Dean's Chair Endowed at USC School of Dramatic Arts

Trojan parent Steve Braverman has endowed the Braverman Family Dean's Chair at the USC School of Dramatic Arts in honor of the school's new dean, David Bridel. This is the largest gift to Dramatic Arts and the second major gift to the school since Bridel was named dean in April, 2016.

"This exceptionally generous gift is only further proof of the Braverman family's unshakable commitment to our university," USC President C. L. Max Nikias said. "As a member of the Board of Councilors for the School of Dramatic Arts, Steve has been a trusted advisor whose passion for education matches his high regard for Dean Bridel. Steve has seen first-hand how connected the school is to each student's success, and envisions this endowment as a way to further that success in the years to come."

The endowment will fund the School of Dramatic Arts Dean's position in perpetuity and the surrounding activities and initiatives key to Dean Bridel's vision. These include increased scholarship, faculty development and evolving curricula to offer a more contemporary approach to dramatic arts training.

USC Provost Michael Quick said the gift comes at an important time for the School of Dramatic Arts. "Steve Braverman's generous support for the school and Dean Bridel will create a springboard for the faculty, staff, graduates and students to expand and enrich the field of dramatic arts in the coming years," Quick said.

"I am deeply grateful to Steve for his extraordinary support through this wonderful gift," said Dean Bridel. "He is an amazing champion of the arts and the university, and his legacy will benefit our school in perpetuity. I am very proud to be the first dean in the Braverman Family Dean's Chair and to know this leadership gift will help the school for generations to come."

New Jersey residents Steve and Abbey Braverman exemplify the engagement of Trojan parents. Their daughter, Heather, is a student at the School of Dramatic Arts. Both Steve and Abbey Braverman have been Tri-State Parent Ambassadors for the school since fall 2014. Steve is currently the chair of the USC Parent Leadership Circle Executive Committee, and a member of the board of councilors for the School of Dramatic Arts.

Steve Braverman praised the school's new initiatives and the strength of Dean Bridel's vision and hopes to help "continue the momentum."

"Dean Bridel's ideas to develop cross-discipline partnerships and incorporate more new media opportunities for the students will make this school one of the strongest in the nation," he said. "Heather has already excelled academically and creatively thanks to the diverse and talented faculty, but we are confident that Dean Bridel's new initiatives will build on that foundation and help advance her career and future as an artist. We hope our gift will encourage others to support Dean Bridel's exciting vision at this critical moment in the school's growth."

Steve Braverman is co-CEO of Pathstone Federal Street, an independent, family and employee owned integrated wealth management organization. Steve earned a BA in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and attended the Keller Graduate School of Management MBA Finance Program. He is on the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees, the Yale-New Haven Hospital Investment Committee, and has a long history of philanthropy and has supported a diverse range of causes.

Located in Los Angeles, a city synonymous with artistic innovation and excellence, the top-ranked USC School of Dramatic Arts is a leader in dramatic arts training. The school uniquely blends artistic training in a conservatory environment with world-class faculty artists and the full academic experience found only within a major research university.

Under the leadership of newly appointed Dean Bridel, the USC School of Dramatic Arts is embarking upon an exciting period of expansion and growth and has articulated a number of goals that offer a flexible and contemporary approach to dramatic arts training. To respond to today's rapidly changing media climate, the school is enhancing its curricula, growing its professional development offerings, and cultivating new programming that will provide the versatility and cutting-edge skills essential to the contemporary actor, writer, stage manager and designer.

Leadership support from families like the Bravermans will help the school to realize these ambitions and goals as it enters one of the most important fundraising periods in the school's history.

Pictured: Steve Braverman, Niki Nikias and USC President C. L. Max Nikias on campus. Photo by Steve Cohn.

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