Assistant Director
University Park Campus Residential Colleges
Email: derekmur@usc.edu
Phone: 213.740.3954
Education:
Masters Degree, Student Affairs in Higher Education; Colorado State University
Bachelor of Arts, Social Work, Colorado State University
Bio + Fun Facts:
Derek Murakami is the Assistant Director overseeing University Park Campus Residential Colleges. Born and raised in Southern California, Derek went out of state and attended Colorado State University where he earned his Bachelor’s in Social Work and Master’s of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education. Derek has worked at several institutions prior to working at USC, 3 years as a Resident Director at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, 3 years as a Residence Director at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL, and most recently sailing Fall 2016 with Semester at Sea as a Resident Director, traveling to 12 different countries and 13 cities.
In his professional career, Derek has developed a passion for LGBTQIA equity, and social justice and cultural competency education, especially focused on support of Asian Pacific Islander and Desi American student populations. Personally, Derek is excited to return to Southern California, particularly for all the great food, weekends at Disneyland, and to be at an institution where he can cheer on competitive athletic sports teams.