Faculty | USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Faculty Directory

Associate Professor of Professional Practice

One of the world’s foremost experts on the Olympic movement, Alan Abrahamson is an award-winning sportswriter, best-selling author and in-demand television analyst.

Amara

Aguilar

Associate Professor of Professional Practice

Amara Aguilar is an associate professor of journalism who centers her work around emerging technology, visual journalism, social media, design, Latinx audiences and engaging diverse communities.

Stylés

Akira

Instructor of Communication

Hector

Amaya

Professor of Communication, Director of the School of Communication

A leading scholar of transnationalism, Hector Amaya examines conceptual foundations of civic life such as citizenship, publicity and openness as these are transformed by globalization, violence and new technologies.

Adjunct Instructor

Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism

An interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersections of communication, journalism studies, media studies, and science and technology studies, Ananny traces how technologies and cultures of media production have the power to shape public life.

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Communication

Jonathan Aronson, professor of international communication and international relations, focuses on international policy and regulation issues.

Adjunct Instructor

Clinical Associate Professor of Public Diplomacy

Robert Banks is a former senior U.S. Foreign Service Officer, specializing in public diplomacy, now focused on helping his students understand public diplomacy’s role in foreign affairs and its real-world applications in the areas of strategy and evaluation.

François

Bar

Professor of Communication and Spatial Sciences

François Bar’s research and teaching explore the social and economic impacts of information technologies, with a specific focus on telecommunication policy, user-driven innovation and technology appropriation.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Christina

Bellantoni

Professor of Professional Practice

Longtime political journalist Christina Bellantoni joined the journalism faculty to lead the student newsroom and offer any student who works with Annenberg Media the lessons she’s learned over her more than 20-year career.

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism

Clarissa Beyah is a communications executive, educator and nonprofit founder with more than 25 years of global experience leading communication organizations at some of the world’s largest companies.

Daniel

Birman

Professor of Professional Practice

Daniel H. Birman is an award-winning writer, director and producer of documentaries who has developed documentary as an active journalistic practice at USC Annenberg.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Lecturer

Associate Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism

A longtime journalist and web developer, Peggy Bustamante teaches creative professionals to code, empowering them to push the boundaries of innovative storytelling in the digital sphere.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism

Throughout her distinguished career as a journalist, educator and scholar, Laura Castañeda has centered her writing, teaching and research on issues of diversity — particularly the Latino experience — and the pedagogy of journalism.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Lecturer

Dana Chinn has pioneered interdisciplinary analytic approaches throughout her varied career in the media industry and academia, but most enjoys making math and data accessible to numbers-phobic students and journalists.

Peter

Clarke

Professor Emeritus of Communication

An experienced academic administrator, Peter Clarke focuses his research and social action on communication that improves health, including creating and evaluating both traditional and digital media.

Michael

John

Cody

Professor Emeritus of Communication

Michael Cody teaches and conducts research in the areas of interpersonal communication, nonverbal communication, persuasion, entertainment-education and public campaigns

Cole

Professor Emerita of Journalism

Recognized as a USC Remarkable Woman Faculty Member, KC Cole is an award-winning science writer who explores the intersection of science, the arts and politics and hosts the public event series, Categorically Not!

Jeffrey

Cole

Research Professor

Jeffrey Cole has been at the forefront of media and communication technology issues both in the United States and internationally for the past three decades.

Fred

Cook

Professor of Professional Practice

As chairman of global PR agency Golin, Fred has 30+ years experience with world-class brands like Amazon, Nintendo and McDonald’s and is the author of ‘Improvise: Unorthodox Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO.’

Adjunct Instructor

University Professor

Geoffrey Cowan is a lawyer, academic administrator, government official, best-selling author, distinguished professor, nonprofit executive, and Emmy Award-winning producer.

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Communication

A pioneer scholar and educator in the field of public diplomacy, Nick Cull is a historian of the role of mass communication in foreign policy.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Lecturer of Communication

Dhillon studies a broad range of topics generally concerned with argumentation, political communication, cultural discourses, gendered discourses and racial discourses.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Director, USC U.S.-China Institute

Clayton Dube leads the USC U.S.-China Institute, which focuses on the multidimensional and evolving U.S.-China relationship.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Clinical Professor of Communication

Founder and director of the USC Annenberg Institute of Sports, Media and Society and creator of the African-American Experience in Major League Baseball research program, Daniel Durbin examines the meaning of sport as a rhetorical process.

Adjunct Instructor

Instructor of Communication

Susan

Evans

Research Scientist

Susan Evans is an award-winning creator of media for improving public health. Her works have focused on better nutrition for low-income people, coping with cancer treatment side-effects, and other conditions.

Adjunct Instructor

Instructor of Communication

Emilio

Ferrara

Associate Professor of Communication and Computer Science

A pioneer working at the intersection between artificial intelligence and computational social science, Emilio Ferrara studies socio-technical systems and information networks to unveil the communication dynamics that govern our world.

