Sarah Banet-Weiser
• MSNBC Anchor Alex Witt
• Annenberg faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends

• RSVP: Contact Gretchen Parker at gretchen.parker@usc.edu for driving directions and parking reservations.

• MORE: The Grand Opening is a great opportunity to chat with students about what it’s like working in the newsroom. They’ll be hard at work in the new space, untangling all of the technology and delivering up-to-the-minute news. You’re also welcome to talk one-on-one with Dean Ernest J. Wilson III or our new School of Journalism director, veteran broadcaster Willow Bay.

More photos available at the USC Annenberg Dropbox folder and Flickr page. For videos of the building and students, visit the USC Annenberg YouTube channel.

• CONTACTS: For more information about Wallis Annenberg Hall, including facts and figures, contact Gretchen Parker at gretchen.parker@usc.edu or (410) 215-1931; or Tanya Abrams at tanyaabr@usc.edu or (213) 740-6973.

About the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism: Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is a national leader in education and scholarship in the fields of communication, journalism, public diplomacy and public relations. With an enrollment of 2,470 students, USC Annenberg offers doctoral, graduate and undergraduate degree programs, as well as continuing development programs for working professionals, across a broad scope of academic inquiry. The school’s comprehensive curriculum emphasizes the core skills of leadership, innovation, service and entrepreneurship and draws upon the resources of a networked university in a global urban environment.