USC School of Social Work

The USC School of Social Work, noted for its innovative learning methods, offers the MSW@USC program, which allows students nationwide to earn their Master of Social Work through Web-based study. Like all MSW students, online students complete fieldwork in their communities to earn their degrees. Here Danny Hernandez fulfills his field placement at James Jordan Charter Middle School in Northridge, CA.

USC School of Social Work

The USC School of Social Work offers programs of study leading to the Master of Social Work (MSW) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in social work. These programs provide the student a broad background of knowledge about health and welfare problems, the meaning of programs past and present that have been established to meet them, and current issues and policy trends in the field.

At the same time, the student is helped to become a professional person through development of a philosophy in harmony with that of the profession: to prevent and mitigate severe social problems that challenge the viability of culturally diverse and complex urban settings; to build on the strengths of individuals, families and communities; and to lead the scholarly search for innovative, efficacious and just solutions.

Administration

Marilyn L. Flynn, Ph.D., Dean

R. Paul Maiden, Ph.D., Vice Dean, Academic and Student Affairs

Judy Axonovitz, M.S., Director, Skirball Academic Center

Janine Braun, EMBA, M.Ed., Assistant Dean, Admissions and Scholarship Programs

Paul Carlo, Ph.D., Director, USC Center on Child Welfare

Monica Ellis, M.A., Assistant Dean, Student Services

Carmen Frierson, Associate Dean, Administration

John Gaspari, MSW, Executive Director, USC Center for Work and Family Life

Mary Beth Harris, Ph.D., Director, San Diego Academic Center

Anthony Hassan, Ed.D., Director, Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families

Dan Hester, Director, International Programs

Steve Hong, B.S., Director, Management Information Systems

Jehoon Lee, Ph.D., Director, Center for Asian-Pacific Leadership

Carrie Lew, Ed.D., Assistant Dean, Professional Development and Alumni Relations

Cindy Monticue, M.A., Director, Marketing Communications

Michàlle Mor Barak, Ph.D., Director, Ph.D. Program

Scarlett Powers Osterling, MSW, Senior Associate Dean, External Relations

Cherry Short, M.Sc., Assistant Dean, Global and Community Initiatives

Wendy Smith, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Faculty Development

Haluk Soydan, Ph.D., Director, Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services

Donna Toulmin, J.D., Director, USC/DCFS Training Program, USC Center on Child Welfare

William Vega, Ph.D., Executive Director, USC Roybal Institute on Aging

Joshua Watson, Ed.D., Director, Student Services

June Wiley, Ph.D., Director, Virtual Academic Center

Leslie Wind, Ph.D., Director, Orange County Academic Center

Terris Wolff, MBA, MSBA, Director, Information Technology

Marleen Wong, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Field Education

Faculty

The Golden Age Association/Frances Wu Chair in Chinese Elderly: Iris Chi, DSW

Dean’s Professor of Social Work and Preventive Medicine: Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D.

Driscoll/Clevenger Professor of Social Policy and Administration: Bruce Jansson, Ph.D.*

Albert G. and Frances Lomas Feldman Professor of Social Policy and Health: Lawrence Palinkas, Ph.D.

Ernest P. Larson Professor of Health, Ethnicity and Poverty: Kathleen Ell, DSW

Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research: John Brekke, Ph.D.*

John Milner Professor of Child Welfare: Jacquelyn McCroskey, DSW*

Provost’s Professor of Social Work, Preventive Medicine, Psychiatry, Family Medicine and Gerontology: William Vega, Ph.D.

David Lawrence Stein/Violet Goldberg Sachs Professor: Penelope K. Trickett, Ph.D.*

Lenore Stein-Wood and William S. Wood Professor of Social Work and Business in a Global Society: Michàlle E. Mor Barak, Ph.D.*

Richard M. and Ann L. Thor Endowed Professor of Urban Social Development: Ron Avi Astor, Ph.D.

Professors: Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D.; Ron Avi Astor, Ph.D.; John Brekke, Ph.D.*; Iris Chi, DSW; Kathleen Ell, DSW; Marilyn L. Flynn, Ph.D.; Bruce Jansson, Ph.D.*; R. Paul Maiden, Ph.D.; Jacquelyn McCroskey, DSW*; Michàlle E. Mor Barak, Ph.D.*; Lawrence Palinkas, Ph.D.; Penelope K. Trickett, Ph.D.*; Avelardo Valdez, Ph.D.; William Vega, Ph.D.; Wynne Waugaman, Ph.D.; Suzanne Wenzel, Ph.D.

