The University of Southern California’s humanities department just received a $15 million donation from alumna Elizabeth Van Hunnick, who was born and raised in Cypress.
She donated in her family’s name to the Department of History at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, from which she graduated. It was the largest single donation to USC’s humanities department.
“With this gift, she is ensuring new opportunities for both faculty and students whose scholarship rigorously examines and illuminates the history that shapes our communities and our world,” said USC President Carol L. Folt.
USC announced it now will be called the Van Hunnick History Department. The gift will endow three faculty chairs named after family members, establish a faculty research fund and create a graduate student fellowship….