2012 USC Commencement and Honorary Degree Recipients

Gwynn Wilson Student Union / Gargoyle: Man Reading a Book

ON MAY 11, 2012, more than 40,000 members of the Trojan Family gathered on the University Park Campus for USC’s 129th Commencement. Headlining the event was an address by journalist Christiane Amanpour, global affairs anchor at ABC News and chief international correspondent for CNN International. Amanpour and seven other honorary degree recipients were recognized at the ceremony for their contributions as civic, academic, and arts leaders in the community. Additionally, 11 Japanese-American former students who were interned during World War II received honorary baccalaureate and master’s degrees for the work they did at USC.

VICTORIA HALE is a pharmaceutical scientist and social entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to providing safe, effective, and affordable medical solutions and reducing health inequities in our society. She founded Medicines360 and the first non-profit pharmaceutical company in the United States, Institute for OneWorld Health. The institute’s work has immeasurably advanced human health by developing a new cure for black fever, as well as technology that has significantly reduced the cost of malaria drugs.

DAVID DORNSIFE has earned tremendous esteem as an industry leader, serving as chairman of the board of the Herrick Corporation and vice president of the Hedco Foundation, which supports health and education. He is a USC trustee and alumnus whose family’s dedication to advancing the university’s work in neuroscience and medicine dates back several decades. Together with his wife, Dana, he provided the single largest gift in the university’s history—a transformative contribution that named the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2011.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR is the global affairs anchor at ABC News, as well as chief international correspondent and host of Amanpour for CNN International. Her illustrious career spans three decades, and she stands among our nation’s most highly regarded journalists. She has reported from around the globe and secured exclusive interviews with top world leaders. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to journalism, she has received every major broadcast award, including an inaugural Television Academy Award, nine News and Documentary Emmys, four George Foster Peabody Awards, and nine honorary degrees.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL ROMÉO DALLAIRE served as force commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda between 1993 and 1994. During this time, when violence erupted in Rwanda, he defied U.N. orders to withdraw his troops, and his remarkably brave efforts are credited with saving more than 32,000 lives. He currently serves as a Canadian senator, and has worked tirelessly to establish international conventions that ban the use of child soldiers in armed conflicts.

DANA DORNSIFE has established a legacy of philanthropy as a USC benefactor and international humanitarian. She has been dedicated to improving people’s quality of life through her support of innovative research, medical outreach, and the drilling of water wells in Africa. Together with her husband, David, she provided the single largest gift in the university’s history—a transformative contribution that named the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2011.

ARMAS C. “MIKE” MARKKULA has distinguished himself as an entrepreneur, innovator, and engineer. He played a key role in the founding and growth of Apple Computer, having served as an early investor, adviser, and chief executive officer. Through his involvement at Apple, as well as his myriad technical achievements, he stands among the select group of inspired thinkers who have shaped our current technological landscape. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from USC.

JULIE MORK is a philanthropic leader and champion of education, as well as an advocate of youth and visually impaired children. She and her family transformed the educational landscape at USC through their monumental gift that stands as the single largest contribution for undergraduate scholarships in the university’s history. They have also been steadfast supporters of engineering education at the university, having provided the naming gift for the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science in 2005.

JOHN MORK is a USC trustee and alumnus who stands at the fore of energy entrepreneurship as the chief executive officer of Energy Corporation of America. A venerated business leader, he is a member of the Chief Executives Organization, and the World Presidents’ Organization, as well as the USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Board of Councilors. He and his family transformed the educational landscape at USC through their monumental gift that stands as the single largest contribution for undergraduate scholarships in the university’s history.

Also receiving honorary degrees at USC’s 2012 Commencement were USC’s Nisei, Japanese-American former students who were interned and forced to abandon their studies during World War II. President C. L. Max Nikias conferred honorary baccalaureate or honorary master’s degrees on Roland Y. Kamachi, Iwao George Kawakami, Yoshiteru Gary Kikawa, Yutaka Kody Kodama, Yuri Hirooka Kumai, George Mio, Ryo Munekata, Setsuko Matsunaga Nishi, Hitoshi George Sameshima, Satsuyo Watanabe Tanaka, and Frank Takashi Tofukuji.

At USC’s 129th Commencement, the Trojan Family swelled its ranks by 13,734, more than half of whom were students earning master’s or doctoral degrees. President Nikias exhorted the newly minted alumni: “The Trojans always seized destiny. That is the adventure, the great journey that now calls you by name. But here is the key: You do not go forward alone. You go forward as a member of a global Trojan Family.”