Student-led think tank addresses problems that go beyond USC
Founded by an alum, the unconventional Novus Think Tank enables students to apply their lessons to real-world challenges while offering a place for Trojans to bond.
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USC Academic Honors Convocation honors inspiring faculty
The event recognizes that USC is above all else a community of scholars. Part 1 on Monday honored faculty members; student scholars will be recognized Wednesday.
When COVID-19 vaccinations began, the USC community sprang into action
From day one of distribution to today, Trojans have been delivering vaccines to hard-hit communities, volunteering at mega-sites and ensuring that hundreds of thousands of shots get into arms.
E-waste isn’t wasted at USC, thanks to partnership that helps the community
An enduring program that reclaims old computers helps students and local families bridge the digital divide while keeping more than 1 million pounds of used electronics out of landfills.
Conn Findlay, 90, won medals at 4 Olympics and was USC’s oldest living Olympic gold medalist
Findlay, a medalist in rowing and sailing, is regarded as USC’s greatest rower.
USA Today
Have social platforms reached their peak? Survey shows little user growth since last year
Two exceptions: YouTube and Reddit, which USC Annenberg’s Karen North notes “has evolved into a really powerful set of communities where important conversations are happening.”
CBS Sacramento
The debate over COVID-19 vaccination passports
Jeffrey Klausner of the Keck School of Medicine of USC looks at the push for and against them: “The idea of vaccine passports is not new. You need vaccinations to go to school, to go to college, to travel certain places.”
NBC News
What to do to ensure that stroke victims get care quickly
The technology to effectively treat strokes exists, provided it’s delivered properly and quickly. But William Mack of the Keck School of Medicine of USC notes that nearly 20% of stroke patients die from their condition and many more are left permanently disabled.
The Sacramento Bee
‘Disappointing’ 2020 Latino turnout found in new analysis; youth voting also lagged
“We thought we’d have a story of a more representative electorate,” says Mindy Romero of the USC Price School’s Center for Inclusive Democracy.
The Hollywood Reporter
Golden Globes’ sponsor unveils plans for reforming organization
Grappling with diversity issues, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has turned to USC’s Shaun Harper for help. The executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center will serve as the association’s strategic diversity adviser for five years.
The Guardian
Why has there been a rise in anti-Asian hate crime in the U.S.?
The increase during the pandemic is forcing the U.S. to reckon with a racism that goes back centuries, USC Dornsife’s Adrian De Leon explains.
The Washington Post
What really works to help an aging brain
If you’re a smoker, quitting is the No. 1 thing you can do, says Elizabeth Zelinski of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology: “Smoking is probably the No. 1 risk factor. It affects your nervous system and vascular system.”
The New Yorker
The musicological zest of Switched on Pop
The popular podcast’s cohosts — Nate Sloan of the USC Thornton School of Music and his friend, songwriter Charlie Harding —were inspired by their own deep analysis of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” They decided to record their conversations — and the rest is podcast history.
KCRW-FM
Some states are dropping mask requirements, but is now the right time?
California has made a dent in new COVID-19 cases after the winter surge, but people need to remain cautious. “This does not mean that we can throw our masks away and start attending large parties,” says Rita Burke of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “We still have to be vigilant and practice what our public health experts have told us.”
The Conversation
Why repressive Saudi Arabia remains a U.S. ally
Holding considerable economic and strategic clout, Saudi Arabia is still considered an ally of the United States despite a track record of human rights violations, USC Dornsife’s Jeffrey Fields explains.
Last
How planting tropical fruit trees could help fight California wildfires
When USC Viterbi’s Barath Raghavan sees housing developments up against the wilderness, he envisions banana orchards between the two — orchards that could be an effective fire deterrent.
Los Angeles Times
How L.A. County can improve its vaccine distribution process
With additional supplies on the way, Felipe Osorno of Keck Medicine of USC says the state and county need to commit to equitable distribution. In an op-ed, he notes that residents of Latino, Black and poor communities are disproportionately dying from the disease compared to those who live in white, affluent communities.
Inspired by her Trojan mentor, first-gen student pursues physical therapy dream
Stephanie Contreras will be the first person in her family to attend college — and the leap doesn’t look so formidable, thanks to the mentorship of USC student Natalia Barajas.
Do our brains age faster than the rest of our bodies?
