fas regna trojae - Wallis Annenberg Hall

fa s r e g n a t r o j a e
“Communication is anything but a
static medium. Its role, its methods, its
meaning are constantly transforming
themselves.”
—Wallis Annenberg, Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer, Annenberg Foundation
“USC Annenberg is uniquely qualified
to lead in this radically changing
world. We combine the disciplines,
professions and competencies necessary
to shape the future of journalism and
communication.”
—Ernest J. Wilson III, Dean
T h e A n n e n b e r g A d va n ta g e
The USC Annenberg Initiative
At a time when digital media are exploding as a dominant force in society,
the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is uniquely
positioned to shape the future of the information age.
We are a remarkable school drawing from the resources of a world-class
networked research university, in the heart of the most global city in the
United States.
We are a full-service school, bringing together communication, journalism,
public diplomacy and public relations under one roof. No other institution
combines all of the disciplines, professions and competencies needed to define
the ways in which knowledge and information are — and will be — created
and shared in a converging media world.
This is the Annenberg Advantage.
Our ambition today is to take the school to even higher levels of excellence.
And to make that ambition reality, we are embarking on a $150 million
fundraising initiative.
Your gift to USC Annenberg will foster the dialogue, debate and
understanding that are essential in a world where what is communicated
— and how it is communicated — can trigger major changes for better or
worse on a global scale. Your gift to USC Annenberg is an investment in new
generations of students and scholars who will continue to explore, teach and
invent the digital future.
Join us in expanding the Annenberg Advantage.
“If you think about it, it’s so clear that
communication is at the heart of the
human condition.”
—Norman Lear, television writer and producer, and political activist
T h e A n n e n b e r g A d va n ta g e
Empowering Community
Born of a collaboration between USC Annenberg and the Institute of Popular
Education of Southern California, the U.N. World Summit Award-winning
Mobile Voices/Voces Móviles project — popularly known as Vozmob — bridges the
digital divide by enabling day laborers across Los Angeles to engage in community
journalism, creating stories about their lives and communities using mobile phones
and a custom-built website.
At USC Annenberg, we are motivated by the mandate of our founder,
Ambassador Walter Annenberg, “to be of service to all.” We know that
as journalism and communication continue to evolve, the need for timely,
accurate information in the service of all members of society is more
urgent than ever.
A culture of positive societal impact through innovation is a key element
of the Annenberg Advantage.
We are a leader in reaching out to underserved communities and
empowering them to thrive in the communication revolution. And our
students are leading this empowerment firsthand.
As part of a broader community news initiative, for example, USC
Annenberg has created Alhambra Source, a vibrant trilingual news site
covering a suburb of Los Angeles previously characterized by low civic
engagement and a shortage of local reporting. Reaching beyond our local
communities, research under way at the school is tackling real-world
issues ranging from probing the role of religion politics, culture and
society worldwide to the use of communication technology to combat
human trafficking.
The school also sponsors a health journalism fellowship program that
brings reporters from across the country to Los Angeles to discover new
ways of reporting about health in their own neighborhoods. With an
eye to how health plays out in the community as opposed to the medical
research arena, fellows explore questions at the intersection of public
health, health policy and our country’s growing diversity.
Your investment in USC Annenberg will ensure that we continue to be
an agent of positive change for people around the world.
“The Next Silicon Valley: USC’s Annenberg?
Journalism + Innovation = Entrepreneurship”
—J on Friedman, MarketWatch, April 15, 2011
T h e A n n e n b e r g A d va n ta g e
Innovating the Future
In 2009, a conversation between USC Annenberg’s director of journalism and a parent
yielded a unique program for a changing news industry. USC Annenberg’s mobile news
incubator program joins journalism, business and engineering students with media
partners such as the Associated Press, La Opinión, Los Angeles Times, Variety and
KPCC. Student teams develop digital tools, apps and business plans, demonstrating the
power of innovation and collaboration in creating the future of journalism.
In today’s post-industrial, networked, media-infused information environment,
the skills that served previous generations of journalists and communication
professionals — although still essential — simply are no longer enough.
Beyond the traditional proficiencies in analysis, writing, ethics and critical
thinking, USC Annenberg instills in its students the indispensable qualities
of leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation. Using this larger set of tools,
Annenberg-trained communicators take advantage of emerging media
opportunities while maintaining a focus on the fundamental importance of
communication in a global society. Our students learn that communication
is essential to innovation, just as innovation is now essential to advances in
communication.
This is a hallmark of the Annenberg Advantage.
The Annenberg Innovation Lab, described by Forbes as “the optimum ‘think
outside the box’ spot in Los Angeles,” gives USC Annenberg a distinctive edge.
The lab provides a space where students, faculty and entrepreneurs turn concepts
into prototype technologies ranging from interactive television to the use of new
media tools to quicken disaster response.
The school’s Media, Economics and Entrepreneurship program integrates
economic principles and entrepreneurial concepts throughout the school’s
curricula. Through courses, research and industry collaborations, it pushes every
student to innovate and lead.
