Lifelong Learning

Doheny Memorial Library (DML), 240, University Park Campus 

Monday, October 12, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

Join Associate Professor Peng Xu of ShanghaiTech University for a discussion of The Courtesan’s Memory, Voice, and Late Ming Drama, moderated by USC Dornsife Professor Mengxiao Wang. Discover how courtesan performance culture transformed late Ming theater, challenging male-centered narratives and redefining gender, creativity, and literary history today.

Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience (MCB) 101, University Park Campus

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Join two leading economists for a live debate over Proposition 40 and its potential impact on California. Moderated by USC Professor David Schonholzer.

This debate is presented by the USC Economics Association and Omicron Delta Epsilon in partnership with the USC Open Dialogue Project.

Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC) TCC 227, University Park Campus

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.

During his residency, Professor Tölölyan will present three public events at USC. The series will begin on Tuesday, October 13, with “Diasporic Futures: Thinking Nationally, Living Transnationally,” an English-language lecture drawing on decades of scholarship to explore the evolving meanings of nation, diaspora, and transnational belonging.

Location Provided at Registration

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

Hear from Palestinian-American author and advocate Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib and Director of Academic Programming at USC Casden Institute Lisa Ansell as they explore the complexities of the current geopolitical moment and share their unique viewpoints on the Middle East. The conversation will be moderated by Bel Air Church Reverend Dr. Drew Sams and Valley Beth Shalom Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, PhD.

Vineyard Room, USC Davidson Conference Center, University Park Campus 

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Explore California’s 2026 ballot initiatives with an expert panel examining major measures on taxes, housing, criminal justice, environmental policy, voter ID, and direct democracy. Gain balanced insight into funding, impacts, and the choices facing voters this November before casting ballots.

Davidson Conference Center, University Park Campus

Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

The Korean American Studies Conference will take place on USC campus this year, as KSI as a host. The annual conference gathers scholars, educators and program administrators in the field of Korean and Korean American studies. The program includes keynote remarks and panels on topics related to advancing Korean studies through K-12 and college education in language, culture, culture and history.

Virtual Event

Monday, October 19, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

This event is part of the Levan Institute for the Humanities’ “On Writing” series, conversations aiming to answer questions about how writing matters, now. This conversation will feature Mitra Parineh (USC Dornsife) and Arabelle Sicardi (author of The House of Beauty: Lesson from the Image Industry), hosted by Sarah Mesle (USC Dornsife). Organized in partnership with the Consortium for Gender, Sexuality, Race and Public Culture.

Ronald Tutor Campus Center (TCC), TCC 350, University Park Campus

Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.

The second of three public events presented during Professor Tölölyan’s residency will take place on Tuesday, October 20. Titled “Ազգ, Անդրազգ, Սփիւռքազգ,” this Armenian-language lecture will draw on decades of scholarship to explore the evolving meanings of nation, diaspora, and transnational belonging.

2713 Severance Street Los Angeles, CA 90007, Chabad Jewish Student Center at USC 

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Sora Vigorito is one of the very few twin survivors of Josef Mengele’s twin experiments at Auschwitz. Join us for this extraordinary opportunity to hear her firsthand testimony of survival, resilience, and the importance of remembrance.

Taper Hall (THH), 309K, University Park Campus

Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.

Please join the USC Society of Fellows in the Humanities and the Van Hunnick History Department for a guest lecture by A.J. Murphy on their new book, Pentagon Capitalism: How the Cold War US Military Modeled Itself on Private Business (Harvard University Press, 2026).

Taper Hall (THH), 309K, University Park Campus

Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

In this talk, Bhaswati Bhattacharjee examines reproductive violence as a deliberate form of violence against individuals, families, and communities. Drawing on survivor testimonies in the Visual History Archive and memoirs by women survivors of war crimes, she explores how practices such as sexual violence, forced pregnancy, and other forms of reproductive harm function as part of broader strategies of persecution and destruction. She considers how women’s accounts document these experiences while also challenging the silences and gaps that often surround them.

Organized by the USC Dornsife Center for Advanced Genocide Research

Huntington Library, San Marino 

Friday, October 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.

Professor Hausse’s research focuses on the intersections of culture, medicine, and technology in early modern Europe; her book, The Malleable Body: Surgeons, Artisans and Amputees in Early Modern Germany, examines amputation and prostheses in the early modern period. Her seminar paper is entitled, “Intertwining Threads of Medicine, Disability, and Technology: The Kassel Hand Case Study”

Huntington Library, San Marino 

Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute American Origins Seminar will meet with Peter Mancall, Distinguished Professor, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities, Linda and Harlan Martens Director of the Early Modern Studies Institute, and Professor of History, Anthropology, and Economics, and Richard White, Margaret Byrne Professor History, Emeritus, Stanford University. Professor Mancall and Professor White will discuss the experience and complications of writing historical master narratives in this day and age.

University Park Campus

October 29, 2026 – November 1, 2026

This annual celebration is an opportunity for families to visit their students and get an up-close look at how the campus community achieves excellence in teaching, research, academics, athletics, the arts, and public service.

With over 200 unique programs ranging from lectures given by award-winning faculty, open houses showcasing outstanding USC resources, to a pre-game pep rally with the Spirit of Troy Marching Band, Trojan Family Weekend offers something special for every family member to explore.

