Office Hours Faculty

Christina Bellantoni

Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; Director of the Annenberg Media Center

A longtime political journalist who joined USC Annenberg in 2018 after serving as a member of the masthead at the Los Angeles Times, Christina Bellantoni has covered local, state, and federal government, along with four presidential campaigns and the White House. Bellantoni has been a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics as well as a former vice president of the Washington Press Club Foundation. She frequently appears on major news outlets, including NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and Real Time With Bill Maher.

Jane Coaston

Podcast Host, Writer, and USC Center for the Political Future Fellow

A contributing opinion writer at The New York Times who focuses on American conservatism, Jane Coaston has also hosted the popular New York Times podcast, “The Argument,” offering context, analysis, and good-faith engagement on current political debates. As a Senior Politics Reporter at Vox, Coaston has covered current events spanning from the Republican Party to the Black Lives Matter Movement. Her work has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, ABC News, NPR, The Ringer, Buzzfeed, and The Washington Post. She recently joined CNN as an on-air contributor.

Quade French

Associate Dean, Academic Culture and Well-being, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences

Quade French is a dedicated psychologist, higher education leader, consultant, and advocate who leverages an extensive knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and practice. French works with leaders to identify strengths and challenges, develop both strategy and logistics of culture change, and implement them in higher education settings. His background in clinical psychology and systems theory offers a unique perspective on the intersections between group dynamics and individual well-being to create positive change.

Charlie Hannigan

Assistant Professor of Clinical Data Sciences and Operations, USC Marshall School of Business

Charlie Hannigan is not only an expert at utilizing data, statistical analysis, and the classification of algorithms to improve business processes, but he’s also invested in optimizing these cutting-edge tools for social good. His research has focused on increasing efficiencies and reducing injustices in jail and judiciary systems, as well as how people’s utility over time influences their choices and system dynamics.

Julian Hirst

Strategic Leader, Innovator, and Global Business Growth Catalyse

With 15 years of board-level experience on four continents, Julian Hirst loves working with founders to build companies, including helping entrepreneurs and investors move from Phase One to Phase Two. Currently, he is the Regional Director, EMEA, for Busbud, a global online travel platform. Previously, he was Executive Director at WhereIsMyTransport, raising over $20m from investors including Google, Samsung, and Toyota, and leading the team that enabled millions of people in emerging markets to make a positive change in the way they move and in the way they live.

For scheduling please reach out to Julian directly on Slack.

Allie Morris

Creative Producers, Instructional Design and Strategic Planning

Focused and driven leader with twenty five years of experience in strategic planning, program design and building online platforms/applications across a variety of spaces including Higher Education, Professional Development and Creative Media and Technology. Proven development success beginning with customer-centric research and market demands – always staying one-step-ahead to provide a unique and personalized customer experience in media and learning.

For scheduling please contact Allie directly at am_897@usc.edu.  Weekly availability changes but will hold Thursday from 9 – 10:30 PT open for scheduling.

Michael Paranal

Assistant Professor of Clinical Accounting, USC Marshall School of Business; Chief Diversity Officer at the Leventhal School of Accounting

With career-spanning diverse roles in law, finance, and education, Michael Paranal’s work has a profound commitment to service, continuous learning, and creating inclusive environments. As Legal Counsel at the European Central Bank and an Associate at Latham & Watkins LLP, Paranal gained invaluable experience in international finance, law, and corporate governance. Bringing this global perspective to USC, he spearheads initiatives that enhance DEI programming and wide-reaching engagement to inspire leaders on professional and personal development.

Kristen Schiele

Associate Professor of Clinical Marketing, USC Marshall School of Business

Specializing in digital marketing and social media, Kristen Schiele’s research includes design thinking and innovations in marketing education. She received the Fulbright Scholar Award to teach and conduct research in Portugal and co-authored the Mobile Marketing Essentials textbook. She frequently speaks on current and emerging trends in user experience and human-centered design, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Marketing Educators’ Association.

Jonathan Cohen

Director of Policy Engagement and Clinical Professor for the Division of Disease Prevention, Policy and Global Health, Keck School of Medicine of USC

An internationally recognized expert in health and human rights, Jonathan Cohen joined USC from the senior leadership of the Open Society Foundations, where he directed funding and led advocacy efforts to promote health and human rights in over forty countries. His research has related to the political, legal, social, and economic determinants of health, including issues around criminalization and access to justice as well as placing human rights at the center of the HIV response. Convinced that aging is the next big global megatrend on the level of climate change and artificial intelligence, Cohen’s current research is interested in the effect of population aging on health systems.

For scheduling please contact Jonathon Cohen (jecohen@usc.edu).

Dan Wadhwani

Director of Research and Graduate Programs at the Greif Center, USC Marshall School of Business; Jill Brooks-Garnett Teaching Chair in Entrepreneurship

With an extensive background in researching and teaching how entrepreneurial processes drive socio-economic change, Dan Wadhwani advises entrepreneurs and firms across multiple stages of development. His work has been published in leading academic journals in entrepreneurship, management, and history. Wadwani was co-founder in 2010 of the Entrepreneurs’ Showcase and is also a venture partner at Impact Venture Capital.

For scheduling please contact Dan Wadhwani (dwadhwani@marshall.usc.edu).