Your gift to USC Annenberg ensures that our students continue to gain the
perspectives, knowledge and experience they need to shape the future of the
digital age.
T h e A n n e n b e r g A d va n ta g e
Wallis Annenberg Hall
Wallis Annenberg Hall will bridge the traditional and transformational. While its
exterior pays tribute to the traditions and gravitas of USC’s iconic architecture, its
ultramodern interior, designed to promote transparency and collaboration, is the physical
reflection of the unique attitude of innovation that fuels the Annenberg Advantage.
Configured to encourage serendipitous as well as intended interactions, the new building
will ensure that multiple voices and visions intermingle in ways that enrich the entire
academic enterprise. Unique “huddle” spaces, movable walls, and distinctive learning and
research laboratories will foster future-oriented conversations and “blue-sky” thinking.
Flexible meeting spaces, drop-in areas for visitors and state-of-the-art production
studios will provide the environments where ideas can be turned into action.
Leading-edge technologies and equipment will further cultivate an environment for
collaboration. The latest in media production and distribution networks will allow
students and faculty to collaborate in new ways. And a converged newsroom will bring
together the school’s print, broadcast and online student news outlets into a common
space for the first time.
With its unique combination of flexible spaces and high technology, there are
opportunities to acknowledge significant gifts throughout Wallis Annenberg Hall.
This remarkable new building will ensure that the USC Annenberg School for
Communication and Journalism continues to connect people, foster creativity and
quickly adapt to a pace of technological innovation permanently shifted into overdrive.
By the Numbers
> Total square feet: 88,000
> Stories: 5
> Classrooms: 13
Special Features
> The Forum: a four story atrium with skylight, open seating, and media display tower
> 1 two-story newsroom combining print, broadcast and online student news outlets
> 1 professional-quality video broadcast studio
> 1 professional-quality radio studio
> 1 direct-to-Web podcast studio
> 2 faculty neighborhoods
> 2 open research neighborhoods
> 1 laptop lounge
> 1 experiential learning and research environment
> 1 instructional media lab
> 1 160-seat auditorium
> 1 café
“Giving to USC Annenberg is a powerful
investment in a better future.”
—Jacki Wells Cisneros, USC Annenberg ’95
The Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation
T h e A n n e n b e r g A d va n ta g e
The USC Annenberg Initiative at a Glance
USC Annenberg’s initiative is part of the broader Campaign for the University of
Southern California. A multi-year effort to raise $6 billion to advance USC’s academic
priorities and expand the university’s positive impact in our community and around the
globe, the campaign will touch and transform every part of the university.
As a donor, you may designate your contribution for a specific goal, or you may make
your gift without restrictions. Whether your passion is empowering underprivileged
youth, helping prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa or providing general support for
the school, USC Annenberg can help realize your dream. Your investment in USC
Annenberg today will help build a better tomorrow.
Capital Projects$ 70,000,000
Classrooms, studios, labs and other spaces within
Wallis Annenberg Hall
Classrooms, gathering spaces and technological upgrades
within the historic USC Annenberg building
Communications infrastructure to facilitate collaboration
among teams in both buildings
Endowment for Student Scholarships
Need- and merit-based undergraduate scholarships
Graduate fellowships
Internships and residencies
Study-abroad stipends
$ 30,000,000
Endowment for Faculty, Research and Teaching
Chairs and professorships
Directorships
Research centers and institutes
$ 30,000,000
Special Initiatives$ 20,000,000
Innovation and start-up funding
Flexible funding to enable existing programs to respond
to rapidly changing trends and technologies
Interdisciplinary projects and collaborations
Total
$ 150,000,000
Selected Funding
Opportunities
International Programs
There is no better way to gain
cross-cultural understanding and
develop communication skills than
to experience the world firsthand.
Grounded in the conviction that today’s
global challenges demand international
competence, USC Annenberg offers
students the opportunity to study
and work abroad while earning credit
toward their degrees.
Graduate Fellowships
Multidisciplinary and international
in scope, focused and practical in
application, USC Annenberg’s flagship
master’s and doctoral programs foster
the innovation that is a trademark
of graduate education at USC. An
investment in graduate fellowships
will attract even more outstanding
scholars who, in turn, will enliven the
entire academic enterprise.
USC Annenberg Innovation Lab
The USC Annenberg Innovation Lab
is a space where students, faculty,
researchers and entrepreneurs
collaborate on projects aimed at
transformational changes happening
in our participatory cultures. Together
with external sponsors, the lab works
to create practical applications for
industry, government, consumers and
society by focusing on solutions that
sit at the intersection of art, science,
design and engineering.
Student Media
USC Annenberg students gain real-world
experience producing and publishing live,
in-depth and investigative multimedia
content. Our award-winning student
media outlets include Annenberg TV
News, Annenberg Radio News, the 24/7
online news source Neon Tommy, and
the Impact newsmagazine series. USC
Annenberg’s converged newsroom will be
the largest in Los Angeles, with journalists
working alongside the student-run TriSight
Communications PR firm.
