Shaun Ossei-Owusu

Biography

I developed an interest in social science history while conducting his dissertation research, which explored the historical development of legal aid institutions and public defender offices. Los Angeles created the United States’ first public defender office in 1914, which piqued my interest in public administration in LA.  While at USC, I expect to turn my dissertation into a book manuscript and continue archival research on my second project, which examines the evolution of Los Angeles’ public health and criminal justice bureaucracies and their relationship to race, class, gender, and citizenship.  I am excited about conducting this research at USC, which hosts rich archival collections on LA’s administrative state as well as an impressive cadre of scholars who specialize in the history of Southern California.