USC.edu

Thomas Ward

Associate Professor (Teaching) of Anthropology
Pronouns He / Him / His Email tww@usc.edu Office GFS 120 Office Phone (626) 818-8761

Research & Practice Areas

Street gangs, transnational gangs, Tibetan Bön Buddhism.

Education

  • Ph.D. Anthropology (Psycho-cultural Studies), University of California – Los Angeles, 1987
    • Post-doctoral Fellow, Department of Medical Anthropology, University of California, San Francisco , 1987-1988

  • Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

    • Associate Professor (Teaching) , University of Southern California, –

  • Summary Statement of Research Interests

    Street gangs, with a particular focus on Central American immigrant youth, conducted research since 1993. Also interested in Tibetan Bön Buddhism and Dzögchen (meditation), conducted research since 1995. Participated in a dark retreat (50 days) in June-July, 2009. Taught meditation class at a gang prevention/intervention program in Pico-Union district (Summer, 2013).

    Research Keywords

    Street Gangs, Urban Youth Gangs, Transnational Gangs, Central American Gangs, MS-13 Gang, Mara 18, Tibetan Buddhism, Bön, Dzögchen, meditation.

  • Conference Presentations

    • “Mitigating Gang Cases” , CACJ/CPDA Capital Case Defense SeminarKeynote Lecture, CACJ/CPDA , Invited, Monterey, CA,

    Other Presentations

    • “Gangs and Deviance, Invited Speaker”, Memorial for Professor Robert B. Edgerton, Faculty Center, 2016-2017
    • “Central American Street Gangs”, Latin American and Latino Studies Program , , 2015-2016
    • “Central American Street Gangs”, Beyond the Headlines, Westwood, CA, 2014-2015
    • “Introduction to Meditation”, Gang Prevention and Intervention Program, , Los Angeles, CA, 2013-2014
    • “Street Gangs and Communities”, Anthropology Lecture Series, Mission Viejo, California, 2012-2013
    • “Central American Gang Members”, Colloquium Series of the Princeton Center for Migration and Development, Department of Sociology, Princeton, NJ, 2012-2013
    • “Gangs and Juvenile Justice”, USC Law Class, Professor Heidi Rummel, University of Southern California, USC Law School, USC LAW SCHOOL, 2012-2013
    • “Gangs in Los Angeles”, Trojan League of Los Angeles, Faculty Club, University of Southern California, 2012-2013
    • “Wisdom and Compassion”, What Matters to Me & Why, USC, Ground Zero, 2009-2010
    • “Refleciones sobre ethnografia con mareros”, Workshop on Anti-gang policies, San Salvador, El Salvador, 2008-2009
    • (Spring 2023) ANTH 371. Cross-Cultural Research on Urban Gangs, TTh 11:00am – 12:20pm,
    • (Spring 2023) ANTH 373. Magic, Witchcraft and Healing, TTh 02:00pm – 03:20pm, THH108
    • (Spring 2023) GESM 120. Seminar in Humanistic Inquiry, TTh 09:30am – 10:50am, GFS109
    • Meditation retreat with H.E. Yongdzin Tenzin Namdak, Shenten Dargyeling Centre, Samaur, France, August 6-12
    • Tummo retreat with Kenpo Tenpa Yungdrung Rinpoche, Boulder CO.
    • 7 Mirrors of Dzögchen, meditation retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Pasadena, CA.
    • 7 Mirrors of Dzögchen, meditation retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, Boulder, CO.
    • Khyung Mar (Red Garuda) Meditation Retreat with Geshe Nyima Dakpa Rinpoche, Minneapolis, MN.
    • 5-day meditation retreat with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, March 1-6, Petaluma, CA.
    • Conducted a 50-day dark retreat (meditation in solitary confinement) in Crestone, Colorado, June-July, 2009.
    • Consultant, Study of MS-13 gang in US and El Salvador, conducted by Cheryl Maxson, Dept. of Criminology, Law & Society, UC Irvine.

