Schwarzenegger Institute names academic director

Professor Daniel Mazmanian of the USC Price School of Public Policy has been named the new academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy.

 

In his 14-year career at USC, Mazmanian served as dean of the Price School and the founding director of the USC Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public Enterprise. His areas of expertise include environmental policy and climate change.

Mazmanian replaces Nancy Staudt, previously a law professor and vice dean at the Gould School of Law. As director, Mazmanian hopes to highlight environmental policy issues.

“We will be emphasizing the political, economic and cultural changes that are going to be required not just in California, but the nation and the rest of the world in both mitigating and adapting to climate change,” Mazmanian told USC News.

Mazmanian has partnered with the institute and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in the past through his research as director of new initiatives for Price’s Center for Sustainable Cities, according to Bonnie Reiss, global director of the Schwarzenegger Institute.

Schwarzenegger, who chairs the institute and serves as the Governor Downey Professor of State and Global Policy at USC, said he was looking forward to new environmental policies proposed by the institute.

“I am so pleased to have Dan Mazmanian join my institute as our academic director,” Schwarzenegger told USC News. “[Mazmanian] is a perfect choice for so many reasons, especially with his expertise in environment, energy and climate change, which is an important focus of our institute.”

Reiss said she believes that Mazmanian has made significant contributions to the Institute through his past position as dean of the Price School.

“The fact that he has been a dean and been at USC so long, and is so passionate about his work and his students will allow us to access all of the brilliant faculty and people at USC,” she said.

Students say they look forward to increased research opportunities in the social sciences as the Schwarzenegger Institute continues its development.

“I think it’s so amazing that USC has all these research opportunities,” said Caitlin Greenho, a freshman majoring in broadcast and digital journalism. “It makes us stand out as a university and gives students an unrivaled advantage not only to learn from others in partnership with the Schwarzenegger Institute, but to make their own discoveries under the leadership of faculty like Professor Mazmanian.”

Mazmanian said that students have the opportunity to get involved with the institute through events and personal interaction with its leadership.

“One way is by attending as many Schwarzenegger Institute events as possible, introducing oneself, and sharing interests with others present, in particular, Bonnie Reiss the global director of the institute and me,” Mazmanian said in an email to the Daily Trojan. “A second is to stay alert to email announcements that are routinely distributed, by Schwarzenegger Institute and most others, when assistance is needed on projects, and apply.”