USC Viterbi School of Engineering professor Najmedin Meshkati – a member of the National Academy of Engineering committee independently investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill – criticized British Petroleum’s accident report for neglecting to “address human performance issues and organizational factors which, in any major accident investigation, constitute major contributing factors.”

He added that BP’s investigation also ignored factors such as fatigue, long shifts, and the company’s poor safety culture.

Memorial Breakfast at Galen Center

Levi Kingston, founder of the Hoover Intergenerational Community Center, will sponsor a breakfast honoring the late Rev. Thomas Kilgore Jr. Friday morning at the USC Galen Center.

In the early 1970s, Kilgore established USC’s Office of Special Community Affairs, which was named the USC Civic and Community Relations in 1984 when he became senior adviser. He served in that post until his death in 1998.

To RSVP for the event, contact Kingston at (213) 748-3700 or hic323@aol.com

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report Available

A report that establishes USC’s greenhouse gas emissions baseline for the years 2001 through 2009, accounting for emissions generated from the university’s consumption of electricity, natural gas, refrigerants and gasoline or diesel fuels, is available at https://green.usc.edu/ghg

Todd R. Dickey, senior vice president for administration, said the commitment to compile the findings was a milestone for the students, faculty and staff members dedicated to promoting sustainability initiatives on campus.

Dickey said he hopes the report will foster constructive dialogue addressing the opportunities associated with reducing the university’s carbon footprint in the future.

USC Theatre Faculty Shape New Play
Three USC School of Theatre faculty members have key roles in Mlle. God, a new play by Nicholas Kazan.
Actress Gates McFadden, who has taught at USC since 2003; Laura Flanagan, the school’s director of design; and Christina Haatainen-Jones, an adjunct professor who teaches voice, are taking part in the world premiere of the Ensemble Studio Theatre production premiering Jan. 28 at the Atwater Village Theatre complex at 3269 Casitas Ave.
Based on German dramatist Frank Wedekind’s Lulu, the play centers on a femme fatale who brings out the truth in people.
The play will be performed Thursdays through Sundays through March 6. For more information, call (323) 644-1929.
Design Competition Set for Feb. 5
The first student charlette competition to be held by the USC Architectural Guild will take place Feb. 5 at the Harris Hall courtyard outside the Gin D. Wong Conference Center.

The event, in which architects present designs with conceptions not dependent on technology, will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a briefing and breakfast. The competition will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with judging starting at 4 p.m.

A final verbal presentation will begin at 7 p.m., with winners announced at 8:45 p.m.

Winners will receive prizes of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 for first, second and third place, respectively.

The cost to enter is $25 per person. For information, contact Zelda Wong at zwong@usc.edu or (213) 821-1845.
Berton Honored for His Contributions to Japan
Peter Berton, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of International Relations at USC, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the government of Japan.
The honor is given for significant contributions to the advancement of Japanese studies and the promotion of the understanding of Japan in the United States.
Berton, 88, lives in Beverly Hills. A prolific writer, he authored works on Japanese politics and foreign policy, Japanese international negotiation style, Japanese socio-cultural and psychological characteristics, and the territorial dispute between Japan and Russia.
Berton launched the annual lecture series on Japanese art in 1988 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in memory of his late wife Michele, who had a deep appreciation of Japanese culture and was a docent at the museum. The lectures have been a success for more than 20 years, introducing to the public the beauty of all aspects of Japanese arts.

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