Faculty
Our faculty inspire, guide and drive the engines that move the university forward in knowledge and research. With a focus on diverse, multidisciplinary skills and engaging ideas, our faculty embody the university’s mission.
USC’s esteemed faculty members ardently participate in tackling contemporary challenges and fostering societal change. They lead the charge in devising inventive solutions to pressing dilemmas in vital domains like healthcare, technology, sustainability, social justice and beyond. Moreover, USC faculty’s expertise extends beyond academia, with many serving as advisers to government bodies, industry leaders and nonprofit organizations, shaping policies and practices worldwide.
Faculty News
The honor recognizes Emily Liman for her pioneering research in sensory biology, including the discovery of a new type of protein that functions as a receptor for sour taste.
The veteran educator and sustainability leader discusses his vision for USC’s public policy school, his role in supporting students and his photographs of the Milky Way.
At USC’s 18th annual Women’s Conference, USC President Carol Folt discusses leadership lessons — and the Olympics.
The Keck School of Medicine professor is the founding executive director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science, which has 80 faculty members across 10 USC schools, colleges and hospitals.
Scholar Spotlight
USC’s award-winning faculty and researchers look beyond the ordinary to bring new, much-needed insights and developments to a rapidly changing world with complex needs.
Elyn Saks
Elyn Saks is the Orrin B. Evans Distinguished Professor of Law at the USC Gould School of Law. She is also a Psychology, Psychiatry, and Behavioral Sciences Professor, Director of the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the UC San Diego School of Medicine. Additionally, she is a faculty member at the New Center for Psychoanalysis.
Steve A. Kay
Steve Kay is a Provost Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Engineering, and Biological Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. He is also the Acting Director of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute and Acting Chair of Physiology & Neuroscience, and Co-Director of the USC Norris Center for Cancer Drug Development. Further, he is the Director of the MESH (Medicine, Engineering, Sciences, and Humanities) Academy and the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience.
Shaun Harper
Shaun Harper is a University Professor of Business, Education, and Public Policy and a Provost Professor of Management and Organization. He holds the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership and is the Founder and Chief Research Scientist at the USC Race and Equity Center.
A Community of Scholars
At USC, we deeply value faculty excellence. Our faculty come from a vibrant network of individuals, each with unique knowledge and invaluable wisdom. Many are Nobel laureates, MacArthur Fellows and National Academy winners — all who contribute invaluable research discoveries to the world’s body of knowledge.
Nobel Laureates
The Nobel Prize, an international award administered by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden, has been awarded every year since 1901 for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace. Additionally, in 1968 the Sveriges Riksbank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of the Nobel Prize.
MacArthur Fellows
The MacArthur Fellows Program awards unrestricted fellowships (often called “genius grants”) to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, promise for important future advances and potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work.
National Medal Winners
National Academies Members
Members of the National Academies are recognized for outstanding achievements and contributions in matters of science, engineering and medicine. Academy members are leaders in their field and represent the world’s most distinguished scientists, engineers, physicians and researchers.
Other Academy Fellows
Fellows of other academies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Education, National Academy of Inventors and many more.
University Distinctions
Faculty Research
As a prominent research institution, USC places great importance on rigorous academic inquiry and innovative exploration. Our faculty members across all our campuses have access to cutting-edge research facilities, resolute resources, and funding, allowing them to conduct revolutionary research across diverse fields.
Academic Senate
The Academic Senate is a collective entity that collaborates through committees and task forces to address various academic and administrative concerns. Specifically, it champions advancing faculty rights, interests, obligations and initiatives to sustain and enhance USC’s standing as a flourishing educational establishment.
Faculty Portal
The University of Southern California’s faculty portal is a comprehensive platform for faculty members to engage with one another and access valuable academic resources. Additionally, mentorship, guidance on career advancement, governance information and other useful resources are available to support faculty in their academic pursuits.
