USC launches its third satellite into space
Satellite Dodona — built by USC Viterbi students and faculty as part of SpaceX’s Smallsat Rideshare Program — hitched a ride on the launch firm’s Transporter 3 mission this week.
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Using only 100 atoms, electric fields can be detected and changed
USC Viterbi researchers create first nano-sized, molecular device potentially capable of sensing and altering the cell’s electric field, ushering in new possibilities for basic research.
Improving outreach and access could reduce vaccine inequities in California
Vaccination rates lag in counties with more racial and ethnic minority residents, and in places with a higher concentration of people whose English is less fluent, a USC study finds.
Trojans search high and low (very low) for the origins of life
Whether they’re in tunnels nearly a mile beneath the Earth’s surface or at vents in the ocean floor, alumni Laurie Barge and Scott Perl study life on this planet to better understand how it might develop elsewhere in the universe.
David Carlisle named interim chief of USC Department of Public Safety
The assistant chief replaces the retiring John Thomas, who will stay with the university as a key adviser.
Los Angeles Times
Contemplating a COVID party for your kids? Bad idea
Four COVID-19 experts agree: There’s no real upside to exposing your child to the omicron variant — and plenty of potential downsides.
The Conversation
Don’t Look Up: Hollywood’s primer on climate denial illustrates 5 myths that fuel rejection of science
Every disaster movie — including Netflix’s newest hit — seems to open with a scientist being ignored. But exactly why do people deny scientific facts? USC Rossier’s Gale Sinatra and a colleague take a look.
KCRW-FM
Omicron surge is spreading fast but could end fast, immunologist says
“We are cautiously optimistic that this is going to spread like wildfire, but it’s going to be short, sharp and fast,” says Paula Cannon of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. COVID, she says, may be moving from pandemic status to “endemic,” like many other viruses for which we have effective vaccines, like measles or mumps.
Los Angeles Times
Young Latinos dying of COVID at an alarming rate; effects might be felt for generations
In California, Latinos ages 20 to 54 have died from COVID-19 at a rate more than eight times higher than that of white people in the same age group, according to a USC study. Many died before vaccines were widely available.
NBC News
Financial stress drives retirees back to work
More older people are considering retirement a temporary stage, lasting until a financial need arises, says Emma Aguila of the USC Price School of Public Policy.
KCRW-FM
Tips for staying COVID-safe while flying over the holidays
The most important thing you can do before traveling: Make sure you are vaccinated and have had a booster shot, says Paula Cannon of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. She also recommends turning on the air vents to direct air away from you while sitting on the plane — although that could make for a pretty cold flight.
The Wall Street Journal
What happens to service when you raise the minimum wage?
A wage hike in San José seemed to improve customers’ perceptions of wait staffs’ friendliness and courteousness, USC Marshall’s Dinesh Puranam says.
Los Angeles Times
U.S. and Mexico leaders far apart on energy, but migration challenge could push that aside
The U.S. president needs to make sure that Mexico continues to cooperate on migration, notes USC international relations expert Pamela Starr: “He doesn’t want to call Mexico out.”
Los Angeles Business Journal
Why L.A.’s green technology industry is growing
Two primary factors: the talented workforce and the supportive culture around clean technology, says USC Marshall’s Shon Hiatt.
Los Angeles Times
As L.A. ports fight gridlock, U.S. and global leaders pledge to curb shipping emissions
It’s difficult to predict how air pollution from idling ships affects port-area residents, says Ed Avol of the Keck School of Medicine of USC — but for people who suffer from asthma and other respiratory or cardiac problems, a monthslong increase in pollution could “push them over the edge.”
CNN
Zillow’s home-buying debacle shows how hard it is to use AI to value real estate
Algorithms tend to be good at making fine-grained, short-term predictions, but there isn’t enough data for an algorithm to learn about longer busts and booms, USC Marshall’s Nikhil Malik says. Zillow learned that the hard way: It’s unloading thousands of homes it bought after AI indicated it could profit from buying them.
NBC News
U.S. 2020 life expectancy drop was the second-highest among high-income countries, behind only Russia
The U.S. decline was fueled by more than disease, notes Bryan Tysinger of the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. Homicides and drug overdose deaths also rose, suggesting that the pandemic’s effects on social structures played a role. (NBC News)
USC Transplant Institute programs reach a new high in 2021
Physicians in the program performed 436 transplants in 2021, a new single-year record.
