Elizabeth Garrett is a consummate planner with perhaps one exception – she focuses so sharply on the work at hand she rarely has time to map out her next career move.
Her diligence has always paid off – throughout Garrett’s life she has been offered increasingly challenging and varied jobs in government and academia.
“Much of what has happened in my professional life – including entering academics in the first place – has been largely unanticipated but wonderful,” said Garrett, a USC Law professor, who was recently named vice president for Academic Planning and Budget by USC President Steven Sample.
That may explain the twists and turns of her professional career which began with a clerkship for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and was followed by work for U.S. Sen. David L. Boren. Garrett later moved into academia where she held a number of positions, including professor and deputy dean at the University of Chicago, and visiting professor at several law schools throughout the world before being wooed to USC Law School in 2003.
“I do not often think about what might come next,” Garrett said. “I try to stay focused on the challenges of the present and always hope that new opportunities lie ahead. I try to stay open to the new possibilities that arise, and I know there will be unexpected challenges that will demand creative responses.”
After only two years at USC Law, where she also directs the USC-Caltech Center on Law and Politics, Garrett heard from USC’s newly named Provost C.L. Max Nikias. Nikias was organizing his office and wanted Garrett to join his team as vice provost for academic affairs.
“I turned down the offer initially because I loved what I was doing at the Law School,” Garrett said. “I had been moving the center for the study of law and politics into new realms and expanding its influence, and my scholarship was taking fresh directions. I didn’t want to walk away from my scholarly pursuits. But Max Nikias’ energy and enthusiasm ARE contagious. I realized that the efforts we’re undertaking will effect more academic change than I can accomplish as a single scholar. And I have found that, as an administrator, I do not need to leave my research agenda unfinished.”
Less than a year after moving to USC’s executive offices in Bovard Hall, President Sample called Garrett with another unexpected offer. He asked her to be the vice president for Academic Planning and Budget, a new position at the university.
“When President Sample described the position, it seemed like a natural fit. My scholarship has long focused on budget issues and how revenue and fiscal concerns affect governmental decisions. I worked as a tax and budget counsel on capitol hill. This job deals with similar issues in an academic setting. Needless to say, I was enormously intrigued and immediately accepted,” Garrett said.
In her new job, Garrett plays a key role in academic budgetary planning using USC’s strategic plan as a tool to devise priorities and initiatives. She is also working closely with Nikias on budget issues for individual USC schools, as well as allocations of the central administration budget.
“We are privileged to be able to call on the expertise of Professor Garrett for this important role,” said Sample in a memo announcing her appointment. “I believe that our academic mission will be further advanced by bridging various academic, administrative and financial boundaries through this new vice-presidential post.”
Garrett will continue to work on academic matters, assisted by professor Nelson Eugene Bickers, associate vice provost for undergraduate programs, and professor Jean Morrison, associate vice provost for graduate affairs, who Garrett said are key to her success in the new role.
The new job carries added responsibilities making time management crucial. A glimpse at a typical day in the life of Garrett shows that nearly every minute is carefully planned – from before 7 a.m. to past 7 p.m.
For example, on a recent day, Garrett spoke at USC’s Freshman Orientation welcoming them to campus; met with some deans about the strategic plans of the schools; worked on finding faculty to serve on various university committees; met with faculty about the new USC US/China Relations Research Institute; and helped plan an upcoming visit to campus from a former ambassador. In between meetings, she squeezed in an interview with a newspaper reporter about ballot initiatives, and talked to a student about a project he’s working on.
“It’s a fantastic job because so many different academic and budget issues now come across my desk. It’s always interesting to see what new topics and issues have arisen and how we can work to find solutions and empower faculty and students to produce innovative research and creative work,” Garrett said. “Working with leaders like President Sample, Provost Nikias and (Senior Vice President for Finance) Dennis Dougherty is one reason I’m excited about this job. They are not satisfied simply to stay at the high level of academic achievement USC has reached over the last decade. They want us to continue to improve and ascend. Their energy makes the rest of us want to work harder to help achieve their vision.”
In between meetings, university events and strategic planning sessions, Garrett continues her scholarship, which looks at democratic institutions, including the initiative process, and budget policy.
She continues to direct the USC-Caltech Center on Law and Politics and is on the finance committee of the National Governing Board of Common Cause. She recently finished serving on President George W. Bush’s nine-member bipartisan Tax Reform Panel, and was recently called upon to testify on tax matters before the Senate Finance Committee.
“As a law school teacher, I hoped mainly to help students develop their critical thinking skills and their analytical capabilities. I wanted them to know how to figure out the right answer no matter what the question. I think that the variety of challenges in my own professional life has convinced me that this kind of training best equips law students to react to the unanticipated opportunities in their careers.”
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