Bovard Auditorium, University Park Campus

Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

In this live recording of the podcast, Sloan and Harding will break down current hits and beloved classics through live performances by USC Thornton students and special guest artist and USC alum Jensen McRae. Whether you’re a devoted pop fan, an aspiring musician, or simply curious about what makes a hit song stick, you’ll leave hearing and understanding music in a whole new way.

Town and Gown, University Park Campus

Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 4:45 p.m.

Featuring Ayelet Tsabari, author of the award-winning novel Songs for the Brokenhearted, will discuss the process of re-finding and reclaiming her Jewish Yemini identity through writing and through extensive research into Jewish Yemini Culture and traditions.

Town and Gown, University Park Campus

Friday, November 20, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.

This annual conference brings together experts from politics, government, media, and academia to explore the most pressing issues in America’s political landscape. This year, practitioners and analysts will come together to look back at the 2026 midterms and ahead
to the 2028 presidential race. Panels include a post-mortem of key 2026 races examining what actually moved voters and where campaigns misread the political environment, a look at governing amid a new Congress, and an early read on the 2028 presidential landscape

Mayer Auditorium, University Park Campus

Monday, February 8, 2027 at 12:00 p.m.

One of television’s most talked-about medical dramas, The Pitt has captivated audiences with its striking realism and unflinching portrayal of life inside a hospital emergency room. Join writers and actors from the series alongside health care professionals and media experts for a behind-the-scenes conversation about the show’s impact on medical education and clinical care, with a particular emphasis on representations of clinical team relationships, burnout, and health justice.

Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC), Michelle & Kevin Douglas IMAX Theater

Wednesday, February 10, 2027 at 6:00 p.m.

A celebrated actress with over 40 film and television credits, Bae Doona is a globally recognized and renowned figure of the South Korean mediascape. Paying homage to her three-decade career, Walking in Between: A Bae Doona Retrospective begins with a roundtable discussion on Korean cinema through the lens of Bae’s filmography followed by a screening of Cloud Atlas (2012), Bae’s first foray in Hollywood.

Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA), University Park Campus

Thursday, February 11, 2027 at 7:00 p.m.

Join us for a screening of Air Doll (2009), followed by a rare in-person conversation with actor Bae Doona and acclaimed director Kore-eda Hirokazu, moderated by Akira Lippit of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Directed by Palme d’Or winner Kore-eda Hirokazu, Air Doll stars Bae Doona as Nozomi, an inflatable sex doll who mysteriously comes to life and learns to navigate modern Tokyo. Through Bae Doona’s manic yet subdued performance, the film transforms an unconventional premise into a moving reflection on longing, connection, and what it means to be human.

Norris Cinema Theatre (NCT), University Park Campus

Friday, February 12, 2027 at 7:00 p.m.

Celebrate the conclusion of the Bae Doona retrospective with a screening of Take Care of My Cat (2001), followed by a conversation with actor Bae Doona and director Jeong Jae-eun, moderated by Youngmin Choe, Chair of USC Dornsife’s Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.

Doheny Memorial Library (DML), 240 and 241, University Park Campus

Thursday, March 25, 2027 at 5:30 p.m.

Explore the enduring legacy of redlining through a dynamic evening of dialogue, discovery, and creative engagement. Through conversations, hands-on activities, archival exploration, and guided walking tours, uncover how redlining shaped the city and continues to influence housing, infrastructure, and environmental justice today.

Town and Gown, University Park Campus

Wednesday, April 7, 2026

A signature USC Earth Month event, the annual conference hosts experts from politics, government, media and academia to discuss climate change issues with a focus on finding practical policy and business solutions as well identifying ways to remove political obstacles in the implementation. Panelists will discuss the effects of the presidential election on climate policy.

Ray Stark Family Theatre (SCA), University Park Campus

Thursday, April 8, 2027 at 7:00 p.m.

Join us for a screening of Manufacturing the Enemy, a powerful documentary that explores how Western media has constructed and perpetuated harmful narratives about Arabs and Muslims—and the real-world consequences of those portrayals.

USC alumnus Sufian Abulohom will be joined by featured experts Evelyn Alsultany, Hatem Bazian, and Dalia Fahmy for a conversation and Q&A on the film.

Wong Conference Center (HAR), University Park Campus

Saturday, April 10, 2027 at 1:00 p.m.

Sunshine to Shade: Moving to Cool invites participants to consider how shade functions in our hot city. Discover new ways of seeing and designing for the spaces around you while imagining a cooler, more resilient future.

Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs, Institute of Armenian Studies, DMC 351, University Park Campus

Tuesday, April 20, 2027 at 12:00 p.m

Join artist and filmmaker Hande Sever and designer, publisher, and educator Katie Giritlian for an interactive workshop on storytelling with historical photographs. Organized by USC Dornsife Center for Advanced Genocide Research and USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies.

Ginsburg Hall, University Park Campus

Tuesday, April 20, 2027 at 6:30 p.m.

Experience a screening of artist and filmmaker Hande Sever’s History-Geography, an experimental documentary film that examines German and Ottoman imperialism in West Asia during World War I through archival photographs and documents, including a personal photo album made by a German officer stationed in the former Ottoman Empire and dedicated to a distant lover.