Stand Out

Thinking Ahead

At USC Dornsife, “What if?” becomes what’s next.

Our researchers take the lead in fields that are just beginning to reveal tremendous promise. By investing in emerging areas of scholarship — from quantum computing to climate change communication to the frameworks for developing ethical A.I. — new possibilities become more than aspirations; they unfold in real-time, right here.

USC Dornsife Magazine

The Great Apes’ Guide to Human Nature

In the great apes, an anthropologist finds compelling insights into humankind.

Political discussions at USC Dornsife explore democracy’s biggest questions

Upcoming events feature bipartisan panels on courts, elections, national service and America’s political future.

Speakers sitting on a dais for an event hosted by the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

Student

The twins making waves at USC Dornsife

From record-breaking open-water swims to navigating their father’s cancer diagnosis, incoming freshmen Amelia and Sarah Batt are diving into life on campus, bringing resilience, curiosity and a passion for discovery to their next chapter.

Twins Sarah Batt (left) and Amelia Batt wearing swimsuits, goggles and swim caps.

Arts and Culture

USC Dornsife’s new dean on the value of the liberal arts – and what sets the College apart

Astrophysicist and former UC Irvine Dean James Bullock shares his perspective on USC Dornsife’s strengths, the power of public scholarship, and why asking life’s biggest questions matters.

Methane bubbles flow out of sediment on the ocean floor.

Scientists reveal how microbes collaborate to consume potent greenhouse gas

USC junior Elizabeth Kunz works on the first floor of the Seaver Science Center, focusing on the hardware of quantum computing.

Trojan undergrads spend summer immersed in life-changing research

An actual fox skull and a digital scan of the skull. Researchers scanned island fox skulls to create digital models, enabling them to calculate brain and body size.

Outsmart an island fox? Not so fast

Illustration of a $100,000 bill with an angel wing and halo on one side and a devil horn and tail on the other.

What we really think about the ultra-wealthy

Will Berelson’s research team prepares to deploy the porewater sampler off the coast of Huntington Beach. The sampler is lowered to the seafloor, where spring-loaded syringes suck the water between grains of sand and mud through filters in quartz collection coils.

Can the seafloor help the ocean absorb more carbon dioxide?

A shady tree-lined street in Los Angeles.

USC teams up with ShadeLA coalition to cool Los Angeles ahead of 2028

Mathematicians use ‘neglected’ particles that could rescue quantum computing

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meet in Beijing in May 2025.

US government may be abandoning the global climate fight, but new leaders are filling the void – including China

A person with a scarf tied around their head stands looking out on the ocean with their back to the viewer.

Cancer as a journey, not a battle: How we frame the illness may influence outcomes

Illustration of a sad person being comforted by another person.

How the brain learns to care

Two separate images of men. On the left, a black and white portrait of a solemn man with hands folded in front of his face. On the right, a happy man running outdoors.

What happens when society stops expecting you to work?

Illustration of an ancient Greek philosopher.

Can AI think – and should it? What it means to think, from Plato to ChatGPT

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. 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.

man using pipette in lab coat and safety goggles

Undergraduate Research

group of students linked in line, laughing together

Experiential Learning

News and Events

Alumnus Kirk Stueve on a farming vehicle

Byte By Byte: The AI Farming Expert With One Foot in the Field and the Other in the Cloud

Kirk Stueve ’03 is combining his farming roots with his USC Dornsife education to help shape a more sustainable future through smart farming technology.

A group students in USC t-shirts hold up

Sep 16

National Voter Registration Day

10:30 am – 1:30 pm Tommy Trojan Join the USC Center for the Political Future in celebrating National Voter Registration Day. Student organizations, USC departments, and community partners from across Los Angeles will be on hand to help students register to vote, learn about the election process, and find ways to get involved in civic life.