Faculty and Leadership

The Academy is a unique academic institution, bringing together faculty and leadership from various USC schools to create cross-disciplinary curricula. Our faculty drive the innovation of our programs, bringing expertise and knowledge from diverse backgrounds. Together, they have formed a team that develops and leads online courses and in-person experiences.

Meet the Dean

Erica Muhl

Dean and Founding Director, USC Iovine and Young Academy

In May 2013, Erica Muhl was appointed founding director of the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation, which welcomed its first freshman class in fall 2014. Simultaneously, she served as dean of the USC Roski School of Art and Design, a position she held from September 2012 through June 2018.

In July 2018, Muhl was appointed inaugural dean of the USC Iovine and Young Academy as it became the university’s newest professional school — only the 20th to be so named in the institution’s nearly 140-year history. Under Muhl’s guidance, in just four years the Academy has emerged at the forefront of the drive to expand the reach of higher education beyond traditional disciplinary silos, and toward new pathways for learning and discovery. The school’s unique educational model and its strong student outcomes have been highlighted in The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The London Times, Forbes, Billboard, Variety, WIRED, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Business Insider, Tech Crunch and MIT Technology Review.

In fall 2017, the Academy launched its first graduate degree program, a Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology, which aims to set new standards for online cross-disciplinary instruction.