Susan Kamei

University of Southern California
Managing Director, Spatial Sciences Institute


As Managing Director of the University of Southern California Spatial Sciences Institute, Susan H. Kamei directs the Institute’s strategic initiatives, external relations, and administration of its academic and research enterprise. Her expertise is in the creation, development, and operations of innovative educational models. She has been a leader at USC in expanding its graduate online programs, establishing protocols for academic assessment, and enriching the student experience.

She currently serves as secretary and a member of the board of directors of URISA, a nonprofit association for professionals in geographic information science (GIS).

Susan also created and teaches a USC history course on the World War II incarceration of persons of Japanese ancestry and its constitutional ramifications. Her book When Can I Go Back to America: Voices of Japanese American Incarceration During World War II will be published by Simon & Schuster in September 2021.


Last updated on: April 21, 2021