Unlikely hero in LGBTQ+ history is back in the spotlight
🏳️🌈 PRIDE MONTH: A Trojan’s new documentary tells the story of a USC Dornsife professor who took a public stand against gay conversion therapy.
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Heartfelt tributes and joyous reunions highlight USC Title IX celebration
TITLE IX: On the 50th anniversary of the landmark legislation, women of Troy and allies look back — and ahead.
Roe v. Wade repeal may exacerbate women’s health inequities even as candidates use it to gain votes, USC experts say
Health experts see abortion as a public health issue — but in politics, it’s a campaign issue and this is a critical election year.
Time
Forget physique; mental health is the newest, hottest fitness goal
“People are reporting slightly different motives for wanting to be active,” compared with before the pandemic, says Genevieve Dunton of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “The reasons are certainly more about stress reduction, anxiety release and improved sleep.”
Inside Higher Ed
Navigating the path from a community college to a prestigious private university
Private universities are increasingly looking to the community college transfer pipeline to broaden access and diversify the student body. For USC President Carol L. Folt — herself a community college transfer student — it’s personal.
CNN
Seniors with long COVID should prepare to go slow
Caitlin Mcauley of the Keck School of Medicine of USC recommends a neuropsychological exam. “Plenty of older patients who’ve had COVID feel like they now have dementia. But when they do the testing, all their higher-level cognitive functioning is intact, and it’s things like attention or cognitive fluency that are impaired,” she says.
Scientific American
Treating Alzheimer’s before it takes hold
Most dementias hit after 65 years of age; all have proved to be stubbornly incurable. But Paul Aisen of USC’s Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute foresees a future — maybe just a decade or so down the line — in which much of the burden of Alzheimer’s disease might be prevented by screening people from middle age on.
Insider
P.R. experts: Johnny Depp’s career was always going to be fine, but Amber Heard is now forever linked to trial
Depp had a “stronger team in his corner in a lot of different respects,” including public opinion and internet support, says Fred Cook, director of the USC Center for Public Relations. He notes that Heard dropped her P.R. team when the trial prompted backlash and a number of “bad headlines.”
People
Incoming USC freshman makes history as youngest U.S. woman to reach top of Mount Everest
Lucy Westlake, who started climbing mountains with her father when she was just 7 years old, reached the summit early Thursday morning.
The Wall Street Journal
Below the Hollywood sign, a once-private enclave becomes a home-buying hot spot
But Hollywoodland is also a hot spot for tourists, setting the stage for conflict between residents and visitors, notes USC Dornsife’s Leo Braudy. He’s the author of The Hollywood Sign: Fantasy and Reality of an American Icon.
The Guardian
‘Bossware is coming for almost every worker’: The software you might not realize is watching you
It’s not just a privacy issue: Being monitored lowers your sense of perceived autonomy, which can increase stress and anxiety, says USC Marshall Associate Professor Nathanael Fast.
New Humanist
How do we warn future generations about our toxic waste?
Saving our planet may depend on communicating with people 10,000 years from now. USC Dornsife visiting scholar Vincent Ialenti says that the speed at which language evolves will make such communication difficult. The word “internet,” he notes, would mean little to someone living in the 1970s.
Deadline.com
The Batman director Matt Reeves to deliver USC School Of Cinematic Arts commencement address
The USC alum will speak on May 13 at the Shrine Auditorium. Insecure writer-director-EP Prentice Penny will receive its Mary Pickford Alumni Award.
Los Angeles Times
What Elon Musk’s Twitter move says about social media’s political tightrope
“When I look at Twitter, I don’t see a social network, I see an information network,” says USC Annenberg’s Karen North. “It’s a network of people who are communicators, either journalists or people who act like journalists conveying information to their audiences.”
The Associated Press
For Russian diplomats, disinformation is part of the job
Russian embassies around the world are prolifically using Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to undermine the international coalition supporting Ukraine. “They must know better, but that’s what it’s like living in and working for a totalitarian regime,” said Nicholas Cull, a USC professor who studies diplomacy and propaganda.
Albert C. Lum’s long career of advancing Asian American inclusion in law
The USC alumnus looks back at 60 years of defying expectations and serving his community.
