The history of the area is replete with stories of men and women who dreamed big dreams and willed them to happen. To an unequaled degree, the history of the region and the history of its university, USC, are inextricably intertwined. Faculty research, clinical practice, and the efforts of USC alumni have shaped such key industries as aerospace and cinema-television, and provided vital services like health care and social work, law and justice, and government and education. This symbiotic relationship continues. As L.A. reinvents itself, so does the university.
Few regions face the future with so many assets.
In an era of international economic competition, Southern California has emerging export industries in communications technology and entertainment, biotechnology and advanced transportation technologies. Southern California's research universities provide a steady stream of discoveries, patents and new ideas that keep its industries and students on the cutting edge. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are also assets. These economic engines are the nation's gateway to the Pacific Rim, surpassing even New York in the quantity and value of their imports and exports. In the most basic sense, however, L.A.'s people are its greatest asset.