Steven Browning Sample (November 29, 1940 – March 29, 2016) was the 10th president of the University of Southern California (USC). He became president in 1991 and was succeeded by C. L. Max Nikias on August 3, 2010. Prior to his presidency at USC, Sample was the 12th president of the University at Buffalo (UB) in the State University of New York (SUNY) system from 1982 to 1991. He was succeeded at UB by Bill Greiner. Education Sample was born on November 29, 1940 and grew up in the Belden Hill neighborhood of Wilton, Connecticut and received a scholarship to attend the University of Illinois to study engineering. Sample held B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was initiated as a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Career University at Buffalo presidency Sample was president of the University at Buffalo from 1982 to 1991, and was succeeded by Bill Greiner. While president, he gained fame for upgrading the long-languishing sports program, and for guiding the university into being a major research institution. Accordingly, the university's academic functions were consolidated under the office of the provost, in a major change from prior tradition. Honors In 2004, Sample was honored by UB with the Charles P. Norton Medal, the highest honor given by the university. Also in 2004, a scholarship fund was established in Sample's honor to go toward funding four years for an undergraduate who is a student in the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department, as well as being in the University Honors Program. Regarding the establishment of a scholarship fund in his honor, Sample is quoted in a statement, included in an article in the June 2, 2004 edition of The Buffalo News by Stephen Watson, stating, "I am proud of the fact that, through this endowed scholarship, my name will be permanently linked with the University of Buffalo, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the honors program." University of Southern California presidency Under Sample's leadership, USC became world-renowned in the fields of communication and multimedia technologies, received national acclaim for its innovative community partnerships, and improved its status as one of the nation's leading research universities. In 1999, USC was ranked #41 among universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. In 2010, the final year of Sample's term, USC was ranked #26