University of Southern California names Beong-Soo Kim as its 'next generation' president

Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times on Feb 4, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — The University of Southern California has named Beong-Soo Kim — interim president for seven months — as it 13th president, university officials announced Wednesday.

The USC board of trustees said it unanimously voted for Kim, 53, the university's former general counsel who previously worked as a federal prosecutor, to immediately take over the role.

When his interim position was announced a year ago and the presidential search was launched, Kim, who replaced outgoing President Carol Folt, was not considered to be a candidate for the job.

But USC leaders said they changed their minds about him after seeing his temporary stewardship of the campus in a difficult time. He has implemented major austerity measures — including more than 1,000 layoffs last year — to shore up a gaping budget deficit. He has navigated federal pressures from the Trump administration to remake USC in a more conservative image and is leading USC's response to technology changes such as artificial intelligence that are challenging educational norms.

Kim has faced faculty and staff criticism for what they viewed as the lack of communication over layoffs and budget cuts. Also, there has been consternation among some USC community members who believe campus leadership should speak out more forcefully against Trump administration attacks on diversity programs, scientific research funding and campus free speech.

Suzanne Nora Johnson, chair of USC's board of trustees, said in a statement that the decision "vote reflects what we learned throughout the search process: widespread confidence in Beong's leadership. As a next generation president, we believe that he can dramatically accelerate USC's institutional advancement as a distinctive leader in higher education during a time of unprecedented change."

In a statement, Kim said he was "deeply honored."

"USC is a very special place, and we are uniquely positioned to advance our mission and impact during this period of change across higher education. Our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, groundbreaking research, and global impact positions us to shape the future – not just respond to it," he said.

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