By rapping The Iliad, classics professor makes ancient literature relevant again
Brandon Bourgeois believes that, by translating the entirety of Homer’s The Iliad into rap lyrics, he can help students better appreciate the classic poem.
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Women make up a record 50% of USC Viterbi’s entering undergrad class
At the graduate level, the engineering school leads the nation with almost 2,000 women in its master’s and doctoral programs.
USC to launch values poll aimed at changing university culture
The USC Cultural Journey Values Poll will ask all faculty, staff and students to contribute ideas and help change how the university functions.
Director makes his final Notre Dame trip with Trojan Marching Band
In his 50th and final year at the helm, Arthur C. Bartner will lead the band in halftime performances of two iconic songs from 1973 — the first year the band went to South Bend.
Settlement notice for patients of former USC gynecologist George Tyndall
The Sacramento Bee
Will California renew its bet on stem cells? Agency touts economic impact as its seeks funding
A report from the USC Price School of Public Publicy found that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has generated more than $641 million in state and local revenue as well as more than $726 million in federal tax revenue.
Variety
After decades of stagnation, women directors see major gains in Hollywood
Of the directors behind the 100 top-grossing movies of 2018, less than 4% were women — fewer than the year before. This year, though, Stacy L. Smith of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative sees a different picture: an all-time high with women at the helm of at least 12 of this year’s top films.
The Hollywood Reporter
Partnership will ‘spellcheck’ Disney scripts for gender bias
The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media has partnered with Walt Disney Studios to deploy a USC-developed digital tool that uses AI technology to examine film and television scripts.
Quartz
The reasons why every academic and business conference should offer childcare
“Why is it important for [women] to attend the conferences for the first few years after they have a child?” asks USC Viterbi’s Yan Liu. “Because this is the critical time not only for childbearing, but also a critical time for career development, and the women miss important opportunities if they don’t participate in the conference[s].”
U.S. News & World Report
USC’s University Park Campus is like a city within a city
The magazine, which again ranked USC among its top 25 national universities, makes a stop in L.A. on its California College Road Trip.
The Hill
Does the U.S. need to be represented at Dubai Expo 2020?
In an op-ed, USC Annenberg’s Nicholas Cull notes that international expositions — sometimes called world’s fairs — remain an important image-maker on the global stage. With the next expo opening in Dubai in fall 2020, he argues that plans for a U.S. pavilion are overdue.
USC Annenberg students join the conversation on climate change
USC Annenberg students questioned 2020 presidential candidates about their climate change proposals as part of MSNBC’s two-day Climate Forum at Georgetown University. USC one of three satellite locations from which students across the country participated in the live event.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Health systems’ wellness officers look inward
More and more academic medical centers making groundbreaking changes to address burnout and stress. At the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Dean Laura Mosqueda chose to tie wellness and leadership into an associate dean role.
USCTrojans.com
Matt Leinart, Heisman winner at USC, named to Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
Leinart, who led the Trojans to a pair of Rose Bowls and was MVP of the 2004 Rose Bowl, is the 25th Trojan player, coach or administrator elected to the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
San Francisco Chronicle
Patrice Rushen goes back to her roots
The keyboardist, vocalist, composer and USC Thornton faculty member returns to the Monterey Jazz Festival on Friday. This time, she’s a featured member of the Christian McBride Situation, a funk-powered group that delivers a kaleidoscopic array of African American musical idioms.
Voice of America
Scientists study whether virtual reality can prevent cognitive decline, dementia
Judy Pa is part of a USC team studying the effects of virtual reality on the brain and cognition related to aging. She explained that, unlike 2D games, VR provides a first-person, 3D immersive experience that is critical to spatial memory training.
The Baltimore Sun
2020 campaign warning: more humanlike bots, better deep-fake videos and wall-to-wall disinformation
A study by researchers at USC’s Information Sciences Institute bots and fake accounts enabled by artificial intelligence have become even more skipped at copying human behaviors — and avoidindg detection.
Jet-setting USC career services leader explains why he got fully vaccinated
Carl Martellino, the associate vice provost for student affairs and career services, describes how easy it is to get properly vaccinated.
