Where Innovation Meets Possibility
“California is America fast-forward,” says USC Distinguished Professor Manuel Pastor in his book State of Resistance: What California’s Dizzying Descent and Remarkable Resurgence Means for America’s Future. Indeed, this is a place that continuously sets trends and pushes boundaries. From groundbreaking advances in technology to social movements that shape identity and culture, our state serves both as a proving ground and a beacon for the rest of the country. This is the California that drew me in: a living, breathing experiment in possibility.
While we may be the University of Southern California, the work we do is part of a larger narrative — one where academic research has long been the world’s most productive driver of innovation. Our expertise isn’t siloed, and our ambition is amplified by the drive to improve lives and communities.
For example, researchers at the Statewide California Earthquake Center (SCEC), based at USC Dornsife, are developing some of the world’s most sophisticated models of seismic processes that expand our understanding of when and where hazards might occur. They also collaborate with academic, government and industry leaders to provide organizations with earthquake safety training and science-based preparedness planning.
Much like our home state, USC Dornsife is a place where creativity is put to work, expanding perspectives and challenging the status quo.
Similarly, The West on Fire initiative at the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West engages a diverse group of fire experts to explore Western wildfire from many perspectives. Ecologists, Indigenous fire practitioners, U.S. Forest Service personnel, Earth scientists, economists, and many others provide new ways of thinking about wildfire in the region and ideas for mitigating the increasingly urgent problems it poses.
And the California Immigrant Data Portal, developed by the USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute, provides resources for immigrants across the state. The portal presents data and case studies that leaders can use to better understand and promote the well-being of immigrants and their families.
Much like our home state, USC Dornsife is a place where creativity is put to work, expanding perspectives and challenging the status quo. More than that, our West Coast, entrepreneurial spirit is rooted in a storied tradition — USC Dornsife Trojan alumni who bring this mindset into their communities.
Together, we’ll continue to turn “California dreams” into reality. So, pour a green juice, grab a seat in the sun and enjoy our celebration of the Golden State.
Moh El-Naggar
Interim Dean
