The blue ribbon task force was commissioned by University Professor William Tierney, past president of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), after several high-profile bullying cases last year.

In a series of 11 briefs, the report, titled “Prevention of Bullying in Schools, Colleges and Universities,” presented short-term and long-term strategies to address bullying of children and youth. The report was released during the association’s 94th annual meeting in San Francisco.

The researchers contended that the term “bullying” is being overused and applied to everything from eye-rolling to criminal behavior. Definitions, they said, often require mistreatment to be repetitive in order to qualify as “bullying.” Astor and his colleagues urged school and college administrators to use the term “victimization” instead, among other recommendations.

“Huge numbers of students are suffering from school victimization, and schools have the power to alleviate this type of victimization,” Astor said. “Using existing research and policy based on research could relieve pain and suffering for millions of students each month. This alone may help well-being, social and emotional status, and even increased academic performance.”

The briefs focused on “Looking Beyond the Traditional Definition of Bullying,” “Bullying as a Pervasive Problem,” “Bullying and Peer Victimization Among Vulnerable Populations,” “Gender-related Bullying and Harassment: A Growing Trend,” “Legal Rights Related to Bullying and Discriminatory Harassment,” “Improving School Climate: A Critical Tool in Combating Bullying,” “Students, Teachers, Support Staff, Administrators and Parents Working Together to Prevent and Reduce Bullying,” “Putting School Safety Education at the Core of Professional Preparation Programs” and “Reinvigorated Data Collection and Analysis: A Charge for National and Federal Stakeholders.”

The task force was charged with identifying the causes and consequences of bullying in schools, colleges and universities; highlighting training and technical assistance opportunities to help faculty and staff at all types of educational institutions effectively address bullying; evaluating the effectiveness of current anti-bullying policies and bullying prevention programs; and assessing the connections between bullying research and interventions.

The report has received widespread media interest since its release, with coverage in The Washington Post, USA Today, Education Week and Inside Higher Ed. Astor said that each member of Congress has received a copy of the report, and future congressional briefings are being scheduled on the subject.

“AERA and education researchers are now taking the lead to provide scientific evidence for the general public on the issue of bullying,” Astor said. “We owe it to this generation to initiate a massive national anti-victimization at school effort based on science.”

More than 125 people visited the San Francisco Exploratorium for interactive demonstrations and dialogue about digital learning, held during the annual meeting of the largest education research organization in the United States.

“It was a really engaging event,” said Zoe Corwin, research assistant professor at the USC Rossier School of Education, who organized the event. “One thing that came through was that it is not just about technology; it’s about how we engage with technology, and it’s the critical thinking and activities facilitated through the technologies.”

Digital media, new media literacy and online learning experts from a number of universities attended the gathering. Guests took part in game demonstrations by education technology startups, including Collegeology Games, which was developed by USC researchers. Other game demonstrations were provided by the Exploratorium, SRI, wiiscience, MaKey MaKey, Kidaptive, Newton’s Playground and Root-1.

Large poster boards throughout the space posed questions, and attendees were encouraged to respond by adding their thoughts on Post-it notes. Guests pondered such questions as “How are digital innovations best sustained?” and “What are the major barriers to tech-related adoption for low-income consumers?”

“We had a few people assigned as ‘instigators,’ who would interrupt the activity to offer their thoughts around one of the questions and prod others to contribute their ideas,” Corwin said.

Among those leading the informal discussions were Tracy Fullerton of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Brendesha Tynes of USC Rossier, James Paul Gee of Arizona State University, Milton Chen of Edutopia, Alan Louie of ImagineK12, Russell Almond of Florida State University, S. Craig Watkins of the University of Texas and Ken Weber of Zynga.org.

Corwin said that with the growth of educational games, it is critical that game designers work with education scholars to maximize the learning process.

“We wanted to bring people who don’t normally talk to each other in the same room to brainstorm, and share information and ideas,” she said.

USC researchers showcased Mission: Admission and Future Bound, the two newest online games in the Collegeology Games series. Mission: Admission, a Facebook game that takes players through the steps of getting into college, has attracted 2,000 users online. Future Bound is designed to show middle school students the pathways to success and how decisions they make before high school can impact college and career prospects.

