Apply Now for 2025

Summer 2025 Advanced Standing and Fall 2025 
Applications NOW OPEN for On-Campus MSW

USC University of Southern California

News Archive

  • Marilyn Flynn, dean of the USC School of Social Work, presented the inaugural Dean’s Service Awards at the school’s Board of Councilors annual meeting, which was held in Los Angeles from Oct. 11 to 13.

    The awards recognize those who have provided extraordinary acts of service in support of the school. This year’s honorees were:

  • Social workers do not typically rub elbows with Hollywood executives and personalities, but USC School of Social Work Assistant Professor Jeremy Goldbach did just that this fall when he received an invitation to join a panel of mental health professionals and artists from the entertainment industry. “Mental Health Goes to Hollywood” was aimed at bringing awareness to the industry concerning issues related to stigma in mental health.

  • The USC Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families (CIR) was one of seven organizations to be awarded the inaugural Seal of Distinction by the Call of Duty Endowment Thursday for its efforts at helping transitioning veterans gain meaningful employment.

    The Seal of Distinction comes with a $30,000 unrestricted grant and potential for larger grants by the endowment.

  • USC recently launched a new campus program, Trojan Guardian Scholars, to provide guidance to USC students who have previously been in foster care.

    “We provide advice and guidance with regard to financial aid and academics, peer group support via a student organization, social events and assistance with campus life including housing options during breaks,” said Wendy B. Smith, clinical associate professor and associate dean for faculty development at the USC School of Social Work.

  • The USC School of Social Work has established a new philanthropic giving community, the Advocates Circle, whose members are dedicated to supporting the school and its mission of improving the lives of vulnerable populations.

    By donating between $250 and $5,000, these individual donors are recognized for their generosity with exclusive benefits, including invitations to special events, preferred seating and parking for select university events, and personal assistance with university requests, among many other advantages.

  • Annalisa Enrile, a clinical associate professor with the USC School of Social Work, has been selected as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (Global100) by the Filipina Women’s Network for her work to improve the well-being of women in the Philippines and beyond.

  • The University of Southern California School of Social Work has launched the most comprehensive survey to date to gauge the diverse needs of Los Angeles County’s military community, including families and service providers.

  • Graduate student Lawrence Doss didn’t aspire to be a Trojan, but thanks to advice from a professor, he is thriving at USC.

    Doss is pursuing a Master of Social Work while working as a graduate assistant for USC’s Recreational Sports Intramural Program, a perfect combination for the former football player who said he knew he wanted to be a social worker because “I could merge some of the convictions I have about service to people into a profession.”

  • For individuals who rely on self-propelled wheelchairs, upper body injuries can be catastrophic.

    More than 70 percent of people in manual wheelchairs develop shoulder pain or injuries due to repetitive movements and overuse, often resulting in decreased mobility, reduced physical activity, increased weight and other negative consequences that can decrease their quality of life. Motorized wheelchairs are an option but have their own pitfalls, such as limited battery life and transportation difficulties due to their bulky size.

  • As the newest member of the USC School of Social Work faculty, retired colonel Carl Castro is looking forward to tackling the toughest problems confronting military service members and veterans.

    “The most pressing challenges the military has right now from an active-duty perspective is this high suicide rate in the Army, sexual assault issues facing all the services, and facilitating the transition from a wartime military to a peacetime military,” he said. “That dovetails into issues facing veterans and service members entering civilian life.”