Steven B. Sample

Steven B. Sample (born 1940) is the 10th and current President of the University of Southern California (1991–).

Background

He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was formerly president of the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York from 1982 to 1991. Under Sample's leadership, USC has become world-renowned in the fields of communication and multimedia technologies, received national acclaim for its innovative community partnerships, and solidified its status as one of the nation's leading research universities.

Patents and Books

Sample is the author of numerous journal articles and published papers in science and engineering and higher education. His 2001 book "The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership", foreworded and supported by Warren Bennis, details his style of leadership in the context of USC's rise as an institution in his decade as president. His patents in the field of digital appliance controls have been licensed to practically every major manufacturer of appliance controls and microwave ovens in the world. Over 300 million home appliances have been built using his inventions.

Classes Taught at USC

President Sample has a passion for teaching and education, leading to the creation of MDA 365 - The Art and Adventure of Leadership. Dr. Sample co-teaches this prestigious class with leadership guru Warren Bennis. MDA 365 gives students in depth analysis of a myriad of leaders from FDR to local less known leaders - dissecting charisma, purpose, history, and style.

Campus Fundraising

During his tenure at USC, Sample’s fundraising initiatives have topped the $430 million mark in sponsored research and concluded two comprehensive, university-wide strategic planning processes designed to take USC to the next level of academic excellence. It also mounted the second most successful fundraising campaign in the history of higher education, raising nearly $3 billion. USC became the only university to receive four separate nine-figure gifts in one campaign — $112.5 million from Alfred Mann to establish the Mann Institute of Biomedical Engineering, $120 million from Ambassador Walter Annenberg to create the Annenberg Center for Communication, $110 million from the W. M. Keck Foundation for the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and a second gift from the Annenberg Foundation of $100 million. [ [http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/cat2006/about_usc/history.html USC Catalogue: About USC: A Brief History ] ]

More recently, Sample has overseen the $175 million gift from George Lucas to name the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Campus Construction

USC University Hospital (Health Science Campus)

Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Library (LVL)

Jane Hoffman Popovich and J. Kristoffer Popovich Hall (POP)

The International Residential College at Parkside (IRC)

Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute (Health Science Campus)

Ronald Tutor Hall (RTH)

USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center expansion project

Ray R.Irani Molecular and Computational Biology Building

Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts

The Galen Center

The Arts and Humanities Residential College at Parkside

Also built and opened under Sample's watch include a number of parking structures including the University Parking Center (UPC), Parking Structure 1 (PS1), and Parking Structure 2 (PS2)

Opening Soon:

New George Lucas Building

New Athletic/Football Complex behind Heritage Hall

Notes

References

Sample, Steven B. "The contrarian's guide to leadership". 1st ed. San Francisco : Jossey-Bass, c2002. xix, 192 p. ; 24 cm. ISBN 0-7879-5587-6

External links

* [http://www.usc.edu/president/ University of Southern California, President website]