USC Center on Public Diplomacy
A partnership between USC Annenberg
and the USC Dornsife College of
Letters, Arts and Sciences’ School of
International Relations, the Center
on Public Diplomacy advances and
enriches the study and practice of
public diplomacy through research,
publications, professional training
and events.
USC Annenberg Institute of Sports,
Media and Society
The USC Annenberg Institute of Sports,
Media and Society develops innovative
academic programs and public events,
conducts research, and promotes
community outreach in its mission
to examine how sports and sports
communication engage culture, social
values, diversity and economy.
USC Annenberg Center on
Communication Leadership
and Policy
Working with top policymakers, industry
leaders, scholars and the nonprofit
sector, the USC Annenberg Center
on Communication Leadership and
Policy develops research and conducts
programs affecting diverse areas such as
civic discourse, human trafficking, the
future of news and the role of women in
communication leadership.
Civic Engagement
USC Annenberg is a leader in
incorporating communication research
into local journalism information
needs. Our Civic Engagement and
Journalism Initiative develops
digital news sites that promote
civic engagement and inter-group
relations in underserved Los Angeles
communities. Funds to support this
initiative will have a powerful impact
on new models of social innovation.
The Norman Lear Center
The mission of USC Annenberg’s
Norman Lear Center is to study
and shape the impact of media and
entertainment on society. Working with
collaborators across USC’s schools
and disciplines, and with publicinterest and industry partners, the
Lear Center translates its findings into
action through testimony, journalism,
strategic research and innovative
outreach campaigns.
USC U.S.-China Institute
The USC U.S.-China Institute informs
public discussion of the evolving
and multidimensional U.S.-China
relationship through policy-relevant
research, graduate and undergraduate
training, and professional development
programs for teachers, journalists and
officials. It produces compelling public
events, widely viewed documentary
films, and the popular magazines
US-China Today and Asia Pacific Arts.
Undergraduate Scholarships
Scholarship support enables USC
Annenberg to attract extraordinary
students, foster their success and
promote the diversity that enriches
the educational experience for all.
USC Annenberg students will define
the fields of communication and
journalism in the 21st century and
beyond. Need- and merit-based
scholarships will ensure broad access
to this extraordinary education.
Capital Improvements
USC Annenberg’s historic building was
constructed with support from Ambassador
Walter Annenberg and designed by
renowned architect A. Quincy Jones,
USC’s dean of architecture from 1975 to
1979. When it was dedicated in 1976, social
media, online advertising and even personal
computing were years into the future.
Today, with technological advances moving
at blinding speed, major upgrades are
needed to meet the needs of a 21st-century
communication and journalism program.
“Global outreach and understanding —
that’s what sets USC Annenberg apart.”
—Stanley Cheung, USC Annenberg parent and Executive Vice President
and Managing Director, Greater China, The Walt Disney Company
T h e A n n e n b e r g A d va n ta g e
Reaching around the Globe
In 2003, when China’s online population totaled 22.5 million, and Facebook and
Twitter were yet unimagined, USC Annenberg launched its annual Chinese Internet
Research Conference. Ten years on, that foresight has been vindicated. With more
than 500 million people online, China today has the largest Internet population of
any country. And USC Annenberg is leading the way in understanding how China is
changing and being changed by the Internet.
The media revolution is dissolving traditional boundaries between countries —
presenting challenges as well as opportunities to political, social and commercial
institutions worldwide.
Within this changing environment, the importance of USC Annenberg’s work
in advancing a civil and connected society cannot be overestimated.
The Annenberg Advantage draws from a powerful network of intellectual
partnerships, beginning at USC and reaching out to every inhabited continent.
These partnerships yield collaborative faculty research, outstanding educational
opportunities for students and professionals, and international symposia of wideranging significance for communicators of every stripe.
For over a decade, the school’s master’s degree in global communication
program has allowed students to spend a year studying at the London School of
Economics and Political Science, and a second year at USC, examining strategic
communication issues from both sides of the Atlantic.
The school’s affiliated centers — such as the USC U.S. China Institute and
Annenberg Research Network on International Communication — further
connect thought leaders in the global age. The USC Center on Public
Diplomacy, for example, has been hailed by the U.S. Department of State as “the
world’s premier research facility” in the burgeoning field of public diplomacy.
As our world continues to grow smaller, our abilities and ambitions must
increase in inverse proportion. An investment in international programs at USC
Annenberg will ensure a future in which the school continues to be a respected
voice that effects positive change around the world.
“
“USC Annenberg is perfectly positioned
to shape our transition to an information
society. Our faculty and students stand at
the fore of this rapidly evolving field, and
bring a highly creative, multidisciplinary
approach to its most pressing questions.”
—C . L. Max Nikias, USC President
USC Annenberg School
for Communication and Journalism
(213) 821-1660
annenberg.usc.edu/campaign
fa s r e g n a t r o j a e