Prof. Rich Appointed to USC Cabinet

Camille Gear Rich named Associate Provost of Student and Faculty Initiatives in the Social Sciences -By Anne Bergman USC Provost Michael Quick has appointed Camille Gear Rich, professor of law and sociology at the USC Gould School of Law, to a new cabinet position established to work on the university’s strategic priorities. Rich began her term as the Associate Provost of Student and Faculty Initiatives in the Social Sciences this fall. In this new role, Rich has been charged to facilitate the development of academic initiatives that will enrich academic life for faculty and staff, as well as the surrounding community.

In her new role, Camille Gear Rich will facilitate the development of academic initiatives that will enrich the university's academic life for faculty and staff, as well as the surrounding community.

“Provost Michael Quick has offered us a compelling vision for the future,” Rich said. “I am honored and thrilled to be able to play a role in bringing his ideas to life.” “My starting point in this position is to work on transparency,” Rich explained further. “I want to highlight the amazing resources that are available at USC in the social sciences, such as our vibrant academic centers and important conferences.” The interdisciplinary approach in Rich’s scholarship made her a natural choice for this position. “Camille’s work focuses on how the law represents and accommodates the shifting and contingent nature of racial ethnic, and gender identity,” said Quick. Throughout her scholarship, Rich has looked beyond disciplinary boundaries, employing resources from economics, psychology, social work, sociology and American Studies to inform her work. “As I look at our academic units I see a wealth of opportunities to bring different schools and departments together to engage in academic inquiry,” she said. Quick has articulated four goals for his administration: Access and Opportunity, Value, Global Impact and what he terms "wicked problems." "Wicked problems" are urgent, complex challenges that require a multi-faceted approach to solving, such as social justice and mental health issues. Rich will work on all these initiatives, however, she has a special interest in diversity projects.  “Campus climate is critical,” she said.  “We must continue to strive to find new ways to make all members of the Trojan Family feel welcome, included, respected and heard.” Rich also has a special interest in USC’s neighboring communities   “The existing USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative is outstanding and hugely successful,” Rich said. “We’re looking for new vehicles that will allow us to leverage our professional expertise to provide services to the surrounding community and address complex problems.” Rich is exploring the possibility of a Professional Schools Clinic, an entity that would bring together members of multiple disciplines and schools to provide service and assistance to community members. Rich joined the USC Gould School of Law faculty in the fall of 2007 following five years of private practice where she worked primarily on general commercial litigation and internal investigations.  She is director of PRISM: The Initiative for the Study of Race, Gender, Sexuality and the Law, and she is also director of Gould’s First Generation Legal Scholars program, launched this fall. This fall, Rich is teaching First Amendment at USC Gould. Her research and teaching interests include constitutional law, feminist legal theory, legal ethics, employment discrimination, and children and the law. Prior to entering private practice, Rich clerked in the Southern District of New York for District Judge Robert L. Carter and on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals for Circuit Judge Rosemary Barkett. Rich has also worked on various pro bono matters involving Title VII retaliation claims and disability rights and was awarded the Legal Aid Society Pro Bono Award in recognition of her work on female prisoners’ rights. Rich graduated from Yale Law School and was a senior editor on the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism. She was awarded a postgraduate research fellowship at Yale Law School, during which she began her research on ways that anti-discrimination laws can better accommodate the shifting contingent nature of racial and ethnic identity.