Isis Galeno set out to research her family’s favorite music: ska
Thanks to a prestigious Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, the recent USC grad was able to dive into the history of Mexican American ska music in Los Angeles.
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What we know about water may have just changed dramatically
USC researchers discover some strange properties about water that could have a remarkable impact on all water-related processes, from purification to drug manufacturing and beyond.
Women’s track and field team wins second NCAA outdoor championship In 3 seasons
The Trojans score their most points ever at the NCAAs. Anna Cockrell becames only the second person to win the 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles in the same season.
LAUSD, Jimmy Iovine and Andre ‘Dr. Dre’ Young to open new high school
The school will mirror the USC Iovine and Young Academy’s nationally recognized educational model that combines design, business and technology with hands-on learning.
Research shows ‘safe parking’ programs can help homeless
Dozens of cities have started designating certain parking lots as safe zones for homeless individuals. Based on three recent USC Price students’ research, it’s an effective strategy.
USC celebrates Pride Month
Watch the universitywide kickoff celebration event.
Honoring LGBTQ+ achievements: USC kicks off Pride Month with virtual event
The Pride Month Celebration will feature a variety of speakers sharing personal stories of inspirational LGBTQ+ people in their lives or careers.
Meet Edwin Bodney, USC Student Health’s new LGBTQ+ campus advocate and educator
The poet and performer wants his art and his own experiences as a Black, queer undergrad to help guide underrepresented members of the USC student community.
Newly renamed LGBTQ+ Student Center aims for greater inclusion
After surveying USC students, the center’s leaders adopted a new name that includes the entire community.
USA Today
Why rainbow capitalism can be harmful to LGBTQ people
Big brands roll out Pride-related merchandise each June — but USC Dornsife’s Karen Tongson says that needs to be backed up with substantive action. Otherwise, Tongson says, “it’s not going to make any difference because people are still going to suffer the same injustices.”
Vox
The false promises of more immigration enforcement
The threat of immigration enforcement isn’t an effective deterrent for migrants in the long run, says USC Gould’s Emily Ryo. Her study found it has no significant effect on people’s decision to migrate from Mexico and Central America’s “Northern Triangle”: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
The Hill
Why it’s time to rethink U.S. policy toward China
President Xi Jinping’s China is not what China will always be, notes USC Dornsife’s Gregory Treverton. America’s policy should be driven by what is good for the U.S., he notes, and not what might be bad for China.
Nature
How COVID is changing the study of human behavior
The inability to gather people indoors to conduct research spurred innovations in how scientists recruit and study participants, says USC’s Wändi Bruine de Bruin: They don’t have to stay local, and since participants don’t have to come into the lab, it’s easier to recruit a more diverse sample. “I do think it will push social science forward,” she says.
The New York Times
Stereotypes are rife among Asian and Pacific Islander film roles, study finds
Two-thirds of characters reflect stereotypes, and only about 3% of top-grossing movies had leads or co-leads who were Asians or Pacific Islanders, according to a study of 1,300 films by USC Annenberg’s Stacy Smith.
KNBC-TV
What does it take to turn a 98-year-old stadium into a high-tech graduation venue?
Quite a lot, it turns out: 144 audio speakers, a 90-foot stage, hundreds of chairs fastened to the ground so they can’t blow away — and don’t forget on-field WiFi service (football players don’t send many selfies from the 50-yard line). And it all had to be done in just a few weeks.
Fast Company
Where will rent prices head after the pandemic?
Landlords don’t always act rationally, notes USC Marshall’s Marco Giacoletti, whose research shows how they might adjust to a reopening society.
The New York Times
Repairing generations of trauma, one lotus flower at a time
USC Dornsife’s Duncan Ryuken Williams helped organize a Buddhist ceremony to heal the recent rise in anti-Asian violence. “It is less about atoning for sin,” he says, “and more about trying to take some responsibility based on awakening to the fact that we are multiple, we are interconnected, we are interlinked and our destinies are very much intertwined — because that is how karma works.”
CBS Los Angeles
Aiming for herd immunity, city of L.A. offers COVID vaccinations without appointments
Some areas may have already reached herd immunity when you factor in the aftermath of the January and February surge, says Jeffrey Klausner of the Keck School of Medicine.
Today
What Riz Ahmed’s Oscar nod means to South Asian, Arab and Muslim artists
The Sound of Metal star is the first Muslim to receive an Oscar nomination for best actor. “What is striking to me is that there are just so many communities who have been marginalized and underrepresented or demonized in Hollywood,” says USC Dornsife’s Evelyn Alsultany, “and just how meaningful it is for various communities when you see yourself finally represented.”
Los Angeles Daily News
California will lose a seat in Congress for first time: What it means
Early census counts show the state will drop from 53 to 52 House seats. That increases the gap between the state’s economic contributions and its political representation, says USC Price’s Dowell Myers.
