Elisabeth Arnold has been teaching in the Engineering Writing Program at USC for six years and was one of the first faculty members to be appointed to a full-time position. She helped develop the graduate writing and communications course and has been teaching it for three years. Prior to coming to USC, she taught at Harvey Mudd College in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department. She graduated with honors from the University of Virginia and received a Masters in Literature from Claremont Graduate University and has completed the requirements for a Ph.D. She has written commercial book and film reviews and edited an interdisciplinary journal. She founded a weekly arts and entertainment paper and sold it to a media company. She created a show on American culture for Japanese television. She pursues many diverse interests and accomplishments including acrobatics, architecture, and big cat and other wildlife conservation.