Corwin and project collaborators Fullerton, chair of the Interactive Media Division at the School of Cinematic Arts, and University Professor William Tierney will use feedback from the “Players and Professors” event to plan an even longer and more targeted event for gamers, entrepreneurs and education technology experts this fall.

The emergence of “41” as an offensive term dates back to 1901, when police in Mexico City arrested 41 men, some dressed as women, at a private party. Since then, calling people “41” in Spanish has been a derogatory way to label them as homosexual.

Alberto Mendoza wanted to put a new, positive spin on the number — to reclaim it as a label of respect. In March, he established Honor 41 to highlight prominent role models within the LGBT Latino community and increase visibility of LGBT people of color in the media.

“It was to take away the negative association with ‘41,’ to help heal people from that experience and — for those people who didn’t know anything about it — to provide a little education about that historical moment,” he said. “I wanted to demonstrate and celebrate 41 role models in our community as a response to that.”

Vigil was a prime candidate for the distinction. Nominated by anonymous peers, he earned the number seven spot among selected role models due to his outstanding work with the LGBT community at USC.

When Vigil came to USC as a graduate student at the USC Rossier School of Education in 2002, he noticed the lack of cohesion between LGBT organizations on campus. After completing in-depth research with the student population, and analyzing their needs and concerns, he successfully submitted a proposal to create an LGBT center. With the support of Student Affairs, Vigil became the new LGBT Resource Center’s founding director, a position he has held since 2005.

“When there was finally a home, that’s where we were able to work together and create a synergy and get participation to where it is now,” said Vigil, who also teaches at USC Rossier.

Indeed, the services available to LGBT students have expanded exponentially. By overseeing the Rainbow Floor residential community, peer-mentoring programs, social events and programming, the LGBT Resource Center provides students with support and leadership opportunities.

In addition to recognizing Vigil’s achievements within the USC community, Mendoza acknowledged the personal journey that Vigil took to become the leader he is today.

“Here was this young man who was raised by a single mother, who really used education as his ticket out,” Mendoza said. “Through his own inquisitive nature and his desire to bring about change, he proposed an idea and had it become a reality. That was a story worth sharing.”

Vigil is delighted and humbled that the organization has selected him, and he hopes that Honor 41’s honorees will inspire the next generation of LGBT leaders.

“It is very important that there are faces out there that are people of color and LGBT so that a lot of young people can see that there are leaders out there like them,” he said. “So I hope that I can help other people, just by being me.”

Focusing on the conference theme of “Education and Poverty,” Tierney wove stories from his youth as a Peace Corp volunteer in Morocco, his days teaching Native Americans on a reservation in North Dakota and his struggles to complete a doctoral dissertation at Stanford University to encourage the audience “to bear witness to the kids,” to listen, take more time to reflect, and to argue and defend beliefs surrounding the issues that students in poverty bring to their ability to learn and succeed.

His keynote address, which incorporated personal photographs, displays of video games, and the challenging data of poverty and college attainment and success, was titled “Beyond the Ivory Tower: The Role of the Intellectual in Eliminating Poverty.”

Tierney called on his fellow researchers to work toward five goals that can make the difference for first-generation high school students who are raised in less financially advantaged households or with no college-going culture in their lives:

• Make sure a student knows which college-preparatory courses are needed and make them available.
• Use assessment measures throughout high school and communicate thoroughly and culturally appropriately so that the students and their families understand at every step what is needed to stay on the path to college.
• Communicate about college throughout the students’ high school years. References and recommendations about appropriate colleges and universities from trusted, caring adults must compensate for a national ratio of college counselors to students (450 to 1) that is twice the recommended average.
• Help the students with college applications. More than 50 percent of impoverished students do not go to the colleges for which they are qualified because they cannot manage the application process.
• Help a student’s families learn about financial aid.

Tierney spoke about the need for “College Knowledge” and the work of the USC Pullias Center in designing Collegeology Games, a suite of games in card formats and also now on social media that enable high school and middle school students to play and compete as they learn the processes of college selection, application and financing. Collegeology Games was designed by the Pullias Center in partnership with USC’s Game Innovation Lab at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Tierney, one of the first researchers focused on higher education to lead the AERA, steps down from his presidential post with the close of the conference today. The association has a membership of nearly 25,000 education researchers from around the world.

The chairman of The Academy, USC Rossier’s leadership giving society and a longtime member of the USC Rossier Board of Councilors, Noyes has been one of the school’s most vocal, enthusiastic and supportive alumni for decades.

