Faculty Staff

Introduction

The School of Social Work is a diverse community of talented, dedicated people who share a vision for social justice. Our faculty and staff are integral to creating an environment fostering scholarship, teaching and service. The USC School of Social Work recognized the following faculty and staff members for their dedication to our students and commitment to excellence in research, teaching and practice:

Steven Kappel

Steven Kappel is the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research at the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He joined USC in 2000 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History and was promoted to full professor in 2010. Before joining us at USC, he taught at Harvard University, where he received his PhD (1997) and M.A.(1994). Steve’s research focuses on the history of modern Germany with an emphasis on politics, culture and society since 1870; late 19th-century political thought; European identity formation; nationalism studies; constructivism vs postmodernism debates

Richard G. Gregg

Richard Gregg is a professor of English and director of the Writing Program. He has been at USC for over 30 years, earning his Ph.D. in English from the University of Illinois. His books include Theory and Practice of Composition: A Reader-Centered Approach (with Robert Connors), The Art of Teaching College Composition (with James Phelan) and Write Place, Write Time: A Practical Guide to Integrating Writing into Your Classroom.

Deborah R. Jacobs

Deborah R. Jacobs is the Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and a professor of chemical engineering and materials science at USC. She was the first woman to be named Dean at USC Viterbi, one of only two schools offering PhD in all six disciplines taught by its faculty: biomedical engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial & systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and civil & environmental engineering.

Before joining USC in 2017 as Dean, Dr Jacobs served as Vice President for Research at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). In this role, she oversaw an annual research budget exceeding $250 million while leading CMU’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) — an office responsible for managing all federal funding across nine schools, including multiple campuses throughout Pittsburgh.

Eric S. Larson

Eric S. Larson is the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research at the University of Southern California. He has been a professor at USC since 1993, where he has served as the chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

He has been a frequent presenter at national conferences and a consultant to many colleges and universities on writing programs. His most recent publications include Integrating Writing into the Curriculum (with James Phelan) and Teaching College Composition: A Student-Centered Approach (with Robert Connors). Gregg also co-authors the popular student textbook College Writing Skills with James Phelan.

Daniel M. Levy

Daniel M. Levy, Ph. D., is the Dean of the School of Social Work at USC. A faculty member since 1993, this clinical psychologist built one of the country’s most prominent social work schools. He established new programs in international development, gerontology, and health policy research. He also serves as director of USC’s Center for Mental Health Services Research & Training (CMHSRT).

He received his Ph.D. from USC in clinical psychology; his research interests include substance abuse treatment effectiveness studies, cross-cultural issues related to mental health services delivery systems, public policy issues associated with treating people with co-occurring disorders such as alcoholism or drug addiction who also have serious mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder; developing integrated behavioral health care systems that serve underrepresented populations such as homeless persons with complex medical problems; improving access to services by identifying innovative ways to deliver care outside traditional settings via telehealth technologies such as videoconferencing technology applications (such as Skype) which can be used by individuals living far away from treatment providers without sacrificing quality care delivery outcomes while saving money on transportation costs associated with transporting patients back home after receiving needed medical attention.”

Elizabeth D. Longmire

Elizabeth D. Longmire is the Dean of the College of Social Sciences and a faculty member in the Department of Communication Studies. She has been at USC for over 20 years, serving as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Associate Professor before becoming Dean in 2017.

Dr Longmire received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992 and has authored or co-authored numerous books, including Communication Theory: An Introduction (with John M. Darley) and Media and Society: A Critical Introduction (with David Livingstone). Her most recent book project is “Communication Studies: The State, Future Directions & Challenges.”

Joseph Eron III

Joseph Eron III is a law professor at the University of Southern California. He is also the director of USC’s Center for Health Law, Policy and Ethics.

Eron serves as co-editor-in-chief of two journals: Health Affairs and Law and Contemporary Problems (with John Calfee). He previously served as assistant editor for both journals from 2011 to 2015; his research has been published in numerous other major academic publications such as the Journal of Legal Medicine, Journal of Law and Medicine, American Journal of Public Health, Social Science & Medicine.

Southern California