Jennifer

Floto

Professor of Professional Practice

A veteran public relations practitioner with 48 years of corporate and agency experience, Jennifer Floto is an expert on content creation, applied research, lifestyle PR, leadership fundamentals, creativity and PR planning.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Adjunct Lecturer

Associate Professor of Communication

Robeson Taj Frazier explores Black and Afro-diasporic political cultures, popular cultures and intellectual histories, with an emphasis on cross-cultural contact, media and art.

Adjunct Instructor

Professor Emerita of Communication, and Professor Emerita of Management and Organization

An award-winning interdisciplinary scholar and fellow of both communication and management, Janet Fulk studies how knowledge and expertise move through networks of people, technologies and organizations.

Hernan

Galperin

Associate Professor of Communication

An internationally recognized expert on Internet policy and digital inequality, Hernan Galperin applies empirical methods to study the links between technology adoption and social stratification.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Clinical Assistant Professor of Communication

A former consultant for the National Academy of Sciences on health policy issues affecting LGBT populations, Carlos Godoy is an expert on evidence-based argumentation and advocacy strategies designed to improve the lives of underrepresented groups.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Communication

A specialist in the areas of media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of LGBT studies.

Adjunct Instructor

Associate Professor of Professional Practice

An award-winning broadcast journalist, Rebecca Haggerty is an educator who focuses on innovation, excellence and inclusion, and firmly believes that journalism schools should support and critique the institutions of news media.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Professor of Communication

As a leading group communication scholar, Andrea Hollingshead studies the connections between group communication, performance, and wellbeing in work, interpersonal and online settings.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Digital Media Expert in Residence

Joseph Itaya is an award-winning film director, digital content creator, technology innovator, educator, and entrepreneur, specializing in helping organizations find their voices and tell their stories through multimedia content.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Provost Professor of Communication, Journalism, Cinematic Arts and Education

The author or editor of 20 books on media and popular culture, Henry Jenkins has spent his career exploring the intersections between participatory culture, participatory learning and participatory politics.

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism

Gabriel Kahn studies the disruption and evolution of the news industry and works on data-driven projects that promote innovation in the profession of journalism.

Martin

Kaplan

Research Professor of Communication and Journalism, Norman Lear Chair in Entertainment, Media and Society

His wide-ranging experience in politics, journalism, entertainment and academia led Marty Kaplan to found the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, which has been studying and shaping the difference media makes for more than 20 years.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Lecturer of Communication Studies

Sean directs the Trojan Debate Squad and researches rhetorics of economics and technological innovation.

Adjunct Instructor

Assistant Professor of Journalism

A quantitative and computational social scientist, Su Jung Kim examines user engagement with digital media and its sociopolitical and commercial impact using large-scale behavioral data such as clickstream data, mobile app logs and social media data.

Julianna

Kirschner

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Jonathan

Kotler

Associate Professor

A former Dean of the USC Graduate School and past President of the Western Association of Graduate Schools, attorney and USC School of Journalism graduate, Jonathan Kotler has taught media law at the School of Journalism for more than four decades.

Robert

Kozinets

Professor of Journalism

The founder of netnography and a social media, influencer, and brand research pioneer, Kozinets develops theory and method to apply to marketing, communication, and other fields that seek a contextualized understanding of digital culture.

Josh

Kun

Professor and Chair in Cross-Cultural Communication

An award-winning cultural historian, critic and curator, Josh Kun is a 2016 MacArthur Fellow and expert on the intersection of arts, culture and politics, with an emphasis on popular music.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Associate Professor

Randall Lake is an expert in rhetoric, culture and public controversies, particularly the efforts of subaltern social movements for political, social and cultural change.

Caroline

Leach

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Carmen

Lee

Clinical Associate Professor of Communication

Carmen M. Lee’s research and teaching focuses on interethnic and intercultural relationships, interpersonal and family violence, and diversity and inclusion in the media industry.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

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Adjunct Professor

Instructor of Communication

Adjunct Lecturer

Instructor of Communication

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Professor of Communication

Awarded over $20M (NIH, CDC, DOD/DARPA), Lynn Miller pioneered scalable effective game risk-reduction interventions (fMRI-compatible), using intelligent agents and systematic representative design, for generalizable virtual environments.

Adjunct Instructor

Professor Emeritus of Communication; Professor Emeritus of Management and Organization

Peter Monge’s scholarship and teaching focus on organizational communication, social networks and quantitative research methods, especially as these social and global phenomena are enlightened by ecological and evolutionary theories.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Professor Emerita of Journalism

Former network correspondent for CBS and ABC News and commentator for NPR, Judy Muller focuses on narrative skills for broadcast reporting, radio and audio reporting, vocal delivery for broadcast, news literacy and ethics in journalism.

Mary

Murphy

Associate Professor

An award-winning newspaper, magazine, digital and television journalist who covers entertainment, pop culture, politics, and the crisis of people experiencing homelessness.

Sheila

Teresa

Murphy

Professor of Communication

Sheila Murphy is an expert on the use of stories or narratives to change individual and health-related normative beliefs and behavior on topics ranging from human trafficking, condom use, stereotyping, and cancer screening, both in the U.S. and globally.

