LOS ANGELES- The University of Southern California is launching the search for a new president with the formation of the Presidential Search Committee, and it has named an interim president to lead the institution after President Carol Folt retires at the end of the academic year.
USC Board of Trustees Chair Suzanne Nora Johnson and Vice Chair David C. Bohnett made the announcement in a letter to the USC community on Wednesday.
Nora Johnson and Bohnett said that to ensure a smooth transition after Folt’s retirement, Beong-Soo Kim, USC’s senior vice president and general counsel, to serve as interim president.
“Beong has demonstrated impeccable character, strong and collaborative leadership and a broad understanding of our academic research and medical enterprises, as well as our athletics programs,” Nora Johnson and Bohnett wrote.
Folt announced in November that she would retire from the university presidency on June 30, 2025.
Nora Johnson and Bohnett noted Folt’s groundbreaking presidential moonshots, her commitment to students, and the university’s record research funding, as well as Folt’s development of an extraordinary team of academic and administrative leaders.
“We have been moved by the many conversations we have had with members of our Trojan Family expressing their gratitude for all she has done for USC,” Nora Johnson and Bohnett wrote. “We thank President Folt for her visionary leadership and for steering the university through some of the most significant periods in its history.”
Search begins
The search committee will be co-chaired by Board of Trustees members and alumni Carmen Nava and Mark Stevens.
“In addition to their deep roots and commitment to USC, Carmen and Mark are established leaders in business and in the community, and their wisdom and judgment — along with their strong belief in the benefits of collaboration — will be tremendous resources throughout the search and recruitment process,” Nora Johnson and Bohnett wrote.
The committee also will include representatives from faculty, staff, students, and alumni to gather a range of perspectives. Russell Reynolds Associates, a top executive search firm, has been retained to assist in the process.
The committee will seek community input to define the desired qualities in the next president and recommend candidates to the Board of Trustees. Updates will be shared via the USC Presidential Search website.
Kim will not be a candidate for the permanent role. Interim leadership for the Office of the General Counsel will be announced later.
