USC Dornsife News

Patwin, spoken by Native Californians for hundreds of years, is severely endangered. USC Dornsife alumnus Lewis Lawyer is hoping to help it survive with a new book of Patwin grammar.

In 1969, an El Nino storm pounded the coast of California, producing epic waves and a legendary winter of surf. USC Dornsife experts weigh in on the past — and future — of riding waves in the Golden State. [5 ½ min read]

On Nov. 20, 1969, a group of activists attempted to reclaim the location of the infamous prison for the native people who had once occupied it. USC Dornsife faculty discuss the implications of the event, which kicked off nearly two years of protest that would shape Native American land rights activism for the next five decades. [4 min read]

Chef Alex Chang, who graduated in 2011, used the power of the Trojan community, and a secret campus supper club, to find his true passion. [4½ min read]

Los Angeles is known for sunshine, entertainment and beaches, but a new survey by USC Dornsife scientists shows that residents in the Southland are less satisfied with their lives than the rest of the country. [6 min read]

In August of 1969, the Manson family murders ended an effervescent counterculture. Or did they? USC Dornsife experts examine the true origins of the shift from flower power to protest power in the city of angels. [5 ¼ min read]

Undergraduates help preserve a vital part of California history by documenting sunken vessels at the recently created underwater Maritime Heritage Trail at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe. [4½ min read]

Years after issuing a call to action to save poetry, poet and Angeleno Dana Gioia is set to fulfill his mission as the California poet laureate with his statewide tour culminating in an L.A. poetry event on Oct. 6. [6 1/4 min read]