Chrysostomos L. Nikias

President Emeritus; Malcolm R. Currie Chair in Technology and the Humanities. Under Nikias’ leadership, USC emerged as a global research university with an undisputed academically-elite status. Nikias writes and speaks frequently about a range of nationally significant topics, including the value of—and access to—higher education; the current state and future of online education; the continued importance of the arts and humanities; and the role of leading research universities, particularly as economic drivers. 

He spearheaded the recruitment of transformative faculty, the expansion of USC’s medical enterprise, the renewal of the university’s infrastructure and cultivated both a more diverse and elite student body.

Prior to serving as president of USC, Nikias was a professor, director of national research centers, dean and provost. Throughout his career, he has also served as a high-level consultant to the US Department of Defense and other sectors of government.