The FYA team is dedicated to assisting incoming freshmen with their transition to USC. Please see the list below to identify which of our Assistant Directors you will be working with.
If you do not see your major listed below, please refer to the Languages & Cultures page for advisor contact information.
Viannda Hawkins, Ed.D.
Director, First-Year Advising & Operations
E-mail: vhawkins@usc.edu
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Education: B.A. History, UCLA; M.Ed. Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs, USC; Ed.D. Educational Leadership, USC

Luis Ramirez
Associate Director, Continuing Advising Affairs
E-mail: lframire@usc.edu
Hometown:Los Angeles, CA
Education: B.S. Public Policy and Management, USC; M.S.E. Counseling, USC

Courtney Bushman
Assistant Director, First-Year Advising- Natural Sciences
E-mail: courtnbb@usc.edu
Hometown: Covina, CA
Education: B.A. Human Biology USC; M.Ed. Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs, USC
Why I love Dornsife: There are so many unique opportunities (majors, minors, clubs and organizations, programming)- no two students who graduate have the exact same experience.
Helpful tip for navigating your first year at USC: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. USC and Dornsife provide so many free resources to help you be successful.
Fun Fact:I am a certified scuba diver and I love to bake!

Dahlie Conferido
Assistant Director, First-Year Advising- Social Sciences
E-mail: conferid@usc.edu
Hometown: Downey, CA
Education: B.A English Literature, La Sierra University; M.A. English, La Sierra University; M.S. Academic Advising, Kansas State University
Why I love Dornsife: Dornsife offers unique opportunities to both explore subjects in depth and gain a broad range of knowledge.
Helpful tip for navigating your first year at USC: In addition to your First Year Advisor, the AskUSC database of frequently asked questions is a very helpful resource. (It helped me during my first year working at USC!)
Fun Fact: I’m trying to visit one U.S. national park in every state of the union. It will take a while, but I’ll get there!

Annelise Laufer
Assistant Director, First-Year Advising- Natural Sciences
E-mail: aclaufer@usc.edu
Hometown: Danville, CA
Education: B.S. Industrial & Systems Engineering, USC; M.Ed. Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs, USC
Why I love Dornsife: There’s a real commitment to exploration. Dornsife students are encouraged to explore majors, minors, and career paths from the moment they arrive at USC.
Helpful tip for navigating your first year at USC: Remember that you are not required to have everything (major, career goals, etc.) figured out when you first arrive at USC and that every student’s transition to college is unique. This is a time for exploration and growth, and that process will look different for each student.
Fun Fact: I spent a month walking the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile pilgrimage route across Spain.

Siobhan Littlejohn
Assistant Director, First-Year Advising- Natural Sciences
E-mail: slittlej@usc.edu
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA (Boyle Heights)
Education: B.S. Chemistry, Brown University; M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering, Stanford University
Why I love Dornsife: I love working with Dornsife students because they’re so passionate about what they’re studying. It’s always fun to hear about the new topic that piqued their interest.
Helpful tip for navigating your first year at USC: Use your resources early and often. It’s never too early to ask for help!
Fun Fact: I love puzzles.

Lisa Perkins
Assistant Director, First-Year Advising- Social Sciences
E-mail: lisaperk@usc.edu
Hometown: Santa Monica, CA
Education: B.A. Psychology, Minor in Educational Studies, UC Santa Barbara; M.Ed. Educational Counseling, USC
Why I love Dornsife: Dornsife is great for students who have multiple interests – you don’t have to choose just one!
Helpful tip for navigating your first year at USC: Be brave when exploring, whether it be a course, a job, or a person to network with (personally or professionally).
Fun Fact: I have visited 14 other countries, 17 if you count Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Vatican City.

Nicole Srednick
Assistant Director, First-Year Advising- Social Sciences
E-mail: srednick@usc.edu
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Education: B.S. Exercise Science and Psychology, Flordia State University; M.Ed. Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs, USC
Why I love Dornsife: Dornsife’s interdisciplinary approach allows for so many opportunities to pursue your interests and gain new perspectives.
Helpful tip for navigating your first year at USC: Don’t be afraid to explore and take advantage of a course or opportunity outside of your comfort zone, you never know where it might lead.
Fun Fact: I worked in London, England for six months after undergrad.

Jessica Kanoski
Sr. Assistant Director, Languages & Cultures
E-mail: jkanoski@usc.edu
Hometown: Waterloo, Belgium
Education: B.S. Finance, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; M.A. Linguistics, Purdue University; Ph.D. Linguistics, Purdue University
Fun Fact: I will only buy cars that are stick shift.

Graduate Assistants
BRIANNA BELTRAN
USC email: bnbeltra@usc.edu
Degree: B.A. History (2021)
Fun fact: I love to travel! I have been to Mexico, Italy, France, and Spain, but I hope to continue to explore other parts of the world! My favorite part of traveling is immersing myself in the culture and trying the local foods.
CAITLIN M. SONG
USC email: Songcait@usc.edu
Degree: Sociology, B.A. (2022)
Fun fact: Strawberries are my absolute favorite fruit and dessert!
KIMBERLY LE
USC email: lekimber@usc.edu
Degree: B.A. Cinema (2021)
Fun fact: I’m left-handed!