His recent gift, which supports the Annual Fund and homecoming at the level of the Dean’s Laureate Circle, demonstrates a commitment to his USC Rossier legacy.

“People need to reflect back to when they went to school and how it influenced their lives,” he said. “It’s about listening to what is needed and giving back any way that you can. That’s what the Trojan Spirit is.”

Noyes was a Trojan long before he stepped onto the USC campus to study music and teaching in the 1970s. With more than 35 relatives who went to USC and an abundance of Trojan Spirit in the family, the fourth-generation Los Angeles-born Noyes was destined to follow suit.

“Every year, my grandfather threw an ’SC vs. UCLA party after the game at his house in the Wilshire area, and they’d take out all of the furniture and we’d decorate every room,” he recalled. “I’ve been going to the games since I was very young, and my dad always talked about how when he went to ’SC, you used to drive in and park at Tommy Trojan.”

Noyes said his father went into the Korean War before he could graduate but “was able to enjoy everything he loves about the school through our eyes.”

Today, Noyes carries on the tradition with his wife, Virginia, whom he met at USC, and their three children. The Glendale resident takes his daughter, Alexis, 27, to just about every USC football, baseball, basketball and volleyball game he can.

“My middle daughter with autism really comes out during the games. She’s just the biggest rah-rah person you will meet. She has all of her ticket stubs and buttons from the games,” he said, adding that his Christmas present each year from all three children is a picture of them in full USC colors.

“That always brings me a lot of smiles,” Noyes said.

Noyes came to USC with aspirations of singing, but he was able to explore much more on the vibrant campus.

“I never wanted to leave. There was too much going on. It was a place where you could try many different things — I was even in the marching band for a week,” Noyes said.

He tried student teaching in music and fell in love with education. After earning his degree from USC Rossier, Noyes quickly discovered the power of the Trojan Family as doors opened to job opportunities due to his USC affiliation. That network continued to propel his career and give him an edge over the competition during his 37 years in education as an elementary principal in the La Canada, Las Virgenes and South Pasadena unified school districts.

Seeing the value in those relationships and determined to forge new connections for other alumni, Noyes has been underwriting USC Rossier’s homecoming

Tailgates event every year since the 1980s.

“It isn’t possible for me to give a big building, so I try to find ways to assist the dean in building our alumni base, and homecoming is the biggest way that people connect,” he said. “It’s fun to have that fellowship with our alumni. They’re closer than friends; they’re really family members.”

Noyes is committed to supporting and mentoring current students as well.

“We don’t just graduate and leave; we graduate and then help others graduate, too,” he said.

As a member of the San Gabriel Valley Trojan Group, he interviews USC students who are prospective scholarship recipients.

“I get the opportunity to meet bright, creative and exemplary students. It makes me want to come back and do more; it makes me feel young,” Noyes said. “If you want to feel that way, you volunteer. And there are so many ways that people can help.”

And as chairman of The Academy at USC Rossier, which recognizes gifts of $500 or more, Noyes said he wants other alumni to know that every single gift makes a difference.

“It may not depend on a few giving millions, but on millions giving a few. It’s not about how much we give, but how we give. We give different, but we sacrifice the same,” he said. “That’s the power of the USC Trojan community.”

Academy members will be honored for their generosity at a special “Leaders in Giving” event on June 15 at the USC University Club. For more information about The Academy and how to join, contact Diana Hernandez, director of annual giving for USC Rossier, at dehernan@usc.edu or (213) 740-3499.

The prize recognizes members of the USC community for their exceptional achievement that advances the university’s mission and its role as a leader in higher education.

Flynn, dean of the USC School of Social Work, has been at the helm of many firsts. She established the school’s military social work program, the first of its kind at a civilian research institution, and obtained the first Congressionally directed appropriations ever received by a school of social work to create the Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military Families. Flynn also launched the first national Web-based Master of Social Work program at a major research university.

Her unique accomplishments include the use of advanced technology to train future social workers. Flynn led the school’s involvement with the USC Institute for Creative Technologies to develop “Virtual Iraq” and “Virtual Patient,” avatar-based simulations designed to replicate the experiences of veterans exposed to combat stress and prepare students to interact with real clients by honing their clinical and interviewing skills.

