In Full Bloom

On a fresh, sunny day in March 2019, Carol Folt trekked through Los Angeles’ Griffith Park and found herself surrounded by a rare superbloom.

Across the vibrant green hills lay a blanket of wildflowers — red, blue, orange, and purple — splashes of color dancing in the wind,” Folt reminisces.

The renowned environmental scientist admired the extraordinary event, prompted by the significant winter rains of that year. “It signifies renewal, it’s evolution,” Folt reflects. “You transition from dark earth to the emergence of these flowers.”

Forty-eight hours later, the USC Board of Trustees appointed Folt as USC’s 12th president — the unanimous choice of a search panel that interviewed over 100 applicants.

Folt, who had recently departed from her position as chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after over five years, recognized a connection between the hues in the hills and her newly assigned role at USC. “Universities cultivate the environment for our students and discoveries to flourish,” Folt asserts. “We are the soil, the water — and we nurture the future.”

As Folt gears up to retire from the USC presidency on June 30 after a six-year term, the superbloom serves as a fitting metaphor for her ambitious initiatives coming to fruition.

Her six “moonshot” objectives have enabled USC to thrive as a leader in advanced computing, sustainability, health sciences, accessibility, and more. Fundraising during Folt’s tenure has surged from $602 million in the fiscal year 2019 to $802 million this fiscal year. A new array of LEED-certified structures and collaborative areas on the USC University Park Campus, the launch of the USC Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., and the establishment of USC’s first new school in a decade — the USC School of Advanced Computing, located in the new Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall — are tangible representations of her vision for advancement. These successes are deeply embedded in the ethos of “excellence at scale” that she has fostered.

One of the cornerstones of Folt’s presidency has been centering students in her decisions regarding both academics and athletics. She played a crucial role in the university’s bold initiative — announced in 2022 and
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finalized in 2024 — transitioning from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big Ten Conference. Joining the Big Ten enhanced financial backing for USC student-athletes and broadened their chances to compete at the elite level. Her bold guidance positioned USC for enduring achievement and stability in the wake of the substantial transformations in the sports media and collegiate athletic domains.

“Carol’s guidance through challenging obstacles, along with her insightful strategic vision for the future that has propelled her to initiate pioneering projects, will benefit generations of upcoming Trojans,” states Suzanne Nora Johnson, chair of the USC Board of Trustees.

THE RIGHT LEADER AT THE OPPORTUNE TIME

Over Folt’s university leadership journey — spanning 24 years — one of her foundational beliefs has been that everyone deserves a fair opportunity to enhance their lives and their communities through higher education.

“I have a profound belief in the transformative power of education and exploration to change individual destinies,” Folt asserts. “I’ve experienced it firsthand.” Folt was raised in Akron, Ohio, and ventured to California seeking new experiences after spending a year at Ohio State University. She enrolled at Santa Barbara City College, subsequently transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where her biology courses and explorations of local streams and wetlands sparked her enthusiasm for environmental science.

To cover tuition and rent, she worked as a waitress 20 to 30 hours a week at a seafood eatery on the wharf. Her aspirations mirrored her upbringing as one of five siblings in a large family that included her maternal grandparents, who were industrious immigrants from Albania. Both her parents were chemists who met at B.F. Goodrich Co. in Ohio.

“We were nurtured with that immigrant mindset: You arrive here, you labor diligently — and education is paramount,” Folt shares.

Following her college years, she obtained a doctorate in ecology at the University of California, Davis. At Dartmouth College, she took on the role of professor of biological sciences while balancing research, teaching, and parenting. She and her husband, David Peart — currently an emeritus professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth — have two children, Noah and Tessa, along with two granddaughters. Folt progressed through administrative positions at Dartmouth, culminating in her serving as provost and subsequently acting president. In 2013, she was appointed chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill.

As chancellor, Folt designed the university’s initial strategic plan and spearheaded a $4.25 billion fundraising initiative — the largest and most successful in UNC-Chapel Hill’s history. Federally funded research expanded each year during her administration. She adeptly guided the university through challenging inquiries from the NCAA and the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The extensive reforms she instituted — exceeding 70 — to guarantee accountability and integrity across the campus included revamping and modernizing human resources and Title IX offices.

