Ron Taylor USC Obituary, Death – the sad news of Professor Ron Taylor’s passing with his many close friends and colleagues. I say this with a heavy heart. It is a great privilege to have Professor Taylor join our school’s faculty as one of the more recent members of our SCA family, and we are very excited about this development. After a successful career as a writer and television executive, he enrolled in the School of Cinematic Arts in the spring of 2021 to continue his education in the film industry. In addition to his leadership roles at Sony, Disney, Warner Bros., and Fox, where he served as Vice President of Diverse Programming and advocated for the hiring of diverse creative talent, he was one of the founding executives of the television network UPN. He has also held leadership roles in the entertainment industry.
In addition to that, he was the writer of the screenplay for the movie Brothers of the Borderland, which was screened at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. He most recently became a member of the John Wells Division of Writing for Screen and Television after having previously instructed graduate students in the diversity workshop and having worked as a teacher for the Stark program. He was appointed to our Diversity Council almost immediately, and he was completely dedicated to assisting in the process of making our community as friendly and approachable as is humanly possible.
I am aware that hearing about Ron’s passing is very distressing. Please make use of the resources provided by the university if you or a fellow worker require assistance. Students who are experiencing emotional distress have the option of seeking counseling from Counseling and Mental Health by dialing (213) 740-9355 (WELL), whereas faculty and staff members have the option of dialing (213) 821-0800 to speak with a counselor at the WorkWell Center. I am sorry for the loss of a member of our community and I will keep you updated on any new information regarding the planning of a memorial service. I share your grief over the passing of a friend.
