Susan Bell
Susan Bell is associate director of communication at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where she is the editor-in-chief of USC Dornsife Magazine. In addition to leading the content creation for the magazine and editing and writing features and news articles for the magazine and the web, she is also responsible for promoting the magazine to both internal and external audiences while widening its use as a strategic marketing and communications tool. Originally from Edinburgh, Susan has a BA in English and philosophy from the University of York.
Stories by Susan Bell:
The year the floods came to Southern California
In 1861-62, a series of deadly winter storms caused widespread devastation and flooding in the West — and it could happen again. Learn why in this piece that first published in 2020.
Have you been naughty? Then beware: Krampus is coming
With Krampus-based movies, comic books and festivities growing in popularity, the scary Alpine holiday legend has gained a firm foothold in America.
The search for forgotten photos of Nazi deportations
USC Dornsife’s Center for Advanced Genocide Research is the only non-German partner in the first major international initiative to gather and analyze images showing Nazi deportations during World War II.
Pipe dreams: We take plumbing for granted, but it’s a ‘modern miracle’ with roots more than 6,000 years old
From the communal baths of Rome to the Great Stink of London and the fortuitously named sanitary engineer Thomas Crapper, USC scholars tell the history of plumbing through the ages.
How Dad inspired me: Professors reflect on their fathers’ influence
With Father’s Day on our minds, seven USC faculty members share touching stories of how their dads helped shape who they are today.
How a Mexican eatery became a cherished urban anchor for immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community
🏳️🌈 PRIDE MONTH: USC Dornsife’s Natalia Molina reveals the story of her grandmother’s Echo Park restaurant — a beloved L.A. landmark that once provided much-needed acceptance for a diverse group of Angelenos.
Exploring identity, heartbreak, romance and sexuality — in a doctoral project
USC Dornsife creative writing PhD candidate Jean Chen Ho talks to Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen about her acclaimed first book, Fiona and Jane, and how her research into a violent event in L.A. history illuminates today’s spike in anti-Asian racism.
How did ancient civilizations make sense of the cosmos — and what did they get right?
We’ve been fascinated by the wonders of the universe and have endeavored to understand our place within it since our earliest ancestors first gazed up in awe at the night sky. That has USC experts asking: What did the ancients know?
USC Dornsife researchers examine the mysteries of the universe
From the origins of the Big Bang to the composition of dark energy, dark matter and black holes, cosmologists Vera Gluscevic and Elena Pierpaoli are searching for answers.
Acclaimed Greek writer Christos Ikonomou wins USC Dornsife’s inaugural Chowdhury Prize in Literature
The college’s Department of English, with the support of the Subir and Malina Chowdhury Foundation and in collaboration with Kenyon College and the Kenyon Review, will award the $20,000 prize during a gala at USC in April.
In memoriam: Prominent psychotherapist Constance Ahrons, 84
An emeritus professor of sociology, Ahrons helped diminish the stigma of divorce, seeking to replace pejorative language and arguing that a “good divorce” could prove more beneficial than an unhappy marriage.
USC faculty members offer top tips for creating a more sustainable future
Small changes — from baking and eating Brussels sprouts to installing a bidet — can make us feel good about helping shift the trajectory toward a greener future.
USC experts assess the situation in Afghanistan
Two USC Dornsife scholars with expertise on the region give their insights into the harrowing situation unfolding after the Taliban seized power.
USC Paralympian heads to Tokyo in search of gold
Robert Tanaka, who fell in love with judo after the visual impairment caused by his albinism made other sports impossible, is ready to compete at the 2021 Paralympic Games.
L.A. to Paris and London: French degree helps alumna forge international career
Kate McCutchen has successfully pursued life and business in Paris, London and Luxembourg, working for prominent companies such as Apple, Samsung and luxury luggage retailer Away.
Exploring ‘Magic, Witchcraft and Healing’ in the classroom
USC Dornsife’s Thomas Ward of anthropology covers Vodou, witchcraft and shamanism, while focusing on “white magic” used for holistic healing.
Famed economist helps us know how to be happy
For more than half a century, USC’s Richard Easterlin has delved into the secrets of what does — and doesn’t — bring us joy.
What today’s conspiracy theories have in common with ancient ones
From the Knights Templar to the moon landings and QAnon, conspiracy theories are nothing new. Two USC Dornsife experts offer a look at what’s behind the original “fake news.”
Curtis Roseman, 79, specialist in population geography and human migration
An emeritus professor of geography, Roseman also pioneered the USC Dornsife Geography Department’s highly entertaining “Downtown L.A. Walking Tour.”
Once painfully shy, this alum is now USC’s director of belonging
It took a while for Cat Moore to learn how to create meaningful relationships. Now she’s helping USC students overcome the challenges and isolation caused by the pandemic.
USC Dornsife launches first undergraduate civil rights advocacy clinic in U.S.
Led by noted civil rights attorney Olu Orange, the Agents of Change Initiative enables students to participate in key areas of social reform.
Why is it important to remember what came before?
Memory lies at the heart of many academic disciplines.
Exploring the evolution — and contradictions — of an early female ad exec
USC’s Ellen Wayland-Smith chronicles the life of Jean Wade Rindlaub, who used her influential career on Madison Avenue to advocate that women stay in the kitchen.
Virginia Tufte, 101, gifted teacher at USC Dornsife for a quarter of a century
One of the most celebrated scholars of her time, her fields of expertise were Renaissance poetry, Milton, the history and grammar of English and literature by and about women.