Folt also spearheaded several initiatives to confront issues related to the university’s complex history. She addressed the renaming of a building and navigated a conflict regarding Silent Sam, a Confederate statue on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus that many students regarded as racist, while its proponents viewed it as a tribute to the state’s Civil War casualties. After protesters dismantled the statue, Folt ordered the removal of its pedestal, citing campus safety in her decision. Concurrently, she announced her intention to resign as chancellor, departing in January 2019.

“During her tenure as chancellor, I came to know her as a visionary leader and a highly respected thought leader in higher education,” remarks Kevin Guskiewicz, president of Michigan State University, who served as dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill College of Arts and Sciences while Folt held the chancellorship and succeeded her in the role. “I admired that she never hesitated to make tough choices.”

At that moment, Folt had already applied for the president position at USC. Given the backlash she encountered in North Carolina regarding the pedestal’s removal, Folt offered to retract her USC application. However, her ability to tackle challenging matters with transparency impressed the USC Presidential Search Advisory Committee during a period when the university was grappling with national admissions fraud scandals and a class-action lawsuit involving numerous patients accusing a former USC student health gynecologist of sexual misconduct.

The 23-member search committee unanimously agreed that Folt was the ideal individual to lead USC at that moment. On July 1, 2019, she became the first woman to permanently occupy the role of USC president, succeeding interim President and USC Trustee Wanda M. Austin.

WIDENING THE DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY

At UNC-Chapel Hill, “Carol frequently reminded us — faculty and deans — that our focus should be on the students,” Guskiewicz notes. “Student success was paramount in all her messaging.”

This principle has also resonated at USC. Her dedication to student needs has been evident in various initiatives, from upgraded cultural facilities in the Student Union to her drive for enhanced accessibility and affordability. Folt’s personal experience as a former transfer student managing work and academic responsibilities inspired her to “broaden the gateway to make a USC education attainable for skilled students from diverse backgrounds,” she asserts.

A fundamental aspect of her tenure has been advancing measures to enhance accessibility and affordability. One of her first significant actions at USC, announced in February 2020, involved abolishing tuition for students from families earning $80,000 or less annually. A correlated policy exempted homeownership from the calculation used to assess a student’s financial need. Approximately 6,000 undergraduates yearly have benefited from this initiative.

She also pledged to significantly enhance financial aid for USC’s transfer students and support for graduate students. Under Folt’s guidance, fundraising for scholarships increased from $80 million in the 2019 fiscal year to $126 million in the current fiscal year.

“These measures have substantially broadened our applicant pool to USC,” Folt notes, observing that admissions have reached a historical peak. “It has positioned us on equal footing with the most esteemed universities globally that provide strong financial backing.”

A RELIABLE HAND DURING COVID-19

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Only weeks after Folt initiated the Affordability Initiative, the World Health Organization labeled COVID-19 as a pandemic. Still relatively new to USC, Folt encountered the challenge of guiding the university through the crisis, utilizing her extensive leadership experience and personal resilience.

“Obstacles must be perceived as chances,” Folt states. “You enact a change, you pivot, you unlock a door. You nurture a ‘beginner’s mind,’ perceiving optimism and potential — rather than fear — in uncertainty.”

Over 6,000 courses were swiftly rethought and presented online. Folt played a pivotal role in connecting USC’s campus and community — while adhering to safety protocols — to ensure that the educational, medical, and community-focused missions persisted. Her administration introduced COVID-19 Research and Innovation Funds to assist USC researchers in developing treatments and vaccines, examining the pandemic’s societal effects, and more. In collaboration with Keck Medicine of USC, USC initiated the Care for the Caregiver program, which provided accommodation for USC and L.A. County health care professionals on the frontlines of COVID-19 patient care.

“COVID sparked tremendous innovation, compassion, and community at USC, of which I am deeply proud,” Folt remarks.