KPCC-FM
Is social media the key to California’s gubernatorial recall?
If a recall election happens, the frontrunners to challenge Gavin Newson might not be the candidates with the most political clout but those with the most social media influence, USC Annenberg’s Christina Bellantoni notes.
Ethnic diversity in research identifies more genomic regions linked to diabetes-related traits
By including multi-ethnic participants, a largescale genetic study has identified more regions of the genome linked to type 2 diabetes-related traits than if the research had been conducted in Europeans alone.
International Human Rights Clinic students win prestigious fellowships
Nicholas Maisel and Morgan Brock-Smith have been invited as judicial fellows by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Appeals Chamber/Presidency, starting in August.
From molecular modeling to addressing social problems using AI and fighting hate speech
Through the USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Outreach, professors take the limitations of online learning and turned them into positives.
Newly revealed potential treatment target for Alzheimer’s could help with late-stage disease
A new USC study may have unlocked therapy options to slow cognitive impairment in people with the APOE4 gene, which has long been associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Neighborhood Academic Initiative graduation marks the end of Cáceres family journey
Emmely Cáceres will become the last of four daughters to graduate from USC’s premier college prep program, and she credits her sisters and parents with putting her on the path to success.
USC TRiO students celebrate virtual graduation
The event honored the achievements of 104 Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math-Science graduates, seven of whom will be attending USC.
Professor’s invention used as COVID-19 virus particle sampler
An air sampling method created by USC Viterbi researchers to measure air quality has been adopted by the Department of Homeland Security to better understand COVID-19’s spread.
Amplifying diverse voices in USC music classes
The Voices Fund has helped bring celebrated artists like jazz musician Roscoe Mitchell and mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges to speak in USC Thornton classrooms.
Inspired by her mother’s love, this young poet prepares for life as a Trojan
Shandela Contreras would not have graduated from USC’s Neighborhood Academic Initiative without her mom’s hard work and sacrifice, virtues she’ll carry with her as a USC student.
Business leader Steve Keck named to the USC Board of Trustees
The USC alumnus has deep, long-standing connections to the university.
Pilot lands at Boeing, then USC Iovine and Young Academy for online master’s
Allie Corrigan contemplated obtaining an MBA or a master’s in graphic design, ultimately landing on a combination of the two degrees: the Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology.
How USC’s Center for Inclusive Democracy is using big data to transform voting
As the state of Georgia prepared for two U.S. Senate runoff elections in January, USC’s election experts offered tools that could help get important information to officials, community groups and voters.
Keck School of Medicine awarded $2 million to help identify if financial vulnerability is risk factor for Alzheimer’s
A grant from the National Institutes of Health will allow the Han Research Lab to study the link between financial decision-making and Alzheimer’s disease.
USC Dornsife Mellon Mays Scholar explores queer culture and Black identity
Emmy Esquerre links “queer phobia” in today’s Black communities to political and religious systems put in place by European colonizers and missionaries in Africa and South America.
Tim Tolman, 65, leading hitter on USC’s 1978 College World Series championship team
The three-year USC letterman also played and coached in the majors.
Race and class divide in health care fuels explosion in MD-MPH dual degrees
Trojans increasingly seeking dual medical and Master of Public Health degrees symbolize the growth in interest in solving health disparities.
Happy birthday, Tommy! Trojan Shrine was unveiled 91 years ago Sunday
The icon, modeled after a number of USC football players, represents the five qualities of a Trojan: faithful, scholarly, skillful, courageous and ambitious.
USC Sea Grant program helps L.A. kids become young scientists and engineers
“Storytime with a Scientist” is just one of many university initiatives that teach local students about the wonders of the scientific world.
10 years after the Arab Spring, USC Dornsife scholars examine its troubled legacy
What went wrong? And is there still reason to hope that the democracy movement might finally take hold?
10% of Angelenos plan to leave county even as residents’ consumer confidence rises
Still, the USC Dornsife-Union Bank LABarometer livability survey finds people perceive less crime, vandalism and drug and alcohol use in their neighborhoods than they did in 2019.
Pandemic misery index reveals far-reaching impact of COVID-19 on American lives, especially on Blacks and Latinos
The USC Dornsife Center for Economic and Social Research’s index of “pandemic misery” found that 80% of U.S. adults experienced at least one serious economic, psychological or health hardship between April 2020 and March 2021.
Engineering a future, USC ROTC grad rises to the challenge of pilot training
Sarah Markosky is an aspiring engineer and a pilot, one who isn’t intimidated by entering male-dominated fields.
Musician Vimbayi Kaziboni heeds the call of conducting — and more
The USC Thornton alum has created a multifaceted career across continents as a conductor, artistic director and teacher.
See where many USC students will hang out — and find a place to belong — this fall
Remodeled cultural centers and lounges will give Trojans a place to meet up, talk and make friends. Get a first look at them in photos.