Megan Jordan appointed USC’s senior vice president and chief communications officer

Veteran communications strategist Megan Jordan was appointed USC’s senior vice president and chief communications officer, President Beong-Soo Kim announced Wednesday. Jordan assumes the role effective immediately after having served as interim in the position since January.

“Megan understands what makes USC exceptional and how to bring that to constituencies everywhere,” Kim said. “In a short time, she has aligned our communications teams around a common purpose: showcasing the full depth and breadth of USC’s academic excellence. As Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028 and we prepare to celebrate our 150th anniversary in 2030, I can’t imagine a better leader to tell USC’s story.”

In the past several months, Jordan has partnered with the communications leaders across USC’s 23 schools and health system through a universitywide Communications Cabinet. That collaboration underpins a more focused strategy to amplify the university’s achievements and impact in support of its academic mission. She has also expanded her leadership team with expertise spanning media, marketing, entertainment, technology and thought leadership.

Jordan is leading USC’s communications during a period of growing international attention on Los Angeles as the region prepares to host several major global events. Her strategic experience and skills will help leverage these opportunities to showcase USC’s research, student experience and distinctive culture — and strengthen the university’s reputation worldwide.

“USC changed my life when I came here as a student decades ago, and I am honored to shape how the world perceives this extraordinary university and the transformative impact it has on its students and society,” Jordan said. “Under President Kim’s visionary leadership, I look forward to amplifying the incredible work of our world-class faculty and groundbreaking research, advancing USC’s mission and future trajectory.”

Jordan initially joined USC as vice president of executive communications and strategic initiatives in September 2024. In that role as well as in the interim position, Jordan led university marketing, creative services and advancement communications and marketing. Since assuming the interim senior vice president role, Jordan has led with vision and innovation, including by leveraging data and analytics to better tell USC’s story.

Before joining USC, Jordan served as chief communications and marketing officer at Claremont McKenna College. She previously held corporate communications leadership roles with Southern California Edison, Herbalife and Kaiser Permanente, among other institutions. She also spent a decade advising executive leadership with clients Nestlé, General Motors, Hilton, Kia and Philips while with global public relations firms MSL, Cohn & Wolfe and Zeno Group.

Jordan earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, where she has taught as an adjunct professor. She has served on USC Annenberg’s Public Relations Board of Advisors since 2018.

Jordan comes to her job from a personal place: USC was her — and her husband’s — alma mater, and her extended family boasts 18 Trojans, including three of her four daughters.