Introduction

You May Say I’m a Dreamer: Reimagining USC Viterbi

From creating the Domain Name System in the 1980s to pioneering DNA computing and socially assistive robotics in the 1990s and 2000s, USC Viterbi researchers have been trailblazing innovation in engineering for decades. And 2023 proved to be no exception. This year, we embarked on an ambitious campaign to reimagine how computer science is deeply embedded not only across the school, but also throughout the university and beyond.

By Caitlin Dawson

USC School of Advanced Computing

This new school, housed under USC Viterbi and headquartered at the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall, will consolidate USC’s vast computing strengths. When opened, it will become the university’s 23rd school.

Information Sciences Institute (ISI)

USC’s “crown jewel” research institute recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and hosts the world’s first academic quantum computing center.

Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT)

ICT is a global leader in virtual humans, graphics, artificial intelligence and mixed reality. It houses the Oscar-winning Vision and Graphics Lab and the Mixed Reality Lab, where some of the initial research on Oculus Rift took place.

Information Technology Program (ITP)

Offering students practical, hands-on experience with the latest programming languages and tools, ITP educates 4,000 students annually and offers USC’s most popular minor, applied analytics.

Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science

Marking a new era with a new name, the department will soon have a new home, too: the Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall, opening in 2024.