Coping with COVID: Thanks to omicron, 2022 is off to a painful start
Disruption fatigue, emotional exhaustion and skepticism about public health information are making a bad thing worse, USC experts note. Coping skills and safety measures are critical.
USC partners with College Track to promote school success for first-gen high school students of color
The national nonprofit’s new Crenshaw center is just 1½ miles from USC’s University Park Campus — and Trojan Olympian Allyson Felix has joined its board to boost participation in the neighborhood where she grew up.
In memoriam: 1946 NCAA singles and doubles winner Bob Falkenburg, a Wimbledon and U.S. Open champ
The tennis standout was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1974 and the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
5 plays to read for National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
In recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Tuesday and National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in January, Paula Cizmar of the USC School of Dramatic Arts shares five works that shed light on the issue.
E.T.s may be headed toward Earth. Are we ready for them?
For many scientists, it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” What will happen when we finally come face to face with space aliens? USC experts look to the skies for answers.
Should schoolchildren be tested regularly for COVID? USC researchers provide important guidance
The study could help school administrators and local governments as they decide how much importance to place on testing youngsters.
Reducing air pollution could lower dementia risk
Improving air quality appears to slow cognitive decline and reduce the risk of developing dementia in older women living in the U.S., a new USC study finds.
USC team shows how memories are stored in the brain, with potential impact on conditions like PTSD
Fish that glow; a tailor-made microscope; a new way to catalog science. After six years, researchers produce the first snapshots of memory in a living animal.
In memoriam: Michael Parks, 78, former director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism
The news career of the Pulitzer Prize winner and former Los Angeles Times editor spanned nearly 40 years.
Research offers new insights into understanding head development
USC scientists’ work may provide new information on craniofacial birth defects.
Formerly incarcerated Trojan works to dispel the stigma that afflicts others like her
The USC student support group Unchained Scholars helped Genevieve “Genna” Rimer on her path to a doctorate in social work.
Household pesticide use hurts babies, study shows
When she was growing up near Fresno, Ixel Hernandez-Castro and her friends played in fields that had just been sprayed with pesticides. Those memories drive the USC doctoral student’s research on how similar exposure affects children.
Office of Campus Wellbeing and Education provides connection and community for students
The office supports Trojans’ well-being by identifying sources of personal and professional meaning and inclusion in the classroom, in the workspace and among peers.
Yannis C. Yortsos receives top education award of the National Academy of Engineering
The dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering is co-recipient of the prestigious Bernard M. Gordon Prize for his role in founding the Grand Challenges Scholars Program.
After long career in medicine, USC Price alum looks to change the field from the top down
An Executive Master of Health Administration degree from USC led Joseph Maslak to his new post as chief medical officer at a Florida hospital.
Tarina Kang named chief medical officer for USC Verdugo Hills Hospital
The experienced health care leader previously served as medical director of quality for Keck Medical Center of USC and medical director for the Evaluation and Treatment Clinic at Keck Hospital of USC.
Back to school at 30: Grad students reveal why they returned for their master’s
Three USC online graduate students share how they successfully balanced school, life and career.
Trojan team has plans for simple, intuitive VR design tool
Playbook VR would allow anyone to build virtual reality experiences, without requiring coding or other background knowledge.
Want to survive a mass extinction event? Ask the ancient lizards how
USC Dornsife paleontology doctoral student Hank Woolley is digging into our warmer past to help us understand how we might survive climate change.
5 books that could improve your life in 2022 (and beyond)
Ring in the New Year with these USC scholar-recommended reads that promise a little self-transformation.
For USC Athletics, a year of championships, challenges and changes
✌ Year in review: USC fans celebrated Olympic medals, three national championships and a couple of headline-grabbing hires that indicate a promising future.
A year of remarkable accomplishments on the road toward sustainability
✌ Year in review: The year marked a number of milestones as USC continues its efforts to fight climate change starting at home.
USC Pacific Asia Museum shop in Pasadena sells fair trade items to help women worldwide rise
In the museum’s shop, 60% of the merchandise is certified as fair trade — sourced from Asian American and Asian artists, as well as L.A.-area artists.