In 2021, as the pandemic continued to make large gatherings hazardous, Folt was resolute in her pursuit to safely provide USC’s graduating students the experience of an in-person commencement ceremony — “one of the most valued moments in a student’s academic journey,” she notes. Complying with public health guidelines, USC conducted 14 graduation ceremonies over a span of seven days at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Folt, known for her unflagging energy, attended every single one.

Many students and families expressed their gratitude for the chance to participate in graduation in person — including a student who mentioned that she was positioned close enough to the stage to establish eye contact with Folt, marking a significant moment on her momentous day.

RESTORING TRUST IN THE MISSION

Folt’s capacity to uncover opportunities in challenges enabled USC to resolve legal issues and rehabilitate its damaged reputation. She advanced the ongoing Culture Journey, accentuating USC’s six core values that underpin its mission. Furthermore, she tripled the count of mental health counselors available to students and took additional measures to guarantee the safety and well-being of the USC community.

Her guidance also assisted USC in addressing profoundly distressing moments in its past. In April 2022, she awarded posthumous degrees to Japanese American USC students of the Nisei generation (born in the U.S. to parents who immigrated from Japan) who were subjected to internment during World War II and prohibited from returning to campus post-war. A granddaughter of one of these USC Nisei students penned a letter to Folt, expressing that she could hardly articulate how meaningful the recognition was to her and her family. “It has brought such tranquility to a part of my heart,” she stated. Folt also dedicated the USC Nisei Rock Garden at the University Park Campus as a memorial to these students.

“My own experiences have shown me that a compelling way to prevent repeating injustices is by acknowledging it, recalling it, and rectifying it,” Folt states.

She led the effort to rename two USC landmarks that had been previously titled after contentious figures. In November 2021, USC revealed that the Von KleinSmid Center would be renamed to honor Joseph Medicine Crow, the late Native American historian and distinguished Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation chief, who attained his master’s degree at USC. In January 2023, the university designated the venue for USC track and field in honor of 11-time Olympic medalist and alumna Allyson Felix.

“An esteemed university like ours must have a trajectory of purpose that incorporates learning from, recollecting, and addressing our past — while simultaneously striving, innovating, and constructing a better, more equitable future,” Folt states.

SHOOTING FOR THE MOON

As Folt envisioned the future, she collaborated with deans across the university to formulate a strategic framework for an ambitious goal: positioning USC as a global leader in innovation and preeminence at scale. Acknowledging the unmatched resources of USC’s 23 schools, she referred to USC as the “school of schools” due to its size, scale, and diversity. She proclaimed the 2020s as “the decade of collaboration at warp speed, the decade we dismantle barriers between disciplines and create connections.”

In 2022, Folt initiated what would evolve into a cornerstone of her presidency: moonshot objectives designed to advance the university across various disciplines. The first three moonshots comprised USC Competes, aimed at attracting and retaining the nation’s top students, faculty, and staff; Health Sciences 3.0, aligning USC’s health system and five health sciences schools to stimulate research and develop new care models; and Frontiers of Computing, focused on expediting research and innovation in advanced computing with an emphasis on ethical considerations.

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Subsequently, she would introduce three additional ambitious objectives that formalized programs she had been developing since her arrival in 2019 — aims that held significant personal importance.

As an environmental scholar, Folt gained distinction through her investigations into climate change, salmon preservation, and the presence of mercury and arsenic in aquatic environments. In September 2019, she initiated an interdisciplinary Presidential Working Group on Sustainability in Education, Research, and Operations aimed at minimizing the carbon, water, and waste impacts of USC campuses. The Sustainability moonshot broadened that objective to embed sustainability throughout the university’s education, research, operations, and community engagement.

“President Folt’s dedication to sustainability has been steadfast,” remarks Dan Mazmanian, emeritus professor of public policy at the USC Price School of Public Policy and the founding chair of the Presidential Working Group on Sustainability in Education, Research, and Operations. “What is less acknowledged is the considerable effort this required in promoting collaboration among faculty, students, and administrators toward a shared goal.”

