How Mexico offered freedom to the enslaved people of the antebellum South
Alice Baumgartner, a new history professor at USC Dornsife, explores this little-known piece of history.
Top Stories
Editor's Picks
Rino Patti, 85, USC Social Work dean and professor emeritus
The nationally renowned educator and scholar served as dean of USC’s social work school from 1988 to 1997.
Empowerment and community drive USC freshman Laila Ward — Miss Black Pasadena
Biology major Ward wants to be a doctor, but also plans to study Spanish and international relations. And she’s got an eye on the Tournament of Roses’ Royal Court, too.
Trojan’s side hustle — a job-oriented podcast — helps listeners make career connections
As a student, Aaron “A.J.” Eckstein revitalized the Latino Business Student Association. Now the recent graduate is connecting people with their dream jobs through his Final Round interview podcast.
USC Gould vice dean shares her election expertise with lawmakers
Franita Tolson testified before Congress on voting rights and access twice in July — and it wasn’t her first time at the Capitol.
NPR
What top film schools are doing to help diversity Hollywood
Attracting and supporting diverse students is just the start, says Dean Elizabeth Daley of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The school’s efforts include a ”first jobs” program that helps graduates land their first paid jobs in the entertainment industry.
Los Angeles Times
Fed up with TikTok, black creators are moving on
It’s hard to know for sure whether the TikTok algorithm is biased against people of color, USC Marshall’s Kalinda Ukanwa said — but the perception persists.
The Wall Street Journal
Why was China’s biggest movie star was erased from the internet?
Zhao Wei was the Reese Witherspoon of China before she was censored by the Communist Party. “Zhao Wei is like a poster child for what the Communist Party sees as what’s wrong with celebrity culture in China,” USC Dornsife’s Stanley Rosen says. “It’s a demonstration that no one, no matter how wealthy or popular, is too big to pursue.”
The New York Times
One thing we can agree on is that we’re becoming a different country
The early 1990s were a turning point, notes USC Dornsife’s Dennis Chong: In the years since, college-educated and young people have become markedly less tolerant of hate speech pertaining to race, gender and social identity.
The Washington Post
The mystery of 9/11 and dementia
Marketplace.org
Challenges face the world’s largest container-shipping company as it tries to go green
The Danish company Maersk has ordered eight vessels that will run on methanol. But one key to the carbon-neutral strategy is ensuring that the methanol used is sustainable. As USC Dornsife’s Surya Prakash notes, China makes a lot of methanol from coal.
The Washington Post
China’s COVID lockdown led to an earlier, greener spring, study suggests
Vegetation across the country responded immediately to the change in conditions, a study by USC Dornsife’s John P. Wilson and colleagues found. It indicates that short-term changes in human activity can have a rapid ecological impact.
ABC News
California’s wildfires are already erratic, and the worst may be ahead
Los Angeles Times
Imagine an L.A. where the buses and subways are free
The MTA is considering eliminating fares, but would that increase ridership? “Unfortunately there’s not a lot of evidence that people will get out of their cars and into transit even if it were free,” says USC Price’s Genevieve Giuliano. “A trip by car often takes half the time it takes by transit.”
CBS News
Shoppers impacted by soaring consumer prices
Prices are rising across the board, says USC Marshall’s Nick Vyas: “We are buying more and more and more. And that creates this perfect storm for inflation.”
KCRW-FM
Vaccine mandate for health care workers will save lives, according to those on the front lines
Health care providers who come in contact with patients have an ethical responsibility to protect those patents — and their own colleagues — from COVID-19, says Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center.
NPR
Some claim migrants fueled a COVID-19 surge, but doctors say it’s not true
“This is a pattern we’ve seen for 150 years of medical scapegoating, of medical racism in which we blame disease outbreaks on immigrants in place of really looking at other factors — our own behaviors,” notes USC Dornsife’s Natalia Molina.
Hunter Brophy’s studies are in the stars, but his heart is in the sea
The first-year astronomy major, lifeguard and Navy cadet has a special connection to the ocean and the environment.
USC Kortschak Center helps students make back-to-school connections
Timely workshops help students brush up on talking with professors, deal with roommate issues — and perhaps make a new friend or two.
