{"id":26433,"date":"2026-01-22T17:20:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=26433"},"modified":"2026-02-19T12:13:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T20:13:24","slug":"in-memoriam-norah-ashe-mcnalley-director-of-the-writing-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/in-memoriam-norah-ashe-mcnalley-director-of-the-writing-program\/","title":{"rendered":"In Memoriam: Norah Ashe-McNalley, director of The Writing Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Photo of Norah Ashe-McNalley\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Norah Ashe-McNalley led USC\u2019s Undergraduate Writers Conference for many years, which attracts hundreds of participants annually. (Photo: Courtesy The Writing Program.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>In Memoriam: Norah Ashe-McNalley, director of The Writing Program<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Under her leadership, the program grew significantly in both scope and prestige.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">January 22, 2026<\/span>\n      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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Norah Ashe-McNalley, professor (teaching) of writing and director of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/the-writing-program\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Writing Program <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, has died. She was 60.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across her more than two decades at USC Dornsife, Ashe-McNalley taught countless undergraduates how to think critically and articulate ideas in their own voice. As the first faculty director of The Writing Program, USC\u2019s largest department, she deftly navigated structural change and significant expansion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNorah was an extraordinary leader and mentor, modeling compassion and care,\u201d says <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/nicholas-de-dominic\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nicholas De Dominic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, associate professor (teaching) of writing. \u201cShe loved talking about pedagogy and introduced many of us to a trauma-informed approach to teaching.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Academic Angeleno<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ashe-McNalley was born in Los Angeles in 1965 to Hilary Ashe \u201962, a professor of\u00a0 biochemistry and pharmacology, and Mary Frances, a librarian. The two met at USC when Hilary was completing his PhD in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/chemistry\/b-s-in-biochemistry\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biochemistry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from USC Dornsife and Mary Frances was employed at the USC Norris Medical Library.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ashe-McNalley attended the Area D Alternative School, an early prototype for Los Angeles United School District magnet schools, where she enjoyed sailing and theatre. She completed her bachelor\u2019s degree in English literature at the University of California, Berkeley in 1989 and her PhD in English and American literature at the University of California, Irvine in 1999.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She was immediately recruited by USC Dornsife to join The Writing Program, where she remained employed until her passing. She began first as a senior lecturer, becoming an associate professor in 2011 and a full professor in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26435\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26435\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26435 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-in-story-b-500x332.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Norah Ashe-McNalley pictured with husband Cody and children Finn and Isacc\" width=\"500\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-in-story-b-500x332.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-in-story-b-768x509.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-in-story-b-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/norah-ashe-mcnally-in-story-b.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26435\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ashe-McNalley pictured with her husband Cody and their two children, Finn and Isaac, who are now USC undergraduates. (Photo: Maria Ontiveros.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her creativity and work ethic shaped the program at nearly every level, from curriculum to hiring choices. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2002, she launched the undergraduate literary journal <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AngeLingo<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, subsequently renamed<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/scribe\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scribe<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, alongside Kathi Inman Berens, now a professor of English at Portland State University.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its website debuted with text reading, \u201cWe look to Los Angeles\/ for the language we use\/ London is dead,\u201d a hometown pride befitting Ashe-McNalley\u2019s status as a lifelong Angeleno, who raised her children in her childhood home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From 2013-2018 she directed the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ahf.usc.edu\/signature-events\/uwc\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USC Undergraduate Writers Conference<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, an event that averages some 500 submissions and over 300 student participants each year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Stalwart leader<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2018, she was appointed director of The Writing Program, steering it through expansion and a transition to a faculty-led governance model.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under her leadership, the program grew from 60 to 80 full-time faculty. Ashe-McNalley made sure to mentor each new arrival. \u201cIt\u2019s not that she just brought people here, but once they were here, she worked tirelessly to ensure their success and development,\u201d says De Dominic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ashe-McNalley is survived by her children, Finn and Isaac Ashe-McNalley, and her husband, Cody Ashe-McNalley. In recent years, both of her children, now at USC Dornsife as undergraduates, would stop by her office for regular visits. Isaac has been invited to join <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/phi-beta-kappa\/\">Phi Beta Kappa<\/a>, the same honor society that Norah joined during her undergraduate years. Thanks in part to Ashe-McNalley\u2019s encouragement, more relatives have joined the Trojan Family over the decades, including brother-in-law Jem McNalley &#8217;04 and nephew Ian Ashe Tighe &#8217;20.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her impact on USC Dornsife and subsequent graduates will continue long into the future. Several of the classes she developed are offered each semester, including Writing 340: Food Studies, a popular course centered around one of her many scholarly interests.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNorah<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was thoughtful in every sense, with an understated humor and a clear idea of what was important \u2014 for her own family and the Trojan Family. She will be missed by everyone who knew her and by many people who may not realize they are missing her,\u201d said <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/richard-fliegel\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Richard Fliegel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, associate dean for undergraduate programs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Donations can be made in honor of Norah Ashe-McNalley to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facingourrisk.org\/donate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered<\/a>, which works to improve the lives of individuals and families facing hereditary cancer.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field 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href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/maymester-class-uses-food-to-understand-los-angeles\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >For one summer college course, food provides a passport to Los Angeles<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Under her leadership, the program grew significantly in both scope and prestige.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":26434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[125,1266],"class_list":["post-26433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-obituary","tag-the-writing-program"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ 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