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Jerome Walker

Last updated 01/19/2022

Hired by Zohrab Kaprielian, Vice President for Research and Administration, in 1972 as Assistant to the Vice President. As Executive Vice President in 1973, Dr. Kaprielian was given the same authority as future Provosts. I was appointed as Coordinator of Research in 1973, and was asked to accept additional responsibility for coordinating major gifts for President John Hubbard in 1978. I organized USC’s two-week long Centennial Celebration in 1980-1981, including President James Zumberge’s inauguration. I proposed and created USC doctoral gowns, USC trustee gowns, the presidential medallion of office, heraldic flags for every degree-granting academic unit, and introduced first Academic Honors Convocation. During 1981-1986, I served as Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs under Provost Cornelius J. Pings; then wrote the accreditation report to WASC in 1986-1987. Promoted to Associate Provost, 1987; worked with Vice Provost for Research; inaugurated first process for academic program reviews (1988-1990); served as Associate Provost for Research under Provost Lloyd Armstrong, Jr. Director of Tyer Prize for Environmental Achievement for 20 years (1981 – 2001). Wrote accreditation report for WASC in1997-1998. Served as Associate Provost for Academic Affairs with Vice Provosts Joseph Hellige and Elizabeth Garrett. Conducted peer reviews of academic schools and departments for eight years, 2000-2008. Retired 2008.

Activities since retiring from USC: Invited to serve as Director of the USC Emeriti Center College by Janette Brown in 2008 and served until 2015. Arranged enrichment courses for retired USC faculty and staff; organized three awards, including the Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award; coordinated Living History Program along with Dick Martin; and continued to serve on the University Convocations Committee and the Academic Honors Convocation Committee. Lora and I took a course on Guided Autobiography from Dr. James Birren, founding dean of the Davis School of gerontology; and we taught the course the following academic year. In addition, I have organized month meetings of the Forum on Global Change along with Professor Emeritus John Wills (History) and Professor Jim Moore (Engineering). I have served as Vice President for Development of the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE), and have participated in two panels at AROHE biennial conferences.Outside of USC, I have served for two years as President of the Oceanaires, a 40 member chapter of the Barbershop Harmoy Society. In addition, I sing with a barbershop quartet, called “Sound Stage.” My other hobbies include freshwater fishing, travel, reading and gardening. In 2010, Lora and I traveled to Israel to welcome our first grandchild to the family, and we used the occasion to take a cruise to Greece and visit friends in Switzerland. Currently, we are anticipating our first daughter’s wedding on July 7, 2012, and the birth of our younger daughter’s second child.

Currently I serve as the RFA president.