Ambrosia Viramontes Brody
Stories by Ambrosia Viramontes Brody:
Messner honored for pioneering work in gender studies
Michael Messner is the first man to be honored with the Jessie Bernard Award, given in recognition of work that has broadened the horizons of sociology to encompass the role of women in society.
On the tenure track
Rosina Lozano, who received doctorates at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, have been appointed assistant professors at Princeton University.
Steely determination: Polamalu inspires on and off the field
When Troy Polamalu left Los Angeles to join the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2003, he vowed to return and complete his college education. On May 13, 2011, he traded in his black and gold Steelers helmet and jersey for a black graduation cap and gown to make good on that promise.
Seeking peace in the Middle East
During her sophomore year in high school, Anna Miner read Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi’s autobiography and became fascinated with the complexities of Middle Eastern and South Asian states.
Echoes of self-identity
As Dana Johnson strolled through Echo Park, taking in the downtown Los Angeles skyline and tree-lined lake, the characters, setting and plot of her first novel took shape.
Rocking and rolling
For some people, rocks are those pesky objects that sometimes find their way into shoes. But for aspiring geologists, the aggregate of minerals provide a looking glass into the past.
Booking a philanthropic journey to Japan
For the past few months, 13 students in the Japan Immersion program at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences collected 300 American studies books from schools across campus.
Two Trojans sharpen language skills in East Asia
A USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences graduate and undergraduate have received the Summer 2012 Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship for a commitment to developing Mandarin-language skills.
Antarctica warmer 20 million years ago
Ancient Antarctica was warmer and wetter than previously suspected, enough to support vegetation along its edges, according to a new study led by Sarah Feakins of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Black pearls of the sun
Atop Mount Wilson overlooking Pasadena, Calif., dozens of stargazers peered through telescopes at a celestial wonder. A few people donned T-shirts emblazoned with the words “I Witnessed the Transit of Venus.”
Hispanic hot spots
When the plate was set before her, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences senior Amy Rogers timidly placed a piece of meat into her mouth and awaited a reaction from her taste buds.
Committed to civic engagement
During his freshman year at USC Dornsife, Daniel Wu ’10 volunteered in South Central Los Angeles, where he listened to immigrants talk about the difficulties they encountered attempting to find work and better housing.
A keen sense of science
Two doctoral students at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences were awarded the Graduate Student Prize for Excellence in Research from the USC Center for Applied Mathematical Sciences for contributions to the fields of mathematics and physics.
Up close and personal with the Netherlands
Speaking to undergraduates in the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences course “European Foreign Policy and Security Issues,” Netherlands ambassador to the United States Renée Jones-Bos provided students with insight into European politics.
Science demystified
Fourth-grader Zakar Martin cut a lemon in half, pushing a nail into the squishy side of one half and a penny into the other half of the fruit’s pulpy side.
USC Dornsife students nab top prizes in 14th annual symposium
For USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences undergraduates Ellen Park and Kevin Le, the idea of engineering a synthetic version of the E. coli immune system to learn how to defeat antibiotic resistance sparked a passion for research and two years of rigorous work in a laboratory.
USC Dornsife alumna wins prize for first novel
When Bonnie Nadzam PhD ’11 began to develop characters for her dissertation in the Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing program at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, she could not have predicted the shape they would eventually take.
North Korea: 100 days after dictator’s death
Citizens and government officials in the United States, Japan and South Korea anxiously awaited signs that U.S.-North Korean relations would improve after dictator Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack in December.
A lifelong yearning for learning
With their right hands raised, the USC undergraduates recognized as leaders in their disciplines proudly recited an oath promising to be faithful to the ideals of Phi Beta Kappa.
USC scholar named among the world’s 500 most influential Muslims
Sherman Jackson, holder of the King Faisal Chair in Islamic Thought and Culture at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, has been named for the second time among the world’s 500 most influential Muslims by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.
Strength through adversity
On International Women’s Day, USC students, faculty and the public listened to Rose Mapendo’s harrowing story of living in a death camp with her children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nobel laureate visits USC, inspires students
Ada Yonath, one of just four women ever to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, told USC students last month what it takes to be a successful scientist: curiosity, passion and perseverance.
Monkey King to become China’s Mickey Mouse?
International filmmakers and developers interested in partnering with China on business ventures, such as constructing theme parks or filming movies, are advised to have a deep understanding of the Chinese culture, panelists said during a recent “UCLA-USC Media and Culture in Contemporary China” conference.
In memoriam: Carl Q. Christol, 98
Carl Quimby Christol, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and pioneer in the field of international space law, has died. He was 98.