Jan Amend

Divisional Dean for the Life Sciences

As the divisional dean for the life sciences, Professor of Earth Sciences and Biological Sciences Jan Amend provides critical academic leadership to lifes sciences faculty in the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He supports departments, centers and institutes in recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty and advancing innovative research, and helps faculty navigate administrative challenges.

Amend joined USC Dornsife in 2011. He is the director of the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations at USC, where he conducts much of his research and fieldwork focused on detecting and characterizing microbial life in the ocean’s subsurface, particularly in extreme environments. He also studies astrobiology as related to NASA missions of habitability and life detection on Mars.

Amend has authored or co-authored more than 125 peer-reviewed publications.