USC Unveils Korean Air Convergence Plaza in Engineering Hub

The plaza sits at the nexus of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and the Stevens School for Computing and Artificial Intelligence. It serves as an open-air crossroads for the Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall, the Irani Hall for Molecular and Computational Biology, and the Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. USC President Beong-Soo Kim noted that the space intends to pull faculty and students out of their academic silos to foster cross-disciplinary innovation.

Walter Cho, an alumnus who leads both Korean Air and Hanjin Group, framed the donation as a continuation of the airline's long-standing connection to Los Angeles. For the university, the timing is strategic; the campus expects a significant influx of international visitors during the upcoming LA28 games. The plaza provides a central, high-traffic environment for researchers and alumni to interact, reflecting the airline's stated goal of facilitating global connectivity. With the dedication complete, the university positions the site as a permanent fixture for community engagement on the University Park Campus.