Jim Key

Sr. Assoc. Dean for Communication & Marketing @USCDornsife • Former CMO @LALGBTCenter • @USCMarshall alum • I share cool research

[Jim Key @jamesdkey]

I’m fortunate to work with brilliant people who care deeply about making a difference in the world. Getting to recognize some of them through USC Dornsife’s Communicator of the Year Awards is one of the highlights of my year.

Congrats to this year’s honorees - and thank you!

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

We believe public scholarship matters.

Our Communicators of the Year share their expertise with audiences far beyond campus, weighing in on topics from war and global politics to climate change, wealth inequality, literature and microbial life deep beneath Earth’s surface.

Congratulations to @davidulin, Robert English, Karen Lloyd (@archaearama), Carly Kenkel (@DrCarlsHorn), and @Jackson_Trager!

https://t.co/1X59hBX3Ga

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

They designed, tested, calculated, collaborated and competed — all before heading back to middle and high school.

California just hosted the Science Olympiad National Tournament for the first time, and @USC was the stage, welcoming more than 2,000 of the nation’s top young #STEM students.

https://t.co/JQQ8pSkZkQ

[Jim Key @jamesdkey]

Receiving this news was pretty cool.

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

USC Dornsife Magazine, our alumni magazine, has won a 2026 Bronze Anvil Award from @PRSA, one of the communication field’s highest honors.

We’re proud of the team behind the magazine’s holistic approach to storytelling — from print and digital editions to video, social media, media outreach, live events, and public forums.

Thank you to everyone who reads, contributes to, and champions the magazine. https://t.co/SAHmCEaBBd

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

The next generation of scientists and engineers is coming to @USC.

More than 2,000 K–12 students arrive tomorrow for the 42nd annual Science Olympiad National Tournament. We’re proud to help welcome them to campus. ✌️

https://t.co/M79KqgSOnb

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

One of our newest economics graduates is headed to the world final of a global innovation competition.

Darnell Adler was named one of three U.S. winners of Red Bull Basement for Lifeline AI, his personal safety startup.

We’re cheering you on, Darnell. Fight On! ✌️

https://t.co/zVb1me0JIY

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

The smiles say it all.

Today, we celebrated 2,700+ USC Dornsife graduates as they crossed the stage, cheered on by the people who helped them get here.

Congratulations, Trojans. We’re so proud of you. Fight On! ✌️

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

Congratulations to our 368 outstanding new doctoral graduates!

Their scholarship reflects the breadth of USC Dornsife, from chemistry and neuroscience to creative writing and economics.

We're proud of you, Trojans. Fight On! ✌️

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

"@USC didn't give me empathy; it gave me the chance to live it."

For graduating senior Taylor Renneker, a biology major, that meant studying stem cells at the @KECKSchool_USC, working with patients at a safety net hospital, serving as a Spanish interpreter, and leading respiratory health outreach on campus.

Congratulations on your graduation, Taylor, and Fight On! ✌

https://t.co/XzgeaYWbOa

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

No electricity. No fresh water. Lots of rats.

That’s fieldwork in the Galapagos for Charles Lehnen, a PhD candidate in integrative and evolutionary biology who is nearing completion of his degree.

His research on reintroducing giant tortoises to islands where they had long been extinct has earned praise from mentors, and he won one of USC’s top teaching assistant awards — one of only three given universitywide each year.

His work combines drones, machine learning, isotope analysis... and plenty of grit. Read more about Charles and his remarkable path: https://t.co/DykeDhRMuo

Congratulations, Charles, and Fight On! ✌️

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

Graduating senior Jason Toliao (@JasonTol11) turned a childhood experience with illness into a passion for helping others.

Here, that purpose grew through neuroscience research — including authoring multiple papers — and work that has already improved MRI technology and care for children with brain conditions.

Read more about his inspiring path to medicine: https://t.co/XzgeaYWbOa

Congratulations, Jason, and Fight On! ✌️

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

Punk rock frontman. Molecular biologist. Triple alumnus.

Dexter Holland of The Offspring (@offspring) will return to @USC to deliver the commencement address to USC Dornsife's Class of 2026.

Dexter fronts one of the best-selling punk rock bands of all time AND earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees here.

We’re excited to welcome him back to Alumni Park on May 15!

[Elex Michaelson @Elex_Michaelson]

What’s the inside story of the cancelled USC/ABC7 debate for CA Governor?

@christiangrose came up with the criteria that USC used to decide who got invited & who didn’t.

He explains his formula & responds to critics who call it “racist” in this @CNNTheStoryIs interview:

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

AI is moving fast. The work of making it trustworthy has to keep pace.

USC’s new Institute on Ethics and Trust in Computing is focused on exactly that, with our School of Philosophy helping put human questions at the center of technological ones. https://t.co/U0k1nwwLul

[USC @USC]

Should we always try to see the best in others? A USC philosopher examines the value — and limits — of giving people the benefit of the doubt. https://t.co/e5rpgYmfCN

[USC @USC]

Are kids really “little sponges”? @USCDornsife unpacks the science behind the “sponge child” myth — and what it gets wrong about how children learn. https://t.co/dMljdeLQej

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

Officially official: James Bullock (@jbprime) has been installed as the 23rd dean of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.

He’s championing a “modern approach to the liberal arts” — rooted in tradition, tuned to today’s students and job market. https://t.co/KCT3C0Z5Uq

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

Whichever team you’re rooting for in the Super Bowl, we’ve got extra reason to cheer. 🏈

@USC Dornsife alumni Uchenna Nwosu ’18 (political science) and Brandon Pili ’22 (sociology) will take the field for the Seattle Seahawks.

Fight on, guys - we're proud of you!

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

With nine Oscar nominations, #Frankenstein has captured fresh attention — but the story began more than 200 years ago.

[Jim Key @jamesdkey]

@Polymarket Last night of the DNC.

🎤 Beyoncé performs - 96% chance

[USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences @USCDornsife]

What color will Capitol Hill turn after the November election?

Join Dornsife political scientist @ChristianGrose on Sept. 25 for a virtual briefing on the latest polling from key California swing districts that could determine control of the House. RSVP➡️ https://t.co/s2Hvbd6b2c