Daniel J. Epstein, Director of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Maged Dessouky, presents Wanda Austin with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Image/Nicole Lewis.
Wanda Austin, former interim president of the University of Southern California, former president and CEO of Aerospace Corporation, and Ph.D. graduate of USC Viterbi, received the ISE Distinguished Alumni Award for her many contributions to the ‘USC and field. over the years.
Maged Dessouky, chairman of Daniel J. Epstein’s industrial and systems engineering department, presented him with the award on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at Town and Gown. Austin, internationally recognized for its expertise in aeronautics and systems engineering, has left an indelible mark.
In August 2018, she was named interim president and became the first African-American woman to lead USC. During his leadership of the university, Austin established the President’s Cultural Commission and launched the USC Office of Professionalism and Ethics, among other efforts to strengthen USC’s commitment to accountability. , well-being and transparency.
That same year, Austin received the USC Presidential Medallion.
Along with leading USC through a crucial transition period and receiving the highest honor USC has to offer, Austin has a stellar reputation and a successful career.
Image/Nicole Lewis
She is a co-founder of MakingSpace, Inc., a systems engineering and leadership development consultant, and a motivational speaker. She is also the former President and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to applying science and technology to critical issues affecting the nation’s space program.
From January 2008 to October 2016, Austin led the organization’s 3,600 employees and managed annual revenues of $950 million at 17 locations in the United States. As the sixth president of Aerospace, she was the first woman and the first African American in its 57-year history.
Austin served on the President’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology until January 2017, advising President Barack Obama on areas where an understanding of science, technology, and innovation was essential to developing American policy. efficient.
She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering, Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She sits on the board of Chevron Corp. and Amgen Inc.
Growing up in New York, Austin attended Bronx High School of Science, then earned a BA in Mathematics from Franklin & Marshall College, a Masters in Systems Engineering and Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from USC.
Posted on June 23, 2022
Last updated on June 23, 2022