USC to open new campus in Washington, D.C.


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picture of building with glass windows
The purchase of the property, located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, cost $49.4 million, the Washington Post reported. The tower had previously been the home of the National Association of Broadcasters and recently underwent extensive remodeling to modernize the property. (Courtesy Alan Karchmer)

USC will broaden its nationwide footprint by opening a new campus next month in Washington, D.C., the University announced Wednesday.

The 60,000-square-foot Capital Campus will provide a home for USC initiatives in policy and connect community members with global leaders. The location will also serve as a gathering space for alumni and prospective students, the University wrote in a news release. The campus, a roughly five-minute drive from the White House and less than three miles from the Capitol, will increase opportunities for members of the USC community to collaborate with policymakers and prominent research institutions.

“In such fields as sustainability, media, culture, AI and health care, our scholars can bring to bear the full strength of our diverse disciplines to Washington, D.C.,” said Ishwar K. Puri, senior vice president of Research and Innovation, in the news release.

Comprising the seven stories of the Capital Campus are classrooms, event venues and office spaces, with further plans to develop a bookstore and a theater.

The purchase of the property, located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood, cost $49.4 million, the Washington Post reported. The tower had previously been the home of the National Association of Broadcasters and recently underwent extensive remodeling to modernize the property.

President Carol Folt said in the news release that Washington is a prime location to develop an East Coast center for the University.

“Washington, D.C., is the natural place for us to establish a thriving hub,” Folt said. “It is a nexus for the arts, public policy organizations, research agencies and foundations.”

The Capital Campus, which will have its official grand opening next month, will enable new multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs, the news release read. USC already has operations in Washington, including the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences’ semester-long program providing internships and courses for students in the nation’s capital.

USC’s Office of Research Advancement, which works to secure federal funding opportunities for research, has also been operating in the capital and will move to the new campus. The ORA has contributed to the submission of 320 successful project proposals, receiving a total of $848 million in funding, according to the office’s website.

“Washington, D.C., offers unparalleled opportunities for our experts, researchers and students to learn and listen, connect and share views on the national stage,” Folt said in the news release. “USC is known for its service to the Los Angeles community, and we look forward to being an active participant in the civic life of Washington, D.C.”