USC celebrates commencement; more than 19,000 degrees conferred
The Class of 2019 is sent off with inspiring words from valedictorian Ivana Giang, interim President Wanda M. Austin and U.S. Rep. Karen Bass.
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Ivana Giang: ‘Shouldn’t everyone have the right to learn and grow and express themselves?’
USC’s 2019 valedictorian calls on her fellow graduates to champion the causes of diversity, inclusion and more.
Karen Bass: ‘The nation needs you to dream; we need you to dream big’
The congresswoman and USC alumna has words of encouragement for 2019 graduates as she calls on them to “Fight On” until they change the world.
USC commencement 2019: The day in pictures
Our photographers share some of their favorite images of a memorable day.
University awards its first degree in dance to 33 graduates of USC Kaufman
The first group of students to attend the USC Kaufman School of Dance was taking a risk. Friday, that risk was rewarded, as friends, family, faculty and Mikhail Baryshnikov sent them off into the world with degrees.
Wanda M. Austin: ‘You will always be shining stars of the Trojan Family’
In her commencement address, the interim USC president reminds the Class of 2019 that they have the power to change the world.
Eric Garcetti: ‘How, and where, do we belong?’
USC’s baccalaureate speaker — the Los Angeles mayor — discusses the unlikely connection between politics and spirituality, and what’s ahead for the Class of 2019.
Fortune
Married women do more housework than single moms, study finds
USC researchers and colleagues found that the married moms were more likely to “perform gender” in their relationships: working to meet expectations about home-cooked meals, clean clothes and well-kept houses, for instance.
Los Angeles Times
The first MaltinFest at the Egyptian draws Leonard Maltin and family even closer
The longtime film critic, who has taught at USC for more than two decades, curated the films featured in the three-day festival that begins Friday.
The Conversation
Harsh punishments under Sharia are modern interpretations of an ancient tradition
After Brunei introduced death by stoning for gays under its Islamic law, USC’s Jessica Marglin wondered if that law was an accurate reflection of Sharia. Marglin, who studies law and religion, argues that Sharia is not one thing, but a complex tradition with multiple interpretations.
U.S. News & World Report
Testosterone supplements not all they’re cracked up to be
In a study of 50 supplements, USC’s Mary Samplaski found that in the vast majority of cases there was no evidence to show that any of the ingredients in them were effective in any way.
LAist
It’s not just you: L.A.’s freeways have gotten slower since 2015
USC’s Crosstown data project found that the average weekday rush-hour speeds had slowed on 31 of 52 key freeway segments studied — some by 5 mph or more.
NBC News
How to boost Latino participation in organ donations, clinical trials
The reasons why few Latinos enroll in clinical trials, USC’s Maria Aranda says, may include a low level of health literacy about certain disorders, a shortage of bilingual health providers and fear of being treated as “guinea pigs.”
KNSD-TV
Nation’s first thirdhand smoke research center opens
The joint effort by USC and San Diego State will study items contaminated after smoking has stopped, like a shirt that smells of smoke.
PBS’ Frontline
How technology helps preserve the testimony of Holocaust survivors
“Dimensions in Testimony,” the joint project between USC Shoah Foundation and the USC Institute for Creative Technologies of interactive Holocaust witness testimonies, has a permanent home at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
Inside Higher Education
Showcasing historically black colleges in Homecoming
The new documentary does more than just document Beyoncé’s preparation for last year’s Coachella festival. USC’s Shawn Harper notes that It also highlights the distinctive cultural assets of historically black colleges and universities, including their marching bands and Greek-letter organizations.
Los Angeles Times
Study: TV’s Bones, Criminal Minds cross political divides
The study, from USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center and futurePerfect Lab, found it was easier to predict a person’s ideology based on their entertainment preferences than their demographics.
Scientific American
Liver illness strikes Latino children like a ‘silent tsumani’
A study run by USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles weans participants off sugar in an effort to reduce the rate of obesity and diabetes among children. It also targets a third condition fewer people have heard of: fatty liver disease. (Scientific American)
Los Angeles Daily News
USC prof devises ‘smart’ building materials that move themselves with no motor
Doris Sung has designed several energy-saving prototypes that could revolutionize architecture, change the way buildings are built and ultimately reduce the industry’s massive carbon footprint.
Graduating medical student turns academic success into opportunity for Syrian Americans
For the Syrian-born Jamil Samaan, graduating Saturday from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, more Syrian Americans in science means better care within his community.
