Innovative leadership acknowledged at USC Women’s Conference

USC President Carol Folt addressed over 800 participants of the USC Women’s Conference on Friday, stating that “being present and being true to oneself” have proven to be essential traits during her 24 years in university leadership.

“I don’t express things I don’t believe,” Folt informed the audience gathered inside Bovard Auditorium on the USC University Park Campus. “I don’t try to emulate anyone else, nor do I attempt to sound like anybody else.”

The USC Alumni Association orchestrated the 18th annual conference as a day filled with programs and events aimed at motivating and empowering alumni and other participants to foster positive transformations in their personal lives, communities, and globally.

Along with the primary events held in Bovard Auditorium focusing on health, artificial intelligence, and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the conference included breakout sessions at various locations across campus covering topics like impostor syndrome, financial empowerment, self-care, fostering connections, and navigating the realm of technology.

During the initial discussion titled “Honoring Visionary Leadership” with USC Associate Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations Erika Jordan, Folt mentioned that her reflections on preserving authenticity as a leader have come full circle as she prepares to resign as president of USC on July 1 following six years in the position. Her previous roles included being chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and interim president at Dartmouth College.

“At the outset, you are simply yourself, attempting to become the individual who must make decisions,” she recalled. “However, that sensation of being you is so vital. That realization has certainly returned to me.”

Essentials of effective leadership

Folt emphasized the importance of valuing constructive feedback, perceiving challenges as opportunities, and understanding
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The significance of positivity and team encouragement as fundamental components of impactful leadership was emphasized. She also touched upon the difficulty of reconciling tradition with modern advancements and highlighted the value of teamwork.

Folt — the inaugural woman to hold the position of president at USC — shared her realization that contemplating the effect of her efforts and her legacy is permissible, despite “women of my generation” being taught otherwise. She mentioned how earlier in the week, during a duo of State of the University addresses, she had the chance to showcase her leadership in steering USC through challenges like tuition modifications, name alterations, amassing billions in funding, and initiating the “moonshot” projects USC Competes, Reimagining Athletics, Health Sciences 3.0, Sustainability, Frontiers of Computing, and the burgeoning USC Arts Now program.

“One lesson we’ve all learned is that it’s acceptable to take pride in your achievements,” she remarked. “I’m immensely proud to have my name associated with several significant projects we’ve developed here, as it feels exhilarating to see them take tangible form.”

Jordan concluded the discussion by honoring Folt, noting her performance in the role “with such kindness, enthusiasm, and delight.” She then presented Folt with a bouquet, expressing: “I just want to appreciate your leadership, and I’m going to give you your flowers while you’re still here.”

Olympic-sized opportunities

Following Folt’s dialogue with Jordan, a women’s health panel, led by Dean Carolyn Meltzer of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, convened leading specialists in health and wellness to discuss the distinct health challenges women encounter at various life stages. Later, there were discussions on “Women Leading the Charge on Leveraging AI for Pandemic Prevention” and “Leadership and Legacy at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics.”

Folt shared insights on the upcoming Olympics alongside fellow panelists Janet Evans, a USC graduate and chief athlete officer for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the first American woman to claim four individual Olympic gold medals in swimming, as well as USC Board of Trustees member Jaime L. Lee, who serves on the board of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Moderator Willow Bay, dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, pointed out that as Los Angeles gears up to host the Olympics for the third time, “no institution is more deeply connected with the Olympic Games than USC, with its remarkable facilities, elite athletes, and strategically positioned alumni network.”

Folt, who characterized the Olympics as a “global unifier,” concurred with Bay, stating that the international event serves as “a remarkable educational experience for individuals in academia.”

“It provides us with an opportunity to examine the outstanding connection between personal achievement, global influence, community, and education,” she explained. “We have a significant chance to discuss the genuine essence of individual determination and resilience.”

Folt emphasized that without American universities and their historical investment in college sports, the United States would lack its substantial Olympic representation. USC has excelled in this regard, producing more Olympians and overall medalists than any other institution nationwide.

She added that universities with prominent athletic programs “understand better than anyone the comprehensive advantages that all those athletes contribute to the institution.”

“They arrive here, thrive in every area,” she stated, highlighting that athletes usually possess high graduation rates and grade point averages. “They go on to accomplish remarkable things in the world.”