News Archive

Assistant Professor Robynn Cox explains how the U.S. can mitigate high rates of recidivism with the help of social support services that foster greater economic stability.

The U.S. has seen multiple mass violence events perpetrated by military veterans: Thousand Oaks, California; Dallas, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Charlottesville, Virginia. Understanding the factors that lead to these terrifying events—and why members of the military may be susceptible to extremist beliefs—may help prevent future violence by veterans and others.  

The difficulties started just before her son’s 14th birthday. 

Karina Rodriguez’s youngest child and only son had always possessed a strong will, but puberty had amplified it. He became moody, defiant and disrespectful.

“It was his way or no way,” Rodriguez said.

She grew more fearful as he began to hang out with a new set of trouble-making friends easily described as the “wrong crowd.” 

“I felt like I had tried everything,” she said. “I felt helpless.”

As climate change becomes an ever-present reality, communities across the globe must find new ways to address the environmental and socioeconomic repercussions. Can local organizations help at-risk populations fight back? 

Associate Professor Jeremy Goldbach outlines general guidelines for navigating gender pronouns with anyone in your life. 

For years, every time Dezetta Burnett drove by USC’s University Park Campus, her young daughter would pipe up from the backseat: “Mommy, you should go to school one more time.”

Burnett had earned her master’s in social work at USC while pregnant with Amaiya, now age 8. But as a single mom working full time, she was wary about the commitment of enrolling in college again.

Minutes before she walked the stage at USC Commencement this past May, Marium Qureshi’s phone rang with an unfamiliar number. Luckily, she picked up. Twitter was on the line, offering this new Master of Social Work (MSW) graduate a job as a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) specialist at the company’s San Francisco headquarters.

“I was thrilled,” she said. “It was like everything I had worked for coming to fruition.”

Meet two USC MSWs who are finding unique ways to serve the military community.

Efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at USC schools have built momentum toward change.

Sometimes to move forward, one needs to look back.

As USC grapples with a culture change process aimed at improving how the university functions, lessons can be drawn from the work that has been done by its diversity liaisons.

Military researchers from USC and King’s College London came together at a recent symposium with the goal of advancing innovation in the field.