USC School of Cinematic Arts alums Ryan Coogler (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Fruitvale Station) and Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Little) have joined the school’s Board of Councilors.
The appointment was announced by Elizabeth M. Daley, Dean of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and the SCA’s Board of Councilors. The board guides the school’s overall strategic planning, development and fundraising efforts.
“It is with great pleasure that we welcome Ryan Coogler and Tracy Oliver as the newest members of the SCA Board of Councilors,” said Langley. “Ryan and Tracy have dominated the industry with their innovative craft and mastered the art of storytelling for a global audience. They wholly embody the attributions of the next generation of this board and our business.”
Coogler (class of 2011) and Oliver (2010) are the youngest alumni appointed to the board and join a group that includes Langley, Chair Emeritus Frank Price, Sarah Bond, Kevin Feige, David Geffen, Jim Gianopulos, Brian Grazer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Bill M. Mechanic, Shonda Rhimes, John Riccitiello, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Tsujihara, John Wells and Robert Zemeckis.
“We are so honored to have Ryan and Tracy join the board,” said Feige, the Marvel Studios president. “Their breadth and scope of work showcases the heart of SCA’s philosophy that while innovation is essential story is always the key. Ryan and Tracy are creative forces in the industry and their presence on the board will ensure the school is in great hands.”
“USC’s School of Cinematic Arts was where I learned the skills that I have utilized every day for over a decade of work in this industry,” said Coogler. “I’m incredibly grateful to Dean Daley, Kevin Feige, and Donna Langley for this esteemed opportunity, and I am excited to be joining alongside my friend Tracy Oliver, who has blazed her own incredible trail in film and television. I look forward to working with them and the other distinguished members of the board to support SCA’s continued pursuit of building the best environment for their students.”
“Attending USC’s School of Cinematic Arts forever changed my trajectory in the best way possible,” said Oliver. “As a proud alum, I’m very honored to be joining this esteemed board, alongside so many people I admire and excited to reunite with my old film school buddy, Ryan Coogler, whose incredible work inspired me back then and continues to today. Thank you, Elizabeth Daley, Kevin Feige, and Donna Langley for personally welcoming me.”
