We present some of our best stories and videos from the past 12 months
Most would agree that 2016 has been an exceptionally eventful year. At USC Dornsife, we welcomed a new dean, celebrated a number of extraordinary achievements — including a Pulitzer Prize — and strove to make a positive, lasting difference in both the local and global communities.
As the remaining days of the year wind down, we highlight some of our best stories, one from each month.
January: Dentist-turned-vintner turns a dream into reality by Laura Paisley
Doug Hauck ’81 finds success expanding a diverse career to include owning and operating a winery — all without quitting his day job.
February: 6 reasons Shakespeare remains an icon 400 years after his death (w/ video) by Michelle Boston
Bruce Smith of English and theater helps us put the Bard’s influence into perspective on the quadricentennial of his passing.
March: Frontline Scholar: Manuel (video) by Mira Zimet and Mike Glier
Manuel Pastor, Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change and professor of sociology and American studies and ethnicity, grew up at the tail end of the 1960s. His work aims to change policy for the benefit of communities.
April: USC Dornsife’s Viet Thanh Nguyen wins Pulitzer Prize for Fiction by Susan Bell
Viet Thanh Nguyen, associate professor of English and American studies and ethnicity, has won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his first novel, The Sympathizer, which explores the Vietnam War from multiple perspectives.
May: Class brings together writing, film and community engagement by Laura Paisley
“Writing in the Community” allows undergraduates to work with community partners to tell their organizations’ important stories.
June: Faculty reflect upon their fathers’ influence on their academic careers by Susan Bell
In celebration of Father’s Day, USC Dornsife faculty pay homage to the important role their fathers played in inspiring their academic choices and shaping their career paths.
July: Senior pursues her passion for scientific diving and marine research by Laura Paisley
Environmental Studies major Madison Guest ’17 culminates her scientific diving career at USC Dornsife with a National Science Foundation-funded independent research project.
August: Leading the Heart of USC (video) by Mira Zimet and Mike Glier
Get to know physicist Amber Miller, who began her post as the 22nd dean of USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences this month. Learn about her background as an experimental cosmologist and her vision for the College — the heart of USC.
September: The Dark Side of Light (video) by Mira Zimet and Mike Glier
Scientist Travis Longcore and undergraduate student Ben Banet ’18 have been studying the effects of light pollution on marine wildlife at California beaches and the Wrigley Institute on Catalina Island.
October: Veterans delve into ancient Greek texts to explore their military experience by Michelle Boston
USC Dornsife Classics Department collaborates on national initiative for veterans to present innovative public programs based on classical literature.
November: Through giving, student gets plenty in return by Laura Paisley
Through her outreach with the Teaching International Relations Program, first-generation college student Katie Bolton helps local high school students improve their analytical skills, building her own skill set in the process.
December: USC Dornsife program partners with a nonprofit to boost local kids’ literacy (w/ video) by Susan Bell
Joint Educational Project’s USC ReadersPlus program joined forces with United Voices of Literacy to help fifth-graders polish their dramatic reading skills in a coaching program that culminated with a Harry Potter-themed reading contest.