USC Dornsife News

Remembering H. Edward Ransford, sociologist and pioneering race relations expert who led influential research on the 1965 Watts Riots and taught for four decades at USC.

Dennis Nemeschansky, a string theory expert who changed understanding of quantum field theory, helped students appreciate the beauty and elegance of his field.

Sri Narayan’s prolific work had recently earned him an appointment to the National Academy of Inventors.

John Orr was instrumental in the founding of the USC Dornsife Center for Religion and Civic Culture, the USC Family of Schools and the Thematic Option program.

The emeritus faculty member, who worked at research labs in France, the Soviet Union and Germany before joining USC Dornsife in 1970, co-discovered the “Maki-Thompson effect” on electron transport in superconductors.

The long-time USC Dornsife professor was a voracious seeker of knowledge and a beloved mentor to countless students and post-doctoral researchers.

During her 30-year career at USC Dornsife, Charlotte Furth’s achievements include a groundbreaking book on the history of Chinese women’s reproductive care.

Boehm, who wrote several books on hierarchy and human morality, conducted field research with Jane Goodall as one of the only anthropologists to study primates. [7½ min read]

An Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Ahrons helped diminish the stigma of divorce, seeking to replace pejorative language and arguing that a “good divorce” could prove more beneficial than an unhappy marriage. [6½ min read]