Lifelong Learning

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.

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

Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 4:00 p.m.

Join veteran Democratic strategist Bob Shrum and Republican strategist Mike Murphy for a balanced, insightful, and often witty conversation about the biggest stories shaping the final stretch of the 2026 midterm elections. This part of the Trojan Family Weekend programming. 

As voters head to the polls across the country, Shrum and Murphy will break down the key races, campaign strategies, polling trends, and political dynamics that could determine control of Congress and influence the remainder of President Trump’s second term. Drawing on decades of experience at the highest levels of American politics, they will offer unique perspectives from both sides of the aisle on one of the most consequential election cycles in recent history.

Leavey Library (LVL), LVL 17, University Park Campus

Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

The third and final public event of Professor Tölölyan’s residency will bring him into conversation with Drs. Talar Chahinian and Sossie Kasbarian, two of the three current co-editors of Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies. Titled “Living Diaspora, Thinking Diaspora,” the conversation will explore how Tölölyan’s own diasporic journey has intersected with and informed his intellectual work and the development of diaspora studies.

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

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

Please join the USC Society of Fellows in the Humanities for a guest lecture by Zach Phillips. Organized in partnership with the Department of English, the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, and the Consortium for Gender, Sexuality, Race and Public Culture.

Zach Phillips is an editor at Pantheon, where he specializes in narrative nonfiction, history, biography, and memoir, as well as some literary fiction and graphic nonfiction and novels. He is especially interested in progressive politics, forgotten histories, investigative reportage, and queer firebrands.

Virtual Event

Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

ICW and Third LA present Daniel Widener & Natalia Molina, discussing Widener’s newest book, Third Worlds Within: Multiethnic Movements and Transnational Solidarity. This webinar will examine how local racial justice struggles in the United States—specifically in Southern California—are deeply tied to global, transnational anti-imperi

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.

The Huntington Library 

Friday, November 6, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute will host its Annual Conference on November 6–7, 2026, at The Huntington. This conference will consider the challenges and advantages of making the American Revolution international in ways that move beyond simply European high politics and diplomacy. The Revolution was at the center of a number of global processes, from colonialism to Enlightenment. The interplay of these dynamics and the specific American trajectory furnishes an excellent avenue of approach to re-invigorate and widen perspectives on older stories about colonial resistance, unity, and war.

Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs, 150, University Park Campus

Friday, November 6, 2026 at 12:30 p.m.

This talk offers a brief overview of major theoretical approaches in plant humanities before turning to a case study of bajiao (Chinese banana) in premodern Chinese literature and visual culture, and how bajiao became an active participant in the formation of religious thought, sensory perception, regional imagination, literary expression, and garden aesthetics in premodern China.

This event is co-sponsored by the USC East Asian Library.

Virtual Event

Monday, November 9, 2026 10:00 a.m.

Join the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture to discuss how spirituality can help us reimagine the ways we engage the troubling realities of contemporary life.

We are celebrating the publication of Engaged Spirituality: Stories of Religious Resilience, Inspiration, and Pursuing the Common Good, edited by CRCC Affiliate Ken Chitwood. This collection of “good religion stories” advances vital conversations around some of the most critical issues of our time and inspires reader to action. You will find out how people from diverse backgrounds and faith traditions care for their communities, challenge unjust structures, and build a future where all can flourish.

Mudd Hall (MHP), 101, University Park Campus

Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at  6:00 p.m.

Filmmaker Werner Herzog will join Aro Velmet (Associate Professor of History) in a wide-ranging conversation related to his recent book, The Future of Truth (2025). Organized by the USC Society of Fellows in the Humanities in partnership with the School of Cinematic Arts, Visual Studies Research Institute, and Levan Institution for the Humanities.

Virtual Event

Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 12:00 p.m.

ICW is proud to present Dr. Stevie Ruiz, Professor of Chicana/o Studies at California State University, Northridge, in conversation with Jessica Kim about his new book, Stewards of the Land: Race and Reclaiming Environmental Labor in the American West. Challenging conventional histories that center white environmentalists, Ruiz reveals environmentalism in the American West as a multiracial project shaped by the labor, knowledge, and activism of Asian migrants and Chicana/o communities.

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

Wednesday, November 18 2026 at 9:00 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.