C.L. Max Nikias, USC’s provost and second-in-command, will become its next president, succeeding Steven B. Sample on August 3 at the helm of the 34,000-student university in Los Angeles, school officials announced Thursday.
Nikias, 57, a Cypriot-born engineer, was long mentioned as the favorite inside candidate to become USC’s 11th president, so much so that some trustees reportedly did not even want to conduct a national search for outside candidates. But USC trustees went ahead with that search, interviewing 75 other educators before returning to a man well-known and well-liked on campus.
"It is a testament to Max Nikias’ abilities that, from such an impressive group of educators, he was unanimously recommended by the advisory committee," Edward P. Roski Jr., chairman of USC’s trustees, said in a statement. "During his 19 years as a faculty member and administrator at USC, he has provided distinguished service to the university in a variety of roles. He is a remarkable and inspiring leader, a brilliant scholar, and the best possible person to lead our university forward."