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USC Price Blog

Get the latest news and highlights featuring students and faculty from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy’s online programs.

Hear from USC Price Online students, alumni, and faculty.

September 7, 2023

Saving lives in the midst of graduate school: MPA students double as Las Vegas firefighters

From left, USC Price School online students Andrew Padilla, Ryan Tyler and Adam Weiss, who are all members of the Clark County Fire Department. (Photo courtesy: Ryan Tyler) A few months ago, Adam Weiss led a crew of Las Vegas-area firefighters to one of the worst scenes imaginable: a four-year-old child drowning in an apartment pool….

August 18, 2023

Executive MHA Alum Founds Health Care Tech Startup

(Photo: Courtesy of Ryan Nazar) After graduating from the Executive Master of Health Administration (EMHA) online program, physician Ryan Nazar launched Practical Healthcare, “the first social media platform purpose-built for patient empowerment.” While Nazar had plenty of medical experience as a board-certified disability medicine physician, he knew he needed to advance his health care management…

July 11, 2023

Q&A: How MPA Michi Slaughter gained relationship building skills in pursuit of career growth

Michi Slaughter has worked for the City of Los Angeles for 20 years because of her background in information technology, she was concerned about a lack of a policy regarding data and strategic planning.

July 5, 2023

Q&A: How MPA Veronica Frazier is chasing her goal of starting a nonprofit organization

MPAOL Graduate 23′ Veronica Frazier who was interested in starting her own NGO discusses how the program provided the skill se needed to move forward in her career.

June 27, 2023

Q&A with Priscilla Hung: Learning to analyze social issues from an economic lens

Priscilla Hung, co-director of Move to End Violence, discusses why after years of working in the nonprofit sector she selected MPAOL.

June 19, 2023

MPA grad succeeds in Port of San Diego government relations

When COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns rolled out, Aimee Heim saw an opportunity to invest in herself and pursue a graduate degree. She enrolled in the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program online, which provided flexibility to work on class assignments, continue her role overseeing grants and government relations at…

May 26, 2023

Public Administration Careers: The Top Jobs for Master’s Graduates

Those interested in pursuing a career in public administration can find a variety of roles in the public, nonprofit and even private sectors. This article was originally published by USC Online on May 24, 2023. Those working in the field of public administration are able to make positive, lasting impacts on their communities — and…

May 24, 2023

Urban Planning Master’s Graduate Provides Equitable Disaster Relief

Recent Executive Master of Urban Planning (EMUP) online graduate, Chrishelle Palay, spent the last two decades in the architecture field before she decided to pursue a different, related passion: housing policy advocacy. “I transitioned from architecture because I realized it wasn’t something I wanted to do anymore. Actually, Hurricane Ike kind of led to that…

May 18, 2023

Q&A: Florida MPA student Trina Uy wants to create change through education policy

Florida MPA student Trina Uy works for the City of Clearwater as an administrative assistant in the City Manager’s Office. Trina, who had never been to California let alone set foot on USC’s campus, applied for the Master of Public Administration online program after a two year commitment with Teach for America. After her experience…

May 17, 2023

Army Officer Looks to Transition to Government Role With Help From USC Price

During his time in the Army, Nicholas Brands held multiple leadership roles and had the opportunity to travel the world. While he appreciates the experience he gained throughout his military commitment, he was drawn to re-enter the civilian workforce. So, Brands enrolled in the USC Price Master of Public Administration (MPA) program online to complement…

May 15, 2023

Graduate Uses Real Estate Expertise to Combat Homelessness

USC Executive Master of Urban Planning (EMUP) alum Frank Byrd recently began working as the coordinator of unit acquisitions for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Originally a scholar of philosophy and fine arts, Byrd shifted his studies to the real estate and urban planning sector during the pandemic. Seeking to expand his knowledge…

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