146년 역사 남가주대 최초의 아시안 총장 김병수

부모 USC 대학원 동문...팬데믹 때 부인과 첼로 '현관 콘서트'

 

Beong-Soo Kim Photo by Henry Kofman/Daily Trojan

 

서부의 명문 사립대 서던캘리포니아대(USC, University of Southern California, 남가주대학교) 이사회가 제 13대 총장으로 김병수(Beong-Soo Kim, 53) 현 임시총장을 만장일치로 임명했다. 1880년 개교 이래 아시아계 인사가 총장직에 오른 것은 처음이다. 

 

미 주요 대학교의 한인 총장으로는 다트머스대 김용(Jim Yong Kim, 2009-2012) 제 17대 총장 , 캘리포니아대 머세드(UC Merced)의 강성모 (Sung-Mo Kang) 제 2대 총장(2007-2011) 에 이어 세번째다.  

 

수잔 노라 존슨 USC 이사장은 "차세대 총장으로서, 우리는 그가 전례 없는 변화의 시대에 고등 교육 분야에서 독보적인 리더로서 USC의 발전을 획기적으로 가속화할 수 있을 것이라고 믿는다"면서 "임시 총장 재임 기간 동안 우리는 그의 핵심 가치, 즉 흠잡을 데 없는 인품, 모든 대학 구성원에 대한 헌신과 존중, 어렵고 복잡한 결정을 내리고 책임감을 갖고 실행하는 용기, 그리고 모든 일에 대한 탁월함을 향한 헌신을 확인할 수 있었다"고 밝혔다. 

 

김 총장은 최근 USC 최초의 AI 서밋을 공동으로 주최해 학생, 교수진, 그리고 업계 리더들이 한자리에 모여 교육, 비즈니스, 사회에 미치는 AI의 영향과 기회, 윤리적 과제를 탐구하는 시간을 열기도 했다. 또한, USC 캠퍼스의 전문성을 더욱 활용하고 교수진을 주요 대학 결정에 더욱 직접적으로 참여시키기 위해 학장들을 총장 내각에 참여시켜 자신의 주요 전략적 우선순위를 추진하고, 여러 단과대학 교수진을 대표하여 총장 직속으로 보고하는 교수 자문위원회를 설립했다. 그리고, USC의 우선순위, 연구 및 리더십을 더 많은 사람들에게 알리기 위한 팟캐스트 '트로잔 토크(Trojan Talks)'를 시작, 7개월간 4만명이 넘는 학생, 교수진, 연구원 및 동문들과 소통해왔다.  

 

캘리포니아주 하버시티에서 태어나 우드랜드힐스에서 성장한 김병수 총장의 부모는 USC 대학원 동문이다. 어머니는 1970년 USC에서 교육학 석사학위를 받았고, 아버지는 경제학 박사과정을 수료했다. 

 

하버드대 재학 시절 교지 하버드 크림슨에 기고했으며, 파이베타카파 회원이다. 로터리 장학생으로 런던 정치경제대학교(LSE)에서 석사학위를 받은 후 뉴욕시 도시 펠로우로 활동했다. 이후 하버드 로스쿨에 진학, 1999년 우등으로 졸업했다. 

 

이후 미 제2순회 항소법원의 법률서기로 법조계 경력을 시작, 하버드대 헌법해석 연구원을 거쳐, 로펌 멍거, 톨스&올슨에서 변호사로 일했다. 그리고, 캘리포니아 중부지방 검찰청의 연방검사로 9년간 재직하면서 USC 골드 로스쿨에서 겸임교수로 강의했다. 이어 로펌 존스데이에서 파트너로, 카이저 퍼머넌트에서 부사장으로 재직했다. 2020년 7월 USC의 수석 부사장 겸 법률고문으로 임명된 후 2025년 캐롤 폴트 총장의 은퇴에 따라 지난해 7월부터 임시 총장직을 맡아왔다.  

 

그는 칼라바사스 고교 재학시절 USC 손턴음대의 엘레오노르와 앨리스 쇤펠드 교수로부터 첼로와 실내악을 배웠으며, 대학 재학 중엔 하버드-래드클리프 오케스트라에서 연주했다. 2020년 팬데믹 기간엔 Western Asset Mortgage Capital Corporation의 대표인 태국계 부인 보니 웡트라쿨(Bonnie Wongtrakool)씨와 이웃을 청중으로 현관 콘서트(porch concerts)를 열기도 했다. 또한, USC 유니버시티 파크 캠퍼스와 보건과학 캠퍼스에서 학생, 교수진, 교직원 및 환자들을 위해 연주했다.  

