USC announces major financial aid expansion to benefit low- and middle-income families
Two new policies will make a USC undergraduate education more affordable for those who most need financial assistance.
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Newly unveiled mural will exemplify black excellence at USC
The mural, which will be the first to adorn the walls of the USC Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, features such luminaries as former President Wanda Austin and director John Singleton.
Stand-up comedy lecturer reassures students that failure is part of the routine
As both a comedian and a teacher, Judith Shelton encourages her students at the USC School of Dramatic Arts to take risks and celebrate their imperfections.
KCBS/KCAL
Van Nuys intersection named most dangerous in Los Angeles
Crosstown, a nonprofit research project based at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, tallied up accident reports from LAPD and came up with a list of the 20 most dangerous intersections.
Los Angeles Times
Street medicine grows, along with the homeless population
A four-person team funded by the Keck School of Medicine of USC finds its patients where they live — and treats them there, too.
KNX-AM
Keck Medicine of USC administrator steps up as two-time organ donor
Tony Herrera is one of the few living donors in the country who has donated two different organs. He hopes his story will inspire others to do the same.
HuffPost
Here’s what sleep doctors do — and don’t do — when they can’t fall asleep at night
USC sleep expert Raj Dasgupta stays away from his cellphone: “Once I open my phone, I’m suddenly answering emails, checking my Instagram and watching The Mandalorian on Disney Plus.”
BBC History Extra
A brief history of Valentine’s Day, from the patron saint of epilepsy to Chaucer’s love tales
Valentine’s Day has been big business since the mid-19th century, but USC’s Lisa Bitel notes that few people realize the holiday began as a Christian feast day commemorating an ancient martyr named Valentinus.
Vox
The Oscars’ international film category is broken
USC’s Laura Isabel Serna notes that Hollywood is constantly trying to expand into foreign markets, particularly the tightly regulated Chinese market. That means the academy has a vested interest in giving those countries’ governments some control over their Oscar submissions.
Self
Can you get facial treatments if you have sensitive skin?
Start by doing your research, says Nada Elbuluk of the Keck School of Medicine of USC: It’s a good idea to find out what types of products — like strong exfoliating acids — the treatment includes.
The Christian Science Monitor
Whose reality? Propaganda in the age of social media
USC Annenberg’s Nicholas Cull points out that modern technology confounds our efforts to tell fact from fiction.
MarketWatch
Coronavirus forcing colleges with high enrollment from China into delicate balancing act
“Universities are often the most global and we are often on the front lines of these situations,” said Sarah Van Orman, chief health officer for USC Student Health. With more than 6,600 students from the China, USC has the second-largest such population of students in the U.S.
Nature
Social scientists battle bots to glean insights from online chatter
USC’s Jon-Patrick Allem notes that bots are designed to behave online like people — so if researchers are interested in studying public attitudes, they have to make sure the day they’re collecting on social media is actually from people.
Channel 4 News (U.K.)
Kobe Bryant a ‘great global sporting icon’
Part of the basketball star’s appeal, notes USC’s Ben Carrington, is that he spent his entire career in the entertainment capital of the world — but he was always a global figure.
KTTV-TV
Blue light technology poised to deliver significant advancement in bladder cancer detection
A new procedure in use by Keck Medicine of USC flows diagnosis of bladder cancer in minutes, right in the exam room and without general anesthesia. Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer among men.
Formerly incarcerated social work scholars unite thanks to new student interest group
Unchained Scholars brings together social work students who were system- or justice-impacted, along with their allies, to organize events and offer one another support.
Brad Keller named USC women’s volleyball head coach
The ex-USC and UCLA men’s assistant helped the Bruin women to an NCAA tournament appearance in 2019.
Does wearing a jacket help you avoid catching a cold?
A clinical assistant professor of family medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC explains why staying warm can help you fight off infections.
Secondhand smoke may be abetting rise of chronic liver disease in children and adults
Smoke exposure can alter how the liver processes fats, according to lab research, ultimately contributing to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
To save on health care, Americans are willing to make major lifestyle changes
A new study from USC Annenberg’s Center for the Digital Future found that many Americans would go to great lengths to lower their health insurance rates — including agreeing to 24/7 personal monitoring.
L.A. County residents remain reluctant to use public transit and unwilling to give up their cars
According to a new USC Dornsife mobility survey, worries over safety and convenience are dissuading people from ditching private vehicles and using public transportation.
How the civil rights movement sparked a new era of diversity at USC’s law school
Current and past members of the Black Law Students Association celebrate more than five decades of building community at USC Gould and beyond.
By asking players to revitalize a dying Earth, this video game aims to raise environmental awareness
A USC Dornsife environmental studies professor and two USC student game designers believe that their game Plasticity could inspire people to take sustainable action.
Robot toys could help detect early signs of autism or ADHD in infants
New research, led by a USC Viterbi doctoral candidate, proposes areas where robots can make a difference in the lives of children with developmental disorders.
How Dain Blanton became beach volleyball’s only African American Olympic gold medalist
USC beach volleyball’s head coach revisits how he went from Laguna Beach amateur to AVP tournament winner and two-time Olympian. It’s part of a series of USC Athletics stories in honor of Black History Month.
2019 Novel Coronavirus: Update regarding spring travel plans (no cases at USC)
Health experts offer information and advice regarding the ongoing situation, updated Sunday.
World’s largest study of a rare genetic disorder offers new insights on schizophrenia
USC researchers are investigating 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a genetic disorder linked to schizophrenia, in an effort to find a biomarker of the serious mental illness.
Rod and Elsie Nakamoto endow new fund to support USC Kaufman student travel
A gift from the USC trustee and his wife will fund travel opportunities for students at the USC Kaufman School of Dance.
The computer science student who shines on the pitch
Soccer standout Penelope Hocking attacks her sport and her classes at USC Viterbi the same way: with intensity. Does a U.S. Women’s National Team spot lie in her future?
Vapers show changes linked to cancer in their DNA
According to scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the chemical alterations in people who vape are similar to those found in cigarette smokers.
Shark Tank’s Mark Cuban funds USC Marshall-aligned startup
Ready, Set, Food! — which is staffed in part by USC Marshall alumni — impressed the famed investor so much that he put $350,000 into the company.
Why do certain county jails hold detained immigrants for ICE?
A USC law professor investigates which counties are more likely to participate in immigration detention and what those counties all have in common.
This USC law alum opened up new opportunities for Chinese Americans
You Chung Hong fought to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and helped thousands of immigrants reunite with their families, becoming the nation’s foremost Chinese attorney.
King brunch honors civil rights leader’s legacy as well as USC-LAPD partnership
Leaders from USC and the Los Angeles Police Department came together at their annual brunch to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.
USC Latinx students find empowerment, community and hope at annual conference
The eighth annual USC Latinx Student Empowerment Conference gave more than 100 students and alumni an opportunity to discuss their place within the university.
The death of a child is a devastatingly common experience for many African mothers
By their late 40s, nearly two-thirds of women in sub-Saharan Africa have lost a child, according to a USC study. Researchers are increasingly recognizing bereavement as a public health threat.
For eighth year running, USC earns top honors for producing Fulbright students
Fourteen USC students received the prestigious grant to study and conduct research overseas.
Hard work — including transporting gravel at age 10 — pays off for first-gen student
USC Viterbi freshman Jovani Esparza, a first-generation scholarship student, was inspired by his parents and brother to become an engineer and give back to those in need.
Poll: California voters are skeptical about school quality but support more funding
The annual PACE/USC Rossier poll also finds voters questioning the fairness of the college admissions process.