Debora Chan-Southwell is a volunteer professor of journalism with a background in business journalism. She currently focuses on civic responsibility and collaborates with USC students to use journalism as a vehicle to improve the writing skills and expand the opportunities of underserved elementary students. 

Chan-Southwell began her career in London as a writer for Euromoney’s International Financial Law Review and subsequently developed Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law for Butterworths & Co (Publishers) Ltd. She went on to develop WorldLaw, Merritt Insurance Report, and California Casewatch. While working in journalism and publishing, she also worked concurrently as a lawyer, either in private law practice or as in-house counsel to several corporations.

Chan-Southwell subsequently moved into risk management consulting for K-14 school districts, and in 2008, she and her family developed an afterschool newswriting program in one of those school districts. PressFriends Inc. brought high school and college mentors to elementary schools to work with elementary students on articles for their school or organization newspaper. PressFriends combined peer mentoring and project-based learning. PressFriends at USC was founded by USC Annenberg students in 2015 as a registered student organization, and Chan-Southwell continues to serve as the student organization’s advisor. Since 2008, PressFriends have mentored over 6,000 local elementary students.

Chan-Southwell also served as the senior director of faculty policies and procedures at USC from 2012–2026. She holds a Juris Doctor degree from UC Davis, a post-graduate diploma in business studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a master’s degree in human resources management from USC. She also is a licensed attorney.