USC professors react to Bosco Tjan’s death

Few professors who enter USC, aiming to expand their academic achievements and help pass on their knowledge to students, ever expect to feel fear in their classrooms and offices. But for faculty members like Martin Krieger, a professor at the Price School of Public Policy, reports of violence — like the shooting at UCLA last summer in which a student killed an engineering professor — are not that unusual.

“Over the years, every once in a while you hear about a graduate student murdering a faculty member — not often, maybe once every few years,” Krieger said. “Professors are semi-public figures, and there are problems sometimes.”

Since the death of psychology professor Bosco Tjan on campus in December, the USC community has been working to come to terms with the loss of one of its own. But despite vigils, memorial services and memos sent from the administration, one group at USC is continuing to struggle with lasting questions around safety and security — faculty, including professors who say they feel unsafe at work.

David Jonathan Brown, a graduate neuroscience student who worked in Tjan’s lab, is accused of fatally stabbing the professor in his office in the Seeley G. Mudd Building. Brown has pled not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and is currently awaiting trial.

“I’ve heard about [Tjan’s death], but very little information was given out,“ Krieger said. “We have no idea why the student did this, and it was sort of buried in a very funny way.”

Leigh Tost, an assistant professor in the management and organization department of the Marshall School of Business, said that professors have been aware of faculty security for some time, and that Tjan’s death was perhaps more of a reminder than a wake-up call.

“There have been so many tragedies like this across the country in recent years that many professors were worried about their safety already,” Tost said in an email to the Daily Trojan. “It’s sad to say, but any time I teach, I identify exit doors.”

Krieger said that the best thing professors can do to prevent violence on campus is to suggest students get the counseling and mental health support they need.

“If you have a student who’s really in trouble, you need to get them help,” Krieger said.

Some USC faculty expressed thoughts of fear, calling for increased vigilance and safety procedures that might prevent incidents like this from occurring in the future. One professor from Marshall, who asked to stay anonymous, said that the University should consider installing security systems, such as metal detectors, in academic buildings.

“The school should make it more secure for everyone,” she said. “When you enter a building in a company, you can’t just enter any way you want, you have to go through a security system. Why don’t schools have protocols like this?”

The Department of Public Safety could not be reached for comment. The professor also noted that USC does take steps to ensure professors can recognize students who may be more likely to feel depressed or act out by providing information on identifying students who could be depressed and stressed.

“I’m also paying attention to any students who appear depressed — maybe I’ll take the initiative to call and ask them how they are feeling and suggest the counseling center,” she said. “Sometimes they can be shy about using it, so I can encourage that they get the professional help they need.”

The professor also said that mandatory training for students and professors alike should be put in place to help them identify who may be feeling severely depressed or stressed. She said that since the school already mandates alcohol awareness training, this could be a valuable supplement to make sure mental health and professor safety are priorities.

“I think that the school should implement training for everyone, not just professors, to help us all identify who is likely to feel stressed or depressed so we can help them,” she said.