Psychology
(213) 740-2203
FAX: (213) 746-9082
Email: psychology@dornsife.usc.edu
dornsife.usc.edu/psyc
Chair: Margaret Gatz, Ph.D.*
Faculty
University Professor and Dana Dornsife Chair in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences: Hanna Damasio, M.D.
University Professor and David Dornsife Chair in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences: Antonio Damasio, M.D., Ph.D.
Harold Dornsife Chair in Neurosciences: Irving Biederman, Ph.D.
Provost Professor of Psychology and Business: Wendy Wood, Ph.D.
Provost Professor of Social Work, Preventive Medicine, Psychiatry, Family Medicine and Gerontology: William Vega, Ph.D.
Mendel B. Silberberg Professor of Social Psychology: Norman Miller, Ph.D.
Professors: Michael A. Arbib, Ph.D. (Computer Science and Biological Sciences); Laura A. Baker, Ph.D.; Antoine Bechara, Ph.D.; Irving Biederman, Ph.D.; Sarah W. Bottjer, Ph.D. (Biological Sciences); Peter Carnevale, Ph.D. (Business); Kathleen C. Chambers, Ph.D.; Gerald C. Davison, Ph.D.*; Michael E. Dawson, Ph.D.; JoAnn M. Farver, Ph.D.; Caleb E. Finch, Ph.D. (Gerontology and Biological Sciences); Margaret Gatz, Ph.D.*; Ernest Greene, Ph.D.; Andrea Hollingshead, Ph.D. (Communication); Bob G. Knight, Ph.D. (Gerontology); David G. Lavond, Ph.D.; Steven Lopez, Ph.D.; Thomas D. Lyon, J.D., Ph.D. (Law); Franklin R. Manis, Ph.D.*; Gayla Margolin, Ph.D.; John J. McArdle, Ph.D.; Beth E. Meyerowitz, Ph.D.*; Lynn Miller, Ph.D. (Communication); Shrikanth Narayanan, Ph.D. (Engineering); Carol A. Prescott, Ph.D.; Stephen J. Read, Ph.D.; Robert Rueda, Ph.D. (Education); Elyn R. Saks, J.D. (Law); Dan Simon, S.J.D. (Law); Steven Yale Sussman, Ph.D. (Institute for Prevention Research, Medicine); Larry Swanson, Ph.D. (Biological Sciences); Penelope K. Trickett (Social Work); William Vega, Ph.D. (Social Work); Suzanne Wenzel (Social Work); Rand Wilcox, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Zelinski, Ph.D. (Gerontology)
Associate Professors: Stanley J. Huey, Jr., Ph.D.; Laurent Itti, Ph.D. (Computer Science); Richard S. John, Ph.D.; Stephen A. Madigan, Ph.D.; Mara Mather, Ph.D. (Gerontology); Bartlett Mel, Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering); Toben Mintz, Ph.D.; John Monterosso, Ph.D.*; Joseph Priester, Ph.D. (Business); David Schwartz, Ph.D.; Bosco S. Tjan, Ph.D.; David A. Walsh, Ph.D.
Assistant Professors: Cleopatra Abdou, Ph.D. (Gerontology); Giorgio Coricelli (Economics); Jesse Graham, Ph.D.; Tara Gruenewald, Ph.D.; Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Ph.D. (Education); Adam Leventhal, Ph.D. (Institute for Prevention Research, Medicine); Henrike Moll, Ph.D.; Justin Wood, Ph.D.
Clinical Professors: A. Steven Frankel, Ph.D.; Ernest R. Katz, Ph.D.; Jonathan S. Kellerman, Ph.D.; Richard Woodcock, Ph.D.
Clinical Assistant Professor: Marian Williams, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professors: Lynne Bernstein, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Susman, Ph.D.
Adjunct Associate Professor: Joanne Steuer, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor: Jasmine Tehrani, Ph.D.
Associate Professor (Research): Susan Luczak, Ph.D.
Assistant Professors (Research): Karen M. Hennigan, Ph.D.; Jonas Kaplan, Ph.D.; Gui Xue, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor (Teaching): Ann Renken, Ph.D.
Assistant Professors of the Practice: Shannon Couture, Ph.D.; Danielle Kennan-Miller, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor (Research): Nancy Pederson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor (Research): Monique Fleming, Ph.D.
Lecturers: C. Miranda Barone, Ph.D.; William Breland, Ph.D.; Viviane Seyranian, Ph.D.
University Professor Emeritus and William M. Keck Chair Emeritus in Psychology and Biological Sciences: Richard F. Thompson, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professors: Norman Cliff, Ph.D.; William W. Grings, Ph.D.; Albert R. Marston, Ph.D.; Sarnoff A. Mednick, Ph.D.
Emeritus Associate Professor: Milton Wolpin, Ph.D.
Academic Program Staff
Clinical Associates: Caroline Bailey, Ph.D.; Brian Baucom, Ph.D.; Barbara Cadow, Ph.D.; Kenneth Cole, Ph.D.; Vivian Fernandez-Credidio, Ph.D.; Beth Leedham, Ph.D.; Michael Maloney, Ph.D.; Karen Meiselman, Ph.D.; Pamella Oliver, Ph.D.; Berta Ortiz, Ph.D.; Cynthia G. Pearson, Ph.D.; Joanne Steuer, Ph.D.; Charles Weinstein, Ph.D.
The Department of Psychology offers five topical areas: (1) Cognitive, which analyzes the biological and social bases of phenomena and abilities such as appetitive behavior learning, memory, perception, decision making, social understanding, emotion, intelligence, behavior disorders, language development and language comprehension — among humans and related higher animals; (2) Developmental, which studies changes in behavior — cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional — from childhood through adolescence and adulthood into old age; (3) Clinical, which focuses on the ways people cope, or have difficulty coping, with problems in behavior, emotions, social interaction, aging, health-related behavior, and substance use and abuse; (4) Biological, which examines the biological bases of behavior, including behavioral genetics, behavioral endocrinology, and cognitive neuroscience; and (5) Social, which examines normal human nature and conduct, develops and tests theories concerning the consequences of our social condition and its potential improvement.
In addition, the department offers a joint major in linguistics/psychology and participates in the Dornsife College’s interdisciplinary program in neuroscience.
Research is integral to psychology; it enables the faculty to make contributions in the field and to be more effective teachers. Undergraduate students are encouraged to work with members of the faculty on research projects. The most direct way for students to participate in research is to enroll in a directed research course, but it is also possible to take part in ongoing research in less formal ways. Further options for research training include the honors program for psychology majors and the progressive degree program that permits students to complete all requirements for both the B.A. and the M.A. degrees in psychological science in five years.