News | USC Today | October 2025

Public Exchange expands from USC to Washington University in St. Louis

Public-private partnerships push university research beyond theory and into action to help city leaders, nonprofits and public agencies solve real-world problems.

USC and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) announced Thursday that they have teamed up to expand Public Exchange — a model first created at USC to connect academic research with city leaders, nonprofits and businesses tackling urgent community issues — into a growing network.

The universities will work together to develop solutions-focused partnerships that address challenges in their respective regions, such as disaster recovery, food insecurity and climate resilience, while also sharing tools and insights across institutions nationwide.

“With over 500 research universities in the United States, we see potential to leverage this incredible community of experts to work with our local government agencies, community organizations and private companies on solutions to local problems,” said Kate Weber, executive director of USC Public Exchange.