When a group of USC athletes announced the formation of the United Black Student-Athletes Association in June and called for systemic changes within the athletic department, Julie Rousseau, an adjunct professor at the university, thought to herself, Good for them.

Rousseau had taught several of the student-athletes involved in her identity development of the contemporary female class. She knew the task ahead of them was a challenging one, but she admired their determination.

Little did she know, shed soon be tasked with finding the best ways to implement the UBSAAs action items.

On Tuesday, Rousseau was named the chair of the new Black Lives Matter Action Team at USC. She recognizes it as a daunting task, but the work is kindred in spirit to what Rousseau has dedicated much of her life to learning about.

Im just humbled, truly humbled, by this opportunity, Rousseau said, but also very eager to do something that hopefully has lasting impact.

Rousseau herself was a student-athlete, spending two years on the womens basketball team at UC Irvine. She had come from a family that always encouraged her in sports, whether it was playing basketball against her older brothers or being the only girl on an all-boys baseball team.

I had not encountered any discrimination until I got to college, Rousseau said, noting she was one of two Black women on the team. Being at a predominantly white institution where you just feel like you dont want to be seen. Your voice is diminished because you know youre one of a few. Its imperceptible.

After school, Rousseau gravitated to coaching. She was part of the Sparks inaugural coaching staff before serving as an assistant at Stanford. Then, she spent nine seasons at the head coach for the Pepperdine womens team.

This coaching experience helped inspire her dissertation for her doctorate degree in human systems engineering at Arizona State.

The premise of the dissertation was to study the stresses that face coaches and how those differ along racial and gender lines. All coaches, naturally, felt some form of stress. White men felt the pressure to be the face of the program. White women felt pressure to be a mother when they got home from work.

Black coaches dealt with both of those stressors, but also ones that were unique to their positions: If I dont do my job well, will I get another opportunity? If I dont do my job well, will that be held against future Black coaches? And how do I prepare my student-athletes, especially Black student-athletes, for the challenges of the world?

Youre knowing that youre one of a few that have an opportunity, Rousseau explained. Im bringing in not just me but my entire race.

These experiences will guide Rousseau as she tries to bring change to USC. Student-athletes and coaches form part an advisory committee that will help her team know if it is on the right track to implementing the changes that athletic director Mike Bohn has tasked her with identifying.

The action team will use the recommendations of the UBSAA as their starting point, recommendations that include creating a more diverse workforce within the USC athletic department

Were really trying to listen and learn, make the assessment, Rousseau said. What my experience was, was being one of a few and silenced. And I think this speaks to the power of a united voice.

And the thing that I am hearing more and more through the conversations that Im having, she continued, is weve been wanting to do something like this for a long time. For me that says, Oh my God, what a responsibility. I dont walk into this lightly at all. But Im not alone.

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Experience prepared Julie Rousseau to lead USCs Black Lives Matter Action Team - OCRegister