
Nathan Masters
Nathan Masters is manager of academic events and programming communications for the USC Libraries. He covers USC’s relationship with Los Angeles and the myriad ways the university enriches our understanding of the surrounding metropolis. He also writes regularly about Southern California history for KCET.org and Los Angeles Magazine and blogs about L.A. urbanism at Gizmodo’s Southland subdomain.
Stories by Nathan Masters:

Franziska Kohlt named USC Libraries’ Carrollian Fellow
Kohlt, an accomplished historian of science, scholar of comparative literature, and expert in science communication, brings her diverse expertise and passion for Carroll’s works to the new fellowship.

‘Women Talking,’ ‘Slow Horses’ win 2023 USC Libraries’ Scripter Awards
The movie and TV series are recognized as the year’s best adaptation of the written word.

Nomadland and The Queen’s Gambit win USC Libraries Scripter Awards
The prize, in its 33rd year, honors the author and screenwriter of the year’s best adaptation of the printed word into film and episodic television.

USC Libraries celebrate scholarly success of 2018 graduates
Phi Kappa Phi, Sidney Harman Academy and Wall of Scholars all pay tribute to top USC scholars.

USC Libraries celebrate students’ scholarly success
Top thinkers are acknowledged at ceremonies honoring Phi Kappa Phi initiates, Polymathic Academy fellows and the newest names on Leavey Library’s Wall of Scholars.

Academic achievers etched into annals of USC history
The names of Trojans who received 2016 accolades will be added to the Wall of Scholars.

USC Libraries Scripter Award goes to The Big Short, Show Me a Hero
For the first time, the annual award honoring the written word is given to a movie and television show.

What does the future hold for Los Angeles?
New exhibit combs the records of the past for clues about how the city might adapt to the forces that shape it.

Celebrate the city’s history at LA as Subject Archives Bazaar
The daylong event at Doheny Memorial will reflect the region’s vibrant diversity, private collections and vaunted research libraries.

USC geologist looks below solid ground to study little-known faults
San Andreas gets all the attention, but James Dolan studies the faults directly beneath us — and the dangers they pose.

Honoring USC’s best and brightest
Wall of Scholars among several end-of-year student recognitions.

Downtown is USC’s college town
Transit lines, arts and cultural events create an ever-busier corridor connecting USC to downtown Los Angeles. It’s hip to hang out in #DTLA.

Wall of Scholars honors 2014’s stellar students
Dozens of students recognized for academic achievement at Leavey Library.
USC Libraries win public relations award

The California Library Association has honored the USC Libraries with its 2013 PRExcellence Award for the Mosely Snowflake Fractal and related communications and programming.
Wall of Scholars recognizes USC’s top graduates

The academic achievements of more than 60 exceptional USC students took center stage at the annual Wall of Scholars recognition ceremony on May 16.
Preserving the records of a public official

With Los Angeles voters choosing a new mayor on May 21, scholars and the popular media have turned their attention to local electoral politics. The USC Libraries’ Special Collections offer a wealth of rare and relevant primary-source materials, including papers of Yvonne Brathwaite Burke ’56.
Puzzler wins Wonderland Award

USC graduate student Andrew Woodham took first prize in the ninth annual USC Libraries Wonderland Award competition for “A Reflection on Lewis Carroll.”
Dancing in the library

For decades, dancer and choreographer Rudy Perez pushed the envelope of dance, inspiring audiences and fellow practitioners to reimagine the art form’s possibilities.
Cortés’ California misadventure

In the spring of 1535, Hernán Cortés set sail for an island he believed to be “rich in pearls and gold” and “populated by women, without a single mate.”
Missions minutiae

Founded between 1769 and 1823 as colonial outposts of the Spanish empire, California’s missions are among the state’s most celebrated historical landmarks.
To Sur with love

Often described as the quintessential California poet, Robinson Jeffers — and the indelible mark he left on the literary world — was honored at the “Celebrating Robinson Jeffers” event at the USC Libraries.
Los Angeles Archives Bazaar returning to USC

The seventh annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar will celebrate the unique stories and history of the Los Angeles area at Doheny Memorial Library.
USC Libraries project takes on a new dimension

A 3-D fractal has taken physical form for the first time at the USC Libraries.
USC’s oldest alumnus dies at 109

Victor Wellington Peters, USC’s oldest alumnus, died on Aug. 12 at the age of 109.