Assistant Dean
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Senior Director
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Associate Director
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Senior Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
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Director, Shanghai Office
Assistant Director
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Assistant Dean, Academic Services and Programs
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Jessica Stern
Assistant Director, Graduate Recruitment
Tell us about yourself! Where are you from, where did you go to school, and what are some places you’ve lived in or worked at?
I am a Los Angeles native and three-time Trojan alumna. I earned my bachelor’s degrees in Communication and Spanish and my master’s in Communication Management, all at USC. I lived in Madrid, Spain as part of my year-long study abroad and have been fortunate to travel to more than 40 countries since then, thanks to my work in international student recruitment. Prior to joining the Graduate Recruitment team at USC Viterbi, I worked at UC Irvine and the USC International Academy.
Why do you work at USC?
I work at USC because of a unique, palpable spirit I feel walking on this campus, attending an event, talking to a student, or attending a lecture. It’s the spirit to ask critical questions, challenge each other, help one another, and make an impact.
What is your favorite part of USC? Favorite part of campus — can be a location but also a person, a department, a building, a project, etc.
There’s so much! Location-wise, I love to unwind in the area around the Sculpture Garden at Anna Bing Arnold Plaza. In terms of food, it’s all about the Mercado La Paloma (not on campus, but close by)!
What do you like most about L.A.?
What I like most about LA is its diversity. We comprise so many different communities, each with its own rich cultures and stories, and the intersections of these communities are where so much creativity has emerged in LA. Of course, this city is also incredibly complex, filled with so many stark contrasts — major inequities and inspiring opportunities. But being able to experience another world in just the neighborhood right over makes me love this place.
What do you like most about working in the Viterbi graduate admissions department?
Getting to work with such smart, talented, and driven students is an incredibly rewarding part of the job. I love interacting with the students in the exciting stage before they take the leap to go to graduate school, and then seeing them thrive once they’re here.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to a new grad student? OR What is one piece of advice you’d give to a grad student who is starting their career?
To the grad student just getting started at USC, step out of your comfort zone and make the most of the opportunities and resources available to you.
What is your favorite food and why?
Olives! All kinds.
William Schwerin
Director
Ray Fujioka
Assistant Director
Kevin Henry
Assistant Director, Diversity Recruitment & Inclusion
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, Carson CA to be exact.
Education:
B.A. Law and Sociology from U.C. Santa Barbara
Favorite food:
Chicken Strips and French Fries!
Why I work at USC:
USC Viterbi is home to some of the most dynamic students I have ever come across. These students manage to excel and find a healthy balance between their academic success and increasing their social capital. I am constantly inspired by their passion and drive and am honored to help aid them in the attainment of their higher educational goals.
Advice you’d give to new graduate students?
Take advantage of all that USC and Viterbi have to offer. There are many wonderful experiences that can happen outside of the classroom.
What do you like most about USC?
USC holds true to its traditions and customs which makes everyone feel like they are truly a part of the Trojan Family!
Favorite city you've visited and why:
Rio De Janeiro Brazil! The culture, cuisine, beaches and history make this one of my favorite cities. The people have a deep rooted appreciation for the simple things in life.
What do you like most about Los Angeles?
Los Angeles has something for everyone! I think being able to live in a place where many people come to vacation is pretty cool and allows those that live here to take full advantage of all that the city has to offer every weekend!
Favorite movie:
What Dreams May Come. It’s my favorite because it is a story of life, love, the afterlife and the connections that bind us. It’s one part adventure and one part love story!
Ray Xu
Director, Shanghai Office
Where are you from?
China
Education:
BS, Shanghai Jiaotong University
MS, University of Southern California, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Favorite food:
Steak
Why I work at USC:
I was an international student who came to the U.S. for a graduate program. An education from USC does not only necessary knowledge and skills for the job market, but also allows me to look at things from different perspectives. Working at USC, I get to share my experience with new students, and have an opportunity to cultivate new engineer mindsets such as creative, multidisciplinary, entrepreneurial, cultural and society conscious.
Favorite city you've visited and why:
Los Angeles. You can be a workaholic or a full-time surfer, it's all possible and you'd be comfortable being who you want to be in this city
What’s your favorite part about Los Angeles?
Weather, food, and diversity.
What is your favorite part about USC? It can be a spot on campus, an organization/group, a project — anything is fair game!
Tailgate on the campus before a football game!
Favorite movie:
The Godfather. The movies are sharp and entertaining yet nostalgic. The iconic characters and classic quotes impress audience even decades after initial release.
Do you have a fun fact about yourself that not many people would know?
