USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
@dornsife.usc.edu
The original, largest and most diverse of USC’s academic schools ✌️
We were proud to report this news and are grateful not only for this generous pledge, but also for ICW's terrific work!
We’re so honored to share that we just received a $4 million pledge toward our $10 million endowment campaign from a friend of the institute who wishes to remain anonymous. The gift will support our mission to create “new understandings of the past to inform public dialogue in the American West.”
February 11, 2026 at 6:40 PM
We were proud to report this news and are grateful not only for this generous pledge, but also for ICW's terrific work!
Officially official: James Bullock (@jbprime.bsky.social) has been installed as the 23rd dean of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
He’s championing a “modern approach to the liberal arts” — rooted in tradition, tuned to today’s students and job market. bit.ly/4kqtMMd
He’s championing a “modern approach to the liberal arts” — rooted in tradition, tuned to today’s students and job market. bit.ly/4kqtMMd
James Bullock officially installed as USC Dornsife dean
USC president calls him “the perfect person to steer Dornsife into the future.”
bit.ly
February 9, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Officially official: James Bullock (@jbprime.bsky.social) has been installed as the 23rd dean of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
He’s championing a “modern approach to the liberal arts” — rooted in tradition, tuned to today’s students and job market. bit.ly/4kqtMMd
He’s championing a “modern approach to the liberal arts” — rooted in tradition, tuned to today’s students and job market. bit.ly/4kqtMMd
The Seahawks win and so do USC Dornsife alumni. Congrats to Uchenna Nwosu ’18 and Brandon Pili ’22!
Whichever team you’re rooting for in the Super Bowl, we’ve got extra reason to cheer. 🏈
USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology) will take the field for the Seattle Seahawks.
Fight on, guys - we're proud of you!
USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology) will take the field for the Seattle Seahawks.
Fight on, guys - we're proud of you!
February 9, 2026 at 5:40 AM
The Seahawks win and so do USC Dornsife alumni. Congrats to Uchenna Nwosu ’18 and Brandon Pili ’22!
Whichever team you’re rooting for in the Super Bowl, we’ve got extra reason to cheer. 🏈
USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology) will take the field for the Seattle Seahawks.
Fight on, guys - we're proud of you!
USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology) will take the field for the Seattle Seahawks.
Fight on, guys - we're proud of you!
February 7, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Whichever team you’re rooting for in the Super Bowl, we’ve got extra reason to cheer. 🏈
USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology) will take the field for the Seattle Seahawks.
Fight on, guys - we're proud of you!
USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology) will take the field for the Seattle Seahawks.
Fight on, guys - we're proud of you!
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
New findings from @dornsife.usc.edu Earth sciences Professor Sylvain Barbot could reshape risk assessments for Istanbul, one of the world’s most vulnerable megacities. today.usc.edu/how-hidden-f...
How hidden factors beneath Istanbul shape earthquake risk
Underground heat and sediment patterns control how earthquakes behave along one of the most dangerous faults in the eastern Mediterranean.
today.usc.edu
February 4, 2026 at 10:09 PM
New findings from @dornsife.usc.edu Earth sciences Professor Sylvain Barbot could reshape risk assessments for Istanbul, one of the world’s most vulnerable megacities. today.usc.edu/how-hidden-f...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Marine heatwaves are pushing coral beyond recovery. New @dornsife.usc.edu research finds two coral species are now functionally extinct after extreme ocean warming—underscoring how quickly climate impacts can reshape marine ecosystems.
Bleaching event leaves two crucial corals 'functionally extinct'
After a killer marine heatwave in Florida, two reef-building corals can’t do their ecological jobs — but experts aren’t giving up hope yet
dornsife.usc.edu
February 4, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Marine heatwaves are pushing coral beyond recovery. New @dornsife.usc.edu research finds two coral species are now functionally extinct after extreme ocean warming—underscoring how quickly climate impacts can reshape marine ecosystems.
She is deeply missed. ❤️
Across her more than two decades at @dornsife.usc.edu, Ashe-McNalley taught countless undergraduates how to think critically and articulate ideas in their own voice. As the first faculty director of The Writing Program, she deftly navigated change and significant expansion.
In Memoriam: Norah Ashe-McNalley, director of The Writing Program
Under Ashe-McNalley’s leadership, the program grew significantly in both scope and prestige.
dornsife.usc.edu
January 28, 2026 at 4:16 PM
She is deeply missed. ❤️
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Join me live on Feb 26 for a conversation with @dornsife.usc.edu researchers & alumni on how Earth’s most extreme environments are shaping where & how scientists search for life beyond our planet.
Register Now:
usc.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Register Now:
usc.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
January 24, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Join me live on Feb 26 for a conversation with @dornsife.usc.edu researchers & alumni on how Earth’s most extreme environments are shaping where & how scientists search for life beyond our planet.
Register Now:
usc.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Register Now:
usc.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Congratulations to evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers on winning the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. This prize, administered by @dornsife.usc.edu celebrates Kiers’ research is on mycorrhizal fungi connecting plant roots across forest floors.
