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.

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.

Headshot of USC faculty member Natalia Molina.

Natalia Molina

The Distinguished Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship in recognition of her work uncovering how historical narratives of race, citizenship and belonging continue to shape U.S. policies today.

Headshot of USC faculty member Arieh Warshel.

Arieh Warshel

Arieh Warshel, Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, figured that the dawning computer revolution might push biochemistry beyond the limits of the lab. His pioneering work in the late ’60s and ’70s was recognized with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2013.

Headshot of faculty member Mark Humayun.

Mark Humayun

University Professor Mark Humayun received the prestigious National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the nation’s top technology honor, for inventing a bioelectronic device that reverses vision loss for people experiencing blindness.

Flag bearers wearing graduation regalia process at a USC commencement ceremony.
Faculty Honors

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 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.

A professor and research assistants studying Alzheimer's disease apply brain scanning devices to a patient's head as he sits smiling in a chair.

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.