2026-2027 Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Faculty Fellows

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the newly appointed faculty fellows in the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) leadership development programs for the 2026-2027 academic year.  

The BTAA is a strategic partnership dedicated to advancing the academic excellence of member institutions through national leadership, collaboration, and co-investments. The BTAA Leadership Institute brings together the flagship programs, the Academic Leadership Program (ALP), the Department Executive Officer Program (DEO), and the Deans Leadership Program (DLP), which are highly selective programs that prepare faculty and academic administrators for leadership roles through mentoring, professional development, and engagement with peers across BTAA institutions, helping to cultivate the next generation of higher education leaders. 

Please join us in congratulating the fellows of the BTAA leadership development programs, named individually below, for their service to USC. 

2026-2027

Academic Leadership Program  

• Shafiqa Ahmadi, Co-Director of the Center for Education, Identity and Social Justice, Program Chair, Master’s Program, Professor of Clinical Education, Rossier School of Education 
• Ricky Bluthenthal, Distinguished Professor and Chair of Population and Public Health Sciences, Flora L. Thornton Chair in Preventative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine 
• Noah Malmstadt, Professor and Department Chair, Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Viterbi School of Engineering 
• Parish Sedghizadeh, Professor of Clinical Dentistry, Section Chair for Diagnostic Sciences, Ostrow School of Dentistry 
• Robin Stevens, Associate Professor of Communication, Associate Dean of Research, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism 

Department Executive Program 

• James Boedicker, Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 
• Jennifer Hook, Florence Everline Professor of Sociology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 
• Keith Mayerson, Professor of Art, Roski School of Fine Arts 
• John Monterosso, Professor of Psychology, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 
• Dan Wadhwani, Professor of Clinical Entrepreneurship, Marshall School of Business 

Deans Leadership Program 

• Laura Abrams, Dean, Professor of Social Work, Dworak-Peck School of Social Work   
• James Bullock, Dean, Anna H. Bing Dean’s Chair, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 

We also recognize the previous cohorts of faculty fellows for their dedicated service and valuable contributions to USC, whose leadership and commitment have helped strengthen our academic community. 

2025-2026

Academic Leadership Program 

• Burcin Becerik-Gerber, Professor and Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering 
• Darnell Cole, Co-Director of the Center for Education, Identity, and Social Justice, Professor of Education, Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, Rossier School of Education 
• William Coppola, Associate Professor and Chair, Music Teaching and Learning, Thornton School of Music 
• Edith Mirzaian, Associate Dean of Curriculum/Director of Curriculum, Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 
• Emily Smith-Greenaway, Dean’s Professor of Sociology, Professor of Sociology and Spatial Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 

Department Executive Program 

• William (GJ) Halfond, Professor of Computer Science, Viterbi School of Engineering 
• Michael Hurlburt, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Associate Professor of Social Work, Dworak-Peck School of Social Work 
• Naomi Levine, Galiban Distinguished Professorship in Science and Engineering, Professor of Marine and Environmental Biology, Quantitative and Computational Biology, and Earth Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 
• Jinchi Lv, Kenneth King Stonier Chair in Business Administration, Professor of Data Sciences and Operations, Marshall School of Business 
• Barry Thompson, Professor of Chemistry, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 

2024-2025

Academic Leadership Program 

• Bhaskar Krishnamachari, Ming Hsieh Faculty Fellow and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering 
• Jennifer Lewis, Teaching Professor of Social Work, Director MSW Program, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work 
• Artineh Samkian, Professor of Clinical Education, Rossier School of Education 
• Doris Sung, Professor of Architecture, School of Architecture 
• Sarah Townsend, Associate Professor of Management & Organization, Marshall School of Business 

Department Executive Program 

• Alison D’Amato, Associate Professor of Practice in Dance, Glorya Kaufman School of Dance 
• Rena Heinrich, Associate Professor of Theatre Practice in Critical Studies, Chair of Critical Studies and Dramatic Writing, School of Dramatic Arts 
• Eunjoo Huisung Pacifici, Associate Professor of Regulatory and Quality Sciences (Teaching), Chair of the Department of Regulatory and Quality Sciences, Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 
• Michelle Povinelli, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Viterbi School of Engineering 
• Sivaramakrishnan Siddarth, Professor of Marketing, Marshall School of Business 

 
Deans Leadership Program 

• Jason King, Dean, Tracy and Gene Sykes Dean’s Chair, Professor of Music, Thornton School of Music 
• Franita Tolson, Dean, Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law, Professor of Law, Gould School of Law 

Sincerely,