Different types of cancers are likely to spread to specific areas of the brain
The USC study’s findings are important because they may predict where a specific cancer may spread in the brain, and may also have implications for how brain tumors grow.
Transfer student La Shaun Aaron brings wisdom of life experiences
At age 43 and with a college-aged son, she hopes to be a role model to other Black women and girls.
Study finds more than 9 million excess life years lost during COVID pandemic
Life-years lost from premature mortality were distributed almost equally across elderly and younger adult populations in the first year of the pandemic.
USC earns silver for being green on national sustainability report card
The university underwent a rigorous evaluation by STARS, the nation’s sustainability rating system for colleges and universities, with the results highlighting successes in community partnerships and biodiversity.
How Greece let in tourists and kept out COVID-19
Researchers from USC and the University of Pennsylvania collaborated with a private company CEO to help Greece do more with less and curb COVID-19’s spread when the country reopened to tourists.
First-year faces: Macie Miller brings her mental health advocacy to USC
Macie Miller always dreamed of going to USC. Now that she’s officially a Trojan, she plans to continue being a mental health advocate as she soaks up the new world around her.
Building lasting bonds and memorable structures, one relationship at a time
Persistence and a love of math and science led first-generation college student Mayla Rodriguez to USC Viterbi’s civil engineering program.
USC’s John Carpten to chair President Biden’s National Cancer Advisory Board
As chair of the presidential board, Carpten will be in a position to guide the nation’s cancer research efforts.
Master’s student puts off retirement for a second career in gerontology
Jennifer Nykyforchyn isn’t ready to retire. She’s using her tech experience and USC training to fashion a second career in gerontology, where age is an asset.
Meet USC’s zero waste auditor: Where most people see abandoned fruit, he sees a delicious dessert
Josh Rebello audits trash, compost and recyclables for a living. The data he produces drive sustainable practices at USC, where multistream recycling is expanding.
Federal funding for Alzheimer’s multiplies at USC
More than 90 federal grants totaling $92 million were awarded to USC researchers in 2020, underscoring the university’s status as one of the nation’s leading research centers as we acknowledge World Alzheimer’s Day 2021.
How to use the new multistream recycling bins you’re seeing around USC
The bins are an important part of USC’s drive toward sustainability — but only if everyone uses them correctly.
Top movies to watch during Latinx Heritage Month
Students from the Latinx Film and Media Association of USC came up with 10 movies to watch while celebrating Latinx Heritage Month.
Award-winning journalism alumna returns to academia to reshape how stories are told
Jessica Moulite shares her experience as a Black storyteller and how she hopes to combine academic work with her journalism background to effect positive change.
Former rock star seeks master’s to address addiction in older adults
As a female rock star, Brett Anderson fought stereotypes and pushed boundaries. With a master’s in gerontology, she hopes to do the same with aging and addiction.
New USC center focuses on issues affecting Latinx communities
The director of the Latinx and Latin American Studies Center shares how it will examine the racial, economic and social issues important to Latinx populations in Southern California and beyond.
L.A. restaurateur turns misfortune into growth with a strategy boost from USC partners
Thanks to the Bridges to Business program, Greg Dulan’s restaurants are not just surviving in a COVID-altered world; they’re thriving.
Steps silent and unseen move USC toward a more sustainable future
A new report on USC’s sustainability goals reveals progress, including considerable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, as the university prepares to launch its next sustainability plan.
USC Gould alum joins expanding Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX
Title IX expert Linda Hoos brings a wealth of experience to a transformed office that seeks to prevent and address reports of discrimination, harassment and retaliation involving all Trojans.
Steve Riley, 68, ex-USC football standout and longtime Vikings tackle
The All-American was a member of the Trojans’ undefeated 1972 national championship team.
2 MacArthur Fellows recommend readings and video for Latinx Heritage Month
Natalia Molina and Josh Kun of USC Dornsife offer nonfiction and artistic works to give readers insight into the Latinx experience.
Rodney Hanners named CEO of Keck Medicine of USC and president and CEO of USC Health System
Hanners, who has served as interim CEO since June 2020, has helped lead Keck Medical Center to rank among the top 25 hospitals nationally.