We hope you enjoyed the Presidents Day weekend, including the convergence with Valentine’s Day (which has surprisingly macabre origins, as you’ll find below). And for you Super Bowl fans, join us in congratulating the Trojans who helped capture victory for the Seahawks, including USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology).

In this issue: 

At the recent ceremony installing James Bullock as USC Dornsife’s 23rd dean, USC President Beong-Soo Kim described him as “the perfect person to steer the College into the future,” citing his “energy, vision, leadership and good cheer.”

Bullock said his goal is to innovate and focus “on providing students with a modern approach to the liberal arts, true to foundational principles, but updated for the students and job markets of today.”

Two coral species in the eastern Pacific became “functionally extinct” after a severe marine heatwave, according to USC Dornsife researchers.

Why it matters: Coral reefs support marine biodiversity, fisheries and coastal protection — and extreme ocean heat is pushing some species past recovery.

What’s new: The study found that staghorn and elkhorn coral species in the lower Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas National Park failed to recover after a major heatwave in 2015.

The big picture: Marine heatwaves are increasing in intensity and frequency as oceans warm.

In their words: “Climate change is the reason all this is happening, and if we don’t address that, nothing we do is going to fix this,” says PhD student Jenna Dilworth.

The flip side: Despite the setback, Dilworth and Gomez remain hopeful.

At spring convocation, 3,000 students gathered to mark the start of their inclusion in the Trojan Family. USC Dornsife’s Alice Baumgartner, associate professor of history, encouraged attendees to allow themselves to be transformed by their time at USC. She referenced Uriah Parmelee, whose studies inspired him to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. 

“I hope you will pursue what genuinely, deeply calls to you, showing up, day after day, for what you believe in, as Uriah Parmelee did,” said Baumgartner.

The origins of Valentine’s Day are surprisingly grisly. St. Valentine was no patron of love, says a USC Dornsife religion scholar.

Led by a Democrat and a Republican, USC Dornsife’s Center for the Political Future (CPF) is training the next generation of leaders to engage civilly across party lines.

Why it matters: Political polarization is at a historic high, and students often have a zero-sum view of politics.

Opportunity: Politically diverse professionals are invited to serve as teaching fellows and to speak at CPF events, helping students see how cooperation works in practice.

In her words: “Helping advance CPF’s mission, providing students with a safe space to learn and talk politics of all kinds, seeing its impact on campus — it’s been one of the most special parts of my college experience,” says senior Eleanor Love, a former CPF student employee.

The bottom line: CPF demonstrates that respectful, cross-partisan dialogue is teachable and key to sustaining our democracy.

USC Dornsife’s master’s degree program in Applied Economics and Econometrics prepares students to lead tomorrow’s global data economy. “It’s like a dress rehearsal for the world that they’re going to work in,” says program director Ratika Narag.

Through traditional media, podcasts, our partnership with The Conversation and more, USC Dornsife faculty and researchers helped make sense of the world in 2025.

Registration for the USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremonies is officially open. Eligible students have been emailed by Dornsife Events with details on how to register for their assigned ceremony, which is determined by their department and major. The deadline to register is April 6. We look forward to celebrating your student’s achievements this commencement season! To review assigned ceremony groups, please visit the USC Dornsife Commencement website’s FAQ page.

Summer is a great time for students to stay on track toward graduation and lighten their future course load, and planning early helps. With on-campus, online and new flexible options, taking just one GE course can make a big difference — and help set students up for success next year. Registration for summer GE courses opens Feb. 23. Learn more >>

Read the latest issue of our magazine, including features only available online.

The 20th Annual Herbert G. Klein Lecture, “Inside the 2026 Midterms,” features a conversation among political leaders and scholars, led by USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock, on the forces shaping the upcoming elections.

In this Dornsife Dialogue, USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock leads a discussion with a Dornsife researcher and an alumnus regarding life in Earth’s most extreme environments and how new discoveries are shaping the search for life beyond our planet.

You can be part of a special evening recognizing veteran political consultant and Center for the Political Future director Robert Shrum for his exceptional achievements and contributions.

Universal Life. USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock recently took students in “Introduction to Quantitative Biology Seminar” (QBIO 105) on a guided tour of the known universe. An accomplished cosmologist, Bullock explored galaxies, black holes, dark matter, dark energy and more. (Photo: Mike Glier.)