U.S. News & World Report featured several USC schools and programs in its 2013 edition of “Best Graduate Schools.”

Among the notable improvements, the USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy was ranked No. 1 in occupational therapy, rising from No. 3 last year, and the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy was No. 1 in physical therapy for the ninth consecutive year.

The Keck School of Medicine of USC was No. 34 for best medical schools: research, up from No. 36.

The USC Sol Price School of Public Policy was No. 6 in public affairs, up from No. 7 last year.

The USC Roski School of Fine Arts was No. 36 in fine arts, up from No. 37.

The USC School of Pharmacy was No. 10 in pharmacy, up from No. 15.

The data for the rankings come from surveys of more than 1,200 programs and nearly 15,000 academics and professionals conducted during the fall of 2011 and early 2012.

Gordon Assumes Presidency of Regional Science Association

USC Price School of Public Policy professor Peter Gordon formally began his one-year term as president of the Western Regional Science Association (WRSA) last month during the association’s 51st annual meeting in Kauai, Hawaii.

Founded in 1961, the WRSA is an international multidisciplinary group of university scholars and government and private-sector practitioners dedicated to the scientific analysis of regions.

At the banquet luncheon, Gordon delivered his presidential address titled “Thinking About Economic Growth.”

Other USC Price faculty at the four-day conference included WRSA fellow and past president Harry Richardson and board of directors member Genevieve Giuliano, as well as Marlon Boarnet, Eric Heikkila, Jenny Schuetz and Adam Rose.

Most of the USC participants chaired sessions, served as discussants or presented research papers on topics ranging from ports to art galleries.

Business Alum Sees Opportunities at USC

For Chris DeWolfe MBA ‘97, a “serial entrepreneur” best known for co-founding and leading MySpace as CEO, Los Angeles and USC were – and continue to be – catalysts for new business opportunities.

“All the talent here matched with all the talent that’s already moved here. That, coupled with the seven accelerators that have started in L.A. in the last six months, is phenomenal,” DeWolfe told an audience of USC Marshall School of Business students, faculty and alumni last month during a Q&A session with Thomas Knapp ’86, associate director of the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and assistant professor of clinical entrepreneurship.

“It’s a great place to start a company. It’s a great place to do business, and there are tons and tons of opportunities,” he said.

DeWolfe founded MySpace with Josh Berman MBA ’97 and led the company from fledging startup through the transition to its acquisition by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. for $580 million.

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