University of Southern California

Beth Shuster

Acting Senior Vice President of Communications

Beth Shuster, a veteran communications strategist and journalist, is the acting senior vice president of communications. She most recently served as the vice president for content strategy and chief of staff in University Communications.

Shuster came to USC in June 2016. She was the director of public communications in the Office of the Provost for three years, where she provided strategic direction and promoted the academic workings of the university. She then became chief of staff in that office for nearly three years, where she provided strategic support to the provost, directed all communications and served as a point of contact for senior leadership, faculty and students.

Before joining the university, Shuster was a journalist at the Los Angeles Times where she served as education editor for a decade. She directed all coverage of education and managed and edited the team that produced breaking news, features and long-term projects. She also moderated community panels for the Times and other organizations. She oversaw numerous award-winning series and articles.

Prior to editing, Shuster was a reporter at the Los Angeles Times where she covered all major beats in Los Angeles, including education, City Hall and law enforcement. She is a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and has won numerous education awards.

Shuster continues to be actively engaged with national, state and local media. She serves on the Board of Directors of the national Education Writers Association. She is also an active member of the Association of American Universities’ Public Affairs Network.

She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz in English Literature.

Last Updated: 5/1/23