!

C.#L.#MAX#NIKIAS#
President
Robert C. Packard President's Chair
Malcolm R. Currie Chair in Technology
and the Humanities!

July 21, 2017
Dear colleagues,
I am writing with an important update on the actions the university is taking regarding the former
medical school dean. We are outraged and disgusted by this individual’s behavior. It runs
counter to our values and everything for which our university stands.
It is crucial we understand how these events occurred. Our number one priority is ensuring the
wellbeing and trust of our students and patients at the Keck School and our entire university
community.
To that end, we hired Debra Wong Yang, a partner in the international law firm Gibson, Dunn &
Crutcher, to conduct a thorough investigation into the details of Carmen Puliafito’s conduct, the
university’s response, as well as our existing policies and procedures.
Ms. Yang, the former top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, is highly respected and has
extensive experience leading and conducting internal investigations. Among her many
credentials, she is the former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, a retired state
judge, and a former Los Angeles Police Commissioner.
All of us must cooperate fully and swiftly with the Gibson Dunn investigation. It is critical we
understand how and why this happened so we can do everything possible to improve our ability
to prevent something like this from happening again.
As an academic institution, we are always challenging ourselves to be better. In this instance, we
will look to improve ways in which we could have recognized the severity of the situation
sooner.
We owe this process of examination and improvement to everyone associated with this great
university, including our faculty, staff, students, patients, alumni, and friends.
Ms. Yang and her firm intend to provide a detailed accounting, and will make findings and
recommendations to the Executive Committee of the USC Board of Trustees.
Sincerely,

C. L. Max Nikias
President