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
USC Dornsife celebrates Tyler Prize winner Toby Kiers
Expert on mycorrhizal fungi honored for efforts to map and protect the underground networks that sustain life on Earth
dornsife.usc.edu
January 14, 2026 at 9:39 PM
Congratulations to evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers on winning the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. This prize, administered by @dornsife.usc.edu celebrates Kiers’ research is on mycorrhizal fungi connecting plant roots across forest floors.
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
If powerful #AI systems can sometimes start behaving like sociopaths, how do we keep them aligned with human values?
We explore what it might take to keep them in check — including a built-in sense of “vulnerability,” so it has something to lose by causing harm. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
We explore what it might take to keep them in check — including a built-in sense of “vulnerability,” so it has something to lose by causing harm. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Can we prevent AI from acting like a sociopath?
Researchers are investigating how to keep artificial intelligence aligned with human values.
dornsife.usc.edu
January 12, 2026 at 6:54 PM
If powerful #AI systems can sometimes start behaving like sociopaths, how do we keep them aligned with human values?
We explore what it might take to keep them in check — including a built-in sense of “vulnerability,” so it has something to lose by causing harm. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
We explore what it might take to keep them in check — including a built-in sense of “vulnerability,” so it has something to lose by causing harm. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Congratulations, Prof. Lloyd!
My book Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth was long-listed for the PEN E.O. Wilson Award! I've been inspired by E.O. Wilson's science writing since I was a kid, so this is a huge honor!
pen.org/announcing-t...
pen.org/announcing-t...
Announcing the 2026 PEN America Literary Awards Longlists
PEN America is honored to announce the Longlists for the 2026 Literary Awards, which will confer nearly $350,000 to writers and translators.
pen.org
December 19, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Congratulations, Prof. Lloyd!
As Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters, we’re revisiting the story behind Na’vi — a language crafted by a @usc.edu Dornsife linguistics alumnus.
From phonetics to grammar, every word was built with science. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
From phonetics to grammar, every word was built with science. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
The Science of Language (Na'vi, That Is)
From harmony (meoauniaea) to brainworm (eltungawng), Paul Frommer Ph.D. ’81 creates a brand new language for the film Avatar.
dornsife.usc.edu
December 19, 2025 at 6:12 PM
As Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters, we’re revisiting the story behind Na’vi — a language crafted by a @usc.edu Dornsife linguistics alumnus.
From phonetics to grammar, every word was built with science. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
From phonetics to grammar, every word was built with science. dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
How researchers are learning what makes police stops feel respectful dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
How researchers are learning what makes police stops feel respectful
USC Dornsife led effort analyzes bodycam video from 1,000 L.A. traffic stops to train AI tools to improve safety, accountability and respect
dornsife.usc.edu
December 18, 2025 at 6:53 PM
How researchers are learning what makes police stops feel respectful dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
From community dream to academic force in contemporary Armenian studies @dornsife.usc.edu dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
From community dream to force in contemporary Armenian studies
USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies marks 20 years of amplifying the community’s experiences, advancing a globally relevant future
dornsife.usc.edu
December 10, 2025 at 3:59 PM
From community dream to academic force in contemporary Armenian studies @dornsife.usc.edu dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
USC Nobel laureate in Chemistry Arieh Warshel is using AI to predict how HIV and other viruses evolve as a means of overcoming drug resistance.
@dornsife.usc.edu
today.usc.edu/decoding-the...
@dornsife.usc.edu
today.usc.edu/decoding-the...
Decoding the chemistry of life, with the aid of AI — USC News
USC Nobel laureate Arieh Warshel attempts to predict evolution of viruses.
today.usc.edu
December 9, 2025 at 10:56 PM
USC Nobel laureate in Chemistry Arieh Warshel is using AI to predict how HIV and other viruses evolve as a means of overcoming drug resistance.
@dornsife.usc.edu
today.usc.edu/decoding-the...
@dornsife.usc.edu
today.usc.edu/decoding-the...
The rate of food insecurity in L.A. County hasn’t changed much since last year. But higher-income Angelenos now make up a growing share.
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Food insecurity still high in LA County, but who it affects is changing
USC Dornsife study finds food insecurity stayed at 24% in 2025, with improvements for low-income households and rising strain for others
dornsife.usc.edu
December 9, 2025 at 11:48 PM
The rate of food insecurity in L.A. County hasn’t changed much since last year. But higher-income Angelenos now make up a growing share.
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Tomorrow: New USC Dornsife Public Exchange data on food and nutrition insecurity in L.A. County — and what it reveals about who’s being affected.
December 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Tomorrow: New USC Dornsife Public Exchange data on food and nutrition insecurity in L.A. County — and what it reveals about who’s being affected.
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Only 16% of Angelenos live on well-shaded streets. But nearly half think they do. A study by @dornsife.usc.edu breaks down L.A.’s “shade perception gap.”
