USC Annenberg 2025 Commencement Program

Commencement May 16, 2025

University of Southern California Shrine Auditorium

DEAN’S WELCOME Willow Bay, Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS Jane Fonda, Academy Award-winning Actor, Producer, Author and Activist

PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES AND DOCTORAL, MASTER’S AND BACHELOR’S DIPLOMAS Willow Bay Hector Amaya, Director, School of Communication and Professor Gordon Stables, Director, School of Journalism and Clinical Professor

CLOSING REMARKS Willow Bay All graduates are invited to continue to celebrate with family, friends, faculty and staff with a reception at Alumni Park South.

Graduates can redeem one complimentary photo from the ceremony.

GradImages will provide more information via email.

FLAG BEARER Anthony Moon (BA, Public Relations and Advertising) BANNER BEARER Ruby Chang (MCG, Communication Management) ACADEMIC PROGRAM DIRECTORS Daniela Baroffio, Clinical Professor & Director, Digital Social Media program; Melanie Cherry, Associate Professor of Professional Practice & Associate Director, Public Relations and Advertising (BA) program; David Craig, Associate Professor & Director, Global Media and Communication program; Hernan Galperin, Professor & Director, Doctoral Studies; Oscar Garza, Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Specialized Journalism (Arts and Culture) program; Rebecca Haggerty, Professor of Professional Practice & Associate Director, Journalism (BA) program; Lisa Pecot-Hébert, Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Journalism (MS) program; Joseph Itaya, Associate Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Digital Media Management program; Monica Koyama, Associate Professor of Professional Practice & Co-Director, Communication Management program; Ben Lee, Clinical Professor of Communication & Associate Director, Communication Management program; Freddy Tran Nager, Clinical Associate Professor & Associate Director, Digital Social Media program; Courtney Pade, Clinical Associate Professor & Co-Director, Communication Management program; Jillian Pierson, Clinical Professor & Director, Undergraduate Communication Studies; Burghardt Tenderich, Professor of Professional Practice & CoDirector, Public Relations and Advertising program; Director, Public Relations, Strategy, Innovation and Management program; Sandy Tolan, Professor & Director, Specialized Journalism program; Jay Wang, Associate Professor & Director, Public Diplomacy program

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Jane Fonda

Academy Award-winning Actor, Producer, Author and Activist

CONTINUED COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

W

ith a career spanning more than 50 years, Jane Fonda has used the power of communication as a tool for deeper human connection. The two-time Academy Award winner has starred in more than 50 films while making significant contributions to advancing causes such as women’s rights, Native Americans’ rights and climate action. Most recently, Fonda received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award and the TIME Magazine Earth Award.

In what she calls her “Third Act,” Fonda is driven by a sense of urgency and responsibility to protect the future of the planet through her work on climate awareness and justice. She started Fire Drill Fridays, a national movement to protest government inaction on climate change, in partnership with Greenpeace USA. In addition, she launched the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, focused on defeating political allies of the fossil fuel industry. Her latest book, What Can I Do?: The Truth About Climate Change and How to Fix It, details her personal journey with the movement and provides solutions for communities to combat the climate crisis.

Fonda has also focused her philanthropic efforts on social justice and gender equality. She co-founded the Women’s Media Center to raise the visibility, viability and decision-making power of women and girls in media, and established the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential to promote youth health and education, raising $1 million to mark her 85th birthday.

