USC Dean of Public Policy Embraces Sunstone Economic Development Challenge

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Christopher G. Boone, Ph.D., arrived in Los Angeles in January to become Dean of the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California – just three months before the finale of the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge @ USC Price.

Five months later, Boone says he is still excited about the Challenge and what it can accomplish.

“Experiential learning is one of my top priorities,” said Boone, who is also the C. Erwin and Ione L. Piper Chair. “The Challenge has students work in teams on a question for real-world clients where the answer is not known in advance… It checks all the boxes.”

Student teams, made up primarily of graduate students at the USC Price School, work for most of the semester with city government officials to find solutions to specific economic development issues. Five cities participated this year – Carson, Cypress, Glendora, Nevada City and Santa Clarita.

This was the third year for the Challenge, which is sponsored by Sunstone Cities and the USC City/County Management Fellowship. Each of the student teams pitch their proposed plans to a panel of experts, with prize money – supplied by the Sunstone Community Fund – awarded to the top three finishers.

“There are lots of benefits for the cities involved, too,” Boone said. “It’s an opportunity to give back, and professionals invariably like the chance to give back. And you get the chance to work with young people who aren’t constrained, who are blue sky thinking with new eyes. Finally, it is a chance for talent acquisition once the students graduate.”

Giselle Melendez-Cruz was a member of the 2024 Challenge’s winning team and is now an Economic Development Fellow at Sunstone Cities. She acted as the Emcee for this year’s Challenge finale.

Boone said he is excited to continue partnering with Sunstone and the Management Fellowship to keep the Challenge going – and growing.

“I’d like to see it expand to other dimensions of public policy,” he said. “Teams could look at cities’ general plans, for example, or consider health plans.

“It could also expand to other schools at USC,” he added. “There could be a lot of value to interacting with students from other schools, like arts and engineering.”

Students interviewed at the finale talked about the amount of time spent on the project and the willingness of city officials to both help and listen to their ideas. Each team prepared a staff memo explaining their recommendations to the cities’ elected officials.

“What surprised me the most was how seriously the students took the competition,” Boone said. “It was more than a class to them. They were invested in the project.”

To see the teams’ presentations and memos, go to the challenge website. The link to the USC Price School is here, and for more about Sunstone Cities, go to www.sunstonecities.com.

About Sunstone

Sunstone Management is a diversified private capital firm located in Southern California that invests in diverse early-stage technology entrepreneurs who seek to build great companies. We believe in the aspirational power of the American economy to attract and inspire investors and entrepreneurs from throughout the world. We deliver new and exciting opportunities for economic growth through the creation of innovative public-private partnerships, and our unique experience across government, education, and private sectors.