LA’s shade gap: Many think their streets are covered – they’re not
New LABarometer report: Half of Angelenos say their block has enough shade even though most live on tree-sparse streets
dornsife.usc.edu
November 29, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Only 16% of Angelenos live on well-shaded streets. But nearly half think they do. A study by @dornsife.usc.edu breaks down L.A.’s “shade perception gap.”
We may be rivals on the field, but off it, @usc.edu and UCLA often team up as powerful partners — from public service projects like our @weareshadela.bsky.social coalition to breakthroughs in tech, medicine and more. today.usc.edu/usc-and-ucla...
USC and UCLA: 10 ways these football rivals are partners off the field
Trojan and Bruin faculty and students often work together to tackle societal challenges and spark discovery in medicine, technology and more. (They even play games together!)
today.usc.edu
November 25, 2025 at 6:26 PM
We may be rivals on the field, but off it, @usc.edu and UCLA often team up as powerful partners — from public service projects like our @weareshadela.bsky.social coalition to breakthroughs in tech, medicine and more. today.usc.edu/usc-and-ucla...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
On 34th Street sits one of USC’s greatest legacies. For 50+ years, @dornsife.usc.edu's JEP has sent Trojans into local classrooms to tutor, mentor, and uplift students.
USC Dornsife’s Joint Educational Project – generations of service
JEP, launched 50 years ago, is one of USC’s most enduring initiatives, serving and educating generations in nearby communities
dornsife.usc.edu
November 20, 2025 at 12:29 AM
On 34th Street sits one of USC’s greatest legacies. For 50+ years, @dornsife.usc.edu's JEP has sent Trojans into local classrooms to tutor, mentor, and uplift students.
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
AI feels like magic, but it’s math. @dornsife.usc.edu's new MS in Mathematical Data Science trains students to master the formulas powering tomorrow’s algorithms.
Training the minds behind the AI algorithm
New master’s program teaches mathematical foundations behind artificial intelligence, so grads can build the algorithms shaping our future
dornsife.usc.edu
November 15, 2025 at 1:11 AM
AI feels like magic, but it’s math. @dornsife.usc.edu's new MS in Mathematical Data Science trains students to master the formulas powering tomorrow’s algorithms.
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Trojan scientists are one step closer to designing safer painkillers. At @dornsife.usc.edu, biologists visualized how opioids engage brain receptors.
A path to safer painkillers – revealed by freezing opioids in motion
In a first, USC Dornsife scientists visualize how opioids and Narcan engage a key brain receptor, opening new avenues to safer drugs
dornsife.usc.edu
November 9, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Trojan scientists are one step closer to designing safer painkillers. At @dornsife.usc.edu, biologists visualized how opioids engage brain receptors.
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Happy Halloween! 🎃
Here’s an interesting short read on the historical popularity of ghosts and by folklore expert Tok Thompson of anthropology at @dornsife.usc.edu
Boo! 👻
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Here’s an interesting short read on the historical popularity of ghosts and by folklore expert Tok Thompson of anthropology at @dornsife.usc.edu
Boo! 👻
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Why believing in ghosts can make you a better person Why believing in ghosts can make you a better person
Ghosts could be offering us important lessons on how to lead moral lives. [4 min read]
dornsife.usc.edu
October 31, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Happy Halloween! 🎃
Here’s an interesting short read on the historical popularity of ghosts and by folklore expert Tok Thompson of anthropology at @dornsife.usc.edu
Boo! 👻
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Here’s an interesting short read on the historical popularity of ghosts and by folklore expert Tok Thompson of anthropology at @dornsife.usc.edu
Boo! 👻
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Research led by @dornsife.usc.edu Professor Emilio Valadez shows how combining two types of brain scans significantly improved predictions of future anxiety in teens.
=> One day we may use brain imaging to help teens most at risk for anxiety disorders
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
=> One day we may use brain imaging to help teens most at risk for anxiety disorders
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
2 brain scans are better than 1 in predicting teen anxiety
Combined brain imaging methods helps forecast which adolescents are most at risk for anxiety disorders well before symptoms appear
dornsife.usc.edu
October 24, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Research led by @dornsife.usc.edu Professor Emilio Valadez shows how combining two types of brain scans significantly improved predictions of future anxiety in teens.
=> One day we may use brain imaging to help teens most at risk for anxiety disorders
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
=> One day we may use brain imaging to help teens most at risk for anxiety disorders
dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories...
Reposted by USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
Global dementia costs are expected to hit $2 trillion by 2030. Duke Han of @dornsife.usc.edu is co-leading a $39M national push to detect Alzheimer’s earlier.
USC Dornsife psychologist co-leads $39M push to detect Alzheimer’s earlier - USC Dornsife News Briefs
Spotting the earliest warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease could help delay or even prevent the disease. Duke Han of psychology at USC Dornsife is co-leading a new, nationwide effort to make that possibility a reality.
dornsife.usc.edu
October 27, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Global dementia costs are expected to hit $2 trillion by 2030. Duke Han of @dornsife.usc.edu is co-leading a $39M national push to detect Alzheimer’s earlier.