At the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, we want our faculty, students and alumni to reach the top of the world. This year, some of them achieved this – literally – by scaling Mt. Everest. Others made it to the top of their industries, improved the lives of their communities and informed policy makers through revealing research.
Below are our top 10 stories from 2022. It is by no means a complete list, but it showcases some of the achievements, insights and impact from the USC Price School community. We look forward to building on this important work in 2023 and seeing which summits we reach next.

1. Conquering Everest: At 5:36 a.m. on May 12, 2022, freshman Lucy Westlake reached the top of Mt. Everest to become the youngest American woman to summit the highest mountain on Earth.
2. Stabilizing a nonprofit: A local nonprofit dedicated to helping low-income youth go to college is on secure financial footing thanks in large part to partnering with USC Price School students.

3. We are the champions: In the first year USC competed at a prestigious real estate competition, the team beat 16 other schools from around the world to win first place and a $10,000 check.
4. Vaccinating the vulnerable: After losing his father to COVID-19, USC Price School student Samuel Roberts created an organization dedicated to increasing vaccinations and reducing health disparities in the Inland Empire.
5. Creating healthy cities: Geoff Boeing, assistant professor of Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis, is part of an international research team that identified ways to create healthy and sustainable cities – and how research can inform policies to improve public health.

6. Making USC red, gold – and green: Motivated by their personal experiences, USC Price School students John Cadiz and Monty Hughes played a leading role in making USC a more environmentally sustainable university.
7. Don’t call it a sibling rivalry: USC Price School alums Arminé and Aram Chaparyan achieved a rarity in municipal governance: a brother and a sister both serving as city managers in Los Angeles County.
8. A ‘devastating’ City Hall scandal: After a leaked audio recording revealed racist remarks from three Los Angeles City Councilmembers, USC Price School scholars broke down the scandal that roiled the nation’s second largest city.
9. Taxing millionaires saves lives: A study authored by associate professor Michael Thom showed that mental health programs funded by the California millionaire’s tax prevented 5,500 deaths from suicide.
10. A red ripple: Why did Republicans fail to ride a ‘red wave’ in the midterm elections? USC Price School experts explained what happened and what it says about the state of American politics.