Annenberg Radio News

USC celebrates grand opening of Washington D.C. Capital Campus

The festivities come just one month after USC announced the purchase of the facility.

Photo of USC Capital Campus.

(Photo courtesy of Alan Karchmer)

By Chris Bibona and Sabrina Rubio

USC President Carol Folt joined other university leaders, trustees and alumni in Washington, D.C. today at the grand opening of the new USC Capital Campus. Prior to the ribbon cutting, the USC Marching band performed a free concert at the Lincoln Memorial in celebration of the campus unveiling.

Last month, in an ambitious move for the university’s expansion, USC announced it would be moving its academics and research to Washington D.C.

The campus will serve as a bridge for interdisciplinary study where students and faculty will collaborate with global opinion leaders.

In a news release, Folt said, " the campus is the natural place for us to establish a thriving hub,” and “offers unparalleled opportunities for our experts, researchers and students to learn and listen, connect and share views on the national stage.”

The campus will offer various new undergraduate and graduate programs and significantly increase student opportunities.

Located in one of the city’s iconic LEED-accredited green buildings, the Capital Campus adheres to USC’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

The 60,000-square-foot space is set to feature classrooms, study areas, conference rooms, multiple event spaces, a USC bookstore and a theater.

The purchase of the property 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.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser announced her excitement for USC’s new home in the heart of the Dupoint Circle neighborhood, and said the program fits into their city’s comeback plan which includes an increasing presence of “Feds, Eds and Meds.”

The university has held roots in Washington, D.C., for a while now, with Dornsife in DC semester long student program, Annenberg’s Maymester and a network of 6,000 Trojan alumni.

USC joins institutions like NYU, Texas A&M and UC Berkeley, who have facilities in the region.

For Annenberg Media, I’m Chris Bibona.