Jake Olson recalls his journey from confused freshman to history-making graduate
He lost his eyesight at 12, but made headlines as a USC football player. As he graduates, Olson knows his recent accomplishments wouldn’t have been possible without his Trojan Family.
USC Athletics posts another year of record-high Academic Progress Rate scores
Fifteen of the university’s teams had an APR score that was above or equal to the national average for their sport.
USC commencement 2019: What you need to know if you’re going
Thousands will descend on the University Park Campus for the university’s 136th commencement on May 10 — so you’ll want to plan ahead.
Plan to recycle aircraft scrap wins USC Wrigley Sustainability Prize
This USC-grown research team has built a prize-winning chemical process to extract and resell in-demand carbon fibers from airplane carcasses.
USC commencement: Through the years in photos
Catch the famous faces that have been part of past ceremonies — and much more — in a pictorial walk down memory lane.
Valedictorian Ivana Giang channels her refugee family story to combat global education inequality
As the proud child of Vietnamese refugees, Giang has spent her time at USC tackling education disparities at a local, national and international level.
Messenger cells bring good news for bone healing
According to a new USC study on how bones heal, a specific type of stem cell can play a big role in boosting bone repair.
Salutatorian Haochen Wang went from struggling in middle school to singing with the Rolling Stones
Growing up in China, Haochen Wang struggled with his studies. But after deciding to learn for fun, this USC 2019 salutatorian found his passions: math, science and even music.
Lead contamination found in baby teeth of children living near Exide battery plant
A new USC study revealed high amounts of lead in the teeth of children in five Los Angeles communities and reinforced the need to test for lead exposure before and during pregnancy.
Salutatorian Diviya Gupta wants to make medicine more accessible
Diviya Gupta became interested in medicine when her grandfather was diagnosed with an unfamiliar disease. With graduation right around the corner, she is looking forward to bringing her skills as a physician to underrepresented areas.
Promising young scholars honored as USC high-school initiative celebrates its latest graduates
More than 1,000 students have now gone through the USC McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative, a seven-year-long pre-college program that helps prepare local students for higher education.
The rise of the white dress ritual at USC commencement
It’s become an unspoken rule at USC commencement that female students wear white dresses. But where did this tradition come from, and what does it say about this modern generation of graduates?
Prominent Trojans recognized at 86th annual USC Alumni Awards
Kathleen L. McCarthy, philanthropist and USC trustee, receives the university’s highest alumni honor, the Asa V. Call Alumni Achievement Award.
Hit-and-run survivor will make dreams come true by graduating from USC
In March 2018, Kimberly Cuellar was struck by a car and broke her nose; her concussion symptoms lasted for weeks. Now, after recovering and completing her studies without pause, she’s about to make history for her family.
USC Hybrid High finally lands a permanent home in USC’s backyard
After six years in downtown Los Angeles, USC Hybrid High is finally moving to its new home in South Los Angeles, a mere block away from the university.
How Tommy Trojan and other USC statues get ready for their commencement closeups
Why are people blowtorching the Trojan Shrine? It’s all to preserve and protect USC heritage.
Americans might love Cinco de Mayo, but few know its history
USC’s Kirby Farah notes that although many Americans without Mexican ancestry view the holiday as an excuse to drink margaritas, the actual legacy of Cinco de Mayo is a complicated one.
KABC-AM to be new radio home for USC football, men’s basketball
The station will also carry the popular Trojans Live Monday evening show featuring USC coaches and athletes.
USC senior’s artwork gives a voice to the underrepresented
With commencement a week away, graduate Tola Oseni reflects on her use of graphic design, music and video to share untold stories and open the art world to previously excluded groups.
USC selects equity and engagement leader Felicia Washington for top HR position
The accomplished university administrator and attorney will serve as senior vice president for human resources, a new post in the USC president’s cabinet.
Is there a link between gut bacteria and autism? A first-of-its-kind study investigates
Backed by a Department of Defense grant, USC and UCLA researchers will explore gastrointestinal bacteria’s potential role in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Business or social good? USC student chooses both after graduation
Mounir Ghabrial turned down a lucrative offer from a major consulting firm to join a startup focused on improving access to healthy food in Los Angeles.
The 21st-century ballerina: Graduating senior hopes to inspire future brown dancers
As a child, Lenai Wilkerson was told she couldn’t be a ballerina because of how she looked. Now, as she prepares to graduate from the USC Kaufman School of Dance, she wants to further the conversation on diversity in dance.