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:
|
- Our new dean is focused on student success in a rapidly changing world
- Student coral researchers find hope despite severe setback
- USC Dornsife promotes civil dialogue across politics
- Students found inspiration at Spring Convocation
|
|
|
James Bullock Installed as Dean |
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.”
|
|
|
‘Functional Extinction’ Threatens Florida Reefs |
Two coral species in the eastern Pacific became “functionally extinct” after a severe marine heatwave, according to USC Dornsife researchers.
|
-
Our biologists are collaborating with nationally esteemed marine labs to save the reefs.
|
Why it matters: Coral reefs support marine biodiversity, fisheries and coastal protection — and extreme ocean heat is pushing some species past recovery.
|
-
Functional extinction means that the corals can no longer play their ecological role, leading to ecosystem collapse, not just species decline.
- Losses can ripple through food webs and coastal economies.
|
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 corals are often used in coral restoration projects due to their fast growth and reef-building abilities.
- Tragically, juvenile corals transplanted by the researchers did not survive in sufficient numbers to rebuild populations.
|
The big picture: Marine heatwaves are increasing in intensity and frequency as oceans warm.
|
-
Even short-term heat stress can cause long-term damage.
- Recovery time between events is shrinking.
|
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.
|
- “[The corals] weren’t dead yet. They could recover. And I hold on to that,” says Gomez. “And I hold on to the resilience of the researchers and restoration practitioners around me and the work that they are doing to respond and recover.”
|
|
|
Inspiring Words Encourage Newest Trojans |
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.
|
|
|
Bridging the Political Divide
|
-
“CPF serves as a model for how people across the ideological spectrum can unite around a shared commitment to core democratic values,” says USC President Beong-Soo Kim.
|
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.
|
|
|
- 14 alumni win Fulbright Scholarships - Meet the Trojans taking their work around the world thanks to the prestigious program. See who they are >>
-
LA fires show importance of neighborliness - Managing fire risk includes caring for your community, a lesson schools could teach. Find out more >>
-
Why Greenland has been in the spotlight - A USC Dornsife expert explains what’s really driving the political chatter. Get the context >>
|
|
|
Master’s Program a ‘Dress Rehearsal’ for Career |
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.
|
|
|
USC Dornsife Scholars Make the News |
Through traditional media, podcasts, our partnership with The Conversation and more, USC Dornsife faculty and researchers helped make sense of the world in 2025.
|
|
|
Attention Parents of Graduating Seniors! |
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.
|
Plan Ahead: Make the Most of Summer |
|
|
|
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 >>
|
|
|
USC Dornsife Magazine: The Family Issue |
|
|
Read the latest issue of our magazine, including features only available online.
|
| |
|
|  | Feb. 21, 10 a.m. - noon PT |
|
 | USC Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute |
|
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.
|
|
| | Discovering Life in Unexpected Places |
 | Feb. 26, noon - 1 p.m. PT |
|
 | Virtual |
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Celebrating a Political Scholar |
 | March 5 and 19 |
|
 | Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. |
|
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.)
|
|
|
Manage your preferences | Opt Out using TrueRemove™
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.
|
University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences | Los Angeles, CA 90089 US
|
|
|
This email was sent to .
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
| |
|
|