At USC’s STEM Day, young students discover a whole new academic world
USC’s STEM Day of Discovery was an opportunity for 700 middle school and high school students to discover the many career opportunities available in health care.
Founder of USC immigration initiative wants to build a hub for research, policy
Eliane “Elle” Fersan grew up in occupied Lebanon; the rampant corruption inspired her devotion to immigrant equity and activism, including founding the Immigrants and Global Migration Initiative at USC Gould.
Good Neighbors Campaign commemorates 25 years of serving the community
The annual dinner honoring USC faculty and staff who donated 1% of their salary featured Good Neighbors alumni and President Carol L. Folt.
Celebrating 10 years of fostering research and scholarship in mental health law
A decade after the USC Saks Institute’s Student Scholars program began, students and alumni reminisce on how it has advanced an understanding of mental health.
Mark Humayun receives $3.7 million to develop treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration
The award — granted by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine — is designed to advance California as a hub of medical breakthroughs.
Researchers investigate why certain brains are more vulnerable to addiction
A new USC study examines how to identify the people most at risk of opioid addiction and how to best treat those already addicted.
Warrior-Scholar Project takes veterans from the battlefield to the classroom
For five years, USC has partnered with the academic boot camp to help veterans transition from active duty to college. This year, the university added an extra week focused solely on business.
Freshman seminar helps students define what ‘prosperity’ really means
Determining what ‘success’ means throughout life can be complex, which makes this course from Min-Kyoung Rhee of the USC Leonard Davis School a unique endeavor for new students.
USC President Folt honored with UC Davis alumni Award of Distinction
Folt earned her doctorate at UC Davis and credits the institution for inspiring her to drive change for the public good.
Breakthrough in testosterone-producing cells could lead to treatment for ‘low T’
Low testosterone can affect men’s mood, sex life and health. USC scientists say they’ve hit upon a potential new solution.
When special education legal disputes arise, staying neutral is necessary
Drawing on 30 years of experience, Richard Erhard teaches law students at USC Gould how to mediate complaints with teachers, administrators and parents.
139 years old, and still fighting on
From a modest start, the university marks its 139th birthday as one of the nation’s leading research institutions.
First look at USC’s Class of 2023: diverse, hard-working and high-achieving
Among incoming students, 1 in 4 had perfect grades in high school and over 15% are first-generation.
Are testosterone-boosting supplements effective? Not likely, study says
Though over-the-counter “T boosters” are a popular choice for men looking to raise their testosterone levels, new research indicates these supplements have little or no known effect.
This grad student’s VR tool can help prepare people for active shootings
With help from the USC Iovine and Young Academy, Neilda Pacquing has founded a company that wants to save lives via virtual reality.
Bill Fisk Jr., former USC All-American offensive guard, 75
The three-year letterman was a member of the Trojans’ undefeated 1962 national championship team.
Latinx Heritage Month banners celebrate the stories of USC students
For the first time, a series of colorful banners recognizing the university’s Latino community were raised on Trousdale Parkway.
USC Gould students learn from esteemed judges, and vice versa
The Jurist-in-Residence program offers students unique insight into the perspectives of judges from outside Southern California.
Trojans celebrate official opening of Iovine and Young Hall
The 40,000-square-foot facility supports the USC Iovine and Young Academy’s mission with the latest technology, from 3D printers and a multimedia imaging lab to a podcast studio.
Research into state drug pricing laws finds no improvement in transparency
A new study from the USC Schaeffer Center found that fewer than 5% of state drug pricing laws passed between 2015 and 2018 will provide additional public transparency.
Study: Paying the film industry billions in tax incentives doesn’t generate economic growth
According to the USC Price School, the five states that spend the most on motion picture incentive programs are not getting a return on that investment.
Through special effects and MRI scans, scientists develop realistic virtual human hand
Due to their complex musculoskeletal systems, animating human hands has been one of the biggest challenges in computer graphics. Now, a team of USC researchers has cracked the code.
Half of Mexican teens report feeling addicted to their phones
The latest phase of a global USC Annenberg study found that Mexican teens feel more addicted to their phones than teens in the United States, Japan or the United Kingdom.