The longest-serving dean in the history of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. A builder of institutions, a champion of diversity, and a believer in engineering for the good of humanity.
A life dedicated to engineering, education, and the pursuit of knowledge
Born in Athens, Greece in 1951, Yannis Yortsos grew up on the island of Rhodes — a place of natural beauty, history, and a truly wonderful place to grow up. That privileged childhood, shaped by the classical traditions of his homeland, instilled in him a deep love of learning and a belief in the power of engineering to transform lives.
He graduated first in his class from the National Technical University of Athens in 1973, then crossed the Atlantic to earn his M.S. (1974) and Ph.D. (1979) in Chemical Engineering from Caltech. His doctoral thesis on oil recovery by steam injection would foreshadow a career defined by solving complex problems at the intersection of science and society.
In the fall of 1978, Yortsos joined USC as an assistant professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. It was the beginning of a relationship that would span nearly five decades and reshape the trajectory of one of America's great engineering schools.
Rising through the ranks to full professor (1989), department chair (1991), associate dean (2001), and finally dean in 2005, Yortsos became the seventh and longest-tenured dean in the school's history.
Beyond the academy, Yortsos is a passionate soccer enthusiast whose love of the beautiful game mirrors his approach to leadership: teamwork, strategy, and the joy of collective achievement.
"Like many before and after me, I was warmly, unconditionally welcomed and embraced by a country that offered an inspiring environment to work, grow, and prosper."
Two decades of milestones that transformed USC Viterbi
Redefining what engineering means, who engineers are, and what they can achieve
In 2008, Dean Yortsos articulated a transformative idea he called Engineering+: the conviction that engineering is not a narrow technical discipline, but the enabling force of our times, one that intersects with medicine, the arts, social sciences, business, and every domain of human endeavor.
"In a world where change is essentially the only constant, our goal and challenge as an institution is to constantly redefine what it means to be an engineering school, how we set our goals and visions, how we educate, discover, and innovate."Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, State of the School 2021
This philosophy led to groundbreaking interdisciplinary programs: USC Games with the School of Cinematic Arts, Health Technology and Engineering with Keck Medicine, the Center for AI in Society with Social Work, and the Engineering in Society Program that cultivates not just competence but character.
"Our graduating engineers will be handling technologies of extraordinary power and of equally impactful unintended consequences. We need to prepare students not only with appropriate competencies, but also with mindsets of agility and adaptability, with deeper understanding of human cultures and with the purpose of developing and using technology for the good of humanity."Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, 2021
His vision culminated in the creation of the School of Advanced Computing in 2024, powered by the $1 billion Frontiers of Computing initiative, the largest educational investment in USC history, ensuring that every USC student, regardless of discipline, would gain fluency in the technologies shaping our world.
Programs, centers, and buildings that will endure for generations
Co-founded with NAE colleagues, now adopted by 100+ universities worldwide. Recognized with the 2022 NAE Gordon Prize.
Established the first academic center to host a D-Wave quantum computer, positioning USC at the frontier of quantum computing.
Created USC's first engineering entrepreneurship program, fostering a culture of innovation and startup creation.
A partnership between USC, Caltech, and UCLA, later expanded to the NSF I-Corps West Hub spanning 12 universities.
Pioneering interdisciplinary center applying AI to social challenges, a partnership with the School of Social Work.
Led the National Academy of Engineering's response to the pandemic, mobilizing engineering expertise nationwide.
Enabled by a $260M Lord Foundation gift, the largest educational gift in USC history, launching the School of Advanced Computing.
A 116,000 sq. ft., seven-story building housing the School of Advanced Computing, a nexus for research and education.
The first undergraduate AI program on the West Coast, with a mandate that all engineering courses include AI fundamentals.
Changing who engineers are and what engineering looks like
Dean Yortsos made diversity not just a goal but a defining characteristic of USC Viterbi. As Chair of the ASEE Engineering Deans Council Diversity Committee (2012-2017), he spearheaded a national diversity initiative, highlighted at the White House in 2015, that has been adopted by more than 250 engineering schools across the country.
Under his leadership, USC Viterbi achieved gender parity in its entering undergraduate class in 2019, a milestone maintained for six consecutive years. He hired 63% of Viterbi's 213 tenure-track faculty, deliberately diversifying the ranks to include more women, Black, and Latine faculty members.
"As a creative and innovative discipline, with substantial societal impact, engineering benefits tremendously from the rich diversity and multitude of views, mindsets and novel approaches brought to the field by the increasingly diverse student body. This is worth cherishing and celebrating."Dean Yannis C. Yortsos
He served as PI of the NSF Gender Equity Initiative EDGE (2018-2021) and championed the Center for Engineering Diversity, which USC established in 1975 as the first private university in California to fund such a program. In 2017, the ASEE honored Viterbi with both its President's Award and the Award for Excellence in Veterans in Engineering.
"He was authentically and passionately about the importance and need for persons from all parts of our diverse population to get training in engineering," said Timothy Pinkston, Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs. "I saw his passion and his genuineness on this particular topic, and it compelled me and motivated me to want to work for such a person."
A career celebrated by the world's most prestigious institutions
Moments that capture a legacy of leadership, warmth, and dedication
What colleagues, students, and leaders say about Dean Yortsos
"Dean Yortsos' true legacy is the strength of the Viterbi School, which is greater than it has ever been. I know I speak for many in the Viterbi community and across the university when I note that Dean Yortsos's impact will be long-lasting for Viterbi, the field of engineering, and USC."Andrew Guzman, USC Provost
"He was so happy for me because to him it was all about 'This is a wonderful thing. I'm so happy for you.' He never thought for a second how this impacts him or his team, which is what 99% of other people would have done."Maja Mataric, Professor of Computer Science, former Vice Dean for Research
"He appreciates a diversity of opinions. I'm a firm believer in just being very open with ideas and potentially critiques. And Yannis has always embraced that, which is very impressive, because most people don't want that."Maja Mataric, describing Yortsos as "caring," "discerning," and "humble"
"He was authentically and passionately about the importance and need for persons from all parts of our diverse population to get training in engineering. I saw his passion and his genuineness on this particular topic, and it compelled me and motivated me to want to work for such a person."Timothy Pinkston, Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs
"As Socrates said: 'Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.' My hope for all of you is that your time at USC helped the kindling of a flame that will burn brightly all your life. That flame will hopefully give warmth to other places, cities, industries, and maybe even worlds."Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, Ph.D. Commencement 2025
For 21 years, you showed us that engineering is not just about building things, but about building people, building bridges between disciplines, and building a better world for all humanity.
You changed the conversation about what engineering means. You opened doors for those who had never seen themselves as engineers. You championed competence and character in equal measure. You led with humility, warmth, and an unwavering belief that there is always so much left to do.
"What keeps me going is that there's just so much left to do!"Dean Yannis C. Yortsos
From Athens and Rhodes to Los Angeles, from a young professor in 1978 to the longest-serving dean in Viterbi history, your journey has been an inspiration to thousands of students, faculty, and colleagues around the world.
The Viterbi School is greater than it has ever been. And that is your legacy.
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