Fonda’s film and TV roles have challenged societal norms, giving voice to complex, empowered women in stories that reflect and shape cultural conversations. From Klute and Coming Home to Grace and Frankie, her performances have tackled issues like feminism, war, aging, and personal resilience. She is a seven-time Golden Globe winner and was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2021. She accepted the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

Academic Honors PHI BETA KAPPA UNDERGRADUATE AWARD Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan

USC STEVEN AND KATHRYN SAMPLE RENAISSANCE SCHOLARS Lauren Amico Bianca Beatriz Arzan Montanez Kathryn Grace Aurelio Sullivan James Barthel Miguel Siscar Bernas Brooke Bowling Kylie Conlon Grace Caroline Davies Gabriel Norman Douglas Josh Timothy Flowers Katelyn Kiyomi Ikemoto Sara Maria Coppelia Kahn Mia Bella Lima Jiani (Kelly) Liu* Nya Arabou Manneh Nina Matos Moothedath* Danely Alejandra Olmos Irene Sohyun Park Gabrielle Ripka Yana Savitsky Aadhya Sivakumar Vicky Song Nicole Tisnes Carina Vo-Ta Nicole Yeaton

DISCOVERY SCHOLARS Sarah Arencibia Lyla Holland Bhalla-Ladd Olivia Catherine Bohler Katelyn Kiyomi Ikemoto Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan Abigail Claire Rawlinson

GLOBAL SCHOLARS Kylie Leung Nya Arabou Manneh

ORDER OF TROY Kimberly Aguirre Olivia Catherine Bohler Stefano Fendrich Nataly Lozano Hadyn Phillips

ORDER OF THE LAUREL AND THE PALM Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan *Denotes prize winner

CONTINUED

Academic Honors SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AWARDS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Maggie Parsley Abigail Rawlinson Blake Stauffer Case Wilson Janey Zhang Rita Zhang

INNOVATION AWARD Dalei Xu Sam Noonan CIVIC AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD Olivia Catherine Bohler

CONTINUED

Academic Honors SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AWARDS OUTSTANDING BA JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE) Kassydi Rone OUTSTANDING BA JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION) Julia Zara OUTSTANDING BA PUBLIC RELATIONS SCHOLAR AWARD (ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE) Ella Bittman OUTSTANDING BA PUBLIC RELATIONS SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION) Yanshu (Yuki) Zhao DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (UNDERGRADUATE) Martina Ibrichimova OUTSTANDING MS IN JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE) Daniella Lake OUTSTANDING MS IN JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION) Matthew Royer OUTSTANDING SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE) Elissa Mardiney OUTSTANDING SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION) Erick Trevino OUTSTANDING SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM (ARTS AND CULTURE) SCHOLAR AWARD (ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE) Hannah Litman

OUTSTANDING SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM (ARTS AND CULTURE) SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION) Divya Subbiah OUTSTANDING PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING SCHOLAR AWARD (ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE): Salma Al-Khairi OUTSTANDING PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION) Dylan Macy DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (GRADUATE) Michael Kittilson NORMAN CORWIN AWARD FOR SERVICE AND SCHOLARSHIP Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan PENNY LERNOUX AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL REPORTING AWARD Brier Evans JACK LANGGUTH FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD Enzo Luna BRYCE NELSON AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED JOURNALISM Benjamin Royer

CONTINUED

Academic Honors COMMUNICATION DEPT. HONORS Liv Catherine Bohler Katie Kiyomi Ikemoto Maria Guadalupe Robles Gabriel Jia Rui Shen Alice Shu Ricky Wang Jane Yang

JOURNALISM DEPT. HONORS Lyla Holland Bhalla-Ladd Laurie Anne Carrillo Jenny Ann Brown Maya Lauren Gomes Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan Jinny Kim Marcel Amani Lacey Drake Ryan Lee Hali James Mecklin Nina Matos Moothedath Kassydi Renice Rone Quinten Seghers

Jack Smith Taryn Maria Tighe Snyder Julia Mari Zara Ethan Yu-Sun Huang

PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT. HONORS Charlotte Grace Anderson Osagie Ehime Anetor Kathryn Grace Aurelio Jose “Miguel” Bernas Kate Elise Cho Kymia De’Jon Freeman Martina Ibrichimova Bianca Beatriz Arzan Montanez Kiana Marie Ong Hadyn Hadyn Phillips Zianna Morales Razon Jason William Saperstone Aadhya Sivakumar Nicole A. Tisnes Alyssa Devorah Wallack Yuki Zhao

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