 

김 총장은 "평생 첼로를 연주하면서 탁월함은 경청, 타이밍, 그리고 조화에서 비롯된다는 것을 배웠다"라면서 "USC도 마찬가지다. 뛰어난 사람들이 함께 협력하여 우리 중 누구도 혼자서는 이룰 수 없는 공동의 목표를 향해 나아간다. 총장으로서 나의 역할은 이러한 공동의 노력을 조율하는 것"이라고 밝혔다. 

 

LA 중심부에 자리한 서던캘리포니아대학교(USC)는 1880년 감리교계 판사 로버트 맥레이 위드니에 의해 설립됐다. 스탠포드대, UC 버클리, UCLA, CalTech와 함께 캘리포니아의 명문대로 꼽힌다. U.S. News & World Report National Universities의 순위는 28위다. 국제 관계, 공공 행정, 영화학 등에서 선구적인 프로그램을 도입했으며, 올림픽 금메달리스트와 조지 루카스, 로버트 저멕키스, 론 하워드 등 유명 영화감독을 대거 배출했다. 1912년 스탠포드대와의 풋볼 경기에서 14:0으로 승리한 후 '트로이의 전사들(Trojans)'이 마스코트가 됐다. 

 

 

Beong-Soo Kim unanimously elected 13th president of USC

A visionary leader, Kim will advance the university’s national and global excellence. He has led USC as interim president since July.

 

February 04, 2026

By USC staff

 

The USC Board of Trustees announced Wednesday the unanimous appointment of Beong-Soo Kim as the university’s 13th president following a highly competitive and comprehensive search process. Kim will immediately assume his new position, and hold the Robert C. Packard President’s Chair.

 

“The Board’s unanimous vote reflects what we learned throughout the search process: widespread confidence in Beong’s leadership,” said Suzanne Nora Johnson, chair of the USC Board of Trustees. “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. During his service as interim president, we recognized his demonstration of our core values, which included his impeccable character, his engagement and respect for all members of our university community, his courage in making and owning difficult and complex decisions, and his commitment to excellence in all that we do.”

 

Serving as interim president since July 1, Kim has positioned the university to deepen its academic impact across the nation and the globe, fostered interdisciplinary research and unlocked transformative philanthropic support. By collaborating closely with the Board of Trustees, senior leadership, academic deans, faculty, staff, students and alumni worldwide, he has also established a strong foundation of trust across the Trojan Family.

 

“I am deeply honored by the confidence the Trojan Family and Board of Trustees have placed in me,” Kim said. “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. Together with our accomplished faculty and dedicated staff, we will prepare the next generation not just for the jobs of tomorrow, but to provide the leadership and solutions our world needs.”

 

 

As president, Kim will continue to advance USC’s core mission: prioritizing academic excellence, cultivating future leaders, addressing complex societal challenges through collaboration and open dialogue, and advancing interdisciplinary scientific research. His Presidential Open Dialogue Project and the AI Strategy Committee, launched during his time as interim president, created universitywide forums that address the critical challenges of the 21st century.

 

Kim recently co-hosted USC’s first-ever AI Summit, which brought together students, faculty and industry leaders to explore AI’s impact on education, business and society, addressing both opportunities and ethical challenges. The event positioned USC as a leader in shaping conversations about responsible AI development and reflected Kim’s commitment to bridging academic research with real-world entrepreneurship.

 

To further leverage the expertise on USC’s campuses and more directly involve faculty in key university decisions, Kim brought deans into the President’s Cabinet to advance his top strategic priorities and established a Faculty Advisory Committee reporting directly to him and representing faculty from many of the schools.

 

“Beong has already demonstrated a deep commitment to advance USC’s academic mission working alongside our outstanding faculty,” said Dana Goldman, founding director of the USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service. “His lofty ambitions and sustained dedication will guide the university to even greater scholarly accomplishments.”

 

New USC president’s Trojan Talks

As part of his commitment to extending USC’s thought leadership, Kim started a podcast, Trojan Talks, which he has used to communicate USC’s priorities, research and leadership to wider audiences. Guests have included Dean Willow Bay, Jonathan Haidt, Inderbir Gill, Professor Eileen Crimmins and others.

