A leadership shift is scheduled to occur this summer, as Larry Gross, longtime director of the USC Annenberg School of Communication will pass the baton to his successor, colleague Sarah Banet-Weiser. Gross joined USC Annenberg’s School of Communication as director in 2003, having spent the previous 35 years teaching communication at the University of Pennsylvania. He will continue serving as Vice Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies. While director of USC Annenberg’s School of Communication he profoundly transformed the school, adding new faculty, staff and students. He was named a Guggenheim Fellow in 1998 and co-founded with Professor Manuel Castells, the widely-acclaimed International Journal of Communication. He is the author of Contested Closets: The Politics and Ethics of Outing and Up from Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men and the Media in America. At the celebration in May, Sarah Banet-Weiser recalled meeting Gross while she was a graduate student at UC San Diego. “I was star-struck but also struck by his generosity,” she said. Banet-Weiser went on to cite Gross’s many accomplishments as director: “He increased the number of doctoral students, the number of jobs they land, as well as the research and teaching they do,” she said. “He is responsible for transforming the school into something different than other communication schools in the entire country. Faculty want to come here because they can think creatively and do something different.” In the publishing world, she noted that Gross had established the International Journal of Communication and the Annenberg Press, both “models for alternative publishing.” Describing Gross as “intellectually promiscuous,” Banet-Weiser said that Gross had read and critiqued her own work, advancing her thinking with “tough love” before toasting him as her personal “Obi Wan and my own Jedi Master.” Annenberg Dean Ernest J. Wilson III appeared via video to share words of praise for Gross. “Our community owes you a debt of gratitude for your great judgment to make good things happen,” he said, noting that as director of the Communication School, Gross managed 50 full-time faculty and more than one thousand students.
Like many in the room, Dean Wilson teased Gross about “Larry’s List,” a compilation of news items and other odds and ends that catch Larry’s eye “and demonstrate his expansive mind,” said Wilson. Many of the speakers also reflected on Gross’ activism outside the university, with Professor Sandra Ball Rokeach, who met Gross in 1968 at Penn, noting: “This guy has made a difference, not just at Annenberg, but beyond with his work with ACT UP [AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power] and gay rights.” When it came time for Gross to speak he said: “I’ve had it easy, for the past 46 years in this game. I’ve felt guilty, for the truth is: I’ve had the luxury to administer with resources and unusual luck to work with imaginative deans. Such a lucky streak can’t be taken for granted. I’m bequeathing an amazing set of colleagues to Sarah.” Nearly 20 of these colleagues both from Annenberg and across campus, shared their memories of working alongside Gross on dissertations, committees and journals; while those he mentored remember his ability to foster an “open spirit Here is a sampling of what they shared: George Sanchez, Vice Dean for Diversity and Strategic Initiatives, USC Dornsife “I know Larry as a staunch advocate of interdisciplinary studies, spanning race, gender and sexuality. Larry, I’ve seen you nurture faculty careers campus wide, at all levels -- which speaks to your generosity.” Felix Gutierrez, Professor, USC Annenberg “Larry and I first crossed paths as advocates for marginalized groups. He is a valued colleague, someone I could always go to. Larry, you built an environment so people could do their best work, raising visions of who they are and what they can accomplish. Larry, your impact is felt far beyond the Annenberg School.” Geoffrey Cowan, Professor; Annenberg Family Chair in Communication Leadership “Larry, you brought courage to the school and made it possible for the school to move forward. Larry, this is your home, where you made your life – a tribute to the community you’ve done so much to build.” Josh Kun, Associate Professor, USC Annenberg/Dornsife “Larry says ‘yes’ to trying anything out, pursuing ideas, following your curiosity.
That spirit made the school a singular and rare place…and gave me room to do worthwhile work.”