The Web-based MSW@USC program also utilizes creative technology to take social work education beyond brick-and-mortar universities and offer a prestigious educational opportunity to students who might not otherwise have access. A highly advanced Web-based learning management system uses robust social networking platforms and face-to-face “Skype-like” interactive technology to create a real-time, personal classroom experience, accompanied by local internships selected by the school for students where they live and work.

Flynn’s next endeavor is USC Telehealth, a virtual clinic providing one-on-one therapy using video-conferencing technology. The project is a collaboration among the School of Social Work, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the USC School of Pharmacy and other disciplines.

Flynn’s innovative outlook on the future of social work has been recognized on a global scale. Last year she received the International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award from the National Association of Social Workers Foundation for her efforts to advance the public image of professional social work through her groundbreaking work on behalf of social work education, which has increased awareness and respect for the profession.

In an award letter, USC President C. L. Max Nikias lauded the leadership of Gallagher, dean of the USC Rossier School of Education, in the development and launch of the school’s online Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT Online) degree in 2009 and noted that the program has contributed to the university’s reputation as a pioneer in online education.

“Your entrepreneurial innovation and service as a catalyst of change have built USC’s global online graduate education enterprise,” Nikias stated in the letter.

The MAT Online program, the first of its kind from a major research university, combines interactive online curricula with fieldwork in a school in each student’s community. The program has produced more than 1,300 graduates from nearly 50 states and 40 countries — a tenfold increase over the school’s on-campus program.

Gallagher also led the redesign of USC Rossier’s practitioner-focused EdD program in which doctoral candidates solve real problems of practice in the field through work in thematic dissertation groups. The EdD has become a model for doctor of education programs nationally and is the basis for USC Rossier’s Global Executive EdD, which enrolls students from around the world in a hybrid program of face-to-face and online coursework.

In September, Gallagher and her faculty opened USC Hybrid High School. The innovative learning environment provided at the Los Angeles charter school is designed to prepare students for college and fulfilling careers by way of individual and self-directed curricula, new technology tools to manage the students’ schedules and expanded school hours.

Clark accepted the award at USC’s 32nd annual Academic Honors Convocation on April 23 at Town & Gown.

Terence Langdon, William E. Leonhard Professor Emeritus of Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and Professor Emeritus of Earth Sciences at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and John Wills Jr., Professor Emeritus of History at USC Dornsife, were the other winners.

After serving on the faculty at Stanford and Syracuse universities, Clark started his career at USC in 1978 as professor of educational psychology and technology. In 2005, he became co-director of the Center for Cognitive Technology at USC Rossier and in 2008 was appointed professor of clinical research in surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Clark is an internationally renowned expert in the design and application of research on complex learning, performance motivation and the use of technology in instruction. His most recent books include Learning From Media: Arguments, Analysis and Evidence, Second Edition (2012, Information Age Publishers), Handling Complexity in Learning Environments: Theory and Research (2006, Elsevier, with Jan Elen) and Turning Research Into Results: A Guide to Selecting the Right Performance Solutions (2002, CEP Press, with Fred Estes), which received the 2003 International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) Award of Excellence.

He also won the 2002 Thomas F. Gilbert Distinguished Professional Achievement Award from the ISPI, the 2003 Socrates Award for Excellence in Teaching from USC Rossier and the 2007 Outstanding Civilian Service Medal from the Department of the Army. He is an elected fellow of the American Psychological Association (Division 15, Educational Psychology), a fellow in the Association of Applied Psychology, a founding fellow of the American Psychological Society and a fellow of the American Educational Research Association.

Clark holds an EdD in educational psychology and instructional systems technology from Indiana University (Bloomington), an MS in mass communications, journalism from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in history and political science from Western Michigan University.

Sicat, the former chief portfolio officer for Chicago Public Schools and the founder of the successful University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College Prep, a campus of the Noble Street Charter Schools, will assume the position on May 6.

USC Hybrid High, which opened in September and now serves 130 ninth-graders, provides a unique learning environment that uses personalized instruction, expanded and flexible school hours, digital curriculum and real-world applications to prepare students for success. The academically rigorous program has the goal of graduating 100 percent of the student body, fully prepared for college and careers. The majority of Hybrid High students come from neighborhoods that are near University Park Campus.

