Abandoned rail yard becomes a blank slate of creativity for urban planning students
Students’ capstone projects focus on transforming a downtown property to meet community needs.
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USC alumna’s transformative $15 million gift puts history department on a path to preeminence
Elizabeth Van Hunnick’s endowment gift, one of the largest to a university history department, is intended to support the development of more informed leaders.
Could we one day see a world where medical implants last forever?
USC Viterbi researchers are working to develop “forever implants,” thanks to a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Taking a holistic approach to global security issues
As they prepare to deal with tomorrow’s threats, USC Dornsife global security students will combine international relations, spatial sciences and environmental studies as well as drawing on the resources of USC Shoah Foundation.
Andy Stankiewicz named USC baseball head coach
The former Major League Baseball player comes to USC from Grand Canyon University, where he won five regular-season Western Athletic Conference titles.
Los Angeles Times
EV demand is so hot that Tesla owners are flipping their cars like houses
“When supply and demand are not in alignment, you get these opportunities where clever people can take advantage,” says USC Marshall’s Larry Harris, former Securities and Exchange Commission chief economist. “We’ve seen this in all kinds of markets.” (Los Angeles Times)
KCET
Augmented reality experience will bring L.A.’s original Chinatown back to life
A rare collection of photos from the 1930s provides insight into the neighborhood that was torn down for the construction of Union Station.
Futurity
Depression symptoms spike for teen boys after grandmother’s death
A study co-authored by USC’s Michelle Livings notes that more than 4 million children and adolescents in the United States have lost a grandparent to COVID-19. That’s on top of the 10 million to 12 million kids who typically lose a grandparent each 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.
Study identifies social, motor skills patterns unique to autistic children
Research shows that Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Coordination Disorder have their own distinct patterns of social and motor skills.
Major expansion of open-source neuroimaging data set to boost stroke recovery research
A USC-led team of researchers releases expanded data set of brain scans from stroke patients in the hopes of speeding up large-scale stroke recovery research.
New student club to explore technology in all its dimensions — including ethics
Adam Novak spent 100 hours in meditative silence. From that, Shift SC was born.
USC to make historic move to Big Ten Conference in 2024
The university will take the historic step of joining the Big Ten Conference in 2024, a move that will position USC and its student-athletes for long-term success in both athletics and academics.
‘Death investigators’ key part of LGBTQ+ health equity research
🏳️🌈 PRIDE MONTH: No standard statistics exist to record the number of deaths each year for those who identify as LGBTQ+. Their lives — and deaths — are literally not counted.
Message from President Carol L. Folt to the USC community regarding the Big Ten Conference
The president discusses the decision to join the Big Ten Conference.
Risk of death surges when extreme heat and air pollution coincide
Keck School of Medicine of USC researchers used a new analytic approach to study more than 1.5 million deaths across California.
Trojan works to increase affordable housing in the Heartland
Air Force veteran’s business partner — his daughter — suggested he go back to school. USC was the right fit.
President Folt outlines ‘moonshots’ including computer, health sciences initiatives
In her first in-person State of the University speech, she lays out her blueprint for the university’s future.
Does aging vary across different species? How much?
University Professor Caleb Finch discusses the wide spectrum of aging rates in the animal kingdom and what it could mean for humans.
How did vertebrates first develop jaws?
In a new pair of studies, scientists reveal clues about the origin of this evolutionary innovation.
School-based intervention aims to reduce behavioral health impact for LGBTQ+ youth
🏳️🌈 PRIDE MONTH: First-of-its-kind Proud & Empowered offers prevention and reduction approach for traumatic adolescent experiences.
Folding, cutting and bending our way into a more adaptable future
USC researchers model how new metamaterials behave, opening the door for applications in soft robotics and even space.
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.
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.
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.