Three Annenberg alumni received coveted USC Alumni Association awards at a gala ceremony on March 4 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Lisa Leslie, BA Communication 97, and Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., BA Speech Communication 77 and JD 80, received USC Alumni Merit Awards, presented annually to individuals whose remarkable accomplishments speak well for the range and quality of a USC education. Lisa Leslie plays center for the Los Angeles Sparks and has twice led the team to Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) championships. As a member of the U.S. womens Olympic basketball team, she won gold medals in 1996, 2000 and 2004. Frederick Ryan served as Chief of Staff to former President Ronald Reagan for more than a decade. He was actively involved in the design, construction and operation of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and now serves as chairman of its board of trustees. He is also president and COO of Allbritton Communications Co., a television, cable and Internet company based in Washington, D.C. Gerald Jerry S. Papazian, BA Public Relations 77, received the prestigious Fred B. Olds Award, which is presented on special occasions to USC alumni for their extraordinary and unparalleled service to the university over a long period of time. Papazian is managing director of Fountainhead Associates, Inc., a Los Angeles-based management consulting firm, and a longtime USC volunteer leader who is widely regarded as an expert in USC history. Papazian received a USC Alumni Service Award in 1990.
Visit the Alumni Association Awards page»