USC Viterbi research to streamline robot delivery
Researchers will study optimized symbiotic vehicles for use in warehouses and for robot deliveries.
Armed with administration expertise, Trojan aims to drive change and foster community
Tiffany Chum knew the USC Price online Master of Public Administration program was right for her, but she wasn’t expecting to make so many great friendships with professors and her peers.
Trojan brings authenticity to the growing number of LGBTQ+ characters in animation, video games
🏳️🌈 PRIDE MONTH: Actor JP Karliak launched Queer Vox, a nonprofit training academy and community for LGBTQ+ voiceover actors.
Students learn the power of yoga and mindfulness
A Maymester course heavy on exercise and meditation is part of a new minor aimed at helping students take control of their health.
Biotechnology teacher uses USC background to prep kids for careers
As an instructor at L.A.’s Roosevelt High School, Rekha Prakash works two short miles from USC’s Health Sciences Campus, where she earned her master of science degree in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
USC Price, Viterbi schools prepare military experts to coordinate policy and technology
As the war in Ukraine underscores the need for a multidisciplinary approach to defense, the Executive Global Space and Defense Program couldn’t be more timely.
Finland and Sweden’s pursuit of NATO membership is the exact opposite of what Putin wanted
Traditionally both nations maintained neutrality in global conflicts, USC Dornsife’s Steven Lamy writes. But that changed in February when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Corporations once existed to benefit the public — so, what happened?
In the 1980s, making shareholders rich became the priority. USC Gould’s Dorothy Lund notes. That’s unlikely to change, unless …
USC Gould School of Law announces new Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies
Innovative undergraduate degree provides comprehensive foundation in law and legal infrastructure.
With Roe v. Wade’s future in doubt, USC faculty discuss its potential impact on midterm elections
The Supreme Court’s actions could have major implications for voter turnout in November.
Trojans shine at 75th Tony Awards
Alumni and faculty among those celebrated during the awards that honor distinguished achievement on Broadway.
USC panel offers complex perspectives on Juneteenth holiday
“How does one be celebratory when thinking about a history of over 250 years of enslavement?” USC’s chief inclusion and diversity officer asks.
Report: Low-income renters can’t afford rent in nearly 45% of America’s largest metro areas
Since 2013, more than 80% of the country’s most populous regions dropped in renter affordability, with Black and Latino households particularly impacted, an analysis by the USC Dornsife Equity Research Institute finds.
‘Title IX changed USC immensely,’ women’s sports trailblazer says
TITLE IX: Barbara Hedges — hired as USC associate athletic director in 1973 — pushed for scholarships, funding and growth.
Yellowstone flooding underscores environmental pressures facing U.S. national parks
USC researcher Douglas Noble discusses the impact of climate change on Old Faithful, shrinking glaciers and desert oases.
How Dad inspired me: Professors reflect on their fathers’ influence
With Father’s Day on our minds, seven USC faculty members share touching stories of how their dads helped shape who they are today.
A new use for platinum: Improving the quality of water
Learn how USC researchers identified a new treatment for harmful chemicals in wastewater.
USC repeats as overall winner of Pac-12 Zero Waste Challenge for basketball
The university, which prioritizes sustainability, also was named overall winner for Pac-12 Zero Waste Challenge for the 2021 football season. USC has now earned the overall recognition four times.
Suzanne Nora Johnson elected chair of USC Board of Trustees
The USC alumna is an internationally recognized leader who has served in key roles at major nonprofit and corporate organizations.
Alumni Association’s past president John Iino joins USC Board of Trustees
The globally respected lawyer has a long record of advocacy in diversity, equity and inclusion.
Willingness to give away money among older adults linked to cognitive profile of early Alzheimer’s
Participants who gave away more money scored significantly lower on cognitive tests known to be sensitive to Alzheimer’s disease than those who gave less, a USC study finds.
Is there an upside to today’s high gasoline prices?
When you factor in the cost to the environment, USC Price’s Marlon Boarnet notes, the price at the pump — even at today’s prices — doesn’t cover the true cost of using gasoline.
USC Juneteenth celebration to focus on ‘triumph over adversity’
The newest federal holiday is seen as opportunity to acknowledge centuries of struggle and to celebrate courage.