I had Jalapeno Burger from Carl’s Jr. for 2 weeks in a row when I was a student at USC.
Coming
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Steve Schrader
Department Business Manager Computer Science<br>
Tell us a little bit about yourself — where are you from, what is your academic background, and anything else you'd like to share?
I was born in Houston, Texas and was what was charitably known at that time — at least in the south — as an “oops” baby. My parents were biology lab partners in their senior year of high school. I was a take home final that got out of hand. I joined them just in time for their sophomore year at the University of Texas. And, for one reason or another, I’ve never been far from a college campus ever since. From babyhood to now, colleges are where I’ve felt most at home and I’ve been at USC — first as a student, then as a staff member — since 1987. I have three degrees from USC: a bachelors and masters in Cinema/Television Critical Studies from the School of Cinematic Arts, as well as a masters degree in professional writing from Dornsife.
Why do you work at USC?
I joined the computer science department in 1993 and have been here ever since. The Viterbi community — from students to faculty to staff to leadership — embraced me from the very beginning, supported me, taught me, gave me a job I love, forgave me when I messed things up, and applauded me when I did good work. In CS, I’m part of a phenomenal team of devoted professionals who work hard, are kind and mutually supportive, laugh more than they whine, and know when to get away when the tough work gets done. I strongly believe in all that we are doing and am proud that, while we may stumble from time to time, we never forget as an institution, nor as a community, that the student experience, and our students’ well-being, must always be kept at the center of everything we do.
What do you like most about Los Angeles?
The whole world passes through Los Angeles. Sometimes it pulls over just for a minute, sometimes it stays for a summer, and sometimes it never leaves. But no matter the length of the stay, it always leaves behind something of value: people, ideas, food, music, art, language. We are constantly re-imagined, reconstituted, rejuvenated by what the world leaves with us. And no matter our flaws, we are a truly great city because we invite the world in, embrace it as a neighbor, and tell everyone they can stay, build a life for themselves, and contribute to defining who we are and what we want to be as a global community. People dream all over the world and then come here to live what they dreamed. That’s a special place.
What is your favorite city you've visited and why?
Up until quite recently, I would have told you my favorite world city was Paris. Up until quite recently, I would have told you my favorite U.S. city was Austin. But that was before I, quite recently, fell hopelessly in love with an absolutely amazing woman who lives in neither of those places. And once I found her, the moment I found her, I knew instantly that if she wasn’t in either of those places, there was no way they could still be my favorite cities. So what’s my favorite city now? Wherever she is. So forget Paris, and never mind Austin; if she moves to Biloxi, I’m all in for Biloxi.
What is your favorite part of campus? (can be a location but also a person, a department, a building, a project, etc.)
Doheny Library. Nothing else comes close for me. It’s center stage for USC and a gorgeous backdrop for Commencement, the biggest day of our year as a university. JFK spoke from those steps. I heard President Obama speak there. It masqueraded as UC Berkeley in “The Graduate,” but we know the truth. Architecturally, it’s the most beautiful building on campus, and, as a bonus, is filled with books! Lots and lots of incredible books. It was also the site of my first campus job. I worked in the Warner Bros. Archives that used to be housed inside the Cinema Library on the 2nd floor.
Most importantly to me, I have three wonderful children thanks to Doheny Library. I’ll let you sort out that mystery. And speaking of mysteries and Doheny Library: Check out the section of Richard Rayner’s fascinating “A Bright and Guilty Place” devoted to the death of Doheny library’s namesake, Edward Doheny Jr., who was murdered by his confidential secretary in 1929. Juicy stuff.
What innovation/invention do you hope to see in the next ten years?
I have several: a microphone that automatically cuts off if you speak a lie into it; a handheld machine that converts unwanted walls into bridges — light enough so that children separated from their parents at the border could operate it without supervision; an implant that sends an exceedingly unpleasant electrical current into the groin of any man stating his opinion on limiting women’s reproductive rights; a personal micro-climate for climate change deniers — seeded with the worst possible effluvia of human pollution; the recorded voice of your chosen higher power, that yells out “I never said that!” whenever someone uses religion as a pretext for prejudice or hate or cruelty; a massive, state-of-the-art housing development on the far side of Neptune, where racists could finally live free from the torments of diversity.
What is your favorite movie? Or, what is your favorite food?
I can’t choose a favorite movie any more than I could choose a favorite child. Food is barely easier, but I’ll play along and put it in a movie context: My favorite meal would be unlimited fried shrimp and endless tacos at a Drive In movie theater on a hot humid summer night and far enough back in time that I still had hair.
