Viterbi Academic Advising

What is Academic Advising?

During your academic journey at Viterbi, you will have access to your Academic Department Advisor and VASE advisors. We view advising as a partnership between students and advisors. Students are responsible for understanding academic policies and requirements and Viterbi advisors serve as guides and academic planning support.

How to Prepare for Academic Advising?

We ask that all students prepare before requesting an advising meeting. Preparing means that you have read all polices and websites, created a goal for the meeting, and have questions ready for advisors.

Expectations

Advisor Expectations from Advising appointments

Be on time and respectful.

Prepare ahead of time and review all basic information published online.

If meeting with your academic advisor for course planning, review your STARS report and curriculum requirements.

Act in a manner appropriate and meets the expectation described in the USC Student Code of Conduct.

If emailing advisors remember

Include your USC ID #.
Add a subject line.
Wait the business days listed before following up.
Do not send multiple emails to multiple people regarding the same request/ question/ concern.

Academic Advising at Viterbi

VASE Advisors

The office of Viterbi Admission and Student Engagement (VASE) provides services and resources to help students in the successful pursuit of their graduate degrees. All engineering students are welcome to stop by the vase office to discuss their academics and student life.

Curricular Practical

Training (CPT)

Reduced Course Load (RCL)

LOA (Leave of Absence)

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

Program Extension (PE)

General USC questions

Department Academic Advisors

Advisement on course registration and planning is provided by your academic department advisors.

Advice on course and degree progress

D-clearance

STARS report Updates

Change of Major

Any questions related to your degree requirements

VASE Advisors

Meet with a VASE Master's Advisor

*Drop-in Advising available: Monday - Thursday: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm (PST)

Academic Department Advisors

Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering

Astronautical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering & Materials Science

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Computer Science / Data Science

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Industrial & Systems Engineering

Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Lauren Terazawa Susan Sath
Email	amegrad@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	No
By-Appointment	E-mail department for calendly link.
Additional Information	Advisement meetings are being held via Zoom and in-person (OHE 500) by appointment. Students may email amegrad@usc.edu to request an appointment or request Susan and Lauren's Calendly link.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Astronautical Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Luis Saballos (ASTE MS program) Prisila Cisneros Vasquez (SAE MS program)
Email	lsaballo@usc.edu prisilac@usc.edu
Advising
Drop-in Advising	Drop-in advising through email or phone call only. Not in person.
By-Appointment	By email and Luis calendly or Prisila calendly
Additional Information	ZOOM online appointments available Monday - Friday In-Person: Luis Saballos: Monday and Tuesday, Location OHE 500Q Prisila Cisneros Vasquez: Tuesday and Wednesday, Location OHE500U
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Biomedical Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	William Yang
Email	yangwill@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	Mondays to Fridays, 10AM to 4PM (In-person)
By-Appointment	Mondays to Friday, 10AM to 4PM (In-person or virtual)
Additional Information	Students may email, call-in, and walk-in to schedule an advising appointment.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Anthony Tritto
Email	artritto@usc.edu
Advising
By-Appointment	Anthony Tritto: www.calendly.com/artritto
Additional Information	For general questions please email mfdinfo@usc.edu
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Christine Hsieh Emily Millard
Email	ceedept@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-In Advising	Yes
By-Appointment	E-mail advisor directly.
Additional Information	Weekly Office hours are generally available - students are emailed the schedule each week w/ a zoom link
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Computer Science & Data Science

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Flor Martinez Idania Takimoto Liliana Ochoa-Spring Norma Perry Steve Pham Mara Ragan Sabrina Rodriguez Alexandra Slakter Kimberly Serrano Ani Gemalmazyan Minsun Kim
Email	CSCI: viterbiservicedesk.cscimasters@usc.edu DSCI: viterbiservicedesk.dscimasters@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
By-Appointment	by appointment only through myviterbi.usc.edu
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Gabby Garcia Samantha Graves Jaime zelada
Email	studentinfo@ece.usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	Tuesdays from 2pm-4pm and Fridays from 10am-12pm (Virtual Drop-In)
By-Appointment	E-mail advisor directly.
Additional Information	Student Service Office (EEB 102) is open 9-5pm M-F for immediate assistance. Last Name (Family Name) begins with: A – G, please contact, Studentinfo@ece.usc.edu H – L, your Academic Advisor is Gabby Garcia, garc635@usc.edu M – V, your Academic Advisor is Jaime Zelada, zelada@usc.edu W – Z, your Academic Advisor is Samantha Graves, smgraves@usc.edu
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Industrial & Systems Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Morgan Ponder, Ed.D., Alex Luong (Analytics Students Only)
Email	isedept@usc.edu or ponder@usc.edu , ajluong@usc.edu (Analytics Students Only)
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	No
By-Appointment	Request appointment by email or calendly, Analytics students calendly link
Additional Information	Advisement meetings are being held via Zoom and in-person by appointment. Students may email ponder@usc.edu to request an appointment or his calendly link which is also in his signature. Analytics students: email: ajluong@usc.edu or request calendly appointment.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Note:

Financial Engineering and Green Technologies are housed
within the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.
Petroleum Engineering is housed within the Chemical
Engineering & Materials Science department.
System Architecting & Engineering is housed within the
Astronautical Engineering department.

Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering

Astronautical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering & Materials Science

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Computer Science

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Industrial & Systems Engineering

Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Ellecia Williams
Email	elleciaw@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	No
By-Appointment	E-mail department for calendly link.
Additional Information	Advisement meetings are being held via Zoom and in-person (OHE 500) by appointment. Students may email ewilliams@usc.edu to request Ellecia's Calendly link or to set up an appointment via email.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Astronautical Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Luis Saballos
Email	lsaballo@usc.edu
Advising
Drop-in Advising	Drop in advising through email or phone call only. Not in person.
By-Appointment	By email and calendly
Additional Information	Monday-Friday: ZOOM online appointments only Tuesday Only: in person and online zoom appointments available-OHE 500Q
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Biomedical Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	William Yang
Email	yangwill@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	Mondays to Fridays, 10AM-4PM (In-person)
By-Appointment	Mondays to Fridays, 10AM-4PM (In-person or virtual)
Additional Information	Students may email, call-in, and walk-in to schedule an advising appointment.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Anthony Tritto
Email	artritto@usc.edu
Advising
By-Appointment	Anthony Tritto: www.calendly.com/artritto
Additional Information	Please reach out to Anthony for any PhD concerns.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Christine Hsieh
Email	christih@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
By-Appointment	E-mail advisor directly.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Computer Science

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Lizsl De Leon
Email	ldeleon@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
By-Appointment	by appointment only through myviterbi.usc.edu
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Diane Demetras
Email	demetras@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	Thursdays from 10am-12pm PST (Virtual Drop-in)
By-Appointment	E-mail advisor directly.
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Industrial & Systems Engineering

Department Advisor(s)
Advisor Name(s)	Shelly Lewis
Email	lewisml@usc.edu
Website	Click here for more Info
Advising
Drop-in Advising	No
By-Appointment	Request appointment by email or calendly
Degree Requirements
Curriculum	Click here for more Info

Note:

Financial Engineering and Green Technologies is housed within the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.
Petroleum Engineering is housed within the Chemical Engineering & Materials Science department.
System Architecting & Engineering is housed within the Astronautical Engineering department.

Academic Resources/FAQ's

Published on September 29th, 2022

Last updated on January 2nd, 2023