News

March 29, 2006
ODOM SELECTED AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

USC Foundations announced that it has completed its search for an executive director and that Dr. Jerome (Jerry) D. Odom has been selected to replace Dr. Susie H. VanHuss who announced her retirement effective June 30, 2006. The announcement was made jointly by John C. B. Smith, Jr., chair of the Search Committee and of the Board of Directors of the USC Educational Foundation and by Thomas E. Suggs, member of the Search Committee and chair of the Board of Directors of the USC Development Foundation.

In making the announcement, Smith said, “We are extremely pleased that Dr. Jerry Odom was interested in this important position. Jerry is a person of the highest character, unquestioned integrity, and intelligence. He has shown his devotion to USC through many years of valuable service as a professor, dean, and provost. He has the respect of the Foundation Boards, the administration, the faculty, and the community. We fully expect Jerry will do an outstanding job as executive director.”

Suggs added, “Our search was national and very deliberate. We were fortunate to have some excellent candidates and even more fortunate that one of our own was interested in the position. Dr. Odom will be an outstanding director and be able to work with Dr. VanHuss for a few months for a smooth transition. This will be a valuable opportunity for Jerry to observe the workings of the foundations and how they move in harmony with the university. Susie has done an outstanding job managing our foundations, and we will miss her. We wish her well and thank her for her tireless dedication and efforts on the foundations and the university’s behalf.”

Odom received his undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Indiana University. After a postdoctoral year at Bristol University in Bristol, England, he joined the faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, as an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina. After many years as professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Dr. Odom was appointed dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. In March 1997, Dr. Odom was appointed executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. In August 2004, he returned to the faculty to teach Chemistry. Dr. Odom is the recipient of numerous awards and honors from the University, including the Amoco Teaching Award; the Mungo Teaching Award; the Russell Research Award in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering; and the USC Educational Foundation Service Award.

During his tenure as provost, Odom was very active with the USC Foundations and exerted a strong, positive influence on them. When he returned to teaching, the USC Foundations paid tribute to him by establishing the Jerome D. Odom Fellowship in Chemistry, and the Educational Foundation elected him as a faculty representative to its Board. When the Fellowship was announced, VanHuss said, in baseball parlance, Dr. Odom is both a good “starter” and a good “closer.” In addition, he is a great team player! He has consistently given both his time and energy at the critical moment to make initiatives come to fruition. With his background of more than thirty years of teaching, leadership, and administrative experience, Jerry Odom is able to capitalize on a tremendous well of institutional knowledge and administrative skill to make good things happen.

Joint Boards Retreat

President Sorensen addresses the Joint Boards Retreat. Each Spring the USC Board of Trustees, the Boards of the USC Foundations, and the University administration come together for a two or two and a half-day retreat. The retreat provides the boards with an update on University accomplishments and opportunities. It also provides an opportunity for the governing board and the foundation boards to share their accomplishments and goals.