Freddy

Tran

Nager

Lecturer of Communication

Adjunct Instructor

Clinical Assistant Professor of Communication

Jessica Neff is a clinical assistant professor of communication and co-director of the MS in Communication Data Science program.

Adjunct Instructor

Professor Emeritus of Communication

A. Michael Noll served as dean of USC Annenberg from 1992 to 1994 and was a very early pioneer in digital computer art, 3D animation and tactile communication.

Karen

North

Clinical Professor

Karen North is a recognized expert in the field of digital and social media, with interests spanning personal and corporate brand building, digital election meddling, reputation management, product development, and safety and privacy online.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Journalism Emeritus

Michael Parks was the international correspondent for more than 25 years and later the editor of the Los Angeles Times.

Sabrina

Pasztor

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Paula

Patnoe Woodley

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Adjunct Instructor

Associate Professor of Communication

Adjunct Instructor

Clinical Professor of Communication

Jillian Pierson’s primary focus is teaching undergraduate courses in the social science side of communication, with special attention to cultural issues.

Keith

Plocek

Assistant Professor of Professional Practice

A veteran of alternative media, Keith Plocek teaches a variety of journalism classes and researches the intersection of travel, culture and surfing.

Adjunct Instructor

Senior Fellow

With more than 50 years of experience in media and journalism, Adam Clayton Powell III now leads a bipartisan USC initiative providing election cybersecurity training in all 50 states.

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Instructor of Communication

Allissa

Richardson

Assistant Professor of Journalism and Communication

Allissa V. Richardson, PhD, is an award-winning journalism instructor and scholar who studies how marginalized communities use mobile and social media to produce innovative forms of journalism — especially in times of crisis.

Adjunct Instructor

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Journalism and Communication

Joe Saltzman, an award-winning journalist, is a leading expert on the image of the journalist in popular culture. His IJPC Database and website are the definitive world-wide resources.

Adjunct Instructor

Lecturer of Communication

Andrew

Richard

Schrock

Instructor of Communication

Adjunct Instructor

Professor Emeritus of Journalism and Public Diplomacy

Philip Seib is a leading authority about the relationship between news media and foreign policy, and about the effects of news coverage on armed conflict, including terrorism.

Aaron

Settipane

Part-Time Lecturer of Communication

Paolo

Sigismondi

Clinical Professor of Communication

Combining theoretical frameworks in communication, economics and management with an international media industry background as an executive, Paolo Sigismondi explores diverse facets of the field of global media communication and entertainment.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Associate Professor of Communication

Founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Stacy Smith started and runs the leading global think tank investigating inequality in Hollywood and creating solutions for systemic change.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Clinical Professor of Communication and Journalism, Director of the School of Journalism

Trained as a rhetorical and argumentation scholar, Gordon Stables is an experienced academic administrator with ongoing research and teaching interests at the intersection of of journalism, political communication, public discourse and debate.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Instructor

Associate Professor

Starr is a specialist on Mexico and Latin America more broadly, and has done significant work on the politics of trade and finance.

Adjunct Instructor

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct Instructor

Professor of Journalism and Public Policy

Roberto A. Suro is a long-time journalist—TIME, New York Times, Washington Post — and think tank director — Pew Research Center, on USC faculty since 2007, and a specialist on immigration and the Latino population. Suro holds a joint appointment with the Price School of Public Policy.

Burghardt

Tenderich

Professor of Practice; Associate Director, Center for Public Relations

At the intersection of practice and academia, Burghardt Tenderich analyzes the disruptions in today’s media environments and the impact these profound changes have on the study and practice of organizational communication.

Adjunct Instructor

Associate Professor of Communication

Douglas Thomas works at the intersection of technology and culture, focusing on subcultures, education and learning, and innovation and creativity.

Thomas Goodnight

Professor of Communication

While at Northwestern University and at the University of Southern California, Goodnight developed doctoral programs that achieved number one rankings. Presently, he works with a range of post-doctoral students and conducts advanced studies.

Jeffrey

Thompson

Adjunct Lecturer

Miki

Turner

Associate Professor of Professional Practice

Miki Turner is an award-winning journalist and author who has worked in nearly every discipline in the media industry. She is the founder of the Annenberg Cross-Cultural Student Association and the director of a university-wide Minority Serving Institution Graduate School Recruitment effort.

Part-Time Professor

Assistant Professor of Communication

An expert on social networks, teams and digital collaboration, Twyman merges diverse perspectives gained from training in the social sciences and STEM to understand how people communicate and engage with technology.

Adjunct Lecturer

Adjunct instructor

Associate Professor of Journalism

A scholar and consultant in the fields of strategic communication and public diplomacy, Jian (Jay) Wang is director of the Center on Public Diplomacy and an associate professor at USC Annenberg.

Susan

Resnick

West

Adjunct Lecturer, Retired Clinical Professor

Dmitri

Williams

Associate Professor of Communication

Dmitri Williams researches technology and society, with a focus on games and community.

Diane

Winston

Associate Professor of Journalism

Diane Winston is a national authority on religion and the media as both a journalist and a scholar. Her expertise includes religion, politics and the news media as well as religion and the entertainment media.