A former mentor to female student-athletes at Dartmouth College, Folt is viewed by her colleagues as a visionary in collegiate athletics. She has championed USC Athletics from the beginning — and has been an enthusiastic supporter at Trojan events. Student-athletes appreciate the president’s presence at their competitions, donning Trojan apparel (always sporting cardinal and gold sneakers) and cheering them on. The Reimagining Athletics moonshot emphasized the strengthening of the athletics program with upgraded facilities. Her decision to transition USC into the Big Ten Conference greatly elevated USC’s national stature.

“Our coaching staff is truly thankful to Dr. Folt for her commitment, vision, and unwavering support for our programs and the investments she has made,” states Jen Cohen, USC’s director of athletics. “Our coaches understand that they’re valued not only by me, not solely by the athletic department, not just by fans, but also by the university president. And that conveys a significant message to our coaches, student-athletes, fans, and future recruits.”

During her college years, Folt pursued studio art before changing her major to biological sciences, and throughout her life and career as a scientist, the arts have continuously inspired her. With the USC Arts Now moonshot, initiated in November 2024, she envisioned partnerships at the crossroads of art, science, and more. This initiative has fostered collaborations among USC’s six conservatory-level arts schools and linked the arts to all fields across the university’s campuses.

Beyond enhancing collaboration throughout the university, the moonshot framework has significantly bolstered philanthropy in pivotal areas. The Frontiers of Computing initiative, exceeding $1 billion, was launched when Folt reimagined a $260 million lead donation from the Lord Foundation of California. Fundraising for health sciences has surged from $82 million in fiscal year 2019 to $231 million this fiscal year, while athletics fundraising during the same timeframe has risen from $43 million to $61 million.

AN EXPANSIVE IMPACT

Rick Caruso, who served as chair of the USC Board of Trustees when Folt was appointed, describes her contributions to USC as significant and enduring. “Carol’s skill and experience in managing a highly intricate organization with diverse stakeholders is exceptional,” Caruso states. “There is no doubt that she will be remembered as one of the finest presidents in USC’s history … [and] as one of the leading figures in higher education.”

Instances of USC’s “prominence at scale” are now abundant: Research funding has surged by 44% since 2019, surpassing $1 billion for the first time in 2023. In the same year, USC unveiled its premier Capital Campus in Washington, D.C. It was Folt’s aspiration for USC to maintain a significant presence at the heart of government, where students and faculty can collaborate with policymakers and influencers to tackle and devise solutions to intricate issues. In 2024, the university earned a gold rating for its sustainability efforts from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. In October, the women’s soccer team made history as the first to secure a Big Ten championship for any USC sport.

“I hope that when people think of USC, they envision a place where there is excellence in ‘everything, everywhere, all at once,’” Folt states, referencing the 2022 film of the same name.

Folt herself appears to have been omnipresent during her tenure. Those who have collaborated with her remark on her enthusiasm for engaging with students, faculty, and staff during gatherings. On any day, you might find Folt supporting Trojan student-athletes at a lacrosse match, dancing with students at cultural celebrations, traveling to promote USC in India, addressing an alumni event or class, or participating in a faculty gathering.

“I discovered early on that being warm and approachable does not diminish your success,” Folt mentions, aiming to “ignite kinetic energy” and “foster creativity, joy, and kindness” within the USC community. After her retirement as USC president, she intends to remain involved with the community as a faculty member in biological sciences, civil and environmental engineering, and population and public health sciences.

“Carol was brought on board at a pivotal time in USC’s history, and her leadership talents, natural ability to engage with students, and her commitment to the Trojan Family as her guiding principle have been evident throughout her tenure,” Nora Johnson remarks.

In January, when wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena displaced nearly 150,000 individuals, including USC faculty, staff, and students — Folt and the USC Board of Trustees swiftly acted to bolster community assistance. While the flames were still raging, they established the Trojan Family Relief Fund to support Trojans in need.

Many of the hills in Los Angeles, once covered in flowers during the 2019 superbloom, now bear the scars of wildfire. However, Folt perceives resilience in the landscape — fire can catalyze the germination of dormant seeds in the soil — and in the university community she has helped to strengthen over the past six years.

“There is hope, renewal, the unending cycle of life, through both prosperous times and adversity — and the strong, diverse, and impressive reservoir that is our Trojan Family,” she states.