Associate Professors: Maria Aranda, Ph.D.*; Concepcion Barrio, Ph.D.; Devon Brooks, Ph.D.; Maryalice Jordan-Marsh, Ph.D.; Helen Land, Ph.D.*; Karen Lincoln, Ph.D.; Ferol Mennen, DSW*; Dorian Traube, Ph.D.; Ann Marie Yamada, Ph.D.

Assistant Professors: Julie Cederbaum, Ph.D.; Alice Cepeda, Ph.D.; Tamika Gilreath, Ph.D.; Jeremy Goldbach, Ph.D.; Erick Guerrero, Ph.D.; Benjamin Henwood, Ph.D.; Michael Hurlburt, Ph.D.; Seth Kurzban, Ph.D.; Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Ph.D.; Eric Rice, Ph.D.

Senior Clinical Fellow: Mary Gress, Ph.D.

Clinical Professors: Margarita Artavia, MSW; Judy Axonovitz, MSW; Ralph Fertig, J.D.; Stephen Hydon, MSW; Murali Nair, Ph.D.; Jolene Swain, MSW; Doni Whitsett, Ph.D.; Marleen Wong, Ph.D.; Gary J. Wood, Ph.D.

Clinical Associate Professors: Jane Allgood, Ph.D.; Rafael Angulo, MSW; Juan Araque, Ph.D.; Ruth Cislowski, MSW; Tory Cox, MSW; Jill Davis, MSW; Laurel Davis, MSW; Annalisa Enrile, Ph.D.; Pamela Franzwa, MSW; Kim Goodman, MSW; Heather Halperin, MSW; Mary Beth Harris, Ph.D.; Anthony Hassan, Ed.D.; Shelley Levin, Ph.D.; Martha Lyon-Levine, Ph.D.; Gokul Mandayam, Ph.D.; Shannon Mayeda, Ph.D.; Renee Michelsen, MSS; Sam Mistrano, J.D.; Tyan Parker Dominguez, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Phillips, Ph.D.; Elizabeth Pringle-Hornsby, MSW; Michael Rank, Ph.D.; Michal Sela-Amit, Ph.D.; Candace Smith, Ed.D.; Wendy Smith, Ph.D.; Eugenia Weiss, Psy.D.; June Wiley, Ph.D.; Leslie Wind, Ph.D.; Deborah Winters, MSW; Darlene Woo, MSW; Beverly Younger, Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professors: Rosemary Alamo, MSW; Sherri Arnold, MSW; Suh Chen Hsiao, MSW; Laurel Davis, MSW; Conrad Fuentes, MSW; Michael Johnson, Ed.D.; Dawn Joosten, Ph.D.; Omar Lopez, MSW; Sara McSweyn, MSW; Erik Schott, Ed.D.; Ruth Supranovich, MSW; Vivien Villaverde, MSW

Adjunct Professors: Lucia Aparicio, MSW; Vern Bengtson, Ph.D.; Margaret Fetting, Ph.D.; Michael Jackson, Ph.D.; Wanda Jewell, MSW; Sheri Kelfer, MSW; Diane Meadow, Ph.D.; Rose Monteiro, MSW; Monika White, Ph.D.; Jeff Wilkins, M.D.; Marcia Wilson, Ph.D.

Adjunct Associate Professors: Rita Davis, MSW; Nancy Flax-Plaza, MSW; Herbert Hatanaka, DSW; CarolAnn Peterson, Ph.D.; Mara Ziegler, MSW

Adjunct Assistant Professors: Estela Andujo, MSW; Steven Bush, MSW; Stephanie Carter, MSW; Linda Cox, MSW; Leigh Miller, MSW; Carlos Sosa, MSW

Research Professors: Charles Kaplan, Ph.D.; John Landsverk, Ph.D.; Haluk Soydan, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professors: Jehoon Lee, Ph.D.; Donald Lloyd, Ph.D.; Janet Schneiderman, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professors: Hazel Atuel, Ph.D.; Sonya Negriff, Ph.D.; Jan Nissly, Ph.D.; Harmony Rhoades, Ph.D.

Emeritus Professors: Howard J. Parad, DSW*; Rino Patti, DSW*; Barbara Solomon, DSW*

Emeritus Field Education Faculty: Rhoda G. Sarnat, M.A.

Degree Programs

The School of Social Work offers the Master of Social Work (MSW), the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and the dual Master of Social Work/Doctor of Philosophy, Social Work (MSW/Ph.D.) degrees. In addition, the school offers dual degrees with the schools of business; gerontology; law; medicine; public policy; and Hebrew Union College. Undergraduate students in the university may earn a minor in Children and Families in Urban America.