A team led by USC Stem Cell scientist Michael Bonaguidi demonstrates that neural stem cells — the stem cells of the nervous system — age rapidly.
COVID-19: Commencement update, plus extension of registration deadline to April 15
Social distancing requirements limit graduates to no more than two guests who are California residents; graduates must register by April 15 to participate.
2 USC faculty members named Guggenheim Fellows
Art historian Lisa Pon is recognized for exploring Renaissance artist Raphael’s collaborations, while composer Nina C. Young is known for her genre-defying work.
Maryam Shanechi to lead brain research supported by new NIH award
The $3 million grant will help develop new neurotechnology to treat neurological and mental disorders.
Local entrepreneur ready to revitalize South L.A. food deserts, with USC help
Thanks in part to guidance from USC’s Bridges to Business Success Program, Javonne Sanders believes her company, Toss It Up Salad, is primed to provide the community with much-needed healthy options.
Netflix’s big bet on foreign content and international viewers could change how people see the world
TV and movies are one way that people make sense of the world, USC Annenberg’s Paolo Sigismondi notes — but they can be inaccurate, incomplete or misleading.
As many as 43,000 U.S. children have lost a parent to COVID-19
The pandemic has led to a massive 20% increase in parental loss compared to a typical year, USC research shows.
Activists look back — and ahead — in continued calls to end anti-Black racism
Months after “Black Lives Matter” chants rang out at a march near the University Park Campus, experts say the movement has lasting momentum at USC.
Journalism students connect with L.A. Taco website to create community ‘zine’
The multimedia collaboration, led by USC Annenberg’s Amara Aguilar, will culminate in a printed independent magazine called Taco Life that will be distributed throughout Los Angeles.
Rapid COVID tests used twice weekly could detect most contagious kids
The easy-to-use tests showed promise in comparison with the “gold standard” PCR test, a USC study finds, which could make them a valuable tool as schools reopen.
Student helps teens build relationships with their grandparents — by documenting them on film
After seeing the distance between kids and their elders in his own Jewish community, Ethan Kurzrock developed the Haggadah Project for L.A. middle schoolers.
Music videos provide far-reaching, under-the-radar advertising for vaping products
Models and celebrities exhaling clouds of e-cigarette smoke in music videos promote vaping to young adults in unregulated product placements, two USC studies show.
Why Christianity put away its dancing shoes — only to find them again centuries later
The tradition of Christian dance did not happen overnight. For the first five centuries of Christianity, the church opposed dancing. But as time went on dance continued to be integrated into Christianity.
5 faculty members named University Professors and Distinguished Professors
The selective awards recognize significant accomplishments by leading scholars in their fields.
USC scientist awarded $2.5 million NIH grant to explore ‘synthetic’ embryonic development
USC Stem Cell’s Leonardo Morsut will use the grant from the National Institutes of Health to better understand developmental programs by building them in his laboratory.
Working-age Hispanics at highest risk of dying from COVID-19, by far
The USC study of California death certificates shows foreign-born Latino adults face a significantly higher risk of dying from COVID than U.S.-born men and women who are not Hispanic.
Managing the stress of new traumatic events like mass shootings during the pandemic
Keck Medicine of USC experts address how traumatic occurrences affect us even more in the age of COVID-19, along with how people can cope with increased anxiety and fear.
Drinking sugary beverages early in life could mean memory trouble later
The study by a team of researchers at USC, UCLA and the University of Georgia, Athens, finds a direct connection between particular bacteria in the gut and impaired brain function.
Giving people with autism a voice in future research
A USC-coordinated project will build formal alliances that accentuate the perspectives of autistic people, their family members and caregivers, service providers and researchers.
USC and plaintiffs announce California state court global settlement in the Tyndall cases
Read more on the university’s Commitment to Change website.
Face to face and through a screen, USC occupational therapist helps a client better manage her pain
An occupational therapy intervention called Lifestyle Redesign focuses on helping people “redesign” daily habits to improve their health and wellness.
The Holocaust separated two childhood friends; USC Shoah Foundation reunited them
Betty Grebenschikoff and Ana María Wahrenberg hadn’t seen each other since their families fled Berlin. More than 80 years later, astute work by a foundation indexer brought them back together.
Sitcom taps experience of social work student and veteran
CBS’ United States of Al is about a vet adjusting to civilian life and the interpreter who served with his unit in Afghanistan. To one USC student, it’s a familiar story.