Stand Out

Sustainability: Human Factors

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Effective technology is available to move the needle on sustainability. The challenge is to implement these solutions quickly and at scale.

That’s why USC Dornsife is thinking differently. Our researchers explore how to overcome the economic, political, and psychological challenges that stand in the way of a sustainable future.

Welcome to USC Dornsife

With diverse areas of study and the opportunity to learn from world-class faculty, USC Dornsife students are encouraged to explore their curiosities to make a lasting impact in our communities.

Students share what makes USC Dornsife exceptional.

New faculty members further elevate USC Dornsife’s natural sciences prowess

Professors bring expertise in topics such as quantum field theory, low-energy microbes and mathematical data science.

New social sciences faculty joining USC Dornsife bring diverse scholarship

Arriving faculty offer expertise in tropical rainforests, criminal justice, human language development and more.

New faculty members expand the scope of USC Dornsife’s humanities this fall

Scholars bring expertise in fields such as ancient Greek philosophy, Central American literature and rabbinic texts.

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USC Dornsife Magazine

A Common Early Sign of Alzheimer’s Disease Is Alarmingly Underdiagnosed

In the race to defeat dementia, physicists, biological scientists and psychologists are finding surprising clues to understanding the drivers of the disease and how to prevent and treat it.

An illustration of honey bees with exes over their eyes

Keeping native bees buzzing requires rethinking pest control

Two prestigious grants fund PhD research in marine and molecular biology

From left: USC Dornsife professor Jessica Marglin, PhD students Katie Googe and Jordan Chancellor, and lecturer Nina Kang earned Fulbright awards.

Fulbright Scholar awards go to USC Dornsife professor and 2 PhD students

Composite image of Earth and nature elements.

USC Dornsife Public Exchange and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) work together to advance use of nature-based solutions to tackle climate change

A family having a meeting at a table with a white board

Moms think more about household chores − and this cognitive burden hurts their mental health

An illustration of butterflies on map points

When it comes to butterflies, people prefer pretty ones. That’s a problem for scientists.

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From witnessing oppression to investigating resistance

Volunteers tend to an insect trap in Los Angeles.

Bugs thrive in urban Los Angeles – volunteers’ traps reveal biodiversity hot spots for city insects and spiders

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$59 million boost enhances USC Dornsife’s Understanding America Study and nationwide research

A plate on a yellow background, on one side is processed fried food, on the other side is fresh food

LA County faces dual challenge: food insecurity and nutrition insecurity

Microscope slide of small copepod with male and female symbols

Discovery of vast sex differences in cellular activity has major implications for disease treatment

A still from Disney's Inside Out featuring several colorful animated characters representing various internal emotions at a pink command center console

Are mixed emotions real? New research says yes

A person in a white chef smock and head wrap holding a tray of golden Mexican pastries on their shoulder and smiling

USC Dornsife Food Equity Institute, local experts launch web resource for L.A. food entrepreneurs

Composite image of a bus driving on a city street and an electric car charging.

Still riding L.A.’s Metro after the pandemic? You probably think it’s safer than those who don’t anymore

An aerial view of an ocean liner carrying multi-colored shipping containers crossing a turquoise blue ocean

Ocean-inspired tech could speed up carbon capture from ships

Composite image of a city street and a street lined with trees.

Study finds extreme temperature swings hit minority, low-income communities hardest

Hajar Yazdiha walks in front portraits of President John F. Kennedy and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., part of a mural on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Photos: Olga Burymska.)

USC Dornsife sociologist Hajar Yazdiha awarded prestigious 2024 Carnegie Fellowship

A view inside a quantum computing facility featuring big white machines and a wall of glass

IBM agreement boosts USC’s quantum computing leadership

Microbes in oil spills could shed light on ecosystem recovery

Students in building walking up the stairs

Stand Out, Together

At USC Dornsife you’ll study the things you love the most. You’ll explore ideas that you’ve never thought about before. You’ll learn how to make sense of the world from all different angles. And, as part of our community, you will help to define a dynamic academic environment focused on improving lives and the world around us.

Meet the Students

USC Dornsife students demonstrate an impressive combination of academic excellence, accomplishment, creativity, and hard work. Each and every student is hand-selected because they bring something special and unique to our community.

Discover what makes our USC Dornsife community strong

A Brighter Future Isabella Pangilinan Environmental Studies major

The Power of “And” Joshua Senior Biological Sciences major, East Asian Languages and Cultures minor

A Trojan Family Like No Other Victoria Quon-Chow Human Biology major, Nutrition and Health Promotion minor

A Brighter Future

Isabella Pangilinan Environmental Studies major

USC Dornsife student Isabella Pangilinan is passionate about finding solutions to some of our world’s most pressing challenges like climate change and social and economic inequity. The multidisciplinary courses offered through her major are preparing her for a career in environmental law.

The Power of “And”

Joshua Senior Biological Sciences major, East Asian Languages and Cultures minor

USC Dornsife student Joshua Senior is studying to become a neurosurgeon. He explains how his liberal arts education at USC Dornsife prepares him for his career goals – and for life.

A Trojan Family Like No Other

Victoria Quon-Chow Human Biology major, Nutrition and Health Promotion minor

As a student at USC Dornsife, Victoria Quon-Chow is bouyed by the support of the Trojan Family as she prepares to become a doctor.

Public Exchange

Unprecedented Access to Academic Expertise

Public Exchange fast-tracks collaboration between academic researchers and the public and private sectors to define, analyze, and solve complex problems that organizations face. Through our first-of-kind model, we amplify social impact by making academic expertise more easily accessible than ever before.

Partner with Public Exchange

Life in L.A.

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Experiential Learning

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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging

News and Events

A group of college students pose with professor Stephen Bradforth flashing the Trojan salute

Summer Sustainability Internship Equips Community College Students for Success

The USC-Cerritos College Summer Research Internship in Sustainability at USC Dornsife opens academic and career pathways for aspiring science majors.

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Sep 9

USC Safety and Preparedness Fair at UPC

11:00 am – 2:00 pm Hahn Plaza Join USC safety departments for interactive demos, activities and giveaways to help you stay safe and be ready for anything. More details to come.