On April 23, 2025, the Provost and the Retired Faculty Association (RFA) hosted a special event honoring faculty members who retired between 2023 and 2025, celebrating their years of dedicated service and meaningful contributions to the university. Held at the Town and Gown, the ceremonial brunch brought together university leadership, colleagues, and family members to recognize the careers of 148 retiring faculty members representing 17 USC schools, who collectively served an extraordinary 4,214 years.

Guests heard heartfelt remarks from Provost Andrew T. Guzman and Academic Senate President Rima Jubran, both of whom expressed deep gratitude for the retirees’ commitment to academic excellence, scholarship, and mentorship. Notable honorees included Professor Susan Montgomery, the longest-serving attendee with 54.6 years of service in the Department of Mathematics, and Professor Jeffrey Nugent, who holds the distinction of longest-serving faculty member overall with 60 years in Economics (though unable to attend).

The event highlighted the continuing role of retired faculty through the USC Emeriti Center and the RFA, which provide opportunities for ongoing engagement through mentoring programs like the Caldwell Scholars, the USC Living History Project, Distinguished Lectures, intergenerational learning initiatives like GeroTech, and wellness and travel events. Attendees were introduced to the Center’s Co-Directors, Laury DeSanctis and Debbie Jones, who lead programs and faculty retirement navigation, respectively.

As the Provost emphasized, retirement marks a transition—but not a departure—from the Trojan Family. The legacy of these faculty lives on in the generations of students they have shaped, the scholarship they have advanced, and the deep community bonds they have fostered at USC.