Before Dexter Holland sold more than 45 million records as frontman of The Offspring, he was a student at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences in 1988, a master’s degree in molecular biology in 1990 and a PhD in molecular biology in 2017.

Now, he’s returning to his alma mater to deliver the commencement address at both USC Dornsife ceremonies on May 15 at USC’s Alumni Park on the University Park Campus, speaking to about 2,000 graduates.

“Dexter Holland earned his PhD in molecular biology and also fronts one of the defining bands of the last 30 years,” said USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock. “That combination isn’t a contradiction. It exemplifies how the liberal arts develop the intellectual range to go deep in a field as well as the confidence to build something entirely your own outside of it. I’m thrilled he’s returning to make that case in person.”

From USC lab to punk stardom

Growing up in Garden Grove, Calif., Bryan Holland planned to be a physician. His affinity for academics earned him the nickname “Poindexter,” which later influenced his stage name.

After graduating as his high school valedictorian in 1984, he enrolled at USC Dornsife. That same year, he and friends formed the punk garage band Manic Subsidal, despite not yet knowing how to play instruments.

As Holland continued his studies, the group evolved and changed its name to The Offspring. In 1994, while working on his PhD, the band broke through with the album Smash. The refrain “keep ’em separated” from the hit song “Come Out and Play,” was inspired by Holland’s experience cooling Erlenmeyer flasks of hot liquid in a USC lab.

The Offspring went on to become one of the best-selling punk rock bands of all time, releasing 11 studio albums and numerous chart-topping songs including “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” and “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid.” Holland will be speaking at commencement between tour dates for the band’s latest album, Supercharged.

Holland’s other ventures include the successful hot sauce company Gringo Bandito and regularly competing on the Ironman circuit.

In 2004, Holland completed a solo flight around the world in his Cessna Citation, dodging a volcano eruption in Iceland and a swarm of locusts in Egypt. And in 2017, he returned to the USC Dornsife campus to finish the PhD his music career had interrupted. His thesis focused on microRNA in HIV genomes and was published in the journal PLOS One.

About USC Dornsife’s 2026 commencement ceremonies

The deadline for students to register for the USC Dornsife commencement ceremonies is April 6.

More information about the USC Dornsife commencement ceremonies can be found at dornsife.usc.edu/commencement/.

Editor’s Note: Susan Bell contributed to this story.