“Oliver Sicat is an education leader with a reputation for driving change and fostering student success,” said USC President C.L. Max Nikias. “He is the perfect person to head this remarkable school and contribute to the growth of this model beyond our USC neighborhood.”

According to USC Rossier Dean Karen Symms Gallagher, Sicat will oversee Hybrid High’s downtown Los Angeles campus, and he will lead the effort to refine this new model and create up to five schools over time to serve additional students and families. All school principals in Ednovate will report to Sicat.

“We are thrilled to have Oliver join our team and to lead Ednovate,” said Gallagher, who chairs the Ednovate board. “His extensive and strong experience in classroom teaching, in charter school leadership and innovative problem-solving for districts, coupled with his ties to the Trojan Family, make him an ideal leader for this extraordinary effort.”

Before working with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools CEO Jean-Claude Brizard, Sicat was the founding principal of UIC College Prep-Noble Street Charter School. UIC College Prep has been the highest-performing nonselective school in Chicago for the last two years.

Sicat was a math teacher in Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago who was named Boston Teacher of the Year in 2006. He holds a master’s degree in education from Harvard University.

Hybrid High School was developed and designed at USC Rossier by David Dwyer, holder of the Katzman/Ernst Chair in Educational Entrepreneurism, Technology and Innovation. Its percentage of students mirrors the population of the USC neighborhood, with 64 percent Latino/a, 28 percent African-American, 4 percent white and 4 percent Asian.

One picks up a sense of restlessness in the former left-handed relief specialist — one of the most accomplished pitchers in USC history. That, added to his eight years pitching in the big leagues, including two stints with the Colorado Rockies (2002 and 2009-10), made him an excellent choice to take over as assistant coach of the USC baseball team earlier this season.

These days, Flores pursues a Master of Education in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs (ME PASA) at the USC Rossier School of Education. Juggling is an ideal word to describe Flores. He sees his role(s) as a coach, educator, administrator, father, husband and student as part of the mosaic of his life mission, which he defined as “throwing yourself wholeheartedly into everything.”

When asked how he does it all, he answered metaphorically, “You can only control the ball until it leaves your hand.”

He doesn’t see all his responsibilities as a burden. “Every day is a blessing,” he said, smiling. “It’s like winning the lottery.”

Flores enrolled in the ME PASA program because he saw it as a natural stepping-stone to his career.

“I wanted to be immersed in a professional program that would give me not only a framework for a career in higher education administration and student affairs but also professional opportunities,” he explained. “Some of the most influential people in my life were leaders of athletic programs, and I wanted to learn what made them so effective.

“I love the well-rounded aspect of the program, from the history to the legal aspects, from looking at the changes and challenges to tackling issues, such as access and equitability,” he added. “The program does an excellent job of teaching the examination of higher education and the world around it through an inquisitive, research-based eye.”

At a time when athletics and academics are in a constant tug-of-war in the minds of educators, Flores looks at the relationship between the two with hope.

“Athletics focuses on the individual,” he said. “And academics can benefit from this approach. It motivates students to aspire to something. When athletic programs are gone, you will see the difference in the students.”

Flores sees well-managed sports programs as a bridge from the classroom into the professional world.

“My goal, as coach and mentor to these young athletes, is to get them to engage the world outside the game,” he said. “When the game ends, they will know the language that translates into the real world.”

As president, Brewer will lead programming for the 2014 conference, and he’ll preside over the 40th anniversary conference of the association in 2015.

“Dom Brewer is among our country’s thought leaders in the area of the economics of education and policy,” said USC Rossier Dean Karen Symms Gallagher. “He is justly deserving of taking on this important national role.”

The 2013 meeting was attended by USC faculty, students and staff. In addition to Brewer, USC Rossier faculty members who presented research at the conference included Lawrence Picus, past president of the association, Morgan Polikoff, Tatiana Melguizo, Katharine Strunk, Guilbert Hentschke and Joanna Smith.

Brewer, who joined USC Rossier in 2005, is vice dean for research, partnerships and globalization and Clifford H. and Betty C. Allen Professor in Urban Leadership at USC Rossier. He holds courtesy appointments in the Department of Economics at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and at the USC Price School of Public Policy. He is also a co-director of Policy Analysis for California Education, a research collaboration of USC, the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.

A labor economist specializing in the economics of education and education policy, Brewer previously served as vice president at Rand Corp., directing its education policy research program for more than five years.