Dean Jack Knott Announces Departure: A Special Message to the USC Price Community
Dear Price Community,
By now you will have heard the news that I have accepted a new position as Dean of the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, effective August 1, 2020. As I know this is a big change, especially in the midst of all that is going on in the world, I wanted to take a moment to share a personal note with you about this bittersweet transition.
It has been an immense privilege to work alongside you as your Dean for the past 15 years. The mission of our School, to improve the lives of people and their communities, here and abroad, has been my guiding principle and it has been truly inspiring to see you all embrace this sense of purpose as well. Our current state of social distancing has only further revealed the great strength of this community — your resilience, your adaptability, and your commitment to, and care for, one another. I know that even as I start my new role on the east coast, I will miss the uniquely passionate staff, faculty and students at the Price School greatly.
As we prepare for interim leadership of the School and consider what our future may hold, I want to share my absolute confidence in this team. I have long admired your dedication, hard work and sense of civic responsibility and service. Your ideals are needed more than ever in the world at large, and I can’t wait to see how the Price School continues to make a difference. No matter what comes, I will always be a champion and a supporter of the Price family.
I hope to find creative ways to celebrate your amazing work and what we have accomplished together over the past several years. For now, I just want to say thank you. It has been the honor of my career to work with you.
Warmly,
C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Chair and Professor
Introducing Dr. Dana Goldman – Interim Dean as of July 1
Dear Price Community,
I am pleased to introduce Dr. Dana Goldman as the new interim dean of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, effective July 1. Some of you may be familiar with Dr. Goldman, as he currently serves as the Leonard D. Schaeffer Chair, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy, Pharmacy, and Economics, and Director of the USC Schaeffer Center.
Dr. Goldman is an exceptional scholar whose astute and visionary leadership of the Schaeffer Center has grown it into one of the preeminent health policy research centers in the nation. Dr. Goldman has served as a formal health policy advisor to the Congressional Budget Office, Covered California, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Institute, as well as informally for many private companies and government officials. He is also a recipient of the USC Associates Award for Creativity in Research and the USC Mellon Award for Faculty Mentoring.
In the years we have worked together, I have been impressed by his commitment to excellence and his dedicated service to the Schaeffer Center and to the Price School. I have every confidence that Dana will expertly lead the School in the months to come, building on our strengths and working together with School leadership to help navigate our current challenges. He is deeply committed to our vital work, which is all the more necessary and relevant during this difficult moment in history.
Dana looks forward to getting to know you more and reaching out over the summer once he begins his new role. For now, I would like to again extend my sincere gratitude for your kind messages to me as I prepare to step down as dean. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you.
Thank you,
Dean Jack Knott to Join NYU, Leaving Behind a Mission-Driven Legacy
On April 10, 2020 it was announced that Dean Jack H. Knott, professor and C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Chair at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, is stepping down to become Dean at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, effective August 1, 2020. Dean Knott shared a personal message with the staff, faculty and students at USC Price this morning, saying, “As I know this is a big change, especially in the midst of all that is going on in the world… No matter what comes, I will always be a champion and a supporter of the Price family.”
Dean Jack H. Knott has served as Dean of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy for the past 15 years. Over this time, Dean Knott has provided innovative leadership to grow the School into one of the top public policy schools in the country. Due to his inspiring and mission-driven work to establish USC Price’s national, state and global presence, and the research and expertise of our renowned faculty and high-achieving, impact-focused students, the school has consistently generated vital information that influences policy and society.
Dean Knott shared, “It has been an immense privilege to serve as your Dean for the past 15 years. Each of you has played an invaluable part in the School’s remarkable growth during my tenure and I will miss the mission-focused community we have built together. I can’t wait to see how the Price School continues to make a difference.”
Under his leadership, the Price School has experienced significant growth and has strengthened its position as leader in public affairs research and education. He led the development of new Ph.D., masters, and bachelors programs, and expanded quality offerings online and at the executive level. Dean Knott’s emphasis on transdisciplinary work led to academic collaborations with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the USC School of Pharmacy, and other schools across USC.
He also expanded Price’s impact internationally through research collaborations, dual masters’ degree programs with foreign universities, and study abroad programs. Five new centers and institutes have been established, and the school has doubled our research expenditures over the past five years.
Beyond his focus on empowering our research gains, Dean Knott was responsible for expanding the school’s endowment and stewarding the school’s naming gift. Ever in touch with impact, connection, and community, he established new programs to strengthen ties and improve communications with Price School alumni, donors, and parents. In addition to several major gifts, he was instrumental in securing the school’s $50 million endowment and naming gift from the Price Philanthropies in 2011.
Although the quality of USC Price is not calculated by rankings alone, the school’s improvement in key areas and overall rise have been notable. Dean Knott shepherded the Price School’s steady ascent in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, moving up from No. 7 in 2008, to No. 6 in 2012, and now No. 3 in 2019 among public affairs schools nationwide.
Dean Knott’s resolute commitment to advancing equity and inclusion helped nurture the Price School community into the field-leading, inclusive group it is today. Under his tenure, the school was a recipient of the prestigious National Diversity Award from The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). Within the last 10 years alone, students from under-represented groups have increased by 72% and international students are up 64%.
During this time of transition, we are grateful that Dean Knott’s leadership has positioned the Price School to continue to thrive long into the future. President Folt joined Provost Charles F. Zukoski in thanking Dean Knott for his years of service to our community and his spouse, Cherrie Short, for her work in the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
As the months continue, USC Price will continue to celebrate Dean Knott’s enduring legacy. We invite you to follow along with us on our website and through social media.