USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

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USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

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The original, largest and most diverse of USC's academic schools ✌️ We also reserve the right to block repeat offenders.

USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences is the university's primary center for research and education in the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. The largest, oldest and most diverse of USC’s 19 academic schools, USC Dornsife is home to more than 30 academic departments, 140 majors and minors, more than 20 Ph.D. programs and 30 research centers and institutes.

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10/28/2026

Imagine showing up for a discussion about democracy and discovering that your guest speaker is a former U.S. president.

That's what happened to about 50 USC students when Joe Biden surprised a study group at our USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

There was plenty to talk about. And yes, there was ice cream. 🍦

The students got an unexpected chance to speak with the former president at a USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future study group

10/26/2026

The dead are part of our everyday lives in greater numbers than you might imagine. 👻

Research by Emily Smith-Greenaway and Penn State's Ashton Verdery estimates that Black and white Americans have some 755 million ties to deceased close relatives, more than three times the number of living people in those populations.

Those connections to the other side aren't just numbers. They represent people whose memories, relationships and influence remain woven into the lives of those they've left behind.

The shadow population of deceased relatives is over three times as large as the living population, explain USC and Penn State sociologists

10/22/2026

Would California's proposed billionaire tax raise billions for health care, or ultimately cost the state revenue?

That's the question two leading economists tackled in our recent debate over Proposition 40.

USC Dornsife's Prof. Matthew E. Kahn and UC Berkeley's Emmanuel Saez offered sharply different assessments of the measure and its potential consequences for California.

The debate has already attracted more than 6,000 YouTube views in just five days. Watch it or read about it:

USC Dornsife economist Mathew Kahn and UC Berkeley economist Emmanual Saez debate Prop. 40, which aims to impose a one-time, 5% tax on billionaires.

10/21/2026

In 1987, the last free-flying California condor was captured. Today, more than 300 are back in the wild.

An extraordinary comeback. So why was the rescue so controversial?

As nations gather for global biodiversity talks, Profs. Shannon Gibson and David Ginsburg examine what the condor's story reveals about the difficult choices behind saving endangered species, and why local communities need a say in those decisions.

The California condor offers lessons for who should have a say in which species are conserved, say two USC Dornsife environmental scientists

10/14/2026

Where can a PhD in history take you? In Ryan Linkof's case, right across the street from where he earned it.

At the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, the USC Dornsife alumnus (PhD ’11) is senior curator and head of film programs.

Ryan credits his interdisciplinary studies with shaping his approach to visual storytelling, from prehistoric cave paintings to contemporary comics.

Meet Ryan and take a look inside the museum. 🎬

10/05/2026

You don’t have to leave a career you love to prepare for what comes next.

Heather Bonomo has worked as a stunt performer on everything from Captain Marvel to Better Call Saul. But industry disruptions and the rise of AI convinced her she needed more options.

She turned to our online Master of Science in Applied Psychology to help give her exactly that.

“I’m going to have options I didn’t have before I started this program.”

Congratulations on your degree, Heather, and thank you for sharing your story!

For stuntwoman Heather Bonomo, earning an MS in Applied Psychology created new career opportunities following an industry strike and rapid advances in AI.

10/01/2026

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Frederic Clark, associate professor of classics and English.

He was a gifted scholar, known for extraordinary generosity to students and colleagues.

We will miss him greatly.

Clark focused on how we came to define historical eras, as well as forgeries and frauds, as part of his research on the afterlife of classical antiquity.

09/22/2026

Prof. Andy Lakoff’s scholarship ranged from psychiatry and pharmaceuticals to pandemics and emergency preparedness. He had a remarkable gift for bringing people and ideas together across disciplines.

We remember an influential scholar, generous mentor and colleague, and former USC Dornsife divisional dean who died in July at 56.

The USC Dornsife professor and former divisional dean explored how science and technology shape modern life and brought scholars across disciplines together to tackle complex questions.

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3551 Trousdale Pkwy
Los Angeles, CA
90089

Website

http://dornsife.usc.edu/

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