  • Book

    • Ward, T. W. (2012). Gangsters Without Borders: An Ethnography of a Salvadoran Street Gang New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

  • Media, Alumni, and Community Relations

    • Speaker, Capital Case Defense Seminar,
    • Key Note Speaker, “Central American Street Gangs: Myths and Realities,” Beyond the Headlines, UCLA Extension, September 30.,
    • Lecture and Book Signing, USC Bookstore, February 5,
    • Lecture and Book Signing, Los Angeles Book Festival, USC, April 12.,
    • Key Note Speaker, Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, 3rd L.A. Gang Violence Prevention and Intervention Conference and Study Tour: “Addressing the Root Causes of Gang Violence,” Los Angeles, California, May 14.,
    • Guest Expert, Interview, Healing Honduras: Street Gang Truce, Inside Story Americas (ISA), Al Jazeera TV, May 29, 2013, http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2013/05/201352965329747769.html, Fall Spri
    • “Gangs in Los Angeles,” lecture to the Trojan League of Los Angeles, Faculty Club, University of Southern California, March 13. , Fall Spri
    • Guest speaker, Colloquium Series of the Princeton Center for Migration and Development, Princeton University, Fall Spri
    • Guest lecture and book signing, Saddleback College, April 24., Fall Spri
    • Guest, Inside Story Americas, Gang Truce in Honduras, Al Jazeera TV, May 28., Fall Spri
    • Guest lecture, Pasadena Senior Citizen Center, Pasadena, Fall Spri
    • Guest speaker, Panelist, “Security in Central America: Outlook and Options,” (Vecinos Lecture Series), Americas Society/Council of the Americas and the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, TX,
    • Public Talk- What Matters to Me and Why? Trojan Ground Zero, USC,
    • “Building a home in LA, City of Angels and AK-47s,” The Age (Australia), April 19.,

    Other Service to the University

    • Gang Expert, Participant, Eurogang Conference, Professor Karen Hennigan, organizer, USC, May 15. ,
    • Panelist, “Gangs and Social Work,” Hamovitch Research Center, USC School of Social Work, December 4., Fall Fall
    • Guest Speaker, USC Trojan League, lecture on Gangsters without Borders, March 13., Fall Spri
    • “Gangs and Juvenile Justice,” guest lecture, USC Law Class, Professor Heidi Rummel, Fall Spri

  • Media, Alumni, and Community Relations

    • Speaker, Capital Case Defense Seminar, Mitigating Gang Cases, with Ricardo D. Garcia, Esq. Multiple Conflicts Office-Major Cases County of San Diego, Monterey, CA,
    • Interview with Tami Abdollah, ABC News, regarding gang violence. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gang-violence-fears-children-fuel-rush-us-24690446 ,
    • Key Note Speaker, “Addressing the Root Causes of Gang Violence,” Violence Prevention Coalition of Greater Los Angeles, May 14.,
    • LA Times Book Festival, Lecture and Book Signing, April 12.,
    • Guest Expert, Interview, Healing Honduras: Street Gang Truce, Inside Story Americas (ISA), Al Jazeera TV, May 29, 2013, http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestoryamericas/2013/05/201352965329747769.html, Fall Spri
    • “Bill Aims to Stop Gang Violence,” Callie Schweitzer, Daily Trojan, February 5.,
    • “Cross-Cultural Uses of Urine,” MANswers, Spike TV, November 11.,
    • “Female Juvenile Offenders,” Fox Television News, October 12.,
    • “On Culture,” Anthropology Series, Coast Telecourse Systems, March 10.,
    • “Race-Based Gang Violence,” Rogelio Mora, Telemundo, March 6.,
    • “Summit on Transnational Gangs,” Annenberg TV News, March 5.,
    • “Transnational Gangs,” Frank Stoltze, KPCC Radio, August 3.,
    • Guest Speaker, “Gang Violence Awareness Panel,” Occidental College, April 21.,
    • Sponsor, Media Training for Gang Prevention/Intervention Workers, U.S.C., July 22.,