 

“Since becoming interim president, Beong has been instrumental in cultivating support for our research and elevating awareness for our groundbreaking advances to cure blindness,” said Mark Humayun, director of the USC Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics and co-director of USC Roski Eye Institute. “I strongly believe that universities today must demonstrate real-world impact, and I look forward to helping Beong so that USC’s biomedical discoveries reach the global stage and the communities that need them most.”

 

Beong brings experience, leadership qualities, core values and commitment to the value of higher education to his tenure as president of USC. The announcement of his appointment has been universally praised by faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of USC alike.

 

— David C. Bohnett, Vice Chair, USC Board of Trustees

Read more reactions to Kim’s election from across the university’s campuses

 

Over the past seven months, Kim has met with more than 40,000 members of the Trojan Family on USC’s campuses in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., as well as at events around the world, engaging students, faculty, staff, researchers and alumni.

 

“Beong stepped into the interim role with transparency, authenticity and a strong commitment to all constituents: staff, students and faculty,” said Erika Chesley, senior associate director of USC Hospitality. “He listened openly, welcomed diverse perspectives and adapted thoughtfully as circumstances evolved. His non-traditional background proved to be a strength, offering a fresh and steady approach at a time when change required both honesty and compassion. I look forward to continuing our conversations around staff experience as he builds on the strong foundation established during the interim period.”

 

In India, he recognized and celebrated the powerful legacy of the late USC Trustee Ratan Tata and underscored USC’s long-standing relationships with international students. And at the USC Norris Cancer Hospital, he met with patients, physicians, nurses, faculty and Keck Medicine leadership. Throughout his interactions, his approach has been consistent: visionary leadership grounded in compassion, intellectual curiosity and active listening.

 

“Beong’s commitment to USC is extraordinary,” said Carmen Nava, USC trustee and co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “He possesses exceptional diplomatic skills and has made decisive decisions that have maintained the university’s academic mission and preserved the institution’s long-term financial health. Throughout difficult moments, Beong has led with transparency, open communication and genuine care for our Trojan Family. His approach to the challenges facing higher education — marked by open-mindedness and personal integrity — is exactly what USC needs at this critical juncture.”

 

“Beong demonstrated exceptional leadership during one of the most challenging periods not only in higher education, but in the nation,” said Mark Stevens, USC trustee and co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “He navigated complex challenges while positioning USC for growth, all without losing sight of our central mission. His work connecting USC’s strengths and deepening community ties is already reshaping what’s possible for our students and the broader Trojan Family.”

 

Broad career experience of new USC president

Kim’s career spans higher education, health care, legal practice and public service. He previously served as USC’s senior vice president and general counsel, and as a lecturer at the USC Gould School of Law. Kim helped guide USC through the COVID-19 pandemic, built stronger compliance systems and trust across the university, advocated for both academic freedom and non-discrimination, and strengthened governance across the health system and health sciences schools.

 

Prior to joining USC, he held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente, served as a partner in an international law firm and served as a federal prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. Kim earned his bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor from Harvard University and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.

 

A Los Angeles native, Kim’s personal connection to USC runs deep. He is the son of Korean immigrant parents who both pursued graduate studies at USC. His mother earned her master’s degree in education in 1970, and his father completed PhD coursework in economics. As a student at Calabasas High School, Kim studied the cello and chamber music under the tutelage of two legendary professors at the USC Thornton School of Music, Eleonore and Alice Schoenfeld. During the pandemic, Kim performed “porch concerts” with his wife, Bonnie Wongtrakool, to bring calm to his neighborhood and has gone on to perform with students, and for faculty, staff, students and patients at USC’s University Park and Health Sciences campuses.

 

“Playing cello for most of my life has taught me that excellence demands listening, timing and harmony,” Kim said. “USC works the same way: exceptional people working together toward a shared mission none of us could accomplish alone. My job as president is orchestrating that collective effort.”

 

Kim’s selection reflects a comprehensive and thoughtful search process that valued the robust feedback provided by the Trojan Family.

 

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to our Presidential Search Committee chairs for their outstanding stewardship during this process,” Nora Johnson said. “Their commitment to hosting a thorough and inclusive search that engaged the entire Trojan Family resulted in an outstanding outcome for USC’s future. Their work will have a lasting impact on the university for generations to come.”

